Dino Grip has all kinds of nonslip decking products including aluminum decking products - www.dinogrip.com

has anyone used or had experience with Dry Joist EZ by Wahoo Decks? I am considering this with a composite decking on top alongside VeraDry and Lockdry.

This thread has been very helpful, thanks to all who have contributed. Building a deck that homeowner wants dry space underneath for screened in patio and also wants to have his grill on deck. Old deck is rotted out redwood. Looks like a perfect situation for aluminum and most people seem to like the LockDry system. I submitted my design and promptly received an estimate and the samples. Unfortunately the Dakota Oak sample had a chip exposing the shiny aluminum underneath. I took it out to the shop and found that with a little effort I could scratch off the powder coat. I haven't seen too many complaints about the finish. Has anyone had a LockDry dark color finish for an extended period of time? Anyone used the VersaDeck Product? They claim to have better coatings. Not finding any reviews for them. Stay warm everyone! Thanks.

Anyone had aluminum decking installed in upstate South Carolina?

Hello. I am interested in installing an upper waterproof deck. I have read all of the posts and see many good things about Lock Dry. There was one bad post about Versadeck. They have a lifetime transferable warranty on their coatings except for 15 year on fade resistance. Has anyone else used them? Thank you.

Ordered LockDry and had a good experience with the staff. They are there to answer any and all questions plus they have a drafting department that finalizes your rough plan to the point where their design actually shows the order of plank installation and rail locations. I also sent a bid request to Versa Deck and got a response that they had received it but never heard back from them. They do not seem to be as well staffed and pretty much expect you to complete the final design yourself which is OK but it's nice to have a drafting team behind you. This will be my first installation of this system. I am pouring concrete and framing now and should start the decking in about three weeks. I'll update.

Thanks for your input re Versadeck. Hope your installation goes well!

We had a new deck built last September with Lockdry and are extremely happy with it.

The only negative thing I heard about aluminum decking (no matter who the manufacturer is) is that they start to creak after a while when you walk or there is other activity on it.

I guess that is expected being that Aluminum is soft metal and after a while with use of the deck you get friction and the fasteners become some-what lose.

That has not been my experience at all. We installed LockDry 10 years ago (2009), and I have commented many times on this board. Our decking still looks great, we have no creaking at all. It is important to make sure any deck is level as you install. We are very happy with our decking. There are others on this board who chose the same LockDry decking, perhaps they will comment as well.

Finally finished my install of the LockDry system on a larger, north facing, second story, multi angle deck with screened in porch below. As I mentioned in previous posts, the company was great; design help, customer service, ETC. They are obviously used to working with contractors and DIY'rs and are very happy to help. They state shipping in 6-8 weeks especially if you order the wood grain finish but mine was ready in three. Packaging was good with no damage and prepared in boxes that can be handled by one person. This is my first aluminum deck installation, here is my evaluation and some job hints. This material is more ridged than wood or composites, and your framing must be therefore be more square, smooth and precise. You can't just plane off, bend or sand away mistakes. However, you are working with less wieght and they recommend 22" centers...check your local codes. I still used 16" centers with a 1/4" per ft slope. (Remember to always overbuild your deck!). Framing was the tough part but LockDry installation was easy. They recommend Permatex adhesive/sealant for a good reason, it's better in heat and 100% silicone doesn't crack or decompose like other materials. Caulk the joint and click into place. Longer pieces could use two sets of hands. Predrilling and then using your impact driver is tedious but but even a good wood deck should use screws. The company provides generous amounts of all the hardware and indicates where it needs to be used. They recommend using a weatherproof house wrap between the deck and frame. I used 5ml plastic as you can see through it and stretches better. I also taped the joists. It's pouring rain right now and it's dry underneath save for the wind born rain and splashing. I am considering installing gutters for the splashing. I have not yet installed the cable rail system...I'll let you know. PRO's and CON's. It's everything they advertise: dry, fireproof, rot proof and although it's not as beautiful as wood, the wood grain finish looks nice. It's easy to install. It will probably last much longer than any, even exotic wood species (This is replacing a first growth redwood deck). CON's: The cutting and drilling leaves behind piles of aluminum shards. They are much more painful than wood splinters and are more like shrapnel. Ware gloves and eye protection. Sweep them up and dispose of them, don't just blow them into the yard. Bare feet will be bloody feet. The cut edges can be very sharp. The material finish scratches easily. Cover it as you go and don't lay your tools on it. Your deck furniture will need to have rubber/plastic feet. It will scratch as easily as dropping your tape measure or grilling utensils. The company will send you touch up paint. (This is my biggest long term concern for this product but might be less of an issue with a lighter color choice.). The darker colors are HOT in the direct sun. Constructing it in the sun was not fun, even with gloves and work cloths. I don't think bare feet will be a good experience. Definitely recommend an umbrella. The cost needs to be mentioned; aluminum decking is more expensive than even redwood at least in the central Midwest and don't forget that you will need special tools, blades, adhesives that would not normally be necessary in working with more traditional materials. OVERALL: Nexan is good company, LockDry is expensive but an excellent product concept for when conditions require the unique properties of aluminum decking verses woods or composites. I hope this is helpful and I will try to follow as this deck ages.

Does anyone have experience with Knotwood aluminum decking? We are hoping to replace our wood deck with aluminum or composite.

I’m looking for an installer of Lock Dry in the Knoxville TN area. We have an existing Lock Dry deck and want to expand it. Like it. Crotwella@gmail.com

Live in Georgia. Had LockDry installed in Summer 2009. Definitely would not do again. Buckskin color. Mildews horribly. Leaf tannin stains. Extremely hard to clean/keep clean. Very HOT on bare feet. Would probably burn a child's feet. Grooves between 'boards' get clogged up with debris. The color has faded. The ONLY good thing about this deck is that it does not leak below it. We did put a gutter around the run-off areas to help keep the runoff from splashing onto concrete pad below.

Has anyone ever tried painting LockDry deck? (not just spot painting with color match, but completely repainting, possibly a different color) Need something to replace the 'faded paint' look.

In addition to my remarks previously, the aluminum railing system is really, really, really hard to clean. Even if you get the base, DO NOT GET THE RAILING SYSTEM. I think they are about 1"x1" square poles. top trailing stays filthy/weathered.

We've also considered painting our "Last-Deck" joke that we put down a few years ago. I've been hesitant in painting though because, to do it right, it would need to be sandblasted, the railing removed and the house protected. Then, not knowing how it would survive in the future...? For our situation, I think re-doing it with redwood would probably be the easiest/best -in the long run.

We've so far not done anything about it other than cuss our stupidity for using the "Last-Deck" junk to begin with. Eventually I will just finally rip it up and sell it for scrap, then re-do it with redwood. I'm gun shy of using -anyone's- aluminum deck again.

I'll attach a few pictures of our Last-Deck product as it looks today. The peeling and fading started within the first month of installation and just continually gets worse.

You can get a good look at the "Last-Deck quality"! Keep in mind this deck is only about 4 years old now. Once upon a time, we thought and aluminum deck might be a good idea, lol.

I am considering Lockdry aluminum decking and am in process of obtaining a quote for a 500 sq ft raised deck. I live in IL, near Chicago. I am surprised I did not come across this discussion in my search before, but this discussion is definitely helping me A TON.

My email is mksoni1976@gmail.com and I would love to talk to you guys about your experience please. I can use your guidance before I purchase.

I would like to know from satisfied customers... what do you think of your decks now? Is there something you guys do that helps maintain your deck better than others in your opinion? E.g. beware of furniture you put on it or walk with slippers etc???

And, from dissatisfied customers, have you tried using warranty? What was the company's response? Does the company sell the paint so you can paint the deck yourselves? Have you exhausted all your options of remedy? Have you found out later that you have done something that was a no no e.g. use high pressure wash?

Your input will be much appreciated.

Thank you kindly.

Mehul Soni

We absolutely love our Lockdry deck. We’ve had it for almost 2 years. I put plastic pads on all our patio furniture and have had no problems with scratches. The only issue I’ve found is it recently started creaking in a couple spots when walking on it.

Kim Norton, thank you kindly for your input. Is creaking bad enough for you that you are dissatisfied with the purchase? Or, is it annoying but can be dealt with?

Mehul, It's annoying but I would still purchase it again. The fact that it won't rot and is cooler to walk on than any other deck I've had far out ways the creaking in a couple areas.

Would use Last Deck in a flash Going on 4 years and no issues. Has it gotten a scratch or two, yes, do you really notice them, I think not. It has not faded but I can' imagine that it won't given our elevation 5600 Ft in the Rockies. Is it hot? yes but with an infared heat gun it measures cooler than redwood. The but is that it feels warmer under barefoot than wood. don't expect to walk on it barefooted on sunny hot days. I have spent zero minutes staining decks since this install.

Thank you Joe Palladio. I do love the color options of Last Deck, especially their wood grain selection, and the estimate they gave us is almost $2K less than LockDry. However, I am wondering how I might be able to touch up the wood grain vs solid colors if need be in future.

I am making notes as I go forward and I appreciate your suggestion earlier of opting for a slightly bigger slope for better drainage. Will definitely incorporate that in my planning.

Thank you !

Do any of you find walking on aluminum decking, especially LockDry, noisy ? How about when there is a large gathering?

The closest thing that comes to my mind as a reference is aluminum bleachers in high school gym. Mind you, I have not personally seen/walked on an aluminum deck, so my mind could be wandering.

I also am considering an aluminum deck because I want to create a dry space underneath, and using an aluminum deck with the waterproofing built in seems easier than adding a membrane or gasket. For those that have a waterproof deck (ie LockDry, VersaDry, KnotWood, AridDek, etc) has water puddling been an issue? Most of these look like they're designed to keep the water on top of the deck (mostly) and have it drain off the ends like a patio. Even with the prescribed 1/8" per foot slope, I'm wondering if puddling is still occurs. Just curious. Thanks.

Knotwood Spotted Gum pictured below after a good rainstorm.

I have my eye on a tennis court sponge roller to absorb the water.

I see a lot of good information here. Thank you. I have a client that has narrowed his selection down to Wahoo's AridDek, and Nexan's LockDry. Does anyone have experience with the AridDek? Price is very similar, but Wahoo cuts the pieces prior to shipping, whereas Nexan doesn't. Thoughts? I've installed a lot of decks, but this will be my first aluminum. We are in the Kansas City area.

Kansas City huh...I am from Lawrence...GO CHIEFS! Ha! I wrote the long construction entry above one and half years ago on the LockDry System. It was my first one and here are some suggestions: Framing: The company suggests 22" centers as all that's required because the aluminum planks are structural and light weight. I still prefer 16" centers, as this will reduce the chances of deck noise and help you keep the structure more square. I also suggest 1/4 slope per foot if you want a dry space underneath. In a larger deck, this slope is noticeable, especially when other components of the deck remain level but it eliminates any puddling and gets the rain water off fast. I like the fact that Nexan provides standard lengths giving you extra length for those inevitable mistakes we make in measuring. Cutting this material is more difficult. I used an old circular saw with a metal cutting blade that I expected to discard after use. Gloves, glasses and protective clothing are a must. The drilling shards are painful and must be collected and discarded. It is important to take your time and use the recommended sealant/adhesive, caulking each board completely, cleaning as you go. I have been really happy with this deck which replaced a custom milled tongue and grove redwood structure. It doesn't leak, even during intense rain. Some have complained that the groves collect dirt and debris but if you use the caulk correctly and and construct it tightly this problem is reduced. I have not seen staining even with lots of tree sap, pollen, leaves, bird and insect droppings. Of course you have to keep any deck material clean. The scratching is not as much of a problem as I earlier thought it would be. My worst complaint is that the material gets hot fast which makes construction challenging in the summer. I would recommend awnings or an umbrella after completion. My deck is on the northside and covered with a large canopy of trees so it gets hot only before the trees leaf out. The Nexan representatives are very good and used to advising first timers. (They were very patient with me!)

The material has it's pro's and con's but for my purposes it is excellent.

My customer is in Merriam, and the Johnson County code is requiring me to have 12" on center joists since we are spanning 20' to have an entirely open patio below. Thus, I am not worried about the spacing. As there is about a 3/32" gap in the locking channel based off the samples I have, should I mount it tight, or loose for expansion and contraction in our area? How did you finish out the stairs? We are looking at just using cedar or composite for treads since I don't see a way to make it water tight under the stairs.

I locked the planks pretty tightly as one of our goals was a dry screened-in porch underneath. I haven't noticed any issues with expansion or contraction. The Permatex adhesive has a very wide temperature range and seems to work great. Nexan says the planks are "adjustable" to maintain square but at 3/32" there's not much to work with. Best just to have your framing square and very even and smooth. I didn't build steps on this project because we didn't want to disturb the view from any of the lower level windows. Hope this helps.

Helpful Home Services - Be aware that aluminum decking can get very hot. If you want to check that, just take some decking samples and lay them out in the noon day sun for 15 minutes then lay your hand on them. When I did that with a bunch of decking samples I had collected, the aluminum samples were the hottest (so hot, I couldn't keep my hand on them for more than a few seconds). The one exception was Versadeck, which was comparable to the wood samples (and maybe even a bit cooler). It has a polyurea coating which appears to have some sparkly, heat reflective material in it. I think that's why it did so well. Some of the composite samples got pretty hot also, but the aluminum was clearly the hottest in my informal test. Just something to be aware of and maybe check out if that's important to you.

We have completed the heat tests. I was able to get larger samples from both companies so we could set them out, and have both feet on at the same time. The typical samples are a 3-4" wide strip, which doesn't give an adequate picture. We started this process back in mid March right before the shut down. Now we are waiting on the concrete guy to get the footing and patio poured. He is still 8 weeks out. I will be placing an order within the next two weeks so the product is in and we can start as soon as he is done.

Looking for a LockDry installer in Winston-Salem, NC or nearby. Not many deck builders have installed aluminum and I hear it is tricky to get to look professional. Any suggestions?

We really like the idea of the lockdry deck, but it is not as great as presented. The edges become the issue. They provide a 1-1/2 by 1 1/2 inch edge trim. The decking is 1 inch. So, It should cover the 3/8 inch sub floor, but you can see in the pictures it does not. This was not covered anywhere in the install instructions. Since the edge trim is the last piece to be installed, you will have to completely remove all decking to fix. If there is any wood contact or exposed wood under the edge trim, you will have wood rot. They need to add the inside edge trim dimensions with instructions to avoid this issue or make the edge trim 2 x 2 to have some margin. Either way, this needs to be covered to avoid contractors installing incorrectly, then the homeowner either has to pay to completely redo, or live with the exposed wood and subsequent wood rot..

Hello I live in Oregon and have been trying to find an experienced deck person to put in the aluminum deck. Do you have any recommendations? Thank You Andrea

After COVID and weather delays, we have finished the deck for my customer. We are quite pleased with the results.

Phase two will be walls and screening.

I have a patio deck 20 feet above ground level that a builder installed a tile floor. It had a low slope and the thinset failed rather quickly over a plywood roof covered by a rubber membrane The size of tha area was sbout 260 sq ft and the only roofing companies in my area did’t give me much options, and they were expensive. I went with Lockdry decking after reading about it and glad I did. I decided to do it DIY and Nexan answered all my questions, gave me a design plan, and offered me a price that was about a third of what a pro install of an inferior product would cost. After getting the old deck tiles removed, it took me two days to install the Lockdry deck by myself. The planks were cut to length (14’2”) and shipped freight to my house in packs of 4. The planks aren’t heavy, but sturdy so I was able to hand hoist them individually to the 20 foot deck easily. I had existing railings so I had to custom cut the planks around posts. I found that the best was to cut them was with a cheap double cut power saw which is designed for cutting metal and produces no vibration. I used straight aviation snips to cut trim. Make sure you use a good phillips head screw bit for the provided stainless steel screws because the head strip easy. I used silicone caulk as they recommended to fill the drain channel on the high end of the deck where it attached to the house. On the few channels where I had to cut and fill the drain channel where it butted up against a post, I ran a recommended small bead of silicone down the entire locking channel as they recommended. I used a large vet syringe filled with silicone to make that job easier. The finished result is great. I have not noticed any creaking (probably the plywood and membrane underneath queits that), no real water pooling despite a shallow slope. It was cooler that the previous deck but will get wet from dew in the mornings. The surface is non slip and easy on your feet. I wish I new about this product easlier. BTW- I am 65, and consider myself an average DIY homeowner, IMHO this is a very easy DIY product and look great. The picture I took below was just after a rain shower so you can see lack of ponding.

Good job.

Rubber membrane allows for a little movement which contributed to the failure of the tile. If the original contractor used a standard thin-set and grout, the morning moisture and any rain would cause it to release in weeks if not days.

We used a rubber membrane over treated plywood for my clients deck. No squeaks. We really liked how light the Nexan materials are, and Christie was a great point of contact when we had a few material changes when the customer made modifications to the project.

I have tried to upload some 360 pictures, but I am struggling with the software right now. Maybe over the holidays I will have a chance to catch up. 🙄

Happy building everyone.

Let's try a panoramic shot.

Dp you install aluminum decks in oregon?

I am based in Kansas. Currently we install in the Kansas City region, but we are not opposed to traveling. Obviously there will be licensing requirements that have to be met, and travel costs.

I recently tried to purchase the deck framing from Versadeck and they ended up not selling the framing material without their Aluminum decking. With Versadeck's decking there is a significant space between the boards after installation for the water to channel out. My deck is directly under a large oak tree and if I used their decking, those channels would be constantly full of acorns etc. I had spent months working on the design to use their framing and then to have them refuse to sell the framing without the decking was a poor business decision on their part. Buyer Beware.

I had it narroowed down to Wahoo decks, and Nexan decks. My customer chose Nexan because of the color choices. Wahoo has an interlocking joist system, and decking system that will meet the needs of most customers. Both Nexan, and Wahoo have great customer support for the contractor, and the home owner.

We had a Nexan lock-dry deck installed about 3 years ago, and we're happy with it, but it does require some maintenance. We chose the buckskin color, which we still like, but it does show dirt, and bits of green algae collect at the base of the railings certain times of year. We have the deck pressure washed 3-4 times per year.

The decking itself does get hot--I'm guessing it's on account of something added to the powder coat paint, but it wasn't hot enough to bother my dog. I wouldn't want to walk on it barefoot. The railing does not get hot--it's got a different type of paint finish.

If we had to do it again we'd have the railings mounted on the outside instead of on top of the deck, because with the top-of-deck mounting it's hard to get to the dirt that's beyond the railing. We chose a railing type without posts, and it was challenging for the contractor to miter the corners precisely--when we got our deck there was apparently no trim to deal with that issue-not sure if that has changed. We like the cables in place of balusters because they don't obstruct our view of the bird feeder.

Because of the edge trim, water does tend to collect along the edges in spite of the slight slope, and I use a blower to get rid of it when it collects--otherwise it tends to leave dirt behind when it evaporates.

Overall, we're quite happy with our Nexan aluminum-clad deck (wooden support system except for stairs), and we'd make most of the same choices again.

thank you so much for your input. I am curious about the rain. Does it make a lot of sounds when it rains? I put a sample of it outside and noticed a lot of pinging noises when it rains. It rains a lot here in Oregon. Also is it very slippery? Thanks Andrea

I haven't noticed the sound of rain on the deck, and we get a fair amount of rain here in Alabama. We do have a wooden structure supporting it so that might make it quieter. It's not slippery--as far as I can tell there's been something added to the powder coat finish to prevent it from being slippery.

We’ve had our Nexan lock dry deck for just over 3 years now and live in Washington. The rain is not an issue at all. The only thing negative I can say about it is it expands in the summer so sometimes it creaks when walking on it. I don’t know if it was installed just a little too tight or what but I would still go with it again. We love this deck and it’s very low maintenance. I give it a quick pressure wash in the spring and a occasional rinse off and it’s beautiful all year.

Here’s our Lockdry deck!

Our LockDry deck in buckskin with white railings was finally built in spring of 2021 after months of drawing corrections, and manufacturing issues during pandemic.

We love the look of ours and the fact that it’s watertight gives us a storage shed underneath. Our deck is raised about 6ft above ground.

We’ve had about 10 months of usage as of now. We find that it’s super easy to clean with just a simple pressure nozzle hooked up to a hose. A more thorough clean can be achieved with a simple scrub of a wide broom with nylon bristles. We use mild dish soap too if needed and that cleans really well without affecting finish.

We found the finish scratched easily when we placed patio chairs without rubber feet (but then feet had sharp edges we didn’t notice). The touchup paint fixed those scratches right away and we can’t tell where are the repair spots now.

The thread keeps going. Mine is an 8 year retrospective. The deck was installed in 2014 and is still sold as ever and waterproof as ever.. I still think it was a good investment but these issues are irritating. My main issues are as follows.

We have buckskin, live in the SE and back up to woods. The deck can be very hard to clean and even a pressure washer up close is not enough for the mold and algae we get. We currently pressure wash annually.. Looking for good cleaners that will not hurt the vegetation below.. Also anything set on it under which water can get (for example a mat or a kids pool) causes the deck underneath it to get lighter in color and that does not seem to go away.

Also the asphalt from the roof and dirt in general gets up under the drip ends and clogs the channels. Our experience has been water backing up on deck for several hours before it drains when this happens. If you take off the caps, capillary action sents the water back underneath the "planks" and drips down the fascia. But having water and dirt back up on the deck is annoying.