Timbertech XLM

I started building a deck today that is contracted to use Timbertech Twin Finish, however the owner is now interested in the XLM plank. The TwinFinish has not been ordered or delivered yet, so I can just do a CO and make the change at this point.

I know it's new and I'm guessing no one has installed it yet, but if you have worked with it, is it just like ProCell (now Azek)?

It really doesn't matter to me what TT decking I lay since everything is pre grooved now, but I want some info on the XLM board.

Thanks.

yes, but better and cheaper
better colors, grooved, non grooved, if they add a 2x4 and matching post components, i dont know how prozak plans to have a market share

I'm finishing up one right now.

It's lighter than TT TwinFinish,
fairly flexible (20' decking was moved on the shoulders to prevent ends from dragging),
nice looking stuff, more scratch resistant and less organic looking,
generates plastic dust (not good to breathe or to litter the yard with),
I had one tarp down, I could've used two (one behind the chop saw)
Dust doesn't fly into bag...

It's nice because it's abilities to resist mold and hose off quick. I love cedar and redwood but there are some backyards up here that have HEAVY tree canopies - having a low maintenance, nice looking deck in those areas means using something - not wood.

Judging by the samples I've got of Azek/Procell, same basic board - foam interior with a crunchy shell! I'll be building a demo deck for a lumberyard using the Azek coming up... once that's complete I'll have an apples to apples comparison...

Rails were TT RadianceRail, beefy and solid when finished. The black balusters/rails helped the handrail "disappear" when looking in the back yard,
which helped because they had a regular forest highway happening there. Here's some visitors I had on my jobsite -




I had a herd a' turkeys wander through as well!

I'll post pics of the process when I get my camera back...

Mac

Herd of turkeys.....that's a new one on me.

Nice fat deer you have up there......I can almost taste bambi burgers now.

I knew it wasn't a murder or a gaggle, and I figger everyone's herd a' turkeys before! (crap, had to go look it up....it's a rafter)

It was actually kinda gay, the grey females move along ahead and the pretty male brings up the rear, high steppin' and showing off his plumage - reminded me of an Englishman in full wig gear!

Mac

Was that in Eugene, Mac?....Wife's Mom lives in your back yard (Oakridge). We'll have to get back up there soon.

Some damn fine mountain biking to be had in and around Oakridge - gorgeous land, beautiful single track! Yes, this one's in the South Hills area of Eugene...

(didn't mean to hijack the thread, Greg ... sorry!)

Mac

Here's a question for you Azek (Procell) guys - how well does the foam interior hold up to weathering?

I need a graspable handrail which I was planning on making out of a ripped/glued/shaped deck board (to keep color scheme) but that would mean the foam interior would be exposed to the elements...

Have you guys ever routed/shaped that material and seen how it looks over time?

Mac

How long can you wait?
http://www.azek.com/article.php?id=89
The trim boards are solid all the way through,
and they come in any color you want....
as long as you want white!

Maybe you'll have to rip it on a 45º and
glue a 45º ripped cap on the edge?

I read through that article and looked over composatron's website - thanks, but it's not gonna work for me with this project...

This was what I was thinking of doing - red lines are factory surface. It's going to be 6' long w/ two anchor points 5'-6" apart. Its the rounded corners that would be exposed because I can't figure out another way to do it. I'm not going to make a grab rail with sharp edges. I thought the "T" shape would help with stability because this stuff IS pretty floppy...

Mac

Haven't used the stuff (yet),
but looking at the samples
I have, good luck on those edges.
I don't think you'll be happy.

Built up square edges
is the only way I can see
it working for you (PITA).
To bad there isn't some
matching bullnose to make
the sides from.

The interior will hold up to weathering just fine, that's what all the cut ends are. You may have a problem with it getting dingy since the interior is porous and not sealed against dirt.
What's your pricing on the XLM? I just got quoted $2.85 for the cedar and $2.55 for the river rock and sand ridge. Are those the only colors it's available in? My local decking supplier doesn't have it in stock yet.

Mac I cant belive those deer are still there!!! They usta come down and go back up every morning and afternoon when we were framing Brama Village in Eugune, looks like the same heard kinda small. Ghessss that was like 20 years ago or so. Sweet. J.

Greg, what'd you end up using for this deck? Got pics?

If you used XLM, I'd be interested in your comparisons to the Azek board...

Mac

Mac,

We ended up using TwinFinish as originally proposed. They didn't like the look of the XLM board. Too bad, because the TwinFinish deck is already starting to get stained from tree goo after a few days.

I'll have pics tomorrow. We stayed until 7:15 last night trying to get all the 2-man stuff done so I was not in a mood to be Ansel Adams.

That Ornamental rail is bitch on the stairs...stay with Radiance...

Got back from AZ yesterday (with my wife...and camera) so here's some pics from that XLM deck.

I built my graspable handrail like this to keep more factory edges exposed:



Turned out like this:

It's not the perfect solution, but it does match the decking color.

Here's some shots of the XLM decking and (hidden) ConcealLoc fasteners closeup:




I picture framed the decking with the fascia boards for a couple of reasons - it looks nicer, it hides the decking ends (which show the edge grooves) and it protects the cut ends from getting dirty and dingy.


And here's one of the whole deck...


I will start pushing the all-plastic decking for people who come to me interested in composite - seems to me if you're gonna step away from true wood, may as well go whole hog and get the lowest maintenance board. It (the all plastic board) doesn't look that much different from the composite boards - neither of them will be mistaken for wood.

Handrail was TT Radiance Rail - went together smoothly. Had enough left from one section to make a gate for the staircase...I tried to make it bombproof but we'll see how well it holds up over time.

I kept the same look as the handrail sections but glued and screwed it to make it more solid. I did tell the HO that it wasn't strong enough for kids to "ride" it.

Mac

Mac,

What kind of glue did you use?

Also, what's your run on the stringers of that staircase? I see that you did not overhang the treads so there is nosing and that your risers are flush to the tops of the treads. Does this allow you to use a single piece of 12" fascia to close in the risers? With nosing, one piece doesn't work with a 1" nose.

The wrong kind! I used Titebond III (it was already in my shop) which works great for wood...not so great for the foam core of this plastic decking stuff. I glued the pieces up, clamped every 6" and left it over night. Next day, pulled clamps off and pieces were starting to separate. I just used more screws to pull everything together because I didn't have another day to let a new kind of glue set up.
I'd be interested in hearing from others about what glues DO work!

I pulled the fascia up flush with the decking top to hide the grooved edge on the treads. Stringer cut run was 10 1/2" - just wide enough for two deck boards and fasteners. (I ripped the groove off the back of the back tread so face screws 1/2" from the back edge would have solid purchase)
I faced screwed the back edge of the back tread and screwed through the groove of the front tread. Fascia sat on top of the back tread and hid those screws, flush with the tread top hid the front screws. "Steppable" run was just a hair under 10."

TT doesn't offer a stair riser fascia (7 1/2" height), just the 11 1/2" fascia. I ripped that down to 7 1/4" for this staircase, installed by face screwing into stringer with ripped edge down. A more cost-effective method would have been to leave the grooved edges on the treads exposed and hold the riser high off the back tread. That way, you could rip the fascia in half and get two 5 1/2" risers per fascia. It would be a different look though...there would be more gaps.

Mac

Hey Builtbymac, Clever fabrication idea on the handrail. I haven't worked with XLM---yet (I have my first one coming up in about a month), but my suggestion for glue would be 'Bond-n-fil'. It works great with Azek boards, etc, and since they are both PVC products, I'd think it would work. One possible issue might be that the Bond-n-fil is white and you'd have to scrape off the sqeeze out! Just a thought....

TT does offer a stair riser I just ordered it.