"dpb" wrote in message
...

There's nothing cheaper, certainly, and it's plenty hot and sunny here as
well (SW KS) and my experience w/ Trex, et al. is they don't handle the UV
well and they're particularly unsuited owing to the high heat capacity
(it's like walking on the hot pizza tomato paste kinda' feeling)...

I hear that. Trex sure seems like a good idea, but even in the cool PNW*,
it doesn't look good after a few years. Kind of like tomato paste with a
sprinkle of mildew.

* Tongue in cheek... After a cool, rotten spring, it's going to be nearly
100° here today.

I don't know what sort of life you got on the existing nor what they used,
but I'd stick w/ 6" or less width and probably just go w/ the standard 5/4
treated decking as it's likely as cheap as untreated based on local
pricing, anyway. In desert instead of merely dry country, maybe untreated
SYP will be cheaper, that you'll have to check on locally.

I don't know how long it lasted either. It was shot when we arrived, five
years ago. Generally, the quality of off-the-rack lumber in the desert SW
is firewood grade, vs. up here where evergreens grow like weeds. Even our
lumber quality has degraded, since most of the good stuff gets shipped to
Japan.

It's UV that's the killer; UV-blocking penetrating stains are probably
best treatment.

That makes sense.