Composite Decking Material
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,385
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From: Mercer County, OH
Composite Decking Material
Has anyone here used the new composite decking material? I have a small deck that I need to resurface and I'm considering using it. I know it's more expensive but if it last longer and never needs to be stained it's probably worth it.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2004
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IMO it is well worth it. There are different brands of varying thcknesses & quality. Where I live -- Western NY -- we have a limited but terrific summer. 10 to 12 weeks. There seems to be at least 1 or 2 graduation parties, 1 or 2 weddings and 1 or 2 weekends with rain. When you factor in the other jobs that need to be done around the house, the last thing I want to do is spend a nice Saturday staining a deck. That's why I never got it done.
I used a product from Home Depot for the decking and am very satisfied, and another product (Trex I think) from a contractor-oriented lumber yard for the railings. The Trex is thicker and stronger, and also comes in dimensional sizes. The decking was about 30% more expensive than pressure treated wood and the Trex was 20 -- 30% more expensive than the decking. The color I used (grey) is almost a perfect match between the two but the less expensive would not give me the qualities I wanted in a railing.
Read the manufacturers instructions. When they say to pre-drill at least 1" from the ends they mean it. Otherwise the ends may develop splits when the weather gets cold and the material contracts.
I used a product from Home Depot for the decking and am very satisfied, and another product (Trex I think) from a contractor-oriented lumber yard for the railings. The Trex is thicker and stronger, and also comes in dimensional sizes. The decking was about 30% more expensive than pressure treated wood and the Trex was 20 -- 30% more expensive than the decking. The color I used (grey) is almost a perfect match between the two but the less expensive would not give me the qualities I wanted in a railing.
Read the manufacturers instructions. When they say to pre-drill at least 1" from the ends they mean it. Otherwise the ends may develop splits when the weather gets cold and the material contracts.
Postmaster
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 4,758
Likes: 7
From: colorado
i just built a 21x18 foot deck and there was no way i was going to spend the money on that stuff. i used redwood decking and it was $8.71 a stick (5/4x6x8) and the same thing in composite was 23.50 a stick. i am sure its is very nice but not at 2 1/2 times the price. i will send a couple hours re-sealing it every few years instead
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