Composite Decking Manufactures

gregt848

Hello,
I am trying to get some professional opinions on a few composite decking companies, If anyone has had any expereinces with these three:

Fiberon
Timbertech
Trex Brasilia

What one do you think is the best? are there any goods and bad to these products? Building a deck for a customer and these are all available locally. Want to get some info to go back to them with.
Thanks,
G

BDA4Life

I don't build decks but restore them and have stained some Choice decking.Choice decking has been know for good composites per my deck builders.

Ive heard good things about Timbertech also.

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Shane Brasseaux
Wood Savers of Texas
"We Beat The Weathering Problem"

RobertCDF

I have never worked with Fiberon... But I have used timbertech and they are ok. I think thier railing system is stupid and piss poor. I used trex 2 times about 5 years ago and I wont touch it ever again. Personally my favorite is Correct Deck 90% of my decks are built with it.

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Robert Shaw
Colorado Springs Custom Decks
Colorado Custom Decks
Custom Composite Decks

BDA4Life

Stay away from Trex they had a mildew problem and some big law suits against them

__________________
Shane Brasseaux
Wood Savers of Texas
"We Beat The Weathering Problem"

Tom R

Trex has 'supposedly' fixed those problems now, - - but myself, I like Timber-Tech the best. EverGrain is good too, but costs slightly more.

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http://www.tr-built.com

wolffhomerepair

I like the Timbertech. Especially the t&g planks. They make a real nice floor with no visible screws.

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http://www.wolffhomerepair.com


" Of course I don't look busy, I did it right the first time "

gregt848

How about Fiberon Decking?

mattp

I just put up an Evergrain deck and the spindles are discoloring. The rep came out yesterday and is going to take care of it but it looks horrible. Looks like someone tied a chain to them and drug them down a gravel road.

RobertCDF

The fact that you had to STAIN a composite is a sign of a bad product to me. That is the point of composites, lower maintenance.

How well does that work anyway? does it seem to last a long longer since it has the plastic to stick to?
I have a load of TT that stain was spilled on, and I thought I could stain it with a composite stain. But wanted to know how well the stains worked.

__________________
Robert Shaw
Colorado Springs Custom Decks
Colorado Custom Decks
Custom Composite Decks

Greg Di

Fiberon and Portico are same exact thing. They are very comparable to Trex where you have a mix of plastic and sawdust making up the material. I have used the Fiberon/Portico a few times and it's OK, but it looks like crap after the UV fades it and it is highly susceptible to staining just like Trex.

FYI, I am replacing a Timbertech T&G deck that is less than a year old due to a non-spec installation by another contractor. It buckled so badly, that you would trip over it. Ever TT deck I've seen fades to a nasty shade of dirty gray. We are replacing with Ipe.

My favorite material of late is Procell. It's 100% PVC and retardly expensive, but it's impervious to everything. All they need to do is sell a pre-grooved version for HFS. They currently recco TigerClaws, but they are a bitch to work with regardless of what you might tell me Il Fissatore.

Greg Di

By the way, Fiberon is now marketing "Tropics" which is very similar to Trex Brasilia. Serious $$$, but it too new to trust. I've heard (and seen) some pretty bad batches of Brasilia going out for delivery. Don't trust a 6" sample they send you.

Woodcrafter74

I'd steer clear of the Trex Brisillia, it looks nice, but it scratches very, very easily. I ordered 1,100 sq/ft per the hommies direction and after installing a few courses, he made me take it up and return it all--didn't like the look of it (his fault, not the product, but still wouldn't recommended it. The other issue with Trex is the 1/4" gapping; who wants gaps large enough that small children can fall through on your deck?

I'm with Greg Di, I'm now a Procell guy, just wish they would make a better fasterner. IMO you need to tighten up on the joist spans a little, 16" oc leaves it a little soft. I love no mushrooms whatsoever!

wolffhomerepair

Greg
I am guessing no spacing between the ends of the boards of the timbertech deck you replaced?

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" Of course I don't look busy, I did it right the first time "

dougchips

We use Timebertech, just be very careful to keep your screws away from the sides and ends! Also the boards are slippery when stacked on top of each other---very easy to leave a load on the highway (I know).

747

Decks keep carpenters in business.

Greg Di

That and the fact that the deck is low to the ground and no ventilation space was provided. The TT should have never been installed.

troubleseeker

Thanks to all for comments here. I am considering a composite deck as a personal project, and naturally leaned toward trex just because of it's time on the market. But then I started to see what seemed to be a lot of negatives about many of the composites. I don't have any expectations that there won't be any fading from sun exposure since many years in the trade has convinced me that there is no such thing as a finish that the sun will not degrade, but since this is the New Orleans area, I was hoping for better mildew resistance than seems to be delivered by any of the products (maybe that is asking a little much of anything with our 52" average yearly rainfall). If this stuff requires the same ongoing battles as pt wood, why spend three times the money.

RobertCDF

Did you look at Correct Deck CX product? It is supposed to be the best against mold/mildew. I would see if you can get a sample and set it out for a couple of months and see how well it fares.

__________________
Robert Shaw
Colorado Springs Custom Decks
Colorado Custom Decks
Custom Composite Decks

dougchips

I use the Timbertech on my docks and floats and have never had an issue with mold or mildew. I have one ramp that is half submerged that I drive a waverunner on no issues yet.

Il Fissatore

Check out the fiberon Tropics GV! It comes with its own HFS the PHANTOM system...its SWEET...easy to install and a great looking product