View Full Version : TREX or Other Composite Deck
My redwood deck sustained a lot of hits from the last hailstorm.
As a result my insurance company sent me a check that may pay for a partial re-decking.
Any thoughts on replacing the redwood with composite?
I realize that I will have to throw in a good chunk of change to replace all of the decking due to the price difference between the two.
Additionally, it seems like redwood is falling out of favor due to the lack of a higher quality product.
The deck is approximately 22 years old and is in great shape disregardful the hail impacts. And yes, I have thought about removal/planing and re-installation or flipping the boards over.
Any deck that is 22 years old and can still be considered in great shape was made with high quality products for sure.
SideShow Bob
11-15-2018, 21:22
I just had my composite deck replaced under warranty. Didn?t cost me a penny on the labor either.
The deck was approximately 12 years old. Most of the boards became delaminated (?). They looked like concrete when it gets spalled.
This is Trex product. As far as standing by their product, I would recommend it.
You can PM me if you want to come by to see what it looks like compared to a wood deck.
We used a product called Trex Transcend on the back deck. It's basically Trex with a layer of polyurethane on the outside, which stops the fading and weathering pretty much dead. It's 12 years old and still looks new, with eastern and southern exposure.
ETA: https://www.trex.com/products/decking/transcend-decking-and-railing/
Great-Kazoo
11-16-2018, 00:16
Go with the trex, you'll spend more up front, way less on upkeep. Plus it's much nicer to walk on with bare foot ;) than any wood.
I have a small porch/deck that is at least 30 years old. Except for some slight fading that happened the first 3 or 4 years it is the same as when I built it. It has a totally unshaded eastern exposure. The only problem I have with it is that it can get slippery when there is snow on it.
One thing I had to plan in when I built mine is that the deck planks aren't as stiff a comparable redwood. They recommended a closer spacing on the joists supporting the decking. I did that on mine and have had no sagging. That was thirty years ago so I don't know if the current decking is any stiffer. This would be something to check on if all you're replacing is the decking.
BladesNBarrels
11-16-2018, 11:11
Redid a poorly built early trex deck with a newer trex product about 4 years ago.
I have been pleased.
I paid a little extra to use the hidden fastener system and the snow shovels smoothly off the deck.
The joists were spaced tighter together, since all the framing has to be wood - we used cedar with a redwood stain.
Our huge redwood deck in Elizabeth required re-staining every two years. We'd start at 5:00 am and work until about 8:00 am to avoid the heat of the sun.
It would take about a week. I don't miss that one bit.
9 year old Trex on our house. Much prefer it.
I will have to rebuild some of the trim and post wraps that the builder screwed up this coming summer. They also used a cheap stringer for the stairs, I have a metal replacement I bought that will also be a summer repair project.
Thanks for all of the replies!
I initially built my own deck and used quality redwood with sanding and re-staining every two years. With the exception of a few boards it still looks VG.
TREX Transcend seems to be the favored one.
I was smart enough to use 16" OC framing on the initial build so going to composite shouldn't be an issue excepting for laying out a diagonal pattern.
"I was smart enough to use 16" OC framing on the initial build so going to composite shouldn't be an issue excepting for laying out a diagonal pattern."
You might want to check on that. I built mine with 14 inch spacing which I'm sure is what Trex recommended at that time. Also a diagonal pattern would require closer spacing, the angle means that the deck planks are spanning a longer distance.
I don't mean to be negative but it wouldn't be nice to have any sagging.
I wish you well.
We replaced redwood with Trex Transcend over 5 years ago. Not the slightest hint of sagging on 16" spacing. Our decks aren't on a diagonal though but I doubt that will be a problem. If it's an attached deck, you may want to beef up the connection to the house as well as the supports. This stuff is probably 5 times heavier than wood. Never having to stain again will make it worth the effort. Bonus that it's fire resistant too (Class B rating).
Checking the attachment to the house is a good point as the code requirement may have changed since the original build.
GilpinGuy
11-20-2018, 08:45
Besides the price, the only complaint I've heard about Trex is that it gets real hot in the sun. I never owned it myself.
ChickNorris
11-20-2018, 08:59
Besides the price, the only complaint I've heard about Trex is that it gets real hot in the sun. I never owned it myself.
Weren't you looking to build or rebuild earlier this year?
BladesNBarrels
11-20-2018, 10:36
The deck was installed in July, 2013
Diagonal on the deck and landing, straight on the stairs.
It was done by a professional master carpenter that subcontracted to a landscape company.
He viewed "google maps" to see the orientation of the house and lot, and then he positioned the diagonal layout to look down the green belt.
I was pretty pleased with the extra thought and effort.
The landscapers built a wind-break wall for the grill and I installed a under-deck covering the next year. It really helps during rainy and stormy days
https://i.imgur.com/BKVDCT1.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/GPd6vAX.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/DVEDN11.jpg
"I was smart enough to use 16" OC framing on the initial build so going to composite shouldn't be an issue excepting for laying out a diagonal pattern."
You might want to check on that. I built mine with 14 inch spacing which I'm sure is what Trex recommended at that time. Also a diagonal pattern would require closer spacing, the angle means that the deck planks are spanning a longer distance.
I don't mean to be negative but it wouldn't be nice to have any sagging.
I wish you well.
Correct you are on the diagonal spacing...some patterns require 12". I think I will leave the framing as-is...except for the areas around the perimeter where I will have to add additional blocking and nailing surface for a picture frame border.
That diagonal looking out into that open space looks great.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.3 Copyright © 2026 vBulletin Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.