Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Synthetic decking...

did the front porch with trex, small area. Did the small back deck with the Lowes stuff. The Trex was a better board, and cost more. I haven't had enough time to tell about the long term weathering, but they have gone through 2 winters OK. I looked at wood, redwood and all, and the cost was not that much less and the maintenance was a lot of work and cost

I said that partially in Jest, you are correct for a 2 story application it can be done very easily but it will be more $$ . I have seen this product and it looks really interesting silica decks

We have Trex (not sure what iteration) back decks and huge front porch and it's holding up like new. It's about 10 years old and I didn't install it which is why it's probably still holding up great. 😀 I do know that installing it properly is the single most important thing you can do for longevity. As you know we get a fair bit of rain living on an island in western Washington so I think we'd be a good test case for synthetic decking. I pressure wash it several times a year but otherwise it requires zero maintenance. The cedar railing has rotted in places and been replaced but the decking is in great shape.

Probably one of the best carpenters I have ever met who built my first home told me more houses get screwed up because the product is not applied or used incorrectly then any other factor.

We built a deck about 18" high to match the house door. We considered stone but then I figured out how much rock and sand we'd need to get the level up even that small amount. It got prohibitive in a hurry especially since we couldn't get a dump truck to it.

I know you want a synthetic product, but after putting in a trex deck a few years ago on the old house, and the new house being built with a cedar deck, I'll say wood all the way. The only advantage of a synthetic is you don't have to stain it.

Synthetics are extremely slippery when they get frost on them, require additional support because they are flexible as noodles and if you want to run the deck boards 45 degrees to the supports the support spacing is further reduced. I'd definitely go with the hidden fastening system as even with the proper deck screws I had issues with the ends of the trex decking cracking.

Even though I'll be staining our 800+ sq ft deck every few years, IMHO it's worth the added work to have a superior deck.

Well, an update here.
I installed the TREX Transcends line, I got into that product at about 30% savings from retail, and I simply did not want wood and the maintenance that accompanies it.

My initial opinion is that the product is very high quality, it's heavy, spans like iron over 24" OC with zero bounce, and it shows minimal contraction and expansion.
I started from scratch on this one; new joists and even beams in the front. 12" oc under the spa.
I did a solid job on this deck, I suspect it will last a long time although time will tell. Initial quality is one thing, long term completely another.

Custom ordered some 20 footers from Home Depot 10 years ago for a 16x20 deck so we could go full span. No idea the brand.

10 years later, looks like the day it went down. I haven't lifted a finger.

Hail, snow, ice, sub-zero temps, 100 degree temps, intense Colorado sun, plenty of dogs, 2 high school graduations, one after wedding party..........

Looks great!

We did some Azek brand 4 years ago and it still looks great and that's with no overhead protection on any part of it. It sure beats refinishing wood decks which I had done way too many times on previous decks.

2" or 5/4 decking?
Looks good.

Not sure what brand is on my deck, but it's about 8 years old now and holding up/looking good.

Not slippery or no more slippery when wet than wood. I pressure wash it once a year, maybe should do it twice. When it is dirty or getting dirty, it only looks it when wet.

I work for a different company that makes synthetic decking.

The new stuff is crap...

The old hollow stuff capped was 3X as strong as the solid, and way lighter. Even the old hollow uncapped is 2.5X as strong as the new solid...

It doesn't expand and contract as much either, so little in fact you can get away with solid mounting it on shorter runs.

.... 2"...the stuff is thick and it's heavy. I'd estimate a 20' plank at about 35lbs.
I piloted all holes due to the thickness of the PVC capping, the screws countersink and they really bite. I ordered the the exact board-colored screws and they are hard to see.
Only buggered (and replaced) four torx heads out of about 1500, they went in much easier with hot weather. The four I spun were going in cold boards. Everything is border-framed to hide ends except the small front 'pre-deck' and small platform for the grille.
The framed-look is a pita with the extra joist work, but the hidden ends is a great look, imho.
Fascia is hardy cement board. I've yet to find a synthetic fascia by any manufacturer I'd use.


I'm not sure what constitutes 'new'...without question Trex had a ton of problems when they entered the market, much like Honda automobiles.
With time they got it right. The Trancends line hit the market in 2010, and within that time-frame I really struggled to find bad reviews when the product was installed per Trex's recommendations.

Nice place and the deck looks great.

My thoughts, too. Nicely done.

Thanks, fellas.
Fixing to break out the pressure washer for a quick cleanup, mucho dust from a month of construction and new lava rock.