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Trex Decking
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Posted by sierraeast (My Page) on Wed, Dec 26, 07 at 20:57
| Hi, We are thinking of installing a new deck and were considering Trex. Since the product has dropped to about 1/3 of it's stock share price over the last eight months, can we purchase it at such a discounted price? Is building "green" worth it if the consumer becomes the guinea pig?
We are interested in comments positive or negative concerning Trex decking and are wondering if the decline in the stock price is because the product has problems and unsatisfied owners?
Thanks for your thoughts!
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Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Trex Decking
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| I've never heard of companies selling their products cheaper because their stock price fell. What I've heard is that trex prices will increase again next year. You wouldn't be a guinea pig using trex, just another customer with a moldy deck. I doubt any deck pro here will say anything good about trex, maybe a HO that says cleaning the mold off isn't that big a deal, lol. Al |
RE: Trex Decking
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Thanks deckman. Is there a composite that you would recommend. We are building in the sierra nevadas. A little hot and dry in the summer, cold and wet in the winter, but not real high humidity, so im not sure mold is a concern.
Thanks again! |
RE: Trex Decking
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| Do a Search on this site with trex. I go with TimberTech when the Wallet demands composite. John |
RE: Trex Decking
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| I recommend Ameradeck, most of their dealers are CA, WA, & AZ. If they won't ship it to you call Austin Wholesale, 512-834-1200, they ship all over the USofA. Buying out of state the shipping cost is just about offset because of the savings from no sales tax. Still will be less than the bigger name composites. Al |
RE: Trex Decking
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| Thanks Al & John, I appreciate the responses! |
RE: Trex Decking
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| I hate my trex deck. It is so moldy and looks awful. Wish I had known before hand. |
RE: Trex Decking
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| I agree with denali. I installed one about 3 years ago. Went to check on it because it is in the same neighborhood as a porch/deck project I am presently working on, in which I am using Jatoba hardwood and cedar combo. The Trex looks terrible. Moldy, dirty. I hated installing it and would never wish it on anybody. If you ask me, composites are no better than LP siding. And we all know whats going on with that. I envision composites ending up the same way, throwing an unproven long term product on the market and letting the public be the guinea pig. |
RE: Trex Decking
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| I agree with denali. I installed one about 3 years ago. Went to check on it because it is in the same neighborhood as a porch/deck project I am presently on, using Jatoba hardwood and cedar combo.The Trex looks terrible. Moldy, dirty. I hated installing it and would never wish it on anybody. If you ask me, composites are no better than LP siding. And we all know whats going on with that. I envision composites ending up the same way, throwing a unproven long term product on the market and letting the public be the guinea pig. |
RE: Trex Decking
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| Thanks again for all the responses. My wife likes the idea of composite, im a carpenter who only prefers wood. I know the exotic hardwoods are all the latest and greatest rage, but we would rather put our dinero in nice finishes inside the house. Looks like we'll go back to the tried and true of redwood. We currently have redwood here in the mojave desert and it has hung in fine w/ no (admittedly) maintenance on my part. The dry of the desert has different negatives w/ wood than in wet climates, but it has held up well on it's own. Most decks where we are building in the sierras are redwood or cedar, with the exotics on higher end homes. I haven't noticed much composites there. I will definetely make a stronger effort to keep it maintained on our build. Thanks again! |
RE: Trex Decking
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| Sierra, Be aware the the redwood of yesteryear is not the same as you get today. Unless it is a huge deck, the cost difference between ipe and redwood is just not worth it. |
RE: Trex Decking
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| So true Mark, here redwood 2x6 is 1.95 lf, ipe 1x6 is 2.39 lf. .44 x 2.2 lf per sq.ft. = .968 cost per sq. ft. more than redwood to use ipe, probably a little more when you figure in extra drill bits, but still about a $1 per sq. ft. difference. Al |
RE: Trex Decking
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| Thanks Mark and Al, I haven't got to the point of pricing and only assumed that ipe would be out of our range, but at a buck or so more a sq.ft, it wont break the bank as we only have around 200-250sq ft of decking planned. Wanting the stair treads the same decking material. The back deck will be around 6' x 20' w/ the front decking being a small step down off of the front porch. I have a bisquit joiner and had planned on using the eb-ty biscuit hidden fastening system. Will this still go with the hardness of ipe? The eb-ty only requires bisquit(ing) into the edge grain but no drilling into the wood. I realize there are areas that will still require stainless deck screws, but stocking up on extra bits is no biggie, you do what you have to do in those cases. Tooled up ok on carbide cut off blades. I've used the bisquit joiner on oak and maple. I wouldn't think that ipe would be much more than those species as far as hardness is concerned. Thanks again! |
Another thought
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| Is there that much of a difference in costs between composites and ipe as well. If so and my wife gets wind of it, big trouble in little river city as she will probably insist on it despite the advise gotten here. Again, im a big proponent of wood. Fiber cement sidings/trims look ok on the right house and the less maintanence is appealing, but a true cedar lap siding w/ cedar trims looks mighty awesome as well, but of course w/ more upkeep. We are going w/ stucco, so no concern there, but i've always liked wood(s) and think that is the avenue we should go on the decking. Thanks! |
RE: Trex Decking
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| I think that the composites are priced similarily to the 1x6 ipe. Some a little more, some a little less. Biscuit joiner works fine with ipe. However, I have used the eb-ty and ipe clips and was not satisfied with either. To much movement in the wood. Not a lot, but even 1/16" movement in your gaps one way shows up. I use the headcotes with the smart bit. I have had no complaints. Regular stainless steel screws do stand out, but the headcotes do not. Mark |
RE: Trex Decking
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| Mark & I are on the same page concerning the eb-ty's. The problem I've seen with the eb-ty's is the plastic clip isn't strong enough to hold the ipe from cupping. Plus in dry weather the problem is exasperated by the shrinkage of the wood moving the clip further away from the center of the clip, the strongest point. If you can find a similar clip made with SS or ipe those may work, but I haven't seen one in use yet. The headcoats work quite well with a nice clean look & no problem with cupping. That's what I use now with my ipe decks. Screw close to the edge though, 1/2" - 3/4" max. I've seen ipe decks screwed down with deckmates that still cupped because they were screwed down 1 1/2" from the edge. Using 5/4 ipe helps eliminate the cupping problem, but that puts the cost another 2.65 per sq. ft. higher. There are some good composites in the same price range as ipe 1x6's. The one I mentioned above cost 2.29 per lf as do a few others. Even tho I'm a big fan of some comosites I believe dollar for dollar ipe is a better value. It will outlast any composite on the market today with same amount of maintenance. You just have to live with the grayed look of weathered wood. To maintain the exquisite look of ipe you have to do yearly coats of a good stain/sealer. That's the choice you & the boss have to make. Al |
RE: Trex Decking
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| Thanks again Al & Mark, you guys rock! Now off to the hard part of hacking it out w/ the boss. Thanks again! |
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