Building a Deck

[Beaudog]

Thinking of building a deck this Spring and with the options out there what have you guys used and are you happy with it. I'm leaning towards a man made surface, to eliminate the constant resealing, but is it worth it? All the research I've done indicates the guys that use Cedar say it's the best the guys that use Trex or similar say that's the best. I know there is still maintenence associated with a Trex type deck but not as much. What will it look like in 5 -10 yrs....Any help is welcome.

[ELUSIVE FISH]

Beauday:There is a lot of composite decking out there,you have to do your homework.example i have seen alot of mold on some of the wood composite.The PVC or plastics composite i have not seen this happen to yet.Proceel/AZEK deck & rail I have had good luck with.Also Timbertech decking another good choice.

[Scoot]

I built my deck with a composite material called Geodeck. I found it extremely easy to use and I'm really happy with the end product. I did a ton of research on it and found it to be as good of a composite material as I could find. It's virtually maintenance free and holds its color extremely well. I'm sure somebody will follow my post saying that Geodeck had a big recall quite a while ago (which they did) or that Trex is better (I really struggle to believe that given all that I've heard and seen). Compared to wood- nothing really secret there- it's a lot more expensive, but is a lot less work. If I were to do it again, I'd use the same material, but build it about 20% bigger.

[ELUSIVE FISH]

sorry i got your name wrong Beaudog.

[ELUSIVE FISH]

Scoot: your right geodeck did have a recall,but sounds like the problem of shrinking was the big issue and they did take care of it.I have worked with & sold many decks with geodeck etc.another good choice.

[DTro]

I really don't think there is a such thing as "maintenance free"

I used plain old green treat on my 20x10. It's been 3 or 4 years now, and I see it's going to need a strip and refinish this spring.

I kind of wished I used composite, but then again it was about twice the price.....

[JuiceBox]

I built my deck with cedar but it can be a pain to stain it every couple of years. I've built many other decks with composites, Trex, and green treated. Some of the "maintenance free" decking sure looks great, but nothing compares to the look of a well taken care of cedar deck. The hours I spend staining the cedar i start to think more about Trex though. I've heard the composites may turn to a grey color over time, but not sure if it's true. The down side of green treated is it has a tendency to warp or twist, but it is definately more affordable.

One other thing to note: If you want a really nice finish no matter what material you choose, try to get the brackets for attaching the boards from the bottom. That way you don't see any screw holes.

[eurolarva]

Ceder will probably get you about 20 years. Even with composite you still need to use treated lumber for the structure. I used Trex with timber tech hand rails. Hand rails cost about $40 per foot and they were real hard to assemble. Drill and various parts of the deck ended up in the swimming pool numerous times. I have heard about the mold issue but for sure if you spill any grease from your grill on trex it will stain it. Also make sure you check with your city. When I lived in Blaine 7 years ago they would only allow Trex. Any composite that was hollow was not allowed. Also if you go composite look into the shadow track. It allows you to screw the decking from the bottom so no screws or nails show on top.

[Mike Wallace]

Built a 550 sq. ft. deck 3 years ago and asked the same questions. Is spending 2-2.5 times the money worth it?

After watching two of my neighbors the past two years each prep and reseal their decks, I am so glad I went with synthetic.

If you go with wood, it's not just the deck that has to be treated - it's every step, spindle, and railing too.

I used Home Depot's Veranda product (about the most inexpensive at the time) and got it in gray to match my house. I also used the PVC pre-assembled handrail system from Menards. Again, it cost a whole lot more but I power wash the deck in about 90 minutes and I am done for the year.

What is your time worth?

[Beaudog]

That's my main motivation for looking into a "maintenence free" deck. Neighbor stained his cedar 2 years ago, looks like heck and he's already complaining about the 2 weeks it's going to take to redo things. My main sticking point is spending double of what cedar is, I'd hope to get a pretty good life out of it while retaining it's color characteristics for that kind a mark up. I'm not a big fan of those types of home improvement projects. I like the minimum maintenence home deal I've got going. Pay the bills, fertilize, mow and fish.

[hoggs222]

We helped the neighbor last summer build a steel deck. Sturdy and nice looking deck, but sort of a PITA to put together.

[JuiceBox]

I built a 16' X 57' multi level deck a couple years ago on a walk out two story. They wanted to use green treated and I tried to convince them to use cedar. It looks good still but some of the boards are twisting and warping. No matter what you use, the frame will be fine with green treated. it ould have been nice to use cedar deck because it was so high off the ground. Cedar is much lighter and easier to work with. My opinion: Maintenance free is the way to go (if your city allows it). If money is an issue, then do cedar. It's well worth the money to stay away from green treated.

One other thing.......cedar is a soft wood which means fewer splinters that green wood. No matter what you use, it'll be great. If you get stuck.....this is the place to find help.

[bottomdweller]

I built a 24x14 with trex. I like it. I wanted to use geo deck but the wife liked the trex color better. For rails I went ornamental iron that really made the deck look great. Same price as trex rails. Its all good just depends if you want to spend more and do less work. gl

[reelemin]

I've built many decks over the years, being a licensed contrator, and there are pros and cons to all material. You should always use green treaded for the under framing. If you are looking good looks than cedar is best, but there is alot of work involved in keeping it "good looking". Composites have come along way in the last 5 yrs or so. Weatherbest IMO is one of the better composites out there. Another option is tropical woods. FYI - I am very much a "tree hugger" and did alot of research on these. They are harvested from flooded forest do to darning. These woods " tiger wood ", "Iron wood " will last 100 yrs! Its like petrefied wood! I used Iron Wood omn my deck and its beautiful. Its a bit more expensive and more labor intensive to install, but it gives you " good Looks" and low maintenance all in one !!!

[JuiceBox]

I haven't heard of those exotic woods, they sound pretty cool!!!

[Bigbartguy]

I went with composite and never looked back, best choice I've ever made (for me anyway).

If you want to save some money, the composite handrails are $$$ expensive.......go with black steel? spindles and cedar for the handrails, you'll save some money. Then you just stain the top and bottom rails and you are good to go. I went this route on my cabin deck and I liked the looks. The most expensive thing about composite are the railings & post sleeves.

ps - DONT buy the cheapest stuff that Menards carries. It will fade to white in a couple of mos. I went with Geodeck on my main residence, and the 'fade free' version of Menards brand on my cabin and am pleased with both. Although I havent seen the cabin deck after this winter -----maybe I'll feel differently in the Spring

[reelemin]

 Originally Posted By: JuiceBox

I haven't heard of those exotic woods, they sound pretty cool!!!

The only place I know for sure that carries them is Lamperts Lumber.

[solbes]

I just built a 14x14 Trex deck last fall. Green treat structural posts and joists.

Pro's: Looks great, especially with the hidden decking fasteners and Trex railing, rail supports, and black aluminum ballusters. I would recommend this setup if you have some time to build it. I have 4 or 5 friends with Trex and there does not seem to be a big problem with mold (will have to pressure wash occasionally, but how hard is that?)

Cons: I would recommend a 12" OC joist setup, because the 5/4 Trex does flex quite a bit. The 12" OC can make the hidden fasteners more difficult to intall. I was also suprised to learn about the new stair code requirements with double handrail, closed risers, 4 stringers min for 36" min width, and liberal tread dimensions (My neighbors 6 year old deck has none of these). Also although I love the hidden fastener look now, it was a lot of extra labor to install. My Trex is the saddle color and will fade from a brown to more of a tan; it should be uniform in color after a year or two. Cost was also pretty high. My initial H.D. invoice was under $4k, but ended up over $5k by the time it was completed. Keep an over-run in mind unless you use something other than their crappy in-store program to order materials.

Good luck!

[MuleShack]

We are going to be putting a deck on in the spring, and i too have been looking at the composite material. I put up the green treated under carriage with cedar posts and cedar deck and railings at our old house. I liked the look and end product, but it sure suxed being out there every spring with the pressure washer and spraying and then restaining.

Our new house faces due south where the deck is going to be and we are by far the highest house with no tree cover. Is there any known issue or any product that is better for direct sun exposure. I mean it will be hit from morning to sunset.

above some were talking about fade free material, are they really free of fading or do they just fade a little?

Reelemin, you mentioned Ironwood or tigerwood, are these materials as is or do you have to stain them once?

[reelemin]

" Reelemin, you mentioned Ironwood or tigerwood, are these materials as is or do you have to stain them once? "

These woods will fade but not as much or as fast as cedar. We use an exterior wood oil on ours. And we only do this every 2 yrs or so. No pressure washing needed either, we hose it down and wipe with a mop to get all the dirt out. They really are a nice compromise between cedar and composites.

The extra labor involved in install is: you need to pre drill every screw hole, and you'll go through a few drill bits!!. The wood is sooo hard, a screw on its own won't do it.

If you go composite - as of 2 yrs ago, (I let my licsense lapse so haven't had to take any CE classes), Weather Best was best composite out there.

I'll try to get some pics of ours.

[JAR JAR]

I would second or third the Geo-Deck. I am partial to being that I sell it but the test on fading that have been run shows it to hold up better than most decks out there and they also have a matching rail system that you can use with it also. They did have a recall a few years ago and they have gone good on all of the decks under the recall and the new product is performing very well out there.

Just a note, when you build with a composite you need to make sure that you build it up far enough for ventilation for the under side of the deck or you will have rotting joist on the underside. If you have no choice than to build it close to the ground make sure you put vents in your fascia boards just like you would do for your homes foundation to keep air moving and moisture out.

Jar Jar

[1runhotshot]

It is funny how everybody has their favorite on decking. You could almost replace the words Trex and GeoDeck with other threads like Lab or Pointer, Ford, Chevy.

There is NO silver bullet when it comes to maintenance free decking. Every one has ups and downs, it is really interesting that it depends where in the county you are. Down south like St. Louis & Indy many people like Elk and hate GeoDeck.

Market share still goes to Trex, mostly because that is what is sold in lumber yards and that is the product that the sales rep knows the best.

Timbertech has really made a large run in the last couple years and procell is coming on also.

That being said, here is what I know for sure, use Aluminum Railing. It is was more versatile and is code compliant. Tey this web sire for starters m v a s dot com

[11-87]

I'm in sales at MENARDS, and I would build a composite deck in a heartbeat. Main reason is that I can get more time doing something other than staining a deck every couple years. The spindles take forever to do, and it keeps me from fishing when I want because I would have to stain or seal on a nice day, When I would really rather fish.

I also know the price is higher, but its worth it. There are a lot of good composite materials out there so do some homework. Trex is a Name, there are others that are just as good at 1/3 less in price