They whys & why nots of composit decking
cfmuehling
13 years ago
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deckman22
13 years agoRelated Discussions
composite deck / bleach mold cleaning recommendations negligent
Comments (10)Yo Ken, if your still around your up on this one. Far as Composites go I am with the Larry/whoever We are for the most part. Composites are really no longer using recycled material because there is just not enough of it so most of the raw stuff is virgin,the energy used to make composite is an enviro no no, when its time to remove the project composite is not real big on bio degrade its tricky to burn shreading it would be silly. Bottom line composites are not so enviro freindly. Info like that might suggest its not all that good to clean it either, with anything. I dont agree>> composites will out last Ipe, left to go silver/gray Ipe is as close to no maintance as a person can get. With the softer composites like Choice/MoistureShield even trex= tjunk I have found a coat or two of TWP 116 seals up the decking,locks in the color and keeps mold,mildew,stains from causing major problems. Of course not needing to do this is the reason the Wallet goes for composite in the first place. I my own self dont like composites at all for the reasons stated in several posts here and on other sites. Welcome aboard Larry!!! Sorry I dident understand your intent at the begining . John...See MoreUltraDeck (Menards) composite decking?
Comments (148)Just use normal wood decking —————————————————— (Wood cedar / treated) Pros Easier to repair -Can refinish to a different color at a later date -Has options for hidden fastener (camo is the name I think) -Stain or paint yourself/ contractor so no issues with finish -Cheaper than “composite” decking even if you decide to do cedar -Has a warranty Cons -Can rot, split, warp -Maintenance restaining or sealing —————————————————— (Composite decking “Ultradeck”) Pros -according to menards should not split crack or warp (seems like it does do this a lot though) -pre finished -Has a warranty Cons -Expensive -Often has issues with finish -Hard/ impossible to touch up if decking gets scratched or scraped -Often cracks splits warps (sometimes issue gets resolved) -Will fade (Color will fade in first month) which makes a replacement board look a different color down the road -Wood based composite up to 50% real wood —————————————————— Feel free to add any other pros or cons you think missed...See MoreWHY do I have to seal my cedar deck?
Comments (21)Reed is right. I would come in at about $900 dollars to do your deck (if it has rails on three sides and three or less steps). If you do it yourself and you mess up the prep (likely for a newbie) You will be right back out there in the spring spraying and scrubbbing and overapplying sealer on top of mold only to have it fail by summer's end again. If properly maintained your deck could last 20 years+. I've seen people save nickels using bleach cleaners and using subpar sealers. Stripper is going to cost you $100.. Pre mixed acidic brightener will be another $25..Five gallons of quality sealer will set you back $225. Renting a pressure washer (which you need to strip albeit using a nozzzle to take your pressure way down) will cost you another $125 for two days. Newbie on a deck that size prepare for two 8 hour days in the sun stripping and brightening. Another 2 or three days sealing it. So now you have $475, at least four full days and you still have no guarantee of results. Ooops did you forget to mask properly? You have three dead plants, brown grass and sealer bonded to your nice siding. Hopefully looking at this will change your mentality. You can't afford NOT to hire a professional....See MoreUnder Deck - Why not aluminum/steel
Comments (1)You are worried about saving money and want to use steel or aluminum joist?? Built a deck using 10" x 2.60" x 12' .240 6061-T6 Aluminum channel for joist. A 12 'x 24' deck cost the guy over $8000 just for the aluminum joist alone and they were placed on 16" centers. Then I had to use self tapping screws to screw the composite deck boards down for even with pre-drilling the Composite Deck Screws would just break off or strip before they even begin to get tight....See Moredeckman22
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