Wasn’t having much luck getting the archives to search (no doubt the problem’s between my chair and the keyboard)….
getting ready to put the decks on my house. i usually use my place as a guinea pig before doing someone else’s place, so this is a perfect opportunity to use one of the new synthetic deck materials.
also, it’s in a woods by a lake and i really don’t like deck maintenance.
i’ve been waiting until the products progressed beyond just deck planks. found one product – choice deck – that’s offering railings and some other trim.
so, anyone with good/bad experience on this? my concerns are color and trim profiles, longevity, etc. it needs to look good as i’m hesitant about the look of “near wood” in a wooded setting.
thanks in advance
Replies
I've been looking at this stuff myself for the last couple of months. I found out that despite the claims, every one of the synthetic deck materials will fade in color. It turns out that if you apply a stain to regain the color you will void the warranty in most cases. I consider that a pretty raw deal.
I decided on using a wood called IPE. Its a South American hardwood that is really beautiful and has amazing strength and resistance to decay and insects. Check this wood for yourself before you make a decision on materials.
Mike
someone else mentioned a wood called ironwood, but I've also been told Ipe (ee-pay) is more durable.
There are mayb 10,000 different "ironwoods".
It is a very generic term used for any very dense wood.
Ipe is a very dense wood and is sometimes called an "ironwood", but not the only one.
Never by "ironwood" without knowning exactly what you are getting.
I believe there are also several species being marketed as Ipe. Yellowheart, Greenheart, Braz. walnut . One other is currently lost in my mental hard drive, as are many other things.
Brudoggie
I installed a 600 sf +- Choice Deck about 6-7 years ago. The homeowners in San Antonio have a close relative who works at the factory in Junction (a real wide spot in the road), and they wanted Choice Deck and nothing else. I think the relative got them a deal they couldn't refuse on the material. Went down well, easy to cut and drill, every board a clone of the others, etc. It is now a very nice shade of grey, but otheriwse shows no signs of wear.
I agree with mike,my Co. puts a lot of Composit down because it is what the customer wants, buttttt I really love Ipe for a high end project,it is the best wood I have ever worked with,we even use the pallet wood its delivered on! it has a class A fire rating,they built the Atlantic City bordwalk out of it ,and really its not that pricey.We use Choice and Timber Tech Composits, nothing is maintance free mildew will form on anything you have to keep the deck clean, Ipe is a lot less trouble to clean( say greese stains from the BBQ) than any of the Composits,,O one cool thing about Timber Teck they have a T&G product that hides the screws, the same thing can be done with Ipe but it takes a bisket jointer John Hyatt deckmastersllc
I used the trex brand for a small ramp that leads to a shed and i found that it too, has weathered much more than I thought it would based on product information at the time.
I like what the other guys said about that IPE, I'll try that when I replace my deck.
Turtle boy
someone once mentioned a technique to hide the screws, where you sister 2x2's to the joists and then screw into the decking through the 2x2's from below - therefore, no screws on the deck surface to show or to allow water seepage. Anyone have any experience or advice about this?
sk
I have a nailgun that shoots "finish nails" with a sort of gue attached to iy that heats up as you shoot the nail into the decking'joist. I've tried to ull up a cpl of planks and nails and I have to say....those nails are in ther good. The nailheads fill up with dirt/sawdust and the end result is awesome IMHO. Been using this technique for over 10 years.
Be well
Namaste
AndyIt's not who's right, it's who's left ~ http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
My exp., 1200 sq ft deck in WV was going to be Trex, ended up being cedar with three coats of Sikkens. Looks good but the dogs have caused some damage, this deck is 4 years old. 600 sq ft deck in WV is Trex with cedar rails and trim. The rails and trim are finished with Sikkens grey. Looks real good and is in its second year. 600 sq ft deck using Ipe for deck boards and trim. Looks real good! I used DeckMaster underside rails on all of my decks, no visable fastners.
I have built a few decks using Timbertech T&G . I love the stuff, did my own house on a lake in Mich. (1500 sq ft.) It does weather to a soft silver grey just like unfinished cedar. I clean it twice a year, it takes about 1 hour using a broom, bucket and hose, add some bleach and tri-sodium phosphate, broom it on hose it off. No splinters. hidden fasteners, no finishing. I love it.
I'm in my 2nd home and built my 2nd deck w/ Timbertech two years ago. Summary of advantages from a DIY perspective:
1. Dimensionally perfect - no board bending required during installation.
2. Cuts smoothly and easily
3. T & G design means no screws show except on the last course (just don't screw too close to the end)
4. No splinters in the kids feet (my wife loves this)
5. No maintenance except for a yearly scrub down w/ TSP or siding wash
6. The only weathering I've noticed is a slight fading. One thing that is noticeable: When the deck is soaking wet, the areas on the surface where light has reflected off our windows are lighter in color. We have tinted windows and live at 6000 feet, so I guess this is some sort of UV reaction, but again is only apparent when the material is wet.
Disadvantages:
1. Cost as compared to wood
2. T & G means if one board is damaged, many may have to be removed to replace it. This has not happened to me.
3. Staining can be hard to remove. I spilled some bicycle chain degreaser on the deck last year and it is just now completely faded away. Bar B Q marinade can do the same thing but not as bad. Just clean it promptly.
4. Uniform appearance on a large area might be considered boring compared to the character of wood.
5. As of 2 yrs ago, Timb Tech was only available in decking material -no railing material or dimensional lumber substitutes. Maybe this has changed.
Bottom Line - I love this stuff, too. It is fun watching my neighbors resurface their redwood decks installed by the homebuilder.
Tim