Composite Decking - Need Update for 2014 Material

9 years ago

I am confused about what is currently the best composite decking material and which brands to stay away from. Has Trex fixed its problems? Please advise.

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PRO

Thomas Decks, LLC

8 years ago

We are deck builders here in Cincinnati, and we get rain, snow, ice, and humidity. What I'm about to say is NOT the norm for all deck builders in all areas. Just speaking from our experience. My husband started this company in 2005, built decks with someone else before that....His top 3 choices for decking is either a hardwood (Ipe, Tigerwood, or Cumaru), Azek or Timbertech XLM. The hardwoods have rot, decay, mold, and bug resistance. You can either let them age, or you can oil them each year, depending upon your preference. They have a life span of 30 or more years, and no fad color to figure out what to do with, when the trend color is no longer a trend. Azek because when you slice it, it is solid PVC. Nothing will penetrate it, and there are no would fibers or flour on the inside to break down, and make the boards weak. Will stay strong and sturdy. Also, if you notice the next time your at a theme or water park, look at the platform you're standing on...most of them are PVC. That way they won't ruin through the ice, snow, and thousands of folks walking all over it. As you can see from our profile here on houzz or our website, we sell alot of Azek, brazilian hardwoods, and Timbertech. We've had so much trouble out of Trex here, that when a customer insists upon Trex, my husband will put a clause in our warranty because within a year's time on the last 2 Trex Transcend decks, we've installed (which is top of the line for Trex) they are now completely faded out to a different color than we installed. One has mold issues so bad on the top, that they've painted it already, and it's only 2 years old. We tried to get the warranty and claims center for Trex to help each customer under their fade and stain warranty, but it never happened. The customers are stuck until they can afford something else. Again, this is our experience with these few products.

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Comments (7)

cboylewatt
9 years ago
I saw that no one has responded to this question, and I am wondering if there is an update for 2015 materials? I hear that Menards has changed their product-what would be the best mid-level composite decking, most likely from a big box store? I am planning a large deck in the midwest, which will be partial shade and partial sun. Any info would be greatly appreciated
Kathy
9 years ago
I too would like to hear the answer to this question.
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lmahoney104
8 years ago
I too would like to hear best answer for 2015 composite decking.
sprtphntc7a
8 years ago
i don't know if its the best, but we installed Timber Tech about 3 years ago and we love it.... easy to clean, which we do in late spring and its good to go. what we love about it is NO maintenance.... no staining, waterproofing etc... no fading....would do again in a heartbeat..
we DIY'd it, so saved $$ there...we did not buy from big box store, so it was more pricey. but worth it to us knowing we wont have to replace down the road....planning on staying here another 5 years or so, so we will get our $$ out of it....and it will be a great selling point when the time comes.
PRO
Fiberon Decking
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Hey there - I'm wondering if we can help. We have composite decking experts that may be able to answer some of your questions: talk-to-a-fiberon-expert or call us at 1-800-573-8841. We may not be able to address specific questions about the competition, but we can provide advice on what to look for in a product (ie: product warranties, ordering a sample before buying, capped vs. uncapped, and so on)
Products - Horizon Ipe Composite Decking · More Info

Fiberon Horizon 'Rosewood' composite decking · More Info

Fiberon Horizon 'Castle Gray' composite decking · More Info
Lily Spider
8 years ago
The key to composite decking is to find one that is ALL composite with no natural materials mixed in. That's why the mold and mildew happen. We installed Timber Tek 8 years ago and the product itself has held up, but it grows a black mold on it that is near impossible to get off. Power washing doesn't work. You have to use a special cleaner and in a year or so it grows back. The decking also gets soooo hot in the summer. Our deck gets morning shade and dew which could be why we have mold and some don't and we get blistering heat in the afternoons on the deck.