The older vinyl decking or competitors, had sometimes cracks, or bending or excessive fading.
the PT or Pressure Treated decking, that I used for the last 35 years, has stood up pretty good sofar, off-course it needs maintenance and/or staining or treating, pressure-washing.etc.
The question I hear over and over, is the same , : " Why should I pay 3-5 times more for decking in order to get it maintenance free", especially lately in the recession, there are a lot of people skimping down on either quality and/or quantity.
I prefer Trex, or most of the composite deck materials available on the market. The composite, while more expensive, is going to stay straight, smooth and maintenance free for many years. Pressure treated lumber by nature is prone to warp, split and must be maintained every few years with stains, sealers or other wood care products. So if you are looking for a way to enjoy your deck instead of working on it, then go with the composite. It will cost you more in the begining but you will make up for that by skipping the work to maintain the deck.
Let me start by saying there is no perfect decking out there.Trex and all other composite decking comes with a cancer warning on each board, they retain more heat than natural wood, and they are more expensive. on the other side they are low maintenance and come with a good warranty. Redwood is another option but you have to maintain it and over the course of 15-20 years you will have to sand the entire surface.On the plus side to redwood is that is natural, reforested, cheap, and beautiful. Lastly i would not highly recommend treated lumber, but we are in utah and it is dry here. the wood just splits and cracks in our climate, but it does work well in the midwest and other humid places.
Trex is by far the way to go if you have a wad of cash on you. Yes its expensive, but it is a new revolutionary material that hold up to the test of time. And it also looks alot cleaner when you use the “Camo” System. its basically a hand held screw set that sets the specially made screws in both sides of the deck board for a clean look with no screw heads showing. Its all around an amazing product. Not to mention the color combinations that can be done with the decking/ fascia boards. Hey everything has its pro’s and con’s but if your willing to dish out about $45 per 16ft board here in Jersey you wont be dissapointed.
The best modern deck boards - the latest generation “capstock” or “shell” composites - have a number of advantages especially relative to pressure treated wood: they are very attractive; very low maintenance; high recycled content; no splinters (aka “the playdate killer”). The cost question is most relevant to low-cost homeowner-built decks, because the difference in material cost is a fairly small percentage of the total cost of a professionally designed and installed deck. And the cost difference disappears when you talk about higher quality wood finishes.
I do like Trex for it’s versitility, but you should also take a look at other woods like Garapa Gold from East Teak. More than PT, but less than ipe with a lot of the same characteristics. Don’t limit yourself to just two possibilities. Also there are other versions of composite decking for up to 30% less (and fewer colors) than Trex when budgets are tight.
I use a brand called “Timber Tech”, I talk to the Manager at 84 Lumber weekly, and he tells me people have had nothing but trouble with Trex Decking. As for treated, less expensive so it is used more. Usually it needs stained or painted every few years. In both cases any deck needs pressure washed every year or so.
If we are talking about my home it is treated decking with solid color stain. We buy treated yellow pine decking that has been dried. The issue I have with composite decking is much the same as the problem I have with vinyl siding, and windows. Because it is so called maintenence free it has a life expectancy. some day it will need to be removed and hopefully recycled, or it will end up at the landfill. When damage or change needs to occur around theese so called maintenence free products well good luck. How are you guys doing when you need to repair your 12 year old composite deck. I bet the new pieces match wonderfully. when I build a wood deck, and a tree limb damages a small part of it I replace the damaged portion only. When we install wood decking we use hidden fasteners, seal the edges, and have as few seams as possible. If your homeowners want something nicer than treated offer them an exotic hardwood. We have and will continue to do projects with composite boards, but I prefer good old wood 90 Percent of the time. I would love to see pictures of a 15 year old composite deck board, or especially a railing system.
We cleaned and applied solid stain to a 15 year old cedar deck recently. It had never been treated, and still turned out wonderful. We had to replace 5 boards that was it. The thing in the midwest is that we do not have a huge termite problem. If we did my choice would be concrete.
These are 2 different worlds of products. If you are budget conscious then Trexx or composite decking may be out of reach because it is expensive. Trexx has been given a bad rep over the years for poor fading and wear and tear. They have drastically improved their products though. My personal choice for decking is AZEK. It is vinyl wrapped, composite decking and seems to hold up the best to the elements, scratching, etc. Other companies have followed suit with this style of composite decking. AZEK is expensive, but if you are in the market for no maintenence, long lasting decking than nothing compare, in my opinion. I recommend anyone to check AZEK decking (or any company with that style deck boards) for that matter. They are all compatible with some kind of hidden fastener system as well.
The answer is easy. The pressure treated has a very little warranty I believe its a year or two tops. The vinyl and composite materials usually have a life time warranty if its a good product. Furth more I’ve seen first had the companies come out and replace then vinyl railings or composite decking for it fails. They also pay the labor to have it removed and re installed. Plus it looks nice
I prefer treated. I like the feel of real wood and dislike the heat from trex. I also see many trex decks, even with added joists, have a tendencu to warp and sag when they are in direct sunlight.
Composite decking as a whole is nice when it it new, but colors fade, railing styles change, if there will be hot tubs or other heavy items, you must add additional joists (per the manufacturer) to keep the warranties valid. All in all I am not a huge fan of it. The decking itself is very easy to install, the railings are also fairly simple to install, but very time consuming compared to wood rails, therefore adding cost to the homeowner.
If a deck board or railing component ever needs to be replaced, it is almost a guarantee that the repair will stand out like a sore thumb due to sun fading of the original.
Wood decks on the other hand, cost less, retain there beauty, and any repairs ever needed should never be noticed if done correctly.
When meeting with my potential clients, I always try to steer them towards TREX, or other PVC and Composite materials, if their wallet can handle it! Initially it is about one and a half times the cost of using pressure treated lumber, however, if you consider the fact that to take proper care in maintaining a pressure treated deck, (every two years staining/waterproofing, power washing, and even some sanding from time to time) that cost and time involvement can really add up over the lifetime of a well constructed deck!! (usually 20-25 yrs) So in my opinion as a deck builder it is better to initially lay out the additional cost and have a MAINTENANCE FREE deck!
Composite material is always a better choice as far as longevity of the product but (Trex) has had many mold and mildew issues for some reason the past several years. I would recommend Azek which is a little more costly but holds up over time.
I believe this answer has been covered in-depth, so my only addition to this conversation is to talk about the manufacturers currently in the marketplace. So with that being stated, let me begin…
Trex
This is the brand most associated with composite decking. Kleenex, anyone? They were the first large manufacturer to the market and they have pretty much stayed there (despite a few hiccups that all of the manufacturers experienced).
This company offers a wood fiber board that is encapsulated in plastic, which is covered by a thick layer of PVC. Like any manufacturer out there, they offer a high-end option and a cost-effective option. The difference is the thickness of the PVC covering the board and the warranty and options associated with the line. But because of all the variety, Trex really has made there ordering process into a la carte, so you can design or create any style of deck you want with their material. Overall, it is good but expensive. Expect to pay close to $4.00/board foot.
Timbertech
Meet #2 in the marketplace. This is another big name in the market and their lines are similar to Trex, in that they offer high-end and cost-effective lines as well as capped boards. Their pricing is similar to Trex; however, the texture is different. Trex has deeper grooves, whereas Timbebrtech’s boards are much more smooth. But, Timbertech boards have really nice streaking patterns that give the boards a realistic look and they have nice colors and railing options. You can also expect to pay close to $4.00/board foot for their higher end line.
AZEK
In order to stay ahead of the competition, the parent company to AZEK purchased Timbertech, so now both companies are owned by CPG International. With that being stated, Timbertech used to carry a great all plastic board line called XLM - AZEK now carries it. AZEK now carries the line in large part because AZEK is an all plastic board manufacturer. In other words, AZEK boards do not contain wood. AZEK boards look nice but are more expensive that Trex or Timbertech. They also use all virgin material in their boards unlike Trex that uses recycled material, which could play another part into the cost of their product. Also,the railing is a little more complicated to install than other decking manufacturers. However, it is a good product.
Fiberon
Fiberon carries probably the most popular board in the composite decking industry with their Horizon Ipe board. It is an aesthetically pleasing board that resembles natural wood decking. The railing selections are less limited than other manufacturers, but they also found that the majority of customers seek the colors offered, so it could still work. Fiberon is a wood composite decking manufacturer, and the high-end board will run close to $4.00/board foot.
“In-House” Decking
Big box stores such as Lowe’s, HD and Menards carry in-house, composite decking. Most times, these are cost-effective, quick-grab options. They also typically come with limited options making building a deck a less creative venture. However, there are really nice boards made by manufacturers such as Choicedeck and Veranda. The manufacturers of these boards are getting better at manufacturing the boards and they are becoming a great alternative to the high-end decking products. They are definitely a better option that pressure treated wood. But, I would look to pay closer to $2.50/board foot, however, that is a good price for a good product.
Everyone Else
What I have covered with the 5 manufacturers above is the majority of the ‘big’ names in the market. There are always small companies that do the same thing, but the 5 names above will be what you will hear the most. But, if you choose to go with another brand outside of what is listed above, then make sure to do additional ‘homework’ and ensure that you are making an investment with the right company; make sure the warranty is valid and that the company will be around during that time to warranty the product.
Overall, do research. Select a board and railing that looks pleasing to you, then research it and obtain a few quotes. Good luck!
Trex and composite decks are nice, the materials are very expensive.
My biggest problem with composite decks is safety for children. They become VERY hot to the touch in direct sunlight. I advise my clients against them for family decks, but favor the materials for direct contact with earth, such as pathways and landscape stairs etc.
