deck material - composite, or old school... - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

MHMConstruction · 09-19-2009, 01:42 PM

Bidding a deck job (first deck I've messed with in a long while)

The H/O is interested in composite material -

One of my carpenters says most composite materials for decks fade out quickly on the top face, while the sides do not fade, leaving the product looking like grade A poop

Any suggestions on companies w/ good composite deck materials? Not sure about color and all that -

It's a very basic deck, BTW, ifn' that matters

Many thanks deck-folk

BreyerConstruct · 09-19-2009, 03:04 PM

run a search here, you'll get the info you need.
Also, check what's available locally...

~Matt

BKFranks · 09-19-2009, 04:51 PM

I've done a few out of Trex and they all faded. I didn't buy it, just installed it. GC purchased materials. I would never recommend Trex to anyone.

carpentershane · 09-19-2009, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BKFranks

I've done a few out of Trex and they all faded. I didn't buy it, just installed it. GC purchased materials. I would never recommend Trex to anyone.

Trex decking always fades, they don't advertise it otherwise. The color charts on their website show the color new and after it has faded. It looks less "plastic" when it has faded out IMO.

As to the choice of wood decking over composite their is alot of factors, the main one being price. Is it in your customers budget to spend the $$ on composite over wood. Here in WA state composite starts at about 1.89 a LF and runs to around 4+ depending on what you are getting. A straight pvc decking like Azek starts at over 3.00 a lf... Then you add in hidden fasteners and the like and you are looking at serious money in materials

Then there is the maintenance question, where I live it is primarily a retirement community and low maintenance is a positive selling point... So composite sells itself in this regard.

For me I like cedar decking, low initial cost and with proper maintence it will last a lifetime. IMO there is going to be a lot of composite decking in landfills in about 15 years as tastes change and people want something different/ new and improved. The stuff is made to last forever and some of it will be spending its indeterminate future in a landfill. Wood decking will just decompose... less ecological impact IMO.

Celtic · 09-19-2009, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carpentershane

For me I like cedar decking, low initial cost ....

What is cedar at per LF?

John Hyatt · 09-19-2009, 05:34 PM

For a Class A deck project it is not possible to beat South American lumber.

Ipe,Garapa,TigerWood,Masenranduba, and several others. When I go on the first pass with the Wallet I bring along a couple composite samples and ipe/garapa, I dont have to sell it the Wallet decides on one of the two SA material on their own 90% of the time. J.

carpentershane · 09-19-2009, 05:36 PM

Where I live 5/4x4 cedar decking is running under 40 cents a lf

carpentershane · 09-19-2009, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Hyatt

For a Class A deck project it is not possible to beat South American lumber.

Ipe,Garapa,TigerWood,Masenranduba, and several others. When I go on the first pass with the Wallet I bring along a couple composite samples and ipe/garapa, I dont have to sell it the Wallet decides on one of the two SA material on their own 90% of the time. J.

I have not had the opportunity to install a ipe or tigerwood deck. I bring samples, but the last couple of decks I have sold have gone cedar, Trex, and PT.

Celtic · 09-19-2009, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carpentershane

Where I live 5/4x4 cedar decking is running under 40 cents a lf

That is just the decking material [cedar] installed [nailed]?
[no rails, stairs or other fluff]

carpentershane · 09-19-2009, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Celtic

That is just the decking material [cedar] installed [nailed]?
[no rails, stairs or other fluff]

This is just for the material itself.

Celtic · 09-19-2009, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carpentershane

This is just for the material itself.

ty

deckman22 · 09-20-2009, 11:19 AM

Some of the composites actually look pretty good nowadays, but I still like real wood. With tigerwood & garapa at the same cost as cedar here that's where I direct my customers towards. No decent composite can even get close to the price.

RobertCDF · 09-20-2009, 04:32 PM

Correct Deck CX. Don't even bother looking at another material.

shilohtx · 10-19-2009, 03:28 PM

I have 150ft of sidewalk to build of PT...it is 4 ft wide.....and changes elevations.......owner wants it stepped.....level about every 8 ft.....my question is .....How to anchor these prebuilt rectangles.....This is on rocky terrain.......hillbilly country......and as I said.......there are drops about 15 ft.......@ 30 ft length........
Any answers would be appreciated......btw....my first post...........so be easy on me

redwood · 10-19-2009, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shilohtx

I have 150ft of sidewalk to build of PT...it is 4 ft wide.....and changes elevations.......owner wants it stepped.....level about every 8 ft.....my question is .....How to anchor these prebuilt rectangles.....This is on rocky terrain.......hillbilly country......and as I said.......there are drops about 15 ft.......@ 30 ft length........
Any answers would be appreciated......btw....my first post...........so be easy on me

How about concrete footings.

Bone Saw · 10-19-2009, 07:28 PM

mark, that is tight

dkillianjr · 10-19-2009, 08:04 PM

Very sweet redwood

Thats a lot of hole to dig, I hope you had your mini ex for that one

Dave

redwood · 10-19-2009, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dkillianjr

Very sweet redwood

Thats a lot of hole to dig, I hope you had your mini ex for that one

Dave

NO, I didn't have my Mini then, but I had a great Stihl auger back then. I think they outlawed them.

It's been a long time, but I can't remember how we layed that path out. I do remember that there are only 2 piers per landing, and that each landing sat on the one below.