Best composite decking

[iibgdi]

So far in my brief looking I've found Trex. Don't know much about them yet.

I want something durable and low maintenance that's not going to warp and last me 25 years or more.

Most of the deck will be in sunlight most of the day. We'll also be doing a stairway.

 

[oldwino]

Be sure to overbuild your structure as the composits do tend to warp with heat. Also, they can get hot as hell on bare feet.
If I had it to do over I would go back to redwood

 

[yeldogt]

Zuri

 

[ehsan]

Zuri looked the best where we were deciding but they couldn’t produce the appropriate fire resistance documentation for our area. We ended up with Azek. Very amazing looking and has held up nicely in the two years we’ve had it. Made by the same company that makes TimberTech.

It’s more expensive than trex, but is far superior.


Sent from my iPad using Garage Journal

 

[cdestuck]

Geez still has wood fibers. About 12 years ago I ripped off my aging wood that despite much mainly, looked like ****. I bought 100% vinyl, Azek. Not sorry at all.

 

[manwithtools]

I've been looking hard at Azek, I am fairly certain that's the way I'm going.

 

[jjkrjh]

We had an issue on fairly new home of the ledger board that came off of the house. No flashing, only 3 lag bolts and a rotten rim joist. Fun fun.

Anyway the original decking was pulled off and going to be replaced. We were originally going to go with Trex. Had everything picked out and ready to buy. Almost all Trex products were on a 4-6 month wait. Ended up going with Timber Tech. The decking went on easy and looks great. Joist tape was installed and I recommend using it. Helps keep the water out of the joists, especially since we had holes from the previous deck.

 

[mmb617]

I've been retired for 6 years but I used to work for a building materials distributor that sold TimberTech, then later Trex decking. I'm not sure what might have changed but at that time all the deck manufacturers had 3 tiers of decking products, a low end "value line", a mid-grade, and a premium grade. As is normally the case you got what you paid for. The premium line was far superior to the others but came with a significantly higher price tag.

If you really want the best then you have to pay for it.

I can remember when composite decking first hit the market. The products available today are world's above those first crude products. It's like comparing a modern computer to a TRS80.

 

[yeldogt]

We had an issue on fairly new home of the ledger board that came off of the house. No flashing, only 3 lag bolts and a rotten rim joist. Fun fun.

Anyway the original decking was pulled off and going to be replaced. We were originally going to go with Trex. Had everything picked out and ready to buy. Almost all Trex products were on a 4-6 month wait. Ended up going with Timber Tech. The decking went on easy and looks great. Joist tape was installed and I recommend using it. Helps keep the water out of the joists, especially since we had holes from the previous deck.

I'm trying to understand the joist tape .... in all my years of rehabbing I have never encountered rot or damage on the top of a PT deck structure. It's been my experience over many years that delayed drying and trapped moisture is the real culprit with any rot. Even on the coast .... I have just never seen it ..

It seems to me that the tape would trap moisture and delay drying ?

I have the same feeling about the new Zip walls where people are using VB insulation ... encapsulated walls. guess time will tell

 

[glentre]

Unless they have changed the material formulation, I know that Trex stained badly, especially if you did any food grilling on the deck or wet fall leaves were left on it for too long. My brother tried to do everything to get the stains out of his without success. Worth researching if you are still thinking about Trex.

Glen

 

[nadogail]

IMHO, That question is about the same as asking if Ford is better than Chevrolet.

 

[iibgdi]

I have a buddy who recently installed the azek timbertech decking and is really happy with it. Is this solid color all the way through so it can be power washed each year and not have it looking funny?

 

[iibgdi]

Be sure to overbuild your structure as the composits do tend to warp with heat. Also, they can get hot as hell on bare feet.
If I had it to do over I would go back to redwood

Can you clarify what you mean by overbuild the structure?

 

[firebirdparts]

You do joists on 12" centers, and a lot of extra support under your stairs, but you need support basically everywhere that you could possibly use it. If you miter the corners then you have to support where it's mitered. If you cut around a handrail post you need support around the post.

 

[yeldogt]

Can you clarify what you mean by overbuild the structure?

If you read the fine print they want 12" on center for many of the products ....some of them have a lot of expansion and they sag in the sun

 

[yeldogt]

I have a buddy who recently installed the azek timbertech decking and is really happy with it. Is this solid color all the way through so it can be power washed each year and not have it looking funny?

The best stuff is all plastic .... PVC. It has a core and a cap. The better mid -grade has cap on three sides .. the top stuff is caped on all 4 sides.

It's down hill from there .... some have modified wood core ... the original TREX is wood fibers.


There are so many types -- it's hard to give specific information. Do some research and be careful ... understand the differences.

 

[zippyslug31]

Last spring we built our front porch (6x25) using Trex's top teir stuff - Transcend. Stuff is pretty pricey, and the hardware needed can, and will, cost you a couple hundred bucks beyond the cost of the decking. Given the extra framing needed (12" OC) this fairly small porch was still a few grand! Eye wateringly expensive for my cheap ***.

We are in a fairly sunny location and there's been zero sun fading; it still looks new. You get what you pay for.

I should add that, as someone already mentioned, that in direct sun the deck gets super hot. Something to consider.

 

[frankd]

While I can't comment on which brand to go with, I would highly recommend going with a product that has been around for a long time, from a company that has a long reputation in the business.
We bought our house 4 years ago there was an existing composite deck on the house when we bought it. I needed to replace a few boards and took a piece to the local building material supply place to match it up. After hours and hours of searching over days, I discovered that the product was made by "American Ecoboard". The product is actually great...but the company went out of business years ago and the product is no longer available. I found some similar colors but the profiles were different and none of them were nearly as thick as the board that I had.

 

[csp]

My Timber Tech decking has been in place for 13 years and we've had zero issues with it.

No special framing requirements. No problems with grease from the grille cleaning up. No noticeable color change. Not too hot to walk on in direct sunlight.

I can't think of a single negative from this decking.

 

[dcg9381]

I can't speak to best. We're ordering from CaliBamboo, a composite deck product. They have it in solid core too:
https://www.calibamboo.com/product-denali-wide-wood-plastic-composite-7503004801.html

I've had redwood in the past. Great wood, but in Texas, in the sun - it's just too hard on wood.

 

[JimH]

I used Trex about 18 years ago. Still smooth, flat, and stain free. Set on 16in centers and in full afternoon sun.
I'm very pleased with it, especially when my neighbors are power washing and staining their cupped wooden decks, and I'm sitting on mine drinking beer.
On a hot sunny day, it does get a bit warm on bare feet.

 

[jjkrjh]

I'm trying to understand the joist tape .... in all my years of rehabbing I have never encountered rot or damage on the top of a PT deck structure. It's been my experience over many years that delayed drying and trapped moisture is the real culprit with any rot. Even on the coast .... I have just never seen it ..

It seems to me that the tape would trap moisture and delay drying ?

I have the same feeling about the new Zip walls where people are using VB insulation ... encapsulated walls. guess time will tell

I understand what you are saying about trapping water. In our case we removed a previous deck and kept the original joists, The ledger board had some rot(very small and was able to remove/replace) where it was holding water between the OSB sheeting on the home. The joists were exposed to rain while we were replacing the rim joist on the house. The holes from previous decking were holding water for days after the rains. The joist tape that I purchased was like butyl rubber on a very thin plastic sheet-sticky on both sides though. When it was installed it would stick on the side of the joints but eventually popped up like little wings. So actually it was really only in contact on the very top of the joist. It spanned over the top where the joist would meet ledger board. Anyway, with the tape installed and the "wings sticking out very little of the joists actually get wet and any joints stay pretty dry. When putting the new decking down the hardware screws are sealed by the butyl rubber. Time will tell, but it would appear to working much better than leaving exposed holes in the top of the joist to fill with water.

 

[oldwino]

Can you clarify what you mean by overbuild the structure?

Sorry, poor choice of words. I meant placing joists at no more than 12”oc

To also clarify, my deck is older style Trex which is probably not the best choice as per above posts

 

[CJDave]

We had a deck built in 2002. Framework is pressure treated with Timber Tech decking. The deck s covered and we have no regrets. Cleans easily enough. No warps, splits or gaps. CJDave.

 

[Sportsman762]

I built a deck for my folks in 2011. We looked at over a dozen different decking options. My mother "tested" each sample. She would drop a cement block on it while one end was supported on a brick to see how they handled impacts. They also got blueberry, raspberry, and coffee grounds smushed on them and sat for a day.

The results were interesting. The composite boards stained bad. The poly and poly capped ones did not. This was critical for us as the deck is under a walnut tree. The walnuts stain everything they touch. The local lumberyard had a deck built in their show room with all the composite decking they offered in most the colors. One side was built with boards that had sat out for a year, the other side was done with fresh boards. The composite boards really faded, the best I could describe it is that the cut end on a new board is about the color it will fade to.

We went with Trex Transcends as we determined we wanted full poly, but could not afford it. The deck was build with joists 12" on center and is solid. The poly capped decking is hot though. It does help melt the snow great.

I am sure there are many more options now for decking than in 2011 and perhaps some of the shortcomings of composite has been addressed. If I were building a deck I would go poly or poly capped.

 

[ford33]

I have an original trex decking installed 20 years ago under wood framing. I would not recommend trex. The company was sued because the product stained easily and absorbed held water promoting mold growth. My decking has stains and mold such that I need to deep clean every spring and light clean in late summer. Trex won the class action suit by stating the product was not sold as maintenance free. The company has a poor reputation for standing by their old or new products. That is why they keep introducing new product every few years. Good luck getting replacement decking.

 

[GirchyGirchy]

I used Azek Porch tongue & groove on my front porch several years ago. It was available from Lowe's back then which was handy. It's the solid PVC product, same color all the way through.

It still looks the same as the day I installed it. No fading, no mold or mildew (west side of house), doesn't get hot, grips well in the winter. We plan on having our deck redone with their deck boards at some point.

 

[Jay H 237]

My Timber Tech decking has been in place for 13 years and we've had zero issues with it.

No special framing requirements. No problems with grease from the grille cleaning up. No noticeable color change. Not too hot to walk on in direct sunlight.

I can't think of a single negative from this decking.

I have Timber Tech too, no issues here. Mine is a light/pale gray. It does get hot to walk on over the wood that was there but not as hot as my neighbor's medium brown composite deck. I think color choice has a lot to do with it. May even affect fading over long term.

 

[ItsNemo]

Another Trex Transcend owner here...3 years now and it looks like the day I installed it. Only maintenance has been a light pressure wash once or twice a year to get dirt/grime off the surface.

I would probably buy it again.

 

[kngelv]

A few weeks ago I got samples of Trex and Azek a few of each line so both composite and PVC. One thing I can say is they’re awfully damn hot when it was an 80° day with the sun directly on it. I stepped on the samples in my bare feet versus the cedar planks that is on my old deck that I’m tearing out because they’re just wore out after 25 years. Did not like the way heat was retained on the samples so if I decide to rebuild the deck versus tearing it out and doing a paver patio I’m going to use cedar.

James

 

[GirchyGirchy]

A few weeks ago I got samples of Trex and Azek a few of each line so both composite and PVC. One thing I can say is they’re awfully damn hot when it was an 80° day with the sun directly on it. I stepped on the samples in my bare feet versus the cedar planks that is on my old deck that I’m tearing out because they’re just wore out after 25 years. Did not like the way heat was retained on the samples so if I decide to rebuild the deck versus tearing it out and doing a paver patio I’m going to use cedar.

James

What colors were they? Lighter shades will probably help.

 

[ItsNemo]

What colors were they? Lighter shades will probably help.

We have one of the light greys...it's still stupid hot in the sun. We're lucky our deck is north facing, so most of the time it's in shade, but if it was south or west facing, you would never be able to go bear foot on it.

From before I cut in the railings:

I've always really liked this panoramic shot:

 

[yeldogt]

Be careful with the darker shades in full sun ... this is a common problem w/ any of the fake stuff .. and the newer hardwoods.

Cedar has great qualities -- One is the open nature of the wood allows for a cooler deck. Unfortunately, the new growth stuff we get from Canada does not hold up like it did years ago.

The Zuri I used is a "weathered" -- so it's much lighter vs many of the others. Real Ipe is very hot .. as are the African hardwoods ... they hold up very well.

Go to a real lumber yard -- my local place sells everything. More selection and better quality products ... why go to HD or Lowes. Common stuff w/ no value IMO.

 

[ripperd]

We went composite with our deck, zero regrets. Ours is on the south side and gets full sun for the majority of the day. Yes, in july and august you cannot stand on it long barefoot in the mid afternoon. But I will take needing to wear sandals on those days over the maintenance of a wood deck 110%. My FIL and another neighbor both regret going real wood after just 4-5 years.

 

[olytdi]

Depends what kind of wood you go with.

I have a 1000 sq ft Western Red Cedar deck that is nearly 30 years old. When I bought the house, the deck was painted (yeah, they painted over old-growth cedar!) and in disrepair.

This summer, I set all of the nails (that took three weeks of after-work monotony), rented a floor sander for a long day, then oil stained the deck. Came out fantastic.

I think that the trick to maintaining a wood deck is to use a well-regarded penetrating oil stain and keep up on the maintenance coats which are easy if you commit to that. Most want no maintenance and I can sympathize but the maintenance take about a day a year. Ignore it or do something stupid like paint it and you'll have to do something like I did to restore it.

My cedar deck gets really hot in the direct sun -- I cannot imagine a plastic product - it would be unusable to me.

I have about 6 boards that I need to replace in the next few years. I'm pretty sure the superstructure will fail before the deck boards all require replacing.

 

[yeldogt]

Depends what kind of wood you go with.

I have a 1000 sq ft Western Red Cedar deck that is nearly 30 years old. When I bought the house, the deck was painted (yeah, they painted over old-growth cedar!) and in disrepair.

This summer, I set all of the nails (that took three weeks of after-work monotony), rented a floor sander for a long day, then oil stained the deck. Came out fantastic.

I think that the trick to maintaining a wood deck is to use a well-regarded penetrating oil stain and keep up on the maintenance coats which are easy if you commit to that. Most want no maintenance and I can sympathize but the maintenance take about a day a year. Ignore it or do something stupid like paint it and you'll have to do something like I did to restore it.

My cedar deck gets really hot in the direct sun -- I cannot imagine a plastic product - it would be unusable to me.

I have about 6 boards that I need to replace in the next few years. I'm pretty sure the superstructure will fail before the deck boards all require replacing.

The wood available back then was better .. if it was hard enough for you to sand W/O destroying it ... you have good stuff. It's just not around today.

My neighbor in PA has an unlimited budget and just pulled off 10 year old cedar that was custom milled for him ... they are putting down SA Mahogany

 

[egdede]

I've had Azek by Timber Tech decking down for 5 years. A gray w/black streaks (washed out beach-style).

It looks good. They reformulated a couple of years later. the new products look even better. I haven't used them though.

 

[DarryT]

Batu > plastic

 

[egdede]

I don't know nothing about 'BATU = plastic'. I just replied since I saw my post at the end. My Azek is looking great over 10 years in. Some of the black coloring faded a bit, but it mostly still looks like it should. I had friends who used other products which are starting to have that decomposed plastic look after 10 years.

 

[C.L S2000]

i built my 25x8 deck, the length of my pool with the Veranda brand from Home Depot. At the time it was really cost efficient compared to other brands. That was 7 years ago and i don't even see they have the dark brown color available in store anymore. But, my deck is 100% in the sun and still looking good.