What's the latest news on composite deck boards ?

[rfuerst911sc]

Hey guys , we have decided to redo our front porch . I hired a guy to remove and replace the 8 ' posts that was completed yesterday . Next I have to decide on the deck boards which are currently painted 1x6 pressure treated . The deck measures basically 8 ' x 28 ' . I am going to do the deck boards myself .

The porch is covered so only gets wind blown rain on it so not much exposure to wet . It does get some afternoon sun but again not much exposure . The joists are 15 " on center with 3 " ledger framing along the house and the front . I don't think that spacing will be an issue because the only weight on the porch floor is a few chairs . No heavy objects .

So now the questions . Seems like a lot of the local big box and liquidators sell Fiberon brand . Generally around $1.75 - $1.85 a linear foot . Online reviews seem mixed . Timbertech seems to have better online reviews . A previous house we owned had early generation Trex that I was not impressed with . So for the conditions I layed out above would you go composite ? Any particular brand ? Are the warranties any good or just advertising BS ? I want this as close to zero maintenance as possible that's why I am leaning composite . I know it's not perfect but nothing is . Talk to me

[mgatepi]

We have replaced all of our decking with composite. Not cheap but they hold up and need no painting or staining. Every couple of years I do power wash them if needed.
One thing we have noticed is that they get HOT! I have a deck on one side of our pool that gets full sun! ITs HOT!!! Your bare feet will burn!
I think we used TimberTech and it seems to be fine.
Good luck!

[BK911]

Just did about 1000 sqft on my dock (16" oc) and gangway (24" oc) and it's holding up well after ~3months.
Not sure of brand but lowes stuff.

And yup, it will melt the skin off your feet sometimes!!

[Zeke]

This is the latest: search forums: pelican parts/composite decking

[rfuerst911sc]

Originally Posted by Zeke

This is the latest: search forums: pelican parts/composite decking

Unfortunately the search function doesn't work on my tablet . I type in the search window and hit the button and it goes blank

[Cajundaddy]

Around 2010 we did a fairly large deck rebuild and all of the walking surfaces and railings were composite. We sold the house in 2020 and the deck still looked fantastic with no maintenance, zero rot, no warped lumber. It was expensive but wow! I don't think I would ever go back to lumber for this.

And yes, in summer the deck gets real hot which means shoes.

[rfuerst911sc]

Cajun do you remember what brand of composite you used ?

[faverymi]

We did 1200sq ft of Trex 10 years ago.

Part porch, deck, outside shower.

After the annual wash in the spring it looks as good as day one

I wouldn't use anything else. It's great

[jyl]

A deck too hot for bare feet or, presumably, pet feet?

I wonder if there is a way to cool the deck surface. Suppose a solar panel powers under-deck fans? Or a thermostat triggers deck misters? Maybe the deck material can include reflectives.

[mgatepi]

Too hot for HUMAN feet and presumably pet feet!
I have an outdoor rug that we place on top of the composite which makes it OK, but damn it gets HOT!

[rfuerst911sc]

My wife and I have been discussing composite vs wood and what colors we ( she ) wants This weekend we will head out and hit some lumber yards/big box stores to see what they have . Until we figure that out I really don't want to start the tear out .

The original plan was to keep the same color theme , that has taken a turn . Nothing crazy but we shall see .

[Cajundaddy]

Originally Posted by rfuerst911sc

Cajun do you remember what brand of composite you used ?

It was 15 years ago but I think Timber Tech. It was T&G and install went quick. Looks like they now have a cool deck option which would be great in summer. We used to put down an outdoor camping mat in summer to keep it more people/dog friendly.

https://www.timbertech.com/product/starter-kit/?color=bestseller

[Brian 162]

Like others have said, the composite deck boards get stupidly hot. We have rugs on the deck as well.

[rfuerst911sc]

Today we went to a few stores and looked at various brands of composite . We decided to get lunch and as we are eating I ask my wife so what do you think ? She replies the composite looks too plasticey I would rather have wood deck boards . OK decision made I will start tear up tomorrow.

We picked up several pamphlets on different brands of exterior stain . There is something new to me called semi solid stain . Obviously it is between semi transparent and solid . Sue really liked how that looked . I may not be able to stain until spring as the pressure treated boards will have to dry out . So we have time for that decision . I will definitely do some test pieces before going full bore

Thanks to everyone that gave opinions , it was helpful .

[jyl]

My thinking is that it is not hard to remove and replace the walking surface on a deck, the hassle and expense is when the structure - posts, joists, railing supports, stringers - get rotted and the deck has to be rebuilt.

If you were building a deck with the idea that the structure should last a very long time - 50 years? more? - with the deck boards being replaced every couple decades or so, how would you do it?

[911boost]

Go with Brazilian Redwood or Ipe if you can afford it. I built a big deck in 2006 with BR and it has held up very nicely even though my ex wife has used cheap stain on it over the past 15 years.

I have TimberTech by Azek and love it, but like have mentioned put a rug down. Everything gets hot here in CO, being closer to the sun and all that.

Bill

[rfuerst911sc]

^^^ I was considering tigerwood as we both liked the color and grain pattern . There is a large south eastern distributor outside of Atlanta . I called them and they only sell " 1x " which is only 3/4 " thick . Our vinyl siding moldings are set for 5/4 so 1 " . I just think that 1/4 " gap wouldn't look right . And at $4.00 a L.F. it is out of the price range we are comfortable with .

[KFC911]

I considered composite ... for about 30 seconds, on a new deck/porch Ima gonna build/have built at my parents' house. Dawg friendly... some will be covered.

My 34 year old PT northern (edited) facing wooden deck outside is starting to degrade some ... just a few planks tho'

The deck I'm building is also facing north, but the sun's angle during the summer hits it in the morning.

The decks are several feet off the ground ... methinks that matters a lot with longevity ... but I dunno.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by jyl

My thinking is that it is not hard to remove and replace the walking surface on a deck, the hassle and expense is when the structure - posts, joists, railing supports, stringers - get rotted and the deck has to be rebuilt.

-Cover if possible. No water less rot.
-Add additional copper coat to all wood before installing.
-Use rubberized joist tape to protect from standing water.
-Dig channels and fill with sand to drain water underneath.
-Use post-on-concrete pier(ie sonotube) instead of direct-ground burial of post. Wood stays above surface and doesn't wick moisture.

[jhynesrockmtn]

Our deck was built in 2018 with whatever the new generation Trex was at the time. It has held up well. It gets the full treatment of sun in the morning, rain, snow, ice. It has held up well other than one of the "hidden" fasteners failing.