Re: composition deck

jlkz · ‎12-02-2013

The mountain house came with Trex decking. Love it and am considering doing the home deck with it. Home deck is wood and we've never done the upkeep: replacement time is right around the corner.

We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.
Sir Winston Churchill

terrier3 · ‎03-10-2010

On 7/5/2014 JeanLouiseFinch said:
Last year we decided to replace our wood deck. For the size we wanted, the composite deck price was going to be pretty high and the slippery when wet issue was a concern. We opted to put in a 24' x 24' patio instead, using Unilock pavers. It was significantly less costly, and yet a beautiful result. We're very happy with our decision.

I personally also prefer natural pavers over a composition product. They are not allowed in my neighborhood, which is a historical district.

Ibby114 · ‎03-10-2010

I replaced just the floor boards of my deck with composite- the base structure of the deck was strong and sturdy so there was no need to redo everything. What a wonderful difference! The pressure treated wood required annual maintenance- this is simple and it looks great. Just be sure your base supports can handle the composite boards - they're heavier than pressure treated wood.

happycat · ‎09-18-2010

On 7/5/2014 terrier3 said:
On 7/5/2014 JeanLouiseFinch said:
Last year we decided to replace our wood deck. For the size we wanted, the composite deck price was going to be pretty high and the slippery when wet issue was a concern. We opted to put in a 24' x 24' patio instead, using Unilock pavers. It was significantly less costly, and yet a beautiful result. We're very happy with our decision.

I personally also prefer natural pavers over a composition product. They are not allowed in my neighborhood, which is a historical district.

Our deck is over a foot off the ground, so the pavers wouldn't work, but I do think they are pretty. The slick issue is a worry for me, we did not realize that they got slick- we may get it anyway, but we needed to know that. That is why I enjoy these boards so much. Good information.

JeanLouiseFinch · ‎10-03-2011

On 7/7/2014 happycat said:
On 7/5/2014 terrier3 said:
On 7/5/2014 JeanLouiseFinch said:
Last year we decided to replace our wood deck. For the size we wanted, the composite deck price was going to be pretty high and the slippery when wet issue was a concern. We opted to put in a 24' x 24' patio instead, using Unilock pavers. It was significantly less costly, and yet a beautiful result. We're very happy with our decision.

I personally also prefer natural pavers over a composition product. They are not allowed in my neighborhood, which is a historical district.

Our deck is over a foot off the ground, so the pavers wouldn't work, but I do think they are pretty. The slick issue is a worry for me, we did not realize that they got slick- we may get it anyway, but we needed to know that. That is why I enjoy these boards so much. Good information.

Patios can be ground level or elevated. You can look for paver patio designs/ideas online and then create your own. You just want to be sure to get good pavers. Spend the money and get Unilock, it'll still be cheaper than a composite deck. Our deck was elevated like yours. Access is/was through the kitchen and at the end/front of the deck there were steps to get down to ground level. Now, with the patio, we have a landing right outside the kitchen door (same level as the kitchen floor) and then a couple short rise steps down to the patio. We chose to have rounded/half circle steps, but there are designs with straight steps, too.

Carmie · ‎10-25-2010

We have 2 decks at 2 different locations/homes. The first deck is pressure treated wood and it was built in 1989. We treat it by using a solid color stain every few years. It is still in amazing shape.

The second deck is about 5 years old. It's made of composition material. It is very slippery and dirt gets trapped in the raised wood pattern on it. It can be power washed and always comes clean. The only problem we have had is that the material is brittle. We have had a few corners break off of the boards to the tune of an inch or two. We have had to replace a few boards for this reason.

It's a matter or what type of look and upkeep you are looking for and how much you are willing to spend.

We do not have the Trex brand, but it looks to be superior to the product that we have.

Allegheny · ‎03-19-2010

We replaced our wood deck surface three years ago with a composite by Azek. I will always like wood, but DH said we needed to go with something with less maintenance.

We are fairly happy with it. The surface gets just as hot if not hotter when exposed to the direct sun compared to wood. It is texturized to resemble wood, and grime does get in the grooves. We do have to pressure wash it every year. Of course that is because we selected a very light color to coordinate with our house. While it is not supposed to absorb stains, we get a couple small areas during the install. I contacted the company and never heard back from them. However, again, our color is very light.

There are a lot of options out there, even for elevated decks like we have (ours is over a car port). I looked at everything, including stone and there are probably even more products out there since i looked. Our house is cedar so it just killed me to consider composite decking, but it does look nice. We didn't do our railing system in composite, but a combination of wooden posts/rails with bronze powdered coated aluminum balusters.

At the time we replaced the deck restore systems like Restore or Rescue weren't developed. We probably would have tried them to extend the life of our 19 year old deck.

My brother used Restore last summer on his deck and railings. Since his decks were only a year old he did not use the heavier coating. It is not an easy task to apply and is quite expensive depending upon the size of the deck and quantity of posts/rails and balusters. There are some areas where the coating is coming off, but so many factors can figure into that from improper application, to a the particular piece of board having a residue on it.

Unfortunately decking, composite or more specialized wood is expensive but it is an investment that will last for many years. Just keep looking on the internet until you find something that you like.