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lynne_reno

Need advice for deck material for dogs

Lynne Reno
11 years ago

My dogs (two big labradoodles) spend a lot of time on our deck, it's the only place they have to run around, so they use it to play on and to potty. our deck is appx 40' x 30' and it's either cedar or redwood (sorry, not sure which) and is about 25 years old. At one time it was stained with Cabot solid stain but that didn't work because we have to shovel snow off in the winter which caused the stain to chip and peel.

Because of the dogs, we will never have a beautiful deck, I get that; but I want something that won't look as bad as what we have now and is easy to clean, and not terribly expensive. The deck is about 6'-10' off the ground, is NW facing in Reno NV and besides wear and tear from the dogs is subject to hot summers and cold winters.

Would composite be our best bet, or should we look for pressure treated wood? I can't see spending the money for IPE since the dogs will probably mess up anything we get and that's a fair investment just to have it ruined.

I went to Lowe's and Home Depot (they ran all the local lumber yards out of town) and they said they don't have pressure treated wood for deck surfaces so maybe I used the wrong terminology?

Any ideas would be appreciated. I'm even considering flipping the deck boards over and re-using those that aren't too bad, would that be a stupid idea?

Comments (14)

  • brooklyndecks
    11 years ago

    If you let your dogs dump on your deck, whatever decking you use will look like $hit. You should have a tile deck, and you can hose it down...or just take the dogs for a walk.

    steve

  • cearbhaill (zone 6b Eastern Kentucky)
    11 years ago

    Ugh.
    Poor dogs.

  • Lynne Reno
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    they don't suffer, believe me- they go for an hour long walk every day, they spend most of their time in the house with us and go out on the deck when they choose to through a doggie door. They are taken for short walks throughout the day to potty but if they need to go between walks they do so on the deck and we immediately clean it up. Once a week they go for a half day run with 7 or 8 other dogs, so it's not like we throw them out on the deck and ignore them.

    We are just trying to make the deck look a little better, I looked at Synta restore in home depot, but I'm afraid the texture would be uncomfortable to their paws. Using a belt sander I can sand about 90% of the solid stain off but not enough to go to a transparent stain, it's just impossible to get it all off.

  • weedyacres
    11 years ago

    Composite will cost you as much as ipe. I'd go for the cheapest option, PT, and then you won't care as much if they look crappy (no pun intended).

    HD and Lowe's carry PT decking. Not sure why the clerks got confused. You're just looking for standard deck boards.

    If the wood's in good condition, but just stained, consider just painting the whole thing brown. You'll need to redo the flat surfaces every couple years, but you can just do an adder coat with minimal prep.

  • Lynne Reno
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    There's a 'real' lumber yard about 30 minutes from me, I think I will go there and see if they have PT, thanks =)

  • Lynne Reno
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I looked at paverdeck, it looks great, but it appears that you have to install it over their proprietary steel framing, I found a PDF file that quotes 'average' price for materials at $16-$20 SQ ft which is more than I could spend on the deck- it's really a very big deck, like 1200 sq ft.

  • CaptRandy
    11 years ago

    Fiberglass over the decking, 3/4 tongue and groove then coating of resin to seal it. Rinse off when you have to.

  • Lynne Reno
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    I just 'googled' fiberglass decking and strongwell "strongdek" keeps coming up, is that what you were referring to? I checked their website and they don't exactly have dealers, only a contact for a sales rep for California and Nevada

  • Lynne Reno
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    @CaptRandy- thanks I'm going to call our GC friend and see if he can find someone local who handles either one of those that you linked.
    @DHPearson- yeah we are in a climate very much like Utah- Northern Nevada, we are at about 5,000 feet and have blazing sun on the deck in the summer and snow accumulations in the winter. Because of the dogs we wash down the deck every day, and in the winter shovel it every day. I will look into the composites again, there have been so many 'doom and gloom' postings regarding them that I had pretty much crossed them off the list, but it's nice to hear that you had a good experience with it.

  • DHPearson
    11 years ago

    I read a lot of the doom and gloom and lawsuits and whatever about composites. What it really comes down to though is the difference between "maintenance free" and "low maintenance". Any product claiming to be maintenance free is a farce. Everything needs upkeep. However, some products, like Trex, are low maintenance, meaning that they just require cleaning to keep them looking good. Trex.com has some great cleaning advice for their fences and decks.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Trex Deck Cleaning Guide

  • janicenolan
    6 years ago

    Lynne-I want to give you kudos for trying! I have dogs who are loved. Not as nice deck, no rugs in the house and hair everywhere, lol. I have a yard and a deck,. Like you my dogs are house bums. I have an aggressive dog next door who is very territorial and charges my fence line. I too am looking for the same. Post if you try any of the suggestions and how they worked. Thanks.

  • PRO
    SolusLumber.com
    6 years ago

    Hi Janice, I too have dogs that are loved (well one of them anyway :), no rugs and constantly vacuuming fur. I have lived in a house with Western Red Cedar porches and yes the claws left marks on the wood. Any softer wood like cedar or pine will most likely end up with tell tale marks. Personally I wouldn't do pressure treated, which 98% of the time is Southern Yellow Pine, both because it is soft and treated with some pretty nasty chemicals. A sweaty dog on a hot day lying on pressure treated material will absorb the chemicals into their feet and skin. Human feet as well.... I don't have any science to back this up, and I'm sure I just made myself a target for the PT industry, but in my book common sense dictates.... If you go on our site www.soluslumber.com you can see several hardwood decking options. Give us a call and we can talk about your specific situation and see if we can come up with a cost effective solution. Hardwoods won't guarantee no marks (I've seen dogs leave marks on bluestone), but it will go a long way to helping keep your deck looking beautiful.