Hi,

Are there any new materials used to build fences and decks? I want to
replace the entire 300 foot fence and probably the floor of the deck.
They are the usual treated wood with specialized posts and foundation.

I've seen an ad for some type of new non-wood deck surface material and
it looked good. Anybody know if this material is good or bad? I do not
have the magazine ad about this material, but it look impresive.

You can see below what happened when the original deck and fence were
built. The deck at the time was built very well and passed inspection
by the county. The inspector even said the work was excellent, as well
as, conforming with the relevent building codes. Too bad they do not
have codes for fences.

The fence is now going bad fast and the deck flooring needs repair or
replacement. I cannot do either as a do-it-yourself project. My skill
level is poor and I prefer to have repairs and replacemet done by
experts.

Below is the story of the building of the deck and fence. It is not
necessary to read the rest to answer my questions.

Way back when, I had a small company put up my deck and I asked if
they would do a 300 foot privacy fence. Well, they did and their price
was the lowest bid so I had them build it for me. After about two weeks
large sections blew down and I struggled to get them to repair this
major problem.

To make a long story short, I had to make a formal complaint to the
consumer affairs department of the county, hire a lawyer, go to court,
bring in expert witnesses, and have a trial before a judge. The best
evidence I had were numerous black and white pictures showing the
downed fence, nails not nailed all the way in, posts leaning in post
holes, gates unable to open or close. Also, expert witnesses who did
not charge for their services helped very much.

Mostly, I tell you this to warn others of possible consequences of
hiring the wrong people. This one was the wrong one, who even gave me a
contract and warrenty, but was absent when common sense, honesty and
ethics were handed out.

My lawyer wanted the cost of the fence and cost of the deck since they
were on the same contract. The judge awarded only the cost of the
fence and cost of repairs already paid. I was able to salvage most of
the fence by getting some repairs done and living with others undone.
Further small repairs were done over the years. Now more repairs are
needed and I want to have a new one. I've tried to grow trees and
shrubs for privacy with mixed results. Poor drainage is a problem.