Because the tiles are only 1' x 1' or 1' x 2' and are essentially a floating floor, they wont feel quite as solid to walk on as a thick lumber purpose built deck. But they are not intended as a replacement for a traditional deck. They are really designed to provide a quick and easy method of covering an existing hard surface. And if that surface is uneven (bumpy) then the tiles could 'rock' slightly on the surface so again they wouldn't have the completely solid feel like purpose built wood deck. Wood deck tiles and composite wood deck tiles like those from handydeck.com have a bit of flexibility in one direction at least due to the plastic base, so can compensate for a little uneveness in the surface .

I used fiberglass re-inforced plastic 1" grids designed for catwalks. The grids were 3x10' and my finished deck was 15x20'. I installed the grids over standard treated joists. I used 3 1/2" deck screws drilled at an angle through the frp grid members to tie them down spaced about 18" along each of the joists. I used very flexible external thinset l (more flexible than the Home Depot version) to lay some very rough external tiles that I got at Lowe's ( Kili ). They have been installed in an area that gets a hard freeze for two winters and have not had any tiles come up from freeze-thaw. I didn't use epoxy (as recommended by the manufacturer) because of the greater difficulty to lay and break-out to re-lay/repair the tile. Another option is to use polyurethane glue. If I get break-out I plan to repair with polyurethane. The material cost turned out about the same as Trex.

We have a space in our deck where there used to be a hot tub that we would like to convert into a sunken gas fire pit, very similar to the one pictured here. I'm looking for advice on material and process for building the "benches" (aka the edges / rim surround). Currently the square "pit" is surrounded by existing wood deck (essentially as pictured). My notion is to build the seating and bench backs "on top of" the deck platform. We like the idea of a wood look rather than concrete or stone, but we want to avoid fire hazards, rot, and mildew around the seating area. So I'm investigating faux-wood composite planks, or even tile. But should we not install that "on top of" existing wood deck? What material and/or underlayment would help us build in long-lasting seats while avoiding rot and mildew? The rest of the deck is quite large, so rebuilding the whole thing out of composite is something we're hoping to avoid.

While the wood looks beautiful, it can too get slippery when it's wet. It will need some maintenance, i.e., sanding, staining. Drainage is important underneath. Despite "sleepers" of pressure treated material to fasten the decking, they will rot out from sitting in water. Also, allowing mold to form. Also, the overall decking will be raised and create, perhaps, an undesirable transition at the pool's edge. The step riser at the bottom step will be shorter too and may feel a bit awkward stepping up. Forget about tile. Accident waiting to happen when wet. Even non-skid finishes. I'm not crazy about composite materials. I understand it warps and cups over time. Look cheap in my opinion anyway. Kelly Technical Coatings make a line of deck paint called Patio Tones. It's a water based paint that produces non-skid finish and is available in many colors. It's easy to apply and the pricing is reasonable. It makes a big difference on old concrete patios.