Hi,

Have an outside (uncovered) Deck.
Live in New England.

Will be having a contractor come in and replace the Deck flooring which
after 30 years isn't too good. It seems to be now wooden planks about
5-3/4 wide x 1 inch thick.

Would like to learn about deck flooring a bit before having them come over.

Looked in Google, and apparently these days there are many, many, types
of materials available for outside Deck flooring.
Everything from the simple pressure treated wood, to composites, etc.

Awfully confusing.

I am wondering if anyone might offer the pros and cons of the
"popular" types as regarding cost, life, wear, do they have to be
stained & maintained, warr., etc. ?

Again, we live in New England, so snow and ice laying on it in winter
(even shoveling doesn't get it all off), temp. extremes, etc.

Any good questions to ask the Contractors when they come over for
estimates ?

BTW: are they all fastened with screws rather than nails these days ?
Stainless Steel ones ?

Much thanks, really appreciate the help,
Bob

On Jul 10, 8:01*am, Bob wrote:
Hi,

Have an outside (uncovered) Deck.
Live in New England.

Will be having a contractor come in and replace the Deck flooring which
after 30 years isn't too good. *It seems to be now wooden planks about
5-3/4 wide x 1 inch thick.

Would like to learn about deck flooring a bit before having them come over.

On 2012-07-10, Bob wrote:

Any good questions to ask the Contractors when they come over for
estimates ?

Cost vs wearability. Cheaper to go treated or untreated w/
sealants/paints, etc. How long lasts. Are you gonna be around THAT long?


BTW: are they all fastened with screws rather than nails these days ?
Stainless Steel ones ?

Not likely stainless, unless you have really deep pockets.

You might consider exotic woods, like tiger wood:

http://www.advantagelumber.com/tigerwood_decking.htm

This might be a viable option, as composites/synthetics require a
whole different sub-structure with lotsa reinforcement techniques not
necessary in traditional wood decks. Not likely you'll be able to put
composite floor decking on old wood support structure, even if it's in
great shape, like mine is.

I'm no expert, but see a lotta decks go up around me, each year. Plus
I'm also looking at a complete deck refurb/uprade. I watch and pay
attention and have some carpentry experience from long ago. Also, am
in high CO Rockies with lotta snow and see different approaches to
protecting/preserving decks. Fer instance, one guy completely
Varathaned his deck. Didn't last 2 seasons. Bottom line, I will
still be consulting more than one pro for advice/estimates.

nb


--
vi --the heart of evil!

Hi Bob,

I live in (Old) England, and the weather here can be pretty rough and our decking needs staining probably once a year. It's due to be done soon :-(

The decking over here seems to be of one type these days, with imprinted treads.

They seem to be screwed in as standard.

I would say , ask several contractors for competitive quotes, then you know which price looks reasonable. Look the up on the net and see if there are any customer reviews. Use the quotes to get the best price out of your favoured contractor "I've had a price of so much of this person" etc.

Anyway, make sure you keep it treated, this seems to be the main product used over here, so something like this should do the job.

Ronseal High Traffic Decking Stain Dark Oak 2.5L

Hope this helps.

"hr(bob) " wrote in message
...
On Jul 10, 8:01 am, Bob wrote:
Hi,

Have an outside (uncovered) Deck.
Live in New England.

Will be having a contractor come in and replace the Deck flooring which
after 30 years isn't too good. It seems to be now wooden planks about
5-3/4 wide x 1 inch thick.

Would like to learn about deck flooring a bit before having them come
over.

Looked in Google, and apparently these days there are many, many, types
of materials available for outside Deck flooring.
Everything from the simple pressure treated wood, to composites, etc.

Awfully confusing.

I am wondering if anyone might offer the pros and cons of the
"popular" types as regarding cost, life, wear, do they have to be
stained & maintained, warr., etc. ?

Again, we live in New England, so snow and ice laying on it in winter
(even shoveling doesn't get it all off), temp. extremes, etc.

Any good questions to ask the Contractors when they come over for
estimates ?

BTW: are they all fastened with screws rather than nails these days ?
Stainless Steel ones ?

Much thanks, really appreciate the help,
Bob

Just recover the deck with the new plastic recycled boards, they are
readily available and I'm very happpy with my TREX decking

I'll go along with this. I also used Trex (ten years ago) and there really
doesn't seem to be any change over time. I used SS robertson screws FWIW.

Keith

On 10 Jul 2012 16:23:55 GMT, notbob wrote:

On 2012-07-10, Bob wrote:

Any good questions to ask the Contractors when they come over for
estimates ?

Cost vs wearability. Cheaper to go treated or untreated w/
sealants/paints, etc. How long lasts. Are you gonna be around THAT long?


BTW: are they all fastened with screws rather than nails these days ?
Stainless Steel ones ?

Not likely stainless, unless you have really deep pockets.

You might consider exotic woods, like tiger wood:

http://www.advantagelumber.com/tigerwood_decking.htm

This might be a viable option, as composites/synthetics require a
whole different sub-structure with lotsa reinforcement techniques not
necessary in traditional wood decks. Not likely you'll be able to put
composite floor decking on old wood support structure, even if it's in
great shape, like mine is.

The tigerwood is exactly what I'm in the middle of doing. I'm using
ipe clips and they come with SS screws.

There are a few exotic woods that will last from 25 to 50 years with
no treatment. I'm putting on Penofin oil to enhance the color and
give added protection.

My joists are on 24" centers and this works well. Some composites
require 16" centers for support and to avoid over flexing.

The better composites do look good, but they also need some
maintenance. I just prefer the look of real wood and was willing to
pay a bit more to get it.

On Jul 10, 4:08*pm, Giss wrote:
Hi Bob,

I live in (Old) England, and the weather here can be pretty rough and
our decking needs staining probably once a year. It's due to be done
soon :-(

The decking over here seems to be of one type these days, with imprinted
treads.

They seem to be screwed in as standard.

I don't think there is a "standard". A contractor doing
a good job would use screws, not nails. But if someone
goes with a low bidder, doesn't check them out, etc,
unless the contract specifies, they could wind up with
nails. So, I'd make sure it's specified in the contract.

I've seen a lot of Trex and similar composites around
here, at the NJ shore, ncluding some of the boardwalks.
They certainly hold up well and could be a good choice.
I'd certainly go with them over regular pressure treated
wood. On the other hand, there are real woods, ie
that look a lot nicer than the composites. In the end,
it comes down to what you like, priorities and how much
you're willing to pay.

On 10 Jul 2012 16:23:55 GMT, notbob wrote:

On 2012-07-10, Bob wrote:

Any good questions to ask the Contractors when they come over for
estimates ?

Cost vs wearability. Cheaper to go treated or untreated w/
sealants/paints, etc. How long lasts. Are you gonna be around THAT long?


BTW: are they all fastened with screws rather than nails these days ?
Stainless Steel ones ?

Not likely stainless, unless you have really deep pockets.

If you're spending that much money on a deck, stainless fasteners aren't a big
deal.
...

On 2012-07-10, zzzzzzzzzz wrote:

If you're spending that much money on a deck, stainless fasteners aren't a big
deal.

How much is he spending? From what I've read, even he doesn't know.

OTOH, you may be right. It appears buying in bulk is a lot cheaper
than a few at True-Value.

nb


--
vi --the heart of evil!

On 11 Jul 2012 00:11:07 GMT, notbob wrote:

On 2012-07-10, zzzzzzzzzz wrote:

If you're spending that much money on a deck, stainless fasteners aren't a big
deal.

How much is he spending? From what I've read, even he doesn't know.

OTOH, you may be right. It appears buying in bulk is a lot cheaper
than a few at True-Value.

Try buying sheetrock screws or nails in individual packs. ;-)

On Tue, 10 Jul 2012 10:01:21 -0400, Bob wrote:

Hi,

Have an outside (uncovered) Deck.
Live in New England.

Will be having a contractor come in and replace the Deck flooring which
after 30 years isn't too good. It seems to be now wooden planks about
5-3/4 wide x 1 inch thick.

Would like to learn about deck flooring a bit before having them come over.

Looked in Google, and apparently these days there are many, many, types
of materials available for outside Deck flooring.
Everything from the simple pressure treated wood, to composites, etc.

Awfully confusing.

I am wondering if anyone might offer the pros and cons of the
"popular" types as regarding cost, life, wear, do they have to be
stained & maintained, warr., etc. ?

Again, we live in New England, so snow and ice laying on it in winter
(even shoveling doesn't get it all off), temp. extremes, etc.

Any good questions to ask the Contractors when they come over for
estimates ?

BTW: are they all fastened with screws rather than nails these days ?
Stainless Steel ones ?

Much thanks, really appreciate the help,
Bob

My $.02 worth:

My original deck was constructed of non-pressure treated framing
lumber and even with annual recoating it rotted out in 25 years. To
replace it I used White Cedar with concealed fasteners so there are no
nails/screws showing nor will they pop up. The one complaint I have
is after several years now is that the first year it looked like fine
furniture with Penofin on it. After that it peels and doesn't hold
stain hardly at all. In fact this year I washed, bleached, rinsed and
allowed drying for several 80-90F days and then applied Cabot New
Cedar decking stain. Two days later it rained and my deck looks as
bad as it did prior to any work.

If I had to do it again I would seriously investigate man-made
materials such as Trex, etc. BTW - I'm located in East Central CT.

Good luck and post what you end up with?