Composie Decking Material Question

[Steviegwood]

Hi Everyone, I need your help. I am in need of replacing decking boards on deck around the house. Does anyone have any experience with the composite decking? Would you reccomend this material? And where can I purchase a large quantity? Thanks in advance, Steve

[MacS]

Stevie,

Composition decking is an excellent material, many towns, beaches, bridges, are using them instead of wood, as they outlast and look better as they age.

A big selling wood now being used for decking replacement is IPE is a very hard wood, that is decay proof, it needs no chemical protection.

You will probably find it easier to locate the composition decking material then the IPE, they both will serve you well.

[Woodbutcher68]

Ipe will cost more as well as Yellow Balau, which is also decay proof. (Both are rain forest woods, so watch out for the tree huggers!). Depending on price and availability, I use one of the two for conveyor blocks on a concrete wet saw at work.
Here's some info on Yellow Balau: http://www.ebarito.com/species-web/y...llow_balau.htm

[ozarkhillbilly]

Steve, I know Lowe's handles composite decking,http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...ng&N=0+5001625

The link provided is just a partial list of what is available. If you have a Lowe's in your area, go to either the commercial sales desk or seek someone out in building materials.
I know over the past couple of years it has really taken off in our store.

[workin for wood]

Built my deck about 6 yrs ago with Trex. 40x16 with two 8x8 stepdowns and a staircase down the back hill. It wasn't too much more in cost than pressure treated would have been. There is alot more waste with wood due to cracked and warped pieces that end up in the junk pile. I've been very happy with it, I don't do anything to it but wash it. They say don't pressure wash it, but I do with 2500 PSI and it doesn't affect it. The say no salt, but I do and it doesn't affect it. They say no metal shovel, but I do and it doesn't affect it, but rememeber, in the winter the stuff is very hard, you wouldn't want to use a metal shovel on it when it's 90 degree's outside. It does get softer and maluable in the heat. The best time to install it is in the heat, so you can mold it into position. The heat is a drawback in that the deck is very hot in the summer sun, so I have to wear shoes on it. It still gets mold on it, but anything gets mold outside, so I wash it. You can use regular woodworking tools on it, saws, routers, drills. You can bend it in to circles if it's hot enough outside. So that can make cool designs, but then that can add waste to the product too. You need 12" on center, not 16" because it is softer material in the heat. I love the trex...I'd put a canopy over it if I could afford something like a sunsetter...to get some shade.

[Steviegwood]

Thanks for the info guys. I was thinking more on the lines of the Trex. They have that on the docks at the lake. I have read that about 12" oc as it is not load bearing structure material. Again Thanks. Steve

[unixpro]

Over 10 years ago, we replaced our deck both in the back of the house and around the above-ground pool with something called ExtrudaWood from McFarland Cascade. I believe that they still sell it, but under a different name.

We've found it to be very nice. We don't have to do anything but pressure-wash it once in a while. It has retained its color pretty well, and it hasn't cracked. The only problems we've had with it are:

1. There are a couple of places where a stray briquette got away from the BBQ that are now melted spots in the deck. We now use one of those BBQ mats under the thing.

2. The thing is slick when it gets icy. I mean slick. You can't walk on it. Sheet of ice. Don't even try. Since I have to cross it to get to my shop (unless I want to go out the front door and around the house), we put down a strip of outdoor fake carpet that I walk on.

3. I spilled some gasoline on a part of it and that has discolored. Guess that wasn't a good thing.

Overall, though, I highly recommend it. It cost is about 1/3 more than a regular deck would have, but we haven't spent a dollar more on cleaners or stain for it, so I think that overall we're coming out ahead.

We like it so well that we're planning to use vinyl fencing when we replace it this summer.

[workin for wood]

The trex is beveled, so it's like a road, higher in the middle than the sides, so rain runs off the sides quicly and icing is less of an issue. I have more problems slipping on the wood steps at the front of the house. The new trex also has wood grain effect, which my trex does not. And I just fastened it through the top with anti-mushrooming screws, but you can certainly go through the extra work and use hangers underneath. More work looks even better, but that's not a job for just one man to do.