Trex Decking

craker

I'm working up a bid for a customer where we will be stripping his deck down to the joist and band and going back with Trex deck boards.
I haven't worked with trex and though i would ask if theres anything i need to know that may affect the labor price of my bid.
Also have you ever nailed trex? the website said you could but how does that look?????
Thanks
Craker

wink

i just finished 5 small decks in a condo project and i used trex. not sure i really like it. not hard to work with, i used the screws made for it. they come in the same color. longer pieces take two to carry, not so much the wieght, but the bending,i'm not posative but i think it was harder on the saw blade, labor time for installation should be about the same as 5/4 wood, screwing not nailing, hope this helps. wink ps if it is in direct sunlight for a while, and your in shorts IT DOES GET HOT!!!!

troubleseeker

Before you sign a contract, I suggest you spend some time searching a couple of the construction forums (this one has quite a few posts), about all the quality issues with Trex brand material. It seems to have more evils than most of the others, a first generation product that seems to have never been improved, in spite of having the longest market time. If Trex is the HO desire, I would be sure that he is furnished a copy of all the factory literature, and include an acknowledgement in your contract that he has read and understood the maintanence and cleaning sections. Also be very sure to follow all the manufacturer's installation guidelines, so they cannot walk awy from any warranty problems due to "improper installation".

carolinaprowash

Be sure to check the existing joist measurements and what the Trex requirements are. That stuff will sag if the joists are standard. As a company that cleans these things, please don't tell these people that Trex is maintenance free - it's not.

__________________

John Hyatt

The trex co has had legal problems as well including securty fraud and a class action sucessfully brought against them. They have a long history of stonewalling the Customer when the many prolblems come up. The latested pictures I have seen with the "new" stuff showed black mold spots all over the brazila ipe look alike. Not a good co to do business with. John

carolinaprowash

Anything will mildew under the proper circumstances and there are certainly methods of prevention that are far less expensive than the cure.

John, on the "new" Trex, particularly the darker colored hardwood stuff - is the color staying? We can handle faded real wood all day long but the plastic stuff is a different animal

Celeste

__________________

John Hyatt

I agree it will form on anything, with t=junk its coming up from inside the product,like it always has. I have never and will never use that stuff I see it all the time on service calls, color fade starts out around 20 % about the same as the TT earthwood.

One thing I have a fair amount of success with using the softer composites>> I put a coat of twp finish on the project right away<<this makes a weak point a strong one,that is the stuff will stain up/soak in with anything droped on it at least this way it has a fighting chance. By the time I have done that any of the S American material ipe,garappa,masanrandoba comes in at less money,stronger feel,less mainatance and better looking but some Folks just can not be draged away from the man made. John

BuiltByMAC

More specifically, if your existing joists are 24" o.c., you will need to add joists so the TREX does not span greater than 16" o.c.. If you're installing at up to a 45º angle, drop joist spacing down to 12" o.c.

How old is the existing substructure? Do you want to put 25 year boards on a substructure that might have 5-10 left in it?

Labor questions - composites look nicer and screw better when you predrill or go with a HFS (hidden fastener system). Some of the TREX is soft enough you don't have to predrill but I'd head down to your local lumber yard and buy a stick. Grab your screw gun and see for yourself what the difficulty is. HFS is a lot more labor intensive than top screwing. If you do screw, use screws designed for composite boards. FastenMaster makes TrapEase in different colors, Swan Secure has SS screws with color coated heads, etc.

Nailing it? I wouldn't. Never have nailed a deck...don't want those nail heads working their way back out and becoming trip hazards/toe biters.

Mac

RobertCDF

Do the trapease screws really work in composite decking?? Those screws suck in Correct Deck... Maybe CD is just so much stronger and better but I have never had good luck with the trapease in CD I just assumed that the screws sucked. But if they work in other products then I guess they are ok.

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

craker

Thanks for the help. So I guess the question is what composite decking does everyone prefer?
And why?
Thanks again
Craker

BuiltByMAC

I usually need to predrill TimberTech and WeatherBest boards for either FastenMaster TrapEase or SplitStop screws - without predrilling, I ruin my fingers spinning the screws waiting for them to catch and screw into the decking. I can only assume that CorrectDeck is so much stronger and better that predrilling would be required with that product as well. (I thought you never face screwed, Robert) Some TREX products are soft enough that predrilling isn't necessary (except near the ends).

Now that's a question that you'll get every answer in the book. It's been asked multiple times here, search the past posts and you'll find what people like. Procell, TimberTech, of course CorrectDeck CX are probably some of the most favored brands. Trex, Evergrain, Epoch and Fiberon are some of the least favored. Searching through past posts will give you the "why."

Mac

RobertCDF

I usually dont have to say what composite brand I recomend because someone else always recomends it.... Big suprise here... Correct Deck CX. If you do a search you will find some ranting from me that explains why.


Hey Mac... I dont face screw but the railings to need to be screwed and the guy I subbed this last one from supplied the trapease screws for the top cap and rails... I predrilled and those screws still wont go in for crap.

BTW if you need a sweet screw you cant go wrong with the GRK t-10 (or t-15) trim head reverse thread screw for composite decking. Just dont ever screw CD to CD and expect the screw to come out.

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

BuiltByMAC

I like the idea of a trim head screw for composite decking. Not a whole lot of worries about the board pulling through the head with composites so a trim head would work fine. I'll have to order a box (I don't think I can get it off the shelf here) and play with them. I also have a sample box of Correct Deck waiting for me to have two seconds to open it - I'll try some of the different screws in that material and see how different it is from TT and Trex.

Mac

lgoode

Fastenmaster is a good screw and Olympic is a good company, they are based out here in New England and we speak to them often. That being said, one of the things we speak about is how we wish they would put on the box that the Fastenmasters don't work with CorrectDeck... like Robert says, it's too hard. It will work if you 'predimple' with a 1/4" drill bit, but that is kind of a p.i.t.a...
My personal preference is the Headcote screws with the Smartbit, this is predrilling, but it's idiot proof and I need that. Marty

woodman42

I just finished my personel deck using Choice Deck, and really enjoyed working with it. I used 2 1/2" trimhead ss screws and did'nt have any problems. Once you sink your screw about a 1/4" then push the material over the hole and smack it one time with your hammer it almost disappears.
Just get the brochure for the decking and it should give all the installation how to's.

LNG24

Just posted this elsewhere, but better here.

Fiberon just made some changes to their railing system. Problem is they didnt changes the boxes or numbers. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME THOUGH.

On the Stair Railing they went from a 12 spindle system to 15.
One the posts they went from non beaded corners to Beaded corners

One the stair railing they went from an adjustable angle of 28 - 38 degrees to a fixed angle of 32 degrees.

Would have loved to get all the same product delivered for my last deck and would have loved for them to tell me our steps must now always be a 7/11 figure. No more adjusting for grade. Now we must adjust the grade to the step.

FIBERON

PS Anyone have a better methode of attaching stair rails to the posts. Still havent figured out the best way for the bottom rails. How do we screw inside a closed angle when the screw must enter straight through the bracket???

BuiltByMAC

One way to approach this...
Attach handrail posts to outside of stringer.
Blocking between stringers where handrail posts are located.
Install treads (cut tread width to outside edge of handrail post).
Set bottom rail on treads (or 1" spacers on top of treads)
Install bottom rail screws directly into bracket on post.
Install stair risers (cut width same as treads).
Install 12" fascia to outside of handrail posts, flush with top of treads and risers.
(You'll need a second piece of ripped fascia or 8" riser to completely cover the stringers)
You've got your brackets with the screws installed directly, and no gap under the bottom rail, treads and risers fully enclose the handrail posts.

Mac

Attached Images

 

Oregon_Rob

Once you learn to work with CD and learn why it is better, you won't want to put anything else down. We can lay a lot of deck in a day and almost no screws through the face. All hidden fasteners.

Attached Thumbnails

 

zukkoor

From my expierence with Trex it is a good decking overall. You can nail it it looks fine you just have to adjust to the right pressure on your gun. If you are screwing you want to predrill the holes even if you are using the specially made composite screws. I only use one screw in the middle of the board on each joist and two on the ends of the board as opposed to two at every joist. The trex does not warp as much as wood does so only one screw is required.

Trex does ware your blade out faster and you want to use a 60-80 tooth blade.

I typically charge 1 or 2 dollars a square more for labor plust the extra material cost because it is a little more difficult to work with.

wink

nice looking set of stairs mac, good work around that down spout, at least i think it is a down spout