Decking materials - experiences?

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

Hi -

We're looking at adding a deck and I want something as close to zero maintenance as possible. There are now a number of manufacturers, much more than just a few years ago. Trex (of course), Azek, Truemarc, TimberTech, Weatherbest, etc etc etc.

if anyone has dealt with any of these products (either during installation, or with the finished product), I'd love to hear about it.

- John

[Michael Wetzel]

I installed 2 geodeck composite decks. One was T&G and the other was standard decking. I was happy with the product but there was a learning curse to installing it properly. The product is hollow so using a nail gun can be problematic on the standard decking.

[Tom Esh]

Just had a 16x20 done with Azek this spring. Way too soon to know anything about durability, but one thing I'd definitely recommend for any of the synthetics is putting it on 12" centers if possible. Most (including Azek) specify 16" as OK and while that's probably fine structurally, it still felt a bit too "springy" for me. 12" feels rock solid.

[Scott Donley]

Put in a Trex deck at Mom's about 5 Years ago. Mold has been a constant problem, the kind a pressure washer won't even take off. The areas that never get wet it is fine, the other areas, forget it. Just Google "trex mold" lots of info.

[Steve Jenkins]

I had Kelly Hanna install a deck on the back of the house using Choice Deck. It has lasted quite well and cleans easily with a pressure washer. I just finished re-doing our front porch and used the same stuff. We got it a Lowes. If yuo use flathead screws you have to countersink a little first or it will mushroom up around the screwhead. There is a special screw for composite decking that works really well. The underside of the head is flat and it compresses the material so it doesn't mushroom.

[David G Baker]

Trimax is one of the better decking material for extremely low maintenance. It is made from fiberglass and recycled plastic bottles. Do an Internet search on Trimax and form your own opinion from the information.
I used it for several things in California and found the only possible draw back is it is hot to walk on barefooted on hot Sunny days, but so are most other decking materials to one degree on another.
Many of the composite decks have a 10 year warranty where Trimax has a 50 year warranty. It is not cheap but if you factor in the fact that it will be the last deck you will need to build if you stay in the same location.
I liked the product more than any other decking material that I have researched.

[Ben Franz]

Last one I used was CorrectDeck (IIRC) - a solid 4/4 product with a decent concealed fastener system. If you're going to spring for a synthetic deck, I would avoid any product that has exposed fasteners. There is a learning curve with any new material and the cost of fasteners can be significant. CorrectDeck uses a proprietary plastic biscuit and stainless steel trim head screws. Try to find those at the Borg! What with the high cost and decreasing quality of natural wood alternatives nowadays, synthetic decking is almost a no-brainer choice.

[Lee Schierer]

I've done two decks with Veranda and am happy with both. I highly recommend hidden fasteners as the deck looks much better without row upon row of fasteners showing. The Phantom 2 fasteners I just used on my back deck were 10 times easier to work with than the Tiger Claws I used on the front deck. A friend recently did his decking with a biscuit type hidden fastener. He said they worked well, but he isn't sure what he'll do with the plate jointer when he is done since he's not into woodworking. You still have to cut all the slots and align them properly.

Here's my deck:A Place to Relax (http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=118442)

[David Schmaus]

Check out Garapa from Eastteak.com Similar cost as what you are looking at. Here is a picture of mine that I just finished this summer

http://lumberjocks.com/assets/pictures/projects/74236-438x.jpghttp://lumberjocks.com/assets/pictures/projects/74238-438x.jpg

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

very nice. is the railing system from them too?

[David Schmaus]

No, its from Lowes. I did "cap" the PVC railing with a piece of profiled Ipe which really turned out nice.....

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I have a 20 year old 20x40 PT deck that some several years ago I treated with a two part catalyzing urethane.
It's really nice that way.
I clean it in the spring and that's it.

[Dean Ousterhout]

Has anyone used Western Red Cedar?

[Chris Damm]

Has anyone used Western Red Cedar?

WRC is really too soft for a deck. It wears out quickly compared to other materials.

[Dave Johnson29]

Depends where you live for temperature extremes I suspect. I had terrible results with Trex. The expansion rates were about a zillion times different to the wood support frame. Bowing and buckling.

[Larry Frank]

I have a PT deck that is about 10 years old and is still fine. I pressure wash it lightly every two years or so and retreat it with the original Thompsons Water Seal. When I built it, I used a higher grade PT material that was 2 x 6 and it is built on 12" centers. I built is stronger as it is one story off the ground on one end and I store firewood on it in the winter. The PT still looks good with no splits or cracks. All of the wood was treated with the waterseal before the deck was built even though it was still damp. I have found that it slows the drying process and reduces the tendency to crack or split. I am happy with it and more important, my wife is happy with it.

[Rick Potter]

Made a large porch with Timber Tech a few months ago. We went with their extruded line, picture an aluminum extrusion. It is much stiffer than the solid plank type, which they also make. We used 16" OC and it is really solid. If I was gonna use the plank type I would use 12" OC.

Rick Potter

[Paul Ryan]

I built 2 decks onto our house in 06. One with timber tech, the other green treated. I would not use the timber tech again. It is too soft and too expensive. It sticks staining the other deck, but with a sprayer and compressor it doesn't take too long. The timber tech has scratched, stained, and faded. And was almost 3 times as much money for a deck half the size. It wasn't worth it too me.

[Shawn Pixley]

I used ChoiceDek (a Weyerheuser product) 5-6 years ago on my main deck. It worked quite well and need zero maintenace. I used Marine Grade SS square drive screws to fasten down. Each was countersunk (a bit of a pain). I would use it again.

Previously I helped my neighbors build a deck using Trex. Not nearly as fun or successful. The unsuccessful part were mostly my neighbors. (Sustituted 2x6's for 2x8's, can't frame level, and were in such a hurry that speed was more important than doing it right. Their deck, their problem. Still, they are happy with it. The Trex wants to bow a bit more than the Choice deck DAMHIK.

[Van Huskey]

My due diligence lead me to LP Weatherbest. I have all my decks on our Southern Louisiana river house done in it so it gets plenty of heat, UV and humidity. Has been there 4 years and looks like the day it was frst put down. Two things I would mention it will stain with things like grease, I have yet to have a stain on it I couldn't get out but more trouble in that sense than a wooden sealed deck. It is softer than wood, we have a woodgrained version but the only scratches you can see are from my big ole dog's claws. Even given the cost I would do it again in a second, I just rinse it off a couple of times a year. The one that I was positively scared of after research was Trex. The products outside Trex that I saw at the Borgs had very low visual appeal.