Any person that installs a deck with nails, regardless of material, should be shot.

Help! My deck is made of Trex!!!

I stopped nailing decks of any kind about 10 years ago.

Mark

:) Funny Aidan!

That's what you get when you use Trex & their "approved" installer. Sorry

Al

IMHO anyone who nails a deck is an idiot but what do I know.

It is you house, your money tell him to stop. He'll want to charge more and rightfully so because it takes longer to screw and screws cost more. Negotiate a price that is fair to both of you.

Are the nails corrosion resistant?

I only nail down pressure treated decking, and use stainless steel ring shank nails. When the budget is so low that pressure treated is the only material option, you have to cut corners on labor (or don't take the job). Maybe your Trex installer is dense or something, after all, he is recommended by the company with the worst customer service record in the deck industry.

Why is there so many anti Trex in this forum? I called Trex customer service and had no trouble getting a response. As long as 3" ring shank, coated, barbed nails are used, I'm fine. The Trex district manager personally sent me a letter that my warranty will be honored with a deck installed with nails. I had my installer switch to Trex screws anyway. I have no regrets using the Trex product. Sure beats cedar.

I think at least half of the problem with the plastic lumber materials is that real woodworkers and carpenters don't like to work with them. There are many reasons for this- but the main one is that it is not Wood. And what do carpenters and woodworkers have a passion for? Wood.

So if carpenters don't like Trex and woodworkers don't like Trex, who is building with Trex? People who are not carpenters and who are not passionate about woodworking. Those people are not going to build very good decks, because you need a good carpenter to build your deck. And you won't find a good carpenter who is going to get excited about working with Trex. A talented carpenter does amazing work if he is enthusiastic, but he will only produce mediocre work if he is uninspired and the job is mundane. The best carpenters are bored by working with Trex. A person who installs Trex for a living is not a carpenter and their quality of work will reflect it.

It is like cooking a nice barbecue and then throwing on imitation meat rather than the real thing. No professional barbecue pit master would even consider using tofu-turkey. As a carpenter, I feel the same way about Trex.

I feel that way too Aidin but I do the same job with composite as wood whither I like it or not.

Now trex is a different thing it only takes a small search on this site or a google to find the thousands of very unhappy t-junk customers starting in the very begining up to the present.
Kathy t-junk has always been good with adversting all smile and wave its down the road when the mateial starts its long term problems the little love notes stop and stonewalling begins. J.

Looks like I walked into the wrong room. I'll be leaving now.

Decks should last 15 years or so, 8 months is very short term. Come back in 5 years, and if you haven't had any problems by then, that's a more interesting data point.

On the other hand, I hope that you don't ever have any of the problems that Trex is famous for.

-Roger

Kathy,,, it is my intermost hope you have great sucess with your drex deck. I am completly sure you are not a sales rep.

I am not in the number completly defined as a drex hater but very close,for so maney reasons I cant go into it here.

All good to Ya. John Mon

I would screw it for sure...string line the rows..even measure the screw layout. For as long as you will see it it's worth a bit more time. Fire your installer. A nailgun? Terrible. Really the hidden clips are the way to go.

7 yr old post Paul, why?

I would love to hear an update from @Kathymichigan as we are researching products. Ten years have passed, how do you feel about your deck now?

https://documents.trex.com/is/content/Trex/full-trex-installation-guide-2019pdf.pdf

@Eliza Graves. I’m answering you as you revived this old thread. My husband built our Trex deck 19 years ago. We just sold our home and the deck was a big selling point. Power washed it every year and it held up through two hurricanes and snowy winters.

It’s Now February of 2020, I install Trex frequently., but I’d love to know what’s going on with those nailed boards now?

Would love if kathymichigan could post that letter she received from the trex district manager about using nails. Nails were used on just the railings on my deck and they are telling me that it voids the warranty to replace that section