Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Composite Decking

We have a deck that was made of Lowe's brand of composite about 8 or 10 years ago. Last year we decided to expand the deck but Lowes had dropped that color. I finally found some at Home Depot that was close but not an exact match. The deck was sort of L shaped. I removed some of the decking and rearranged it to get all the old stuff together and the new stuff together. The new stuff is slightly narrower so the spaces are larger but it came out ok. We did the expansion last spring so this is the 1st winter but so far it's looking good. Ask me again in 5 years.

Same with my Trex decking itself. I installed about 700 SF on my covered wrap around porch about 24 years ago. The Trex decking itself is as good as the day I installed it. Glad I used Trex.

Problem I am having now though is the joists underneath the decking is rotting after 24 years of lots of snow, rain, sun, and at 7,000 foot elevation. If I had thought about it back then, I would have installed pressure treated wood for the joists. I am going to have to take the deck apart to replace the joists probably within the next 2-3 years.

You didn't use pressure treated for joists and it lasted 24 years?? Dang! That's a pretty good stretch!

I did 850 sf of trex transcend during covid. Resurface of a multilevel. I would just get clips set and then when whole run in place, go back and tighten down.

Can't believe I hadn't done this years ago.

We have 2 large 16x20 decks, both with 20' long boards - no seams, straight runs (available at the time special order from home depot).

16" OC joists. Clips weren't an option for these boards 12 years ago, so counter-sunk screws.

Looks like the day I installed it. In Colorado - plenty of brutal sun and expand/contract.

I cannot IMAGINE the amount of sanding and staining I'd have done to 640 sq ft of real wood by now, in our climate.

Any way you can sister in some new joists without taking the deck apart?

Ya, I thought of that too. It might work. But my fear is the beams between the porch posts that these joists attach to are in sad shape too. I need to shimmy under my deck and see how it looks under there. Probably not going to like what I see.

It's like vinyl siding...sure it works but who wants a plastic house.

Who wants to have to refinish the deck every couple of years? I have better things to do.

You didn’t build a phugking deck. Do you you think we forgot your dumb question about how to attach wood siding to a house? Dumb azz

#Fancysteakhouses
#EliteClients
#YoureaFuggtardDuck

I don't know why we didn't do it long ago. Materials are outrageous but not having to refinish is worth a lot of money.

The complaint of direct sunlight making it hot is legitimate. If that's a deal breaker, look elsewhere. Out deck is in the shade by 2-2:30 pm most days, and when in the shade, no problem walking on it with bare feet.

Go with a lighter color. Brown is nice but hot. Light gray or some of the other light shades stay considerably cooler.
That applies to roofs, too. A light colored roof will be cooler and last longer as it reflects more sun.

Going on almost 20 years with Trex in the Florida sun. Never a problem, and no splinters of any type, ever!

Good luck with what you find under there.

And enjoy that snow while you're getting it!

Been over a decade since I did a composite deck. What I do remember is 12" O/C on the stringers would have been way better than 16".

In fairness, some composites are better than others... 16" O/C may be spec with newer composites.

12" OC is ridiculous.

Anything under 16" points to a severe fault in the 'plastic' being used. Enjoy your plastic.

Ours came with instructions for 16". It's been fine for 5 or 6 years so far. There some flimsier brands, though.

Back when the emerald ash borer was tearing up Ohio et al... I scored quarter sawn ash for less than composite or 5/4 PT.

Made a hell of a good deck with it.

Lowes sells Trex at $28 on a 16'. That comes out to about $3.60 a board foot. Catch a sawmill guy and you can match that maybe with locust probably... maybe.