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jenniferusey

Opinion on materials being used

jenniferusey
13 years ago

Please give HONEST opinions(nice OR not...no offense taken i swear) on the two materials being used on a deck I am having built this month.

It is a 475square foot deck w one set of stairs attached to a NNJ Bergen County home(5miles outside Manhattan).....

RDI Novalign Railing

Timbertech XLM RiverRock color

I felt it was my best option in mid priced 'synthetics' to use for this project....

I am also looking for opinions on whether or not to incorporate LED lighting in a few places on the deck...and opinions as far as the quality of what is out there with the LED lighting.....I see 'flush' circular LED units that are installed on the perimeter of the deck... I like the look actually and would appreciate ANY input...

Comments (5)

  • anthonyxa
    13 years ago

    Hi Jen,

    Now that I see this post I have a clear view of what you envision, Its a lovely clean modern look, I think your combination in color works perfectly, its one we have done plenty of times in the past, your railing option is good, we have experience working with all the low maintenance brands like Fiberon, Trex, Timbertech, Azek and others.

    If you really like the color combination you currently envision we would suggest you have a look at the terra cotta series from Azek they have a color just like XLM River Rock by the name Tahoe, you might like how the azek decking looks over the XLM, when it comes to PVC decking depending on taste I find it that choosing one that looks less plasticky is better, many new options have come a long way.

    suggesting Azek does not mean I am entirely leaning towards that only option in anyway, my personal recommendation would be Fiberon Horizon Series: Rosewood or IPE the product has a 20 year stain and fade warranty and I have built many decks with this great decking and each and every one of my clients has been happy, mind you it may be one of my personal recommendations but it has also been one of the most requested here in New York.

    I like it because it has an extra coated layer of protection all around the board unlike any other in the market for this kind of product, it has a multi-chromatic look = the boards are not one single shade of color they have nice detailed variations thus making it look very modern and elegant, I love that these two colors blend in perfectly with any low maintenance railing in white and white Trim. these two color options Rosewood & IPE look amazing with the combination above you have a killer looking deck, that would be my option and thats where I would invest my money.

    I recently posted an entry in my blog with pictures of a Roof Top Deck we built this year in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, it was buitl with Fiberon Rosewood, feel free to visit the following link (below) to see pictures of this outstanding deck, you might find it helpful in your decision making.

    http://citydecksny.blogspot.com/2010/12/2010-highlights-carroll-gardens.html

    with regard to your inquiry about lighting I think its a must, recessed led lights in stairs, posts are good options they also do a good job in Planter Boxes there are many great kits to choose from.

    If you need any further information feel free to post more questions I will be glad to respond, you can also contact me directly if you need further suggestions on anything. anthony@citydecksny.com

    Anthony Albino
    City Decks New York
    www.citdecksny.com

    Here is a link that might be useful: City Decks New York

  • jenniferusey
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    IPE is great and my first choice(i would let it grey naturally)but it costs even more than the Timbertech XLM and I am tight with budget already.... My issue with the Azek decking(btw great eye bc Azek Tahoe is most similar to Ttech Rrock) is that it is FACE screwed.... THAT in itself visually disturbs me more than the plasticky look of the Timbertech XLM River Rock...
    I have samples from LATITUDES as well as Certain Teed's Evergrain(which to MY understanding is the same as Fiberon-decking division bought out in 2008 I believe) and of course I have Trex Transcends samples-not too crazy about anything Trex no matter HOW hard they try to redeem theirself.....
    The brutal reality of living in a mid level NJ town is that less is definitely more and as far as a neutral,classic grey that goes with the very permanent NEW vinyl siding on the house(TTech River Rock XLM by far is the cleanest,most classic of colors available that has hidden fasteners).....BTW,i prefer a smooth finish in synthetics...the faux texture I see on deck boards is IMHO cheesey(not to sound rude..... It's synthetic people...lol...It's like the texture on the synthetic lattice trying to imitate wood.. It's plastic people...

  • jenniferusey
    Original Author
    13 years ago

    ahh, and one more thing.. I just clicked on some Fiberon Rosewood and IPE photos.. Yes I like it and yes i appreciate the color dimension of the Fiberson Rosewood/IPE boards.... I would prefer the Fiberon IPE look in a Different house....My house was sided in 2009 with solid foam backed vinyl siding by Mastic.com...6" double in color Everest(very slight blue tinge to the grey) with crisp white windows and trim.... The brown,natural look of the Fiberon products would be a waste of money...To continue with the cookie cutter look of my home(LOL) I have to stick with the most neutral grey available......
    I used TenduraPlank(no longer in business) about 6 years ago on my front covered porch) Still looks good in covered setting.

  • anthonyxa
    13 years ago

    Hi Jen,

    yes I was referring to the IPE composite line in Fiberon, we however do install a great deal of real IPE wood decks too, the only note worth mentioning is the fact it has to be treated every year to keep that lustrous look, or let it go gray depending on taste.

    I sense you like the patina gray look, I too think the same I would never want screws on my low maintenance deck and contrary to what you might have heard I have installed Azek and any other composite brand that is non grooved with hidden fasteners you simply have to select the adequate fasteners a bit more work but always worth it, most other boards are pre grooved and ready to go, is this the way you will have your deck installed? if so I would recommend the TCG hidden fasteners from Tigerclaw they work perfectly.

    I say go for it, the color combination is nice, in a perfect world Id love to come out every day and see different color deck boards on my deck lol but that isn't happening any time soon, so the gray on white is very clean modern, very elegant looking too. and matches lovely with a house.

    me I cant help but think what boards would look great on roof top decks, seeing as that is our specialty.

    with regard to you Trex comment I can only say that I hear that a lot, the past issue they had in the past is still lingering around, although it is still in demand and we do install Trancend Trex decks, and I do like some of the colors, and there are more to come out next month, I wish that decking series was encased all around as opposed to 3 sides, I like the 4 side encasement on the Fiberon Horizon line.

    good luck with the project, I was out and about today in the snow thinking about the demo you had scheduled for today, I think its safe to assume you had to put that on hold right? I couldn't even make it to the city today.

    keep us posted with your project, its always a pleasure seeing a great outdoor space take shape.

    Anthony

  • anthonyxa
    13 years ago

    I Know what you mean about the textured composite boards some do over do it to rigid and chunky thats somewhat the feeling I get, although im not huge on pvd boards some new colors do look great and they are smooth with minimal texture, I remember the first solid pvc ones those did look fake, there is a variety to cater to all different tastes.

    The colors I personally like are the following:

    Burnished Amber & Cayenne (Trex Brasilia Series)
    Jatoba & Mahogany (Fiberon Tropics Series)
    Rosewood & IPE (Fiberon)

    one thing all these have in common is the color dimension in that the boards dont look one single color like you already know, and although the horizon series is leaning a bit towards the textured side it isn't so rigid as the others, and the other selections listed well they are smooth & non textured.

    If I had it my way those are the boards id love to have rotating on my deck by season or a particular mood lol I may be in

    I do have some favorites on the timbertech and new azek boards also.

    I perfectly understand your feel with regard to the textured boards. :-)

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