Had a customer that wanted to try the new CD CX (latest version of Correct Deck with integrated hidden fastner system) This is the first composite decking we've installed (typical budget restraints keep us with treated or cedar) and I must say I'm very impressed with this CD product.
I ordered the fastner system with the screws already started in them so all we had to do was tap them into the factory made groove along side the deck board with a regualr hammer, once they were "locked" into that piece we then slid the next board upto the fastners and used rubber dead blow hammers to tap the next course into place and then screwd down the hidden fastner screw until it was just buried in the plastic spacer/retention block, then repated for each course there after. I LOVE the fact these hidden fastner block completely cover the face of the joists so you literally see no wood what so ever when looking down through the engineered 1/8" spaces between deck boards. The deck surface left behind is simply beuatiful without all the screw holes left behind with typical installation methods and all the boards were perfectly uniform so once we had our first course set in place each 20' board snapped in like clock work and is straight as a string each course there after.
This is very heavy lumber that straight cuts VERY easy with the 40T 12" blade I had in the chop saw and 24T blade in the skill saw, none of the edges frayed or burred. The only problem I had was when notching for posts with the jig saw I wished I had a courser jig saw blade as the coursest one I had on hand seemed to literally melt it's way through the boards and ball up the material....much like cutting plastic. The product IMO almost acted like a really hard plastic/wax product. The one thing we did have troubles with was useing the stainless trim screws, if trying to run them into non pre-drilled boards when the head of the trim screw would break the board surface it wouldpush up the deck board material forming a raised crater around where the screw head had sunk...almost looked like a volcano for a visual. I tried pre-drilling and while this helped cut down on screws snapping off it did not prevent the board from pushing up little volcano's around the screw
One really cool thing was when making the stairs this CX has a nice tight bullnose edge so notch out the section under the notch to the thickness of the riser so once everything was in place the top edge of the riser was covered with this nice tight factory bullnose edge, it really turned out nice for asthetics over standard stairs.
Would love to post pictures, but I ran 3 boards short, (actually 2 full pieces and a filler) so they dont come in until next Wed, once it's all done I will post a pic of it, nothing fancy design wise just your standard rectangle, but it was a great opportunity to use a new product and learn from it. The next time I use CD CX I will picture frame the perimeter of the top of the deck, this way I can notch out the edge of the decking to go over the rim joist just like our stairs for a very nice look and then fill in between with standard deck prcatices.
Time wise, naturally it took longer since this was new to us but compared to the run of the mill deck installations it is a little more tedious. I did not want to get on the installed decking when installing the fasnters since all the rain left us a big mud hole and I did'nt want to get the stuff full fo mud with my 10lb shoes so I jumped joists all day which slowed us down. But for overall appearence the little extra work with the hidden fastner system is WELL worth the effort since the results speak for themselves!!
I ordered the fastner system with the screws already started in them so all we had to do was tap them into the factory made groove along side the deck board with a regualr hammer, once they were "locked" into that piece we then slid the next board upto the fastners and used rubber dead blow hammers to tap the next course into place and then screwd down the hidden fastner screw until it was just buried in the plastic spacer/retention block, then repated for each course there after. I LOVE the fact these hidden fastner block completely cover the face of the joists so you literally see no wood what so ever when looking down through the engineered 1/8" spaces between deck boards. The deck surface left behind is simply beuatiful without all the screw holes left behind with typical installation methods and all the boards were perfectly uniform so once we had our first course set in place each 20' board snapped in like clock work and is straight as a string each course there after.
This is very heavy lumber that straight cuts VERY easy with the 40T 12" blade I had in the chop saw and 24T blade in the skill saw, none of the edges frayed or burred. The only problem I had was when notching for posts with the jig saw I wished I had a courser jig saw blade as the coursest one I had on hand seemed to literally melt it's way through the boards and ball up the material....much like cutting plastic. The product IMO almost acted like a really hard plastic/wax product. The one thing we did have troubles with was useing the stainless trim screws, if trying to run them into non pre-drilled boards when the head of the trim screw would break the board surface it wouldpush up the deck board material forming a raised crater around where the screw head had sunk...almost looked like a volcano for a visual. I tried pre-drilling and while this helped cut down on screws snapping off it did not prevent the board from pushing up little volcano's around the screw
One really cool thing was when making the stairs this CX has a nice tight bullnose edge so notch out the section under the notch to the thickness of the riser so once everything was in place the top edge of the riser was covered with this nice tight factory bullnose edge, it really turned out nice for asthetics over standard stairs.
Would love to post pictures, but I ran 3 boards short, (actually 2 full pieces and a filler) so they dont come in until next Wed, once it's all done I will post a pic of it, nothing fancy design wise just your standard rectangle, but it was a great opportunity to use a new product and learn from it. The next time I use CD CX I will picture frame the perimeter of the top of the deck, this way I can notch out the edge of the decking to go over the rim joist just like our stairs for a very nice look and then fill in between with standard deck prcatices.
Time wise, naturally it took longer since this was new to us but compared to the run of the mill deck installations it is a little more tedious. I did not want to get on the installed decking when installing the fasnters since all the rain left us a big mud hole and I did'nt want to get the stuff full fo mud with my 10lb shoes so I jumped joists all day which slowed us down. But for overall appearence the little extra work with the hidden fastner system is WELL worth the effort since the results speak for themselves!!