I am new to this group, but have been in the aviation groups for years.
First let me apologize if this has been discussed before, but I am
needing some information fast.

We are in the north TX area and will be putting in a new deck. I have
had a couple of the wood and pressurized treated decks but they require
(too much) maintenance. The new synthetic decks are appealing, but I
know nothing about them and what to expect. I have been looking at the
manufacturer's websites, but they don't give me the real answer. Have
these materials been out long enough to know how they will really be in
15 or 20 years? Are they really maintenance free? What does have to be
done to them besides some periodic cleaning? When I talk to contractors
what should I ask and which material is better? One contractor we have
talked to does not like to install it because of the unknowns. He likes
real wood. And, if I go with wood, suggestions please.

Lots of questions...

Who has installed the synthetic decks and are you happy?

Thanks in advance.

Ross

I think the choices are wood, plastic, and composite [basically sawdust
and plastic resins]. I don't have a lot of experience with synthetics.

Wood is cheapest but requires much maintenance. It's also subject to
warping, splitting, splintering.

The other two will be more expensive up front but the maintenance is
much almost nil -- and they won't warp, split, or splinter. I think the
lifespan is longer than wood and there's really nothing needed besides
period cleaning.

One thing I've heard about the plastic is that it retains heat more
than wood or composite -- not good for bare feet.

I can't speak authoritatively on brands. When talking to contractors it
always seems best to start from square one, what are the options. A
good contractor will take the time to go through everything.

I don't know how much help this has been, but it's all I got.

"Hopkins" wrote in message
ups.com...
I think the choices are wood, plastic, and composite [basically sawdust
and plastic resins]. I don't have a lot of experience with synthetics.

Wood is cheapest but requires much maintenance. It's also subject to
warping, splitting, splintering.


SOME wood is cheaper, other woods are 50% more Depends on what you want. PT
pine, cypress, cedar, mahogany, ipe, etc.

This is sort of out in left field, but I can recall previous
discussions about the synthetics which said some tend to be "springy"
and that the "on-center" distance needs to be reduced. Having raised
the issue, I'm sure someone will have a more authoritative source than
my memory

On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 20:02:01 -0600, Ross and Paula Richardson
wrote:

The new synthetic decks are appealing, but I
know nothing about them and what to expect. I have been looking at the
manufacturer's websites, but they don't give me the real answer

Ross and Paula Richardson wrote:
I am new to this group, but have been in the aviation groups for years.
First let me apologize if this has been discussed before, but I am
needing some information fast.

We are in the north TX area and will be putting in a new deck. I have
had a couple of the wood and pressurized treated decks but they require
(too much) maintenance. The new synthetic decks are appealing, but I
know nothing about them and what to expect. I have been looking at the
manufacturer's websites, but they don't give me the real answer. Have
these materials been out long enough to know how they will really be in
15 or 20 years? Are they really maintenance free? What does have to be
done to them besides some periodic cleaning? When I talk to contractors
what should I ask and which material is better? One contractor we have
talked to does not like to install it because of the unknowns. He likes
real wood. And, if I go with wood, suggestions please.

Lots of questions...

Who has installed the synthetic decks and are you happy?

Thanks in advance.

Ross
I don't have any direct experience, but when I lived in
Florida they had a bad year at the beach and had to
replace all the dune crossings. They rebuilt with the
composition planks and they seemed to have very good
results. When I left 4 to 8 years later they were still
in very good condition. And that is a harsh
environment. Sun, sand, salt, and lots of foot traffic.
The old plank crossings didn't hold up any place close
to that good.

Bill Gill

"Ross and Paula Richardson" wrote in message
...
I am new to this group, but have been in the aviation groups for years.
First let me apologize if this has been discussed before, but I am
needing some information fast.

We are in the north TX area and will be putting in a new deck. I have
had a couple of the wood and pressurized treated decks but they require
(too much) maintenance. The new synthetic decks are appealing, but I
know nothing about them and what to expect. I have been looking at the
manufacturer's websites, but they don't give me the real answer. Have
these materials been out long enough to know how they will really be in
15 or 20 years? Are they really maintenance free? What does have to be
done to them besides some periodic cleaning? When I talk to contractors
what should I ask and which material is better? One contractor we have
talked to does not like to install it because of the unknowns. He likes
real wood. And, if I go with wood, suggestions please.

Lots of questions...

Who has installed the synthetic decks and are you happy?

Thanks in advance.

Ross

Ross Go with the synthetic. I insalled this 8 years ago. On west side, Much
hot sun. Can walk on it barefoot, smooth no splinters. I feed lots of birds.
If they poop on it, rain washes it clean. I did the rails and uprights with
same material. I did not want to do costly,messy, sealing on deck every
year. Deck is 12 feet above a cement patio and is 13 x 42 feet in size. This
would have been a difficult job to seal. I used Choice Deck but I think
there are nicer looking products out now. Google for all brands. Warren

This is what I'll be using on the deck at my home. Of course I'll have
to get a second job to pay for it, but it lasts a long damn time from
everyting I have read...............and it has a great appearance too.

http://advantagelumber.com/decking2.htm

Might just use some different fasteners than their "special" ones
though...............Haven;t decided just yet.




Remove "YOURPANTIES" to reply

MUADIB®

http://www.angelfire.com/retro/sster...IN%20PAGE.html

one small step for man,.....
One giant leap for attorneys.

"MUADIB®" wrote in message
...
This is what I'll be using on the deck at my home. Of course I'll have
to get a second job to pay for it, but it lasts a long damn time from
everyting I have read...............and it has a great appearance too.

http://advantagelumber.com/decking2.htm

Might just use some different fasteners than their "special" ones
though...............Haven;t decided just yet.


The fasteners are not cheap, but not to have screws showing is certainly
worth something extra. I've not priced it this year, but my local lumber
yard had it a bit cheaper last year. Prices of wood have gone up quite a
bit though.

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

"MUADIB®" wrote in message
.. .


This is what I'll be using on the deck at my home. Of course I'll have
to get a second job to pay for it, but it lasts a long damn time from
everyting I have read...............and it has a great appearance too.

http://advantagelumber.com/decking2.htm

Might just use some different fasteners than their "special" ones
though...............Haven;t decided just yet.




The fasteners are not cheap, but not to have screws showing is certainly
worth something extra. I've not priced it this year, but my local lumber
yard had it a bit cheaper last year. Prices of wood have gone up quite a
bit though.




Guys, I appreciate all the comments. The ipe intrigues me. I will have
to see how the contractors/landscapers cost one against the synthetic
products. My wife is wanting a low maintainence deck. I have had the
pressure treated deck and it did not last long at all. Boards warped,
shrunk, split, and really looked bad.

Ross

--
Regards,

Ross
________________________________________
972.952.3170 Phone 972.949.9249 Pager
972.952.2574 FAX

McKinney / Wing A2 North @ 48v72

On Tue, 29 Mar 2005 20:02:01 -0600, Ross and Paula Richardson
wrote:

I am new to this group, but have been in the aviation groups for years.
First let me apologize if this has been discussed before, but I am
needing some information fast.

We are in the north TX area and will be putting in a new deck. I have
had a couple of the wood and pressurized treated decks but they require
(too much) maintenance. The new synthetic decks are appealing, but I
know nothing about them and what to expect. I have been looking at the
manufacturer's websites, but they don't give me the real answer. Have
these materials been out long enough to know how they will really be in
15 or 20 years? Are they really maintenance free? What does have to be
done to them besides some periodic cleaning? When I talk to contractors
what should I ask and which material is better? One contractor we have
talked to does not like to install it because of the unknowns. He likes
real wood. And, if I go with wood, suggestions please.

Lots of questions...

Who has installed the synthetic decks and are you happy?


I've heard of people buying synthetic and loving it till it failed the
mayonnaise test. The story goes, the orginal manufactures tested the
product against years of UV, bugs, walking traffic, but never tested
it gainst bbq food. The mayonnaise fell on the deck, and the product
sucked it up, and stained.

Now this was told to me third hand, but now that I've heard it, I
would find out how synthetic stands up to food.

BTW, I like the idea of synthetic wood. Not the price.

later,

tom


Thanks in advance.

Ross

"The Real Tom" tom @ www.Love-Calculators.com wrote in message
...

I've heard of people buying synthetic and loving it till it failed the
mayonnaise test. The story goes, the orginal manufactures tested the
product against years of UV, bugs, walking traffic, but never tested
it gainst bbq food. The mayonnaise fell on the deck, and the product
sucked it up, and stained.

Now this was told to me third hand, but now that I've heard it, I
would find out how synthetic stands up to food.

That would happen with real wood also. If you look on the Trex web page,
they give some cleaning instructions and mention that some things may leave
a stain.

http://www.trex.com/Universal/produc...ndcleaning.asp

Like wood, it is also possible to paint the deck at any time.

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

"The Real Tom" tom @ www.Love-Calculators.com wrote in message
.. .



I've heard of people buying synthetic and loving it till it failed the
mayonnaise test. The story goes, the orginal manufactures tested the
product against years of UV, bugs, walking traffic, but never tested
it gainst bbq food. The mayonnaise fell on the deck, and the product
sucked it up, and stained.

Now this was told to me third hand, but now that I've heard it, I
would find out how synthetic stands up to food.



That would happen with real wood also. If you look on the Trex web page,
they give some cleaning instructions and mention that some things may leave
a stain.

http://www.trex.com/Universal/produc...ndcleaning.asp

Like wood, it is also possible to paint the deck at any time.




Interesting about the mold cleaning. I thought that these materials
didn't support mold. I guess it is the media on the deck that grows the
mold? I suspect that you would have all the same problems with natural wood.

Ross

--
Regards,

Ross
________________________________________
972.952.3170 Phone 972.949.9249 Pager
972.952.2574 FAX

McKinney / Wing A2 North @ 48v72

"Ross Richardson" Interesting about the mold cleaning. I thought that these
materials didn't support mold. I guess it is the media on the deck that
grows the mold? I suspect that you would have all the same problems with
natural wood.

Ross


I guess they won't contribute to it, but if the spores happen to land on the
deck along with whatever they need for life, it will grow on it.

I would view this mostly as a trade off of asthetics versus maintenance
and durability. Properly maintained natural wood will always look
better. The Trex type material doesn't look as good, but doesn't
require maintenance and will last a lot longer. It has been used here
at the NJ shore boardwalks in spots for a decade and has held up very
well in that tough environment. Cost is also a factor, but that can
vary widely too depending on what kind of wood you happen to like, and
of course how long you expect it to last.

previous discussion snipped

I saw this "wood" at the last Homebuilders Show in Las Vegas. They made
huge decks of it. They made some in sections.

My job is fork lift operator. I had to slide some of these together for
assembly. Upon close, I had to pull some apart for disassembly. BTW, they
threw away TONS of the stuff, but I was too low on the food chain to get any
of it.

Point is, a 3,500# capacity Toyota forklift had to strain to lift a couple
of the sections. The stuff is awesome, and looks great.

I would buy it in a heartbeat for a deck, even at its cost. You build it,
and it is there. You don't have to do much, except, I would imagine,
pressure wash it occasionally.

I would think, though, because of the weight, one would have to pay strict
attention to the supports in the ground so they wouldn't settle, and perhaps
build some type of ability to readjust it to allow for settling. That
wouldn't be too hard, just hydraulic jack it up, and reshim.

We are in the throes of remodeling, and may still use some of it for a
couple of projects.

Steve

Point is, a 3,500# capacity Toyota forklift had to strain to lift a couple
of the sections. The stuff is awesome, and looks great.

I would buy it in a heartbeat for a deck, even at its cost. You build it,
and it is there. You don't have to do much, except, I would imagine,
pressure wash it occasionally.



I have used the synthetic wood to build a "porch" for My Uncle.
He had a cheapy metal stairway to his door and wanted a landing of
sorts. He bought the stuff so I have no idea what cost was involved.

Building was pretty simple and cutting was as easy as with any wood
decking would have been. I drilled and countersunk everything on it so
it would stay together and not stick up and catch his shoes as he
walked on it. ( He's mostly blind) Anyway, In my estimation the
product is simply plastic with wood filler or something that mimics
sawdust anyway.....................Very sturdy stuff , fairly thin. I
don;t care for the look. As far as solid,.............it's pretty
decent. The porch was over engineered so there was no chance of it
being weak in any way at all.

Gotta watch it. A drill with too much power will drive right through
extremely easy. I did just that with my first shot. After that I tuned
my skills to match the product and was very careful not to do it again

All in all I give it a thumbs up, but would not choose it over wood
products of any kind. It just didn;t "feel" as good as
wood............for lack of any other real description.




Remove "YOURPANTIES" to reply

MUADIB®

http://www.angelfire.com/retro/sster...IN%20PAGE.html

one small step for man,.....
One giant leap for attorneys.

As I am reading some of the literature from the manufacturers, I believe
they say this stuff is only for the decking and not the supports and
substructure, is that correct? What do you use in this case?

From the feedback I get the feeling that the material is better that
wood for maintenance, but not for looks or "feel".

Again, thanks for your inputs.

Ross

As I am reading some of the literature from the manufacturers, I believe
they say this stuff is only for the decking and not the supports and
substructure, is that correct? What do you use in this case?

You're right, And I should have mentioned that only the decking part
was of the Synthetic material. I used treat 4x4's and 2x4's for the
frame. Like I said, it was over engineered big time. The porch was
only a little over 4' square top, and about 40" high. His house is a
trailer house, so it's pretty high up and he was having trouble with
opening the door into himself and his dogs as he tried to enter. hence
the need for the landing/porch.

I used "DECKMATE" brand coated screws and I think they were all 4"
screws. The whole thing took about 4 hours to build and install. I
installed the porch, then two sets of steps to either side, and a
railing so he wouldn;t just step off the outside edge without knowing
he was too close. He was Just ecstatic about having the sybthetic
lumber. I think he had in mind that it was safer than plain wood. It
had a pretty rough surface, kinda like it had sand in the mix on the
surface............like I said, he's pretty much blind, so this was
important to him.




Remove "YOURPANTIES" to reply

MUADIB®

http://www.angelfire.com/retro/sster...IN%20PAGE.html

one small step for man,.....
One giant leap for attorneys.

SOME wood is cheaper....

This is true. I was speaking from experience, where home owners want
miracles worked after 5+ years of neglect.

I should've been clearer -- the run-of-the-mill deck wood is cheap and
doesn't stand up to the elements over time.