Good decking material for SoCal?

[HardDrive]

My sister wants a deck in her backyard. Can anyone offer some input on decking material for LA? We used Timber Tech for ours here in Seattle, and it worked great (love the hidden fasteners), but we don't get kind of UV exposure you get in SoCal.

Any input appreciated. Thanks!

[speeder]

Does she need someone to build it?

[Mark Hjelm]

Trex with pressure treated joist system

[Zeke]

A recent study reveals that manufactured decking is not maintenance free. However, wood does splinter and definitely needs attention once a year to keep it real nice. If there is good air circulation below the deck, the framing does not have to be pressure treated, but any wood in contact with concrete should be.

Now I will tell you the 2 best tricks to building a deck: fasten from below and don't let the deck boards rest directly on the joists. Use a fastener system that holds the deck boards up.

Also, leave a fat nail space between green decking lumber and a bit more for manufactured since it doesn't shrink. You need the space for 2 reasons, cleaning out debris and getting preservative in between the boards.

If you use lumber, don't use any that has grain near the heart and place the cup of the grain up. As the grain wants to straighten out, the cupping will face down, not up. Some say it's the other way around and lumber being lumber likes to fool you. Really the grain could be placed either way and cupping will take effect the way it wants to. If we could only read each piece and predict.

Trex don't cup.

[Rusty Heap]

Trex also looks like presto-log cheap plastic crap with screws and joists every 12" on center IMHO.


Go Hardwood, not that much more $$$.

I've got 600 square feet of this decking:

Tiger Deck :: Photo Gallery

[VINMAN]

Agree with Rusty

Ive been moving away from engineered decking, and trying to get my customers to go with hardwoods or regular PT. Most engineered stuff looks like crap after a few yrs.

[BeyGon]

If she will be there a while Try to get some Ipe, I got some from Ganahl Lumber, this stuff is good.

[Reg]

Ipe takes alot more time to work with and is tough on tools. It is hard, clear of knot and can utilize the clip fastening system so no hardware is visible.

[JavaBrewer]

I have a South facing 2nd story deck that gets no shade. LOTS of heat and UV. It is 7 years old. The deck is Trex and the rest is wood. So far I have had problems with the main support beams and the railing (all natural wood). The builder (home builder) did a pretty sloppy job installing - the Trex is nailed from the top. However the trex stuff shows little age/wear and does feel nice on the bare feet. If I could choose I would prefer a natural wood deck but I have to give a thumbs up to the Trex - it is zero maintenance and holding up very well.

[Rusty Heap]

To give "composite" decking credit, there are different types on the market. Some use recycled plastic mixed with saw dust, others use actually Rice Husks for a bit stiffer/firmer "board". TimberTec is the rice blend.

TimberTech - Composite Decking, Railing & Fencing

I just don't like how any of those man made products scratch very very easily.

The hardwood Tiger Deck (cashew tree wood) still scratches don't get me wrong, but it's more the stain (SuperDeck) that is removed than the wood.

GREAT hardwood stain:
Duckback Products - Exotic Hardwood Stain

this is my deck, when brand new, and it's not changed much in color/grain over 7 years of hot southern exposure sun, nor mildews/moss in our Seattle damp. Rain shows the colors. Aluminum 6061 T-clips with a star head screw. Every one biscuited into the side of the 5/4 x 6 wood.

humbley, I think it's Stunningly Gorgeous compared to prestolog "planks"............

and yes it is all a hidden fastener system with zero screws showing.

These photos are when it didn't even have a stain on it, raw wood, untrimmed even from middle of deck construction.............so yeah it costs money, but I figure it's an investment in your house net worth. And why be boring and put boards parallel to the house, when you can angle and herringbone it!!!

[DARISC]

I don't like staining/treating every few years. If it were me, and I wanted to spend big bucks, I'd use heart redwood and let it go gray as it weathers (I like the look, some don't). There are redwood houses over 100 hrs old still standing in the Mendocino area that have never been treated. SOCAL is much drier, but I don't think redwood cares.

[look 171]

Ipe or Cumaru. Cumaru is a little bit cheaper,but also a little bit light in color. I am a big fan of Ipe. The last few decks we did were on the hill side build with Ipe treated with Penofin. Its been 6 years, the Penofin did its trick. We went back once to clean and oil it. these decks still look the same as it was installed with minimal cleaning. Color preservation is great with Penofin and it has UV blocker build into the finish. Ipe is fire rated too. 5/4" 16 on center should be plenty strong.

Red wood id ok, but too soft for my taste.

I buy from Bonhoff lumber in LA. They have the best prices, but they are a wholesale house only. Let me know if you want their number.

Many people like the plastic stuff because they want to be green, or simply do not want to maintain it. That's fine, but that stuff is Formica of decking. I like to have real wood. the cost is very similar.

[DARISC]

Originally Posted by look 171

...Red wood is ok, but too soft for my taste.

An important point to consider.

...That's fine, but that stuff is the Formica of decking.

Yeah it is.

..

[Brittany M]

Hi, I am a representative of Trex.

Rusty Heap, Trex is actually rated for 16" OC for 100 psf.

JavaBrewer, happy to hear you are enjoying your Trex deck!


Brittany
Trex

[Rusty Heap]

"Rated" load bearing, and spring board trampoline mattress soft sag when big boys are walking across the deck are 2 different things. Welcome to Pelican Brittany. Doesn't the trex also have a much higher thermal expansion and you much leave larger gaps at board lengths? It holds heat longer too and can burn bare feet in the sun? Maybe not, I dunno.

Trex or other composites boards can also mushroom up at fasteners where screwed in. No thanks.


Just Like in Charlie Brown Christmas Story, Lucy tells him to go out and buy a proper aluminum christmas tree.......uggggggg.

[Brittany M]

Thanks for the warm welcome! Trex does expand and contract, though I'm not sure what you are comparing it to. The gapping requirements are 1/4" width to width when installed above 40 degrees F and 3/8" below 40 degrees F. End to end gapping should be 1/8" above 40 F and 3/16" below & abutting a solid surface should be 1/4" above 40 F and 1/2" below.

Trex is similar to wood and responds to heat in the same way. Darker colors of wood get hotter than lighter colors and Trex does the same. In an independent study, Trex was comparable to surface temperatures of pressure treated wood.

Mushrooming can be prevented by using a composite decking screw. Many manufacturers make color-matched composite screws for our products.

[Carrerax]

Im now getting ready to resurface my deck. We want to use one of the composites but there are so many out there! We want to have hidden fasteners. Dont want trex (just because I have heard 2 negatives for every positive).

The Timber Tech and also Correct Deck CX (now called Dura Life Siesta) seem to be good. Any opinions? We have kids so I want something scratch resistant and obviously concerned about fading etc. Once again, looking for opinions from the Pelican Brain Trust! TIA!

[dad911]

I'm a homebuilder, and have had good results with Trex, at least here in NJ. They have different product characteristics, their Transcend line will resist fading, but the Accents does fade.

We use their stainless, hidden fastener.

[Jim Bremner]

Here in my home town of Cerritos there's a 200,000 sg ft hardwood shop.

I tok a tour of there warehouses and the one thing that they had to show me was some wood that's raised in New Zealand. They clip the branches off the lower 80% of the tree so that they get a plank that's with less defects.

Now after the tree has been harvested they ship the damn things to Scandinavia where they dry the wood. Next is a vinegar solution that keeps the wood from rotting.

They warranty it for 50 years if it's on land and 25 if it's submerged.


It's not as pretty as the deck that Rusty Heap has but If I bought it once and never moved it would be replaced when I'm 95!

[Zeke]

I use short sections of Trex for problem door sills. It's the ticket.