Composite decks- worth it? What's your experience?

We have a composite deck in our yard that I want to enlarge, but the same material (color, texture) is not available anymore so w’e’re going to start fresh. So we’re debating about using composite again or wood.  We’re leaning towards composite boards though for the lack of maintenance- anybody have good / bad experieneces with any of the composite brands?  Is there one that is better than others? Thanks for any recs or advice!

stickerhappy

in Decks and Porches 13 years ago

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noahsarc5914 | 13 years ago

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Hi Bknites, I am a designer and deck builder. I use either 1×6 Ipe or Azek decking materials… my experiences have made me come to these “material decisions” and are best value added for the money. Noah

brucef | 13 years ago

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I am in the middle of replacing the decking on a 700′ deck with Fiberon, using their recommended Tiger clips. I do like the “blind” installation, with the only gotcha of having to sister the joists where I need to have a joint. The blind clips take the width of a 2X, so to garb two pieces of Trex you need another stud. If you google any of the common brands, you will be blasted with negative experiences and class action suits. We decided to continue with the composite regardless, because we have installed it in the past and been pleased with the results. many of the web pages are secret advertising for a wood alternative. In a difficult to access location, and i include a row house back yard as difficukt, I would do the composite and have done with it. The pressure treated decking looks good for two years, and then starts slowly failing. In terms of brand, I like the textured more than the smooth, but we shop for the best bargain on any quality supplier.

xelite | 13 years ago

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Composite Decking has come a long way, I would advise you to go with the newer Capped composites like Fiberon Horizon, Trex Transcends, Timbertech Earthwood Evolution, either of those three you can’t go wrong, the horizon series will give you 20 – 25 year stain and fade warranty and will look good as new for years. It all depends what style you are going for (railings, planter boxes etc) IPE is wonderful if you rather not worry about maintenance then go with composite but if you don’t mind having to stain your deck every year or so then IPE is a great choice. Check out http://www.citydecksny.com to view examples of both Composite & IPE decks

agdipierro

in Decks and Porches 13 years ago

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Use the right wood (such as ipe) in the right plank size (say, 1-1/4″ thick) fastened correctly (with stainless steel screws) and it will last for decades and age beautifully. This is the basic approach to boarwalk replacement at Coney Island. You decide, leather or vinyl?

slopefarm | 13 years ago

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We just redid our deck last year with Timbertech. So far so good. The color cures a bit in the sun for the first few weeks, so anything you place on the deck at the beginning will leave a little temporary shadow. so move stuff around a few times. Also, I think joists have to be 12″ apart or less, not 16″ like for wood, due to the potential to bend. But lower maintenance and no splintering or warping! Softer on the feet, too. Finally, it has a clipping mechanism so you only need visible screwheads at one end of the deck, not on all the planks. Definitely neatens the overall appearance. If you use it for the top of the deck railing, it does bend, so you need to reinforce it (or just use wood there.