home deck issue

[CincyDavid]

My deck at home is 18 years old...understructure appears to be sound but the railings and wood deck floor need help. I bought myself some time by using Rustoleum Deck Restore a couple of years agao, but it's time to do some major repair. I have been looking at composites (Trex and the like) but the framing is on 18 inch centers, and I'm not convinced that composites would work without adding more joists. I priced out Ipe wood too, and it's about a wash with Trex.

The deck isn't huge, it's 12 x 15, 48 inches off the ground, I'll need to build new stair risers too.

I am also puzzling over what sort of railings to add...

Any thoughts?

 

[MarcS]

Do Trex. I don't know anyone with a trex deck that wishes they had used wood instead. Can't say that for people with wood decks

 

[SatinSilver]

You can do vinyl/composite railings for low maintenance. Go with Trex or another major brand instead of a cheaper off brand that may have issues down the road. My neighbor used an off brand composite and they're not happy with it since it doesn't look good. Spots and dirt that won't come off plus it's warped.

 

[CincyDavid]

I'm not opposed to sealing wood annually (I do that with my dog ear cedar fence). I'm told that composites get hot, not good for bare feet and are really sensitive to being properly supported. For instance, per Trex, I'd need 5 risers for a 36 inch span stair. That seems like an awful lot of structure.

 

[RhondaHonda]

I had an Azek composite deck on 12" centers at my old house. 20'x16'. The railings were a vinyl with aluminum spindles. I loved it but it did get hot as we were south facing and it was a darker brown material. If you do composite and have pets or small kids, I'd lean towards a lighter color that doesn't get as hot. Those 18" centers will be bouncy with composite so you may have to add some more joists.

 

[AirgunSavant]

Good Luck- I was where you are last year.
Next house I build will have no decks whatsoever. I'm no longer a deck fan.

 

[CincyDavid]

If I have to add joists I'll be down to 9 inch centers. I'm looking at different "exotic" wood breeds that cost less than Ipe. This deck gets a ton of sun, and faces the south. The beige Deck restore finish is already too hot to walk on barefoot in hot weather.

 

[Oro_O]

Originally Posted By: MarcS
Do Trex. I don't know anyone with a trex deck that wishes they had used wood instead. Can't say that for people with wood decks


Hello, nice to meet. I hate Trex and regret every day using it.

In our climate - and maybe it's unique to wet/humid areas, but the Trex is a real mold-growth petri dish and dirt magnet. I have to pressure wash it early each summer to make it anything less than embarassing. Plus, once clean, it then gives off that unique, "cheap and synthetic" feel we all love to enjoy when lounging outside.

Wood (Railings, etc), I can touch up with new stain every few years, and it looks great all the time. The total maintenance time for the decking floor itself is no different given the more frequent washing the deck takes, and how easy it is to touch-up stain on the floor itself. Oh, and you need to have a good gas-poweed pressure washer, too. If it's a relatively small area and run-off is not an issue a bleach solution can be used to keep the small porch/step areas clean. But it's impractical on larger decks.

Trex has certain virtues, but select carefully based on your values and climate.

 

[sleddriver]

Photos?

 

[spasm3]

My dad has trex deck near his pool. It gets hot, really hot. It would be great in the shade. But in the sun, i don't want trex.

 

[bugeye]

Listen to Oro. We have the same issues with Trex. Company does not stand behind product. It swells and moves. Flexes at 16" on center. Recommendation at the time was 17" maximum. HOT and easily scratches and stains. I regret the choice to use Trex.

 

[ecotourist]

We used cedar deck boards at our house in Edmonton. Never put any stain or paint on them. Had to replace a few boards (1/4 or possibly 1/3) after 16 years. I reused the good parts of boards with localized rot. After the repairs I brightened it and it looked almost new.

I'd use cedar deck boards again. They were applied on the diagonal and held down with deck screws. Using screws made them easy to remove and replace

With the Edmonton climate, there was snow on the deck for 4 - 5 months/year.

 

[Donald]

Pressure treated wood is half the cost of Trex. If I was going to spend more I would consider IPE.

I am told Trex requires 12" on center. It has no strength by itself. I think it fades over time and gets hot to walk on with bare feet.

I just replaced all the decking of my deck with pressure treated wood. For the railings I used pressure treated 2x4 and aluminum spindles. Looks fancier than wood spindle.

 

[tomcat27]

I built my dock out of Trex 15 years ago. still holding up. it does get hot and it sure is heavy. other than that I don't have problems with it - but a dock is nothing like the use case of a deck.

 

[IndyIan]

I like unstained western red cedar, in 2 by 4,6,8 for outdoor decks, docks, picnic tables, etc. Simple, no maintenance and I like the silver it goes too.