[in the trees]

Who has used it and what has been your experiences? Which manufacturer? I need to replace the decking and railing on our deck and I'm looking for some opinions. I'm a little skeptical that it has any advantages over natural wood products.

toby

 

[antimony]

My parents put an addition on their house in NH 2 years ago. They used it, and seem to be very happy with it. They have a large deck and screened porch. It seems to be very durable, but it does look a tad strange, being fake wood. Good luck. If you are really interested I can find out how much it cost them and who the manufacturer was.

 

[stinkyboy]

I'm a little skeptical that it has any advantages over natural wood products.

Aside from not killing trees?

 

[binary visions]

Aside from not killing trees?

Right.

Instead, it's made from petrochemicals




I'm kidding, some of the composites are very environmentally safe, being made from mostly recycled woods and plastics

 

[stinkyboy]

Right.

Instead, it's made from petrochemicals

I'm kidding, some of the composites are very environmentally safe, being made from mostly recycled woods and plastics

I was gonna investigate before posting that, but who has time for facts?

 

[Slugman]

Used it to build a deck at my brother's house. Didn't like the feel or look of it new, but after it 'aged' my brother was very happy.

Forget what brand - he just got whatever the most expensive version was at Home Depot (Guy's got more money than brains...)

 

[McGRP01]

Trex is great, but wicked expensive!!

 

[Sorgie]

I used it for the steps to my patio. I bought it at Lowe's like 2 years ago and can't for the life of me remember the brand, but I'm sure it isn't the Weyerhauser that they now list on their website.

Pro's
Super easy to work with.
No splinters.
Mine has small grooves that run parallel down the length for grip.
You don't have to paint or stain.

Con's
When I bought the "boards" they were light brown to match my pavers. After a year they faded to light grey. Not a huge problem for me because it still matches the patio border, but it is a BIG difference. I see alot of the manf. now say fade resistant so maybe this isn't an issue anymore.
They shrunk. When I first installed them they had nice tight joints. Now there are gaps.:mumble:
They require screws and nails with a special finish. I don't know if this is really a con, but something to be aware of.

Bottom line.... I'd use it again. I think it has been out long enough for the manf. to make improvements. Maybe shop for one of the more established brands. TREX is the only one that pops into my head.

 

[rigidhack]

My neighbour has it - no clue what brand. It looks good and does not require the upkeep of wood. I know that early versions of the product tended to sag horribly, but I think they sorted that problem.

 

[DRB]

Okay this is totally freaky. I was reading this thread thinking about the fact that a month or so ago I had sent an email to "Protect A Deck" about getting an estimate for cleaning and refinishing my deck. And my freakin' phone rings and its them. Their website quit sending the requests and they were just getting caught up......

 

[neanderthal]

Have you considered using Ipe lumber? I hate the look of pressure treated lumber and considered composite decking but eventually ended up with Ipe. Ipe has a dark brown color similiar to walnut or mahogany, and has greater rot resistance equal or better than pressure treated wood. Here's a link where the material properties are given:

http://www.ipedepot.com/techinfo.htm

Composite decking does however have the advantage of being relatively maintenance free. There's a really good comprehensive article on composite decking in the July 2005 issue of Fine Homebuilding. Your local library should have a copy of the article.

 

[valve bouncer]

Forget what brand - he just got whatever the most expensive version was at Home Depot (Guy's got more money than brains...)

Wouldn't that mean he got a wood deck? Or is artificial wood more expensive than wood now? I think I just confused myself. Time for another bourbon.

 

[Sorgie]

Wouldn't that mean he got a wood deck? Or is artificial wood more expensive than wood now? I think I just confused myself. Time for another bourbon.

When I bought mine the artificial was 3X the price of real wood.

 

[maxyedor]

My parents have had Trex at their place for over 6 yeaars and it hold up great, it's made of sawdust and plastic I beleive. Never needs to be refinished and it's easy to clean. Their deck is about 800sp. feet and it has all since faded, but still looks good. I'd say spend the extra few bucks and go for it.

 

[Slugman]

Wouldn't that mean he got a wood deck? Or is artificial wood more expensive than wood now? I think I just confused myself. Time for another bourbon.

He wanted teh synthetic stuff so that he would never have to do anything to it again... so he got the most expensive FAKE stuff that they had.

Mind you this was also like 4 years ago...

 

[Jeremy R]

We just went with it for a couple of reasons.
The deck is big, and I would rather be riding than staining it.
Our deck at our current house rotted to hell and had to be replaced which cost more than the money for a composite deck.
Ours turned out cool. One difference is that there is no cracks inbetween the boards on the floor. They fit flush.

 

[ummbikes]

I built a deck with Trex. Follow the directions, we didn't fasten the facia board correctly and it did warp over the last three years. The surface is great. Do it because you want to be green and not paint, not because it's cheaper than wood. Cuz it ain't.

 

[I Are Baboon]

We have a Trex deck. It came with the house. I like it! It's only three years old and so far appears to be holding up just fine.

Oh, and I have a Trek road bike in case that matters.

 

[valve bouncer]

I'd like to say I'm horrified that fake is more valuable than real but then I think of porn and then I'm not surprised anymore. Sigh.

 

[in the trees]

I'd like to say I'm horrified that fake is more valuable than real but then I think of porn and then I'm not surprised anymore. Sigh.

toby

 

[Slugman]

We have a Trex deck. It came with the house. I like it! It's only three years old and so far appears to be holding up just fine.

Oh, and I have a Trek road bike in case that matters.

Uh oh... you don't live in MA off of the 90 do you?

 

[partsbara]

I'd like to say I'm horrified that fake is more valuable than real but then I think of porn and then I'm not surprised anymore. Sigh.

yeah it s bollox eh... we have the stuff out the front of this place... steps only... personally i think its a joke... i dunno what brand this stuff is but it reminds me of a lego house... but i can see the advantages - ie no staining / wood to maintain...

 

[Skookum]

i've built a Trex deck a few months back, with the quality of wood nowadays its probably a superior product.