Procell was purchased by Azek. As of 8/27/07, Procell is now called Azek Deck.

Still no complaints from anybody??!! Might need to get some of this stuff...

I spent two days searching and can not find any complaints about Azek deck. Anyone?

John

Reason being>>> no one is using it

Thanks, John.

Is no one using it because of specific defects or problems?

Thanks.

John

Man made stuff is still in flux. Several Co have come up with plastic lumber,although its not really solid plastic what ever that is,anyway no one wants to get caught behind sales. Azek material has a track record in different areas simular to Procell so it was a good maraige,Procell wasent sellling anyway soooooo....need I go on???

If your not a sales rep,and actually want to go with a man made I sugesst you not go with a solid "plastic" decking. J.

John:

I am not a sales rep. My wife owns and operates a small food safety lab and consulting business in the next college town north of you. We just moved to the country and our offices are in a DW. I had fun knocking down a couple of trashy pt decks with my front end loader. Now, she wants a "nice" 12 by 30 deck to entertain clients and employees.

Your posts here and elsewhere indicate you know your stuff. Our cash flow won't let me hire you to do the job - maybe sometime in the future. Anyway, I am a DIYer.

I do not want to use pt, so have done due diligence, and am very disappointed with what I have learned about composites. My conclusion is that only tropical hardwood, Ameradeck, or AZEK are acceptable (in spite of what CR says - what a joke they are sometimes).

So, even though I guess I am a competitor of sorts, can you give a recommendation?

Thanks a lot!

John

The reason it doesn't sell around here is it's too pricy, almost double what composites are. Plus it looks really fake with some funky colors, imo anyway.

Al

I do agree with the cr thing they can be really silly sometimes.

Two composites you might look at>> Moisture Shield,the 5/4 juniper planks and TimberTech 5/4 earthwood lineSide Note..Mathew who runs redwood products yard rides one of the last Shovel heads he gives me fun trouble when I show up on my Sportster.

So its Stillwater, thats a little out of my service area but work is slow I would probley travel right now but o well... J.

Thanks John and Al.

Guess I will spend some more time searching. Got to watch some football today, though. It's a wet day in STW but I did not have tickets, anyway.

I will be back.

John

I will give my opinion and remember it is just that. I am no deck "expert". However I am a homeowner smart enough to do research on anything I delve into, whether by myself or with help. I spent alot of time looking into the options and researching the available materials out there for a new deck(600 sq ft). My original idea was to go with Ipe, and I still believe it is a good choice. The drawbacks in my opinion are maintenence and board length. From what I gathered, it needs to be restained/sealed every 18 mos or so on average, some more, some less. This may be fine now, but in 10 yrs, I don't think I want that on my to-do list. And if you want some sort of uniformity in your deck, you will pay an upcharge for similarly lenghted boards. Anyway, I decided on Azek. Around here, it's about on par with Ipe price-wise, but ALOT less labor intensive. I have yet to find a bad review and I absolutely love how mine turned out. And on 90+ degree days it is barefoot walkable after a couple hours of sun exposure. Very easy to work with, and they can be face screwed and plugged with the EXACT same material. I have more than one person ask me how the decking was attached. Anyway if you need more specifics, just ask.

So what did you have to pay per linear ft. for your azek decking? Around here it's more than 5/4x6 ipe.

Al

I don't have the exact #'s in front of me but it was a little above $3/l.f.

I will go along with the maintance some what,the way I finish ipe the Wallet is good for 3-5 years if they want to pay for it.
I have never had any problem geting any number of ipe boards in any leangth I want from East Teak for the same money.

Now how procell/azek is less labor screwing and pluging than ipe I dont understand at all. I wont even go into the $3 + a runing ft price it takes a lot more money than that to get it in the Cow Town. J.

I based my less labor comments on the fact that for Ipe, from what I've gathered here, every hole has to be pre-drilled and every cut sealed. And at least 2 deck contractors also made the comment to me that the labor was 2-3 times the norm. Not to mention the special blades and drill bits you may go through. We used your everyday circular saw, miter saw, jig saw, etc for the work on the Azek. A good cordless drill had no problem running in the screws. And the plugs are a breeze that you can do at your leisure. Price-wise, like everything else petroleum based (and some things not), I'm sure it's headed upward, and may have even done so more since I bought it. I'm just giving my thoughts on why I chose Azek to possibly make someone elses decision a little easier.

And you done good doing that C a big pat on the back coming to Ya.

Installing ipe compaired to say,pt decking that can be put down with a nail gun, is a lot more. Most all Contractors use carbide blades in the worm drive and the miter box and have for 20 years or so same with jig saw blades we all buy high grade for any kind of work.

Installing plugs is no leisure thing it requires a counter sink done with at least a smartbit but I always use a forester bit and this hole has got to be perfect. Sanding axek decking would remove the stamped grain. Pluging ipe is done with the plugs standing proud then sanding flush with the decking. Azek is concave on both faces so the plug either has to be bent to match that curve or the edges will be above the decking slightley.

And then there is the adhesive,all the plugs will have to be glued in of course,with no glue showing because you cant sand it, and Azek sells and recomends the adhesive be used on any joints because of contraction.

Axek is very flexible,in fact the trim mateial can be heated and bent into a circle, sooooo the 5/4 decking should not be installed over 16'' on center joists 14'' oc would probley do it but to be sure 12'' oc would remove most of the flex.

No report yet on the flax fiber used in azex time will tell.

With all these things keyed in there is no way azex is less money labor/material than ipe installed the same way.

J.

My thoughts exactly John, no way I could do azek for less than ipe either. My supplier won't bring it in cause they would have sell it at 4.00 per ft. to make money. Besides they feel they have a great product with the Ameradeck at half the price, 1.99 per ft.

al

John,
The plugs made for Azek are made from the same exact material. Cortex makes the screw and plug kit with the bit included. The screw drills the right size hole as it goes in and the bit has a spring loaded stop on it to pop it out at the right depth. Counter boring and sanding are not necessary. The plugs even have the grain in them! They are actually ever so slightly oversized on the top side and slightly tapered on the bottom to allow for ease of starting. Its a 2 step process, drive the screw and tap in the plug with a fiber hammer. I took the extra time myself to make sure the grain in the plugs was turned the same as the grain in the planks. I put in ~1700 screw and plugs, and other than a couple minor gaffs on my part, they are nearly invisible unless you get on your hands and knees. With that in mind, I don't see how pre-drilling, counter boring, plugging, and sanding, in any wood for that matter, would be quicker. In fact I'd be willing to bet on it. You are absolutely right about the flexibility too. In fact you may not even need to heat it for certain radii. And FWIW, I put my joists 12" OC. I don't recall in the decking literature anything about gluing though. The expansion rate for I believe a 40 degree temp rise was about 3/16" for a 20' board. With 40 screws in a twenty footer, I don't think it will move too much. I even recall reading about butting end joints because expansion and contraction would not be an issue. I think the adhesive may be more of a recommendation for their line of trim and beadboard.

A big bent elbow with the Tecate to Ya C, if your not a sales rep,and that is a big mabey, you done good. Go on ahead with your bad self. Dont use adhesice just drive those suckers in.

WTF is fwiw??

Bet on it,,,hmmmmm I am a gambling man,what you got on the line.

It dont matter how many fasteners you put in the material,its the materials nature and working with it.... But what the hay.

Good luck with the stuff C . J.

J,
Tastes good, I'll tip a Blue Moon back at ya. LOL, I knew I should have stated it off the bat, no sales rep here! Just a poor old pipefitter with a little mechanical ability trying to improve the homestead. And to boost your internet lingo knowledge, FWIW means "for what it's worth".
Thanks for the wishes.

C

We had a Procell/Azek deck installed last summer. While a year probably isn't enough time to make a definitive judgment, so far we like it very much. It hasn't scratched or stained or mildewed, it doesn't get too hot, doesn't seem to have faded, and I like the way it looks. We chose the brownstone. We couldn't find plastic railings we liked so we went with mahogany and aluminum. I'm not sure the Azek matching plugs were out last summer, or if they were we never saw them, but we used the color-matched screws that Procell sold. The material is definitely much more flexible than wood. We were replacing old PT decking on a structure that originally had joists 24" apart, so we had the carpenter install additional joists so the Procell is now screwed down every 12".

What most seem to overlook is the fact that with most building materials, the lifespan is largely dependent on geographical location and of course, maintenance. In wet/humid areas, some materials hold up better than others compared to dry/less humid climates. You have to discern what works in your geographical region ignoring all the hype. In any area, proper installs are critical to longevity as well. That's why they call the pros, pros.

I am a homeowner who needs to replace a second floor deck because my contractor installed the wrong material(Tendura) in a location that isn't covered and hence it is flaking, etc. A lumber yard has recommended Azek porch tongue and groove. We live in Maryland where the climate is hot and humid during the summers and not so cold with gradually more infrequent snow in the winter. I gather from internet reading that this Azek porch product was introduced less than a year ago, so I am wary about its effectiveness. Is there another manufacturer of composite decking that is tongue and groove? There is a patio under the deck, so we need to use T and G to prevent water from entering the patio.
Thanks.

No T&G decking is going to prevent water from entering the patio. T&G decking drains the same way as face fastened decking thru the gap. J.

Griffingirl:
I've done a bit of research in the last few weeks on AZEK porch product. It is the same material as their deck board(used to be Procell), it's just got a t&g routed out of it, so track record is 5 or 6 years for the material and from what I've heard and read, it holds up extremely well in any climate. One rep told me of a deck over a boathouse where the owner didn't want any water to get through to his boat. They pitched the deck properly, put some kind of adhesive (?) along the tongue and he said it was virtually leak free after several rain events. Hope that helps...

Hi,
I thought I would add my comments, coming from a homeowner who just recently had a deck built and did a lot of product research before hand. I wanted a deck that wouldn't mold, split, crack, rot, and didn't burn your feet. Having it look exactly like wood was not a big deal, however having hidden fasteners would be a big plus. This led me to PVC/vinyl/plastic decking. There is not much negative information out their towards this type of decking. About all I could find was some posts about bug spray staining Azek/procell, and problems with squeaky boards on other types. I really liked the Azek product but unfortunately my budget didn't allow me to choose it. I found an alternative that was close to half the price called Quadra decking. It is also known as Aurora decking. I took some pictures and wrote up some commentary on my experience. I'm happy with the results so far. decksummer08.shutterfly.com

I have a procell deck installed prior to the sale to Aztec. My deck has been fantastic for 2 years plus approx size 24 feet long x 14 feet wide . It looks the same as the day it was installed. I used white vinyl railings. The deck was in keeping with my house, no attempt to look like a "wood" deck. I used square lattice on the sides. It is about 4-5 feet off the ground. I love this deck, easy to clean, not too hot to step on. The only thing i did not do, is put a grill on the deck. I cannot speak to the mess or heat of a grill with this material. I am a lousy griller so I did not bother with a grill. The installers loved the materials said it was very easy to work with and install. Cost with professional installer 9500.00 ( needed some excavation and ledge work on the footings)

We had a Procell deck installed in 2006. Nothing but problems. There are many complaints. Check out "This Old House" message board.https://advice.thisoldhouse.com Type in Procell. The company does not stand behind their product. We are in the process of fighting them as we speak. Our deck cost us over 40 grand. A total waste of money.

Did you ever purchase Procell/Azek decking materials? If so, any problems with it? We have had nothing but problems and so have many other consumers. We are about to join together and hire an attorney.

We purchased a Procell deck in 2006. From your posts I see that they have now changed hands. Up until this year we have had no problem with the product. This year, however, it appears to be fading and there are stains on the deck. I will admit that it does need to be cleaned. I did clean it earlier by hand but not with a power washer. Anyway, the other day I covered part of the deck with a tarp so that I could paint some furniture. When the tarp was removed a very strange discoloration appeared. It almost looked as if the deck had been bleached. The spot was more or less circular. Not sure what caused it.
I have contacted the contractor who installed the deck and am waiting to hear from him. I do not know how long the warranty lasts on this product. Does anyone know? Does anyone have a phone number for the company? I would like to contact them.
Thanks,

Hi,
We had a large Procell (AZEK)expensive, deck installed in 2007 in our vacation home. Last year, I noticed several areas of the deck faded and discolored. The local Procell/AZEK rep came out took pictures and told me that it looked like the issue was due to the use of sunscreen or bug spray. The old Procell literature never mentioned anything about this possible problem. The new brochure does mention that the use of sunscreen and/or bug spray could cause a problem with the decking. I consider this a warranty issue but they claim this discoloration is due to "normal weathering" which is not true. So, if I agree to sign a letter acknowledging that the problem is not a warranty issue, they will sent me a cleaning & conditioning product. AZEC is definitely circling the wagons on this issue. I could not be more unhappy with this company and it's deck product.

Could not be happier so far. Am having another 1400 sq. ft. installed as we speak. I am on the beach and it is not hot to the touch at all and so far what we put down last year looks brand new. I have other friends who have also had Azek installed or installed it themselves and have not heard anything bad yet. It is pricey, but hopefully maintenance free.

Had a large 45 X 14 Azek deck installed May 2010 - a new dark blended color (Acacia I believe). 16" OC. Permanent sagging, even more sagging when you walk on it. Can't get it clean as dirt seems to be super glued to it. Used Fastenmaster fastener's with plugs. Some fasteners are breaking due to the 'excessive' expansion/contraction. Some boards have a different sheen or grain texture so the look is not uniform. Overall, this deck looks like it was made from gumby board. I've been in contact with Azek for the last 5 months - dog and pony show. Stick with treated lumber or cedar. I think the dark colors behave much, much more differently than the lighter colors - stay away from the dark blended colors.

I am having a wood deck replaced as I type this comment. I chose the AZEK Redland Rose color (looks like redwood). I was very happy with the product they are putting down, until 2 days ago (the end of the second day of construction). Apparently overnight, some birds decided to grace the decking floor, and left quite a bit of 'deposit' on the material. Well, de-goit deck cleaner, dawn dish soap and gentle scrubbing with a plastic scrub brush and 2 days later -- the stain from the bird poop did NOT come off and appears to have eaten thrugh the finish. I read on the "This Old House" board concerning the problem with stains and AZEK -- unfortunately, I read about this after my contract was signed and they were 2 days into putting down the deck floor. Calls to the supplier were fruitkess -- he had no idea how to clean it. I am (5 days later and not much more progress on the deck) still waiting to hear from the distributor (via my contractor). The only solution they have at this point is to replace the bird-poop stained boards! OK for now -- but my deck is open and what do I do when a bird decides to relieve itself over my deck again? My deck is HUGE and this is quite costly. Anyone else have this problem? I am going to test scrap pieces with fats from cooking, wine, etc -- and see if it really comes clean. If not, someone PLEASE contact me. I will gladly go in on a class action suit if need be! megga@verizon.net

I have a pro cell deck for the past 8 years , it looks like I have done it yesterday. Beautiful, no complaints

I had a considerable amount of Procell decking installed in 2008. This year when I cleaned the decks there are sections of black spots. Would almost think it was mold, but it looks like the sections are the areas that get the most sun and no leaves, etc. laying there. Has anyone else had this problem & any suggestions on what to use to try to get rid of this?

After all these years I still cannot figure out why some manmade owners are so happy, while some are just plain Livid !! It was the same with Trex clear up to the new stuff that seems to hold up fine with the added covering on three sides. Trex was the leader in class action for a number of years until the new stuff.

Still a mystery to me. I put down Moisture Shield non capped composite now if the Wallet wants manmade. Pretty safe bet they have never had a field failure or class action against them. But the Company just sold out so I am waiting to see how that turns out.

JonMon