Tell me about Trex (or similar) Decks

[icedcoffee]

Tell me about your experience with Trex (or similar composite brands) decks.

We currently have a 20 year old wood deck.  It's in shitty condition and it's a PITA to stain (we have a walkout basement so it's like 20 feet high).  My H and I fight everytime we try to stain it.  It's seriously bad for our marriage.  LOL  We're in the process of getting quotes to replace with Trex.  It's SOOOOO pricey, but I think it's the right decision in the long term.  Quotes have ranged from $16k (use the old framing which is not up to current code) to $20k (all brand new--up to code).

Anyway--If you've been through this process is there anything you wish you knew?  Did you spring for any lighting packages (like built in on the railings/stairs)?  Anything else?  Did you go with Trex or a different brand?

[knx9211]

We have a Trex deck. It was pricy but worth every penny. I love it. We have lights in the posts and stairs.

It’s too cold for my ass to go outside for a better pic. I think we spent about $15-20k

[knx9211]

Also I would not do an option that gives you a deck that’s not up to code. What if you need to sell?

[bcv513]

For "only" 4k more, I would get all new, especially since the old framing is not up to code. Our house came with a Trex deck and we love it. We just hose it down when it gets dirty, it never needs to be stained, and it's in great shape.

[icedcoffee]

Ooh that's really nice knx9211,! Do the lights in the posts make any difference in your enjoyment of the deck? Would you say they are worth it? Do they actually give off any light? We do need more lighting out there than the one light we currently have.

We are thinking we'll skip the ones in the stairs and put in a flood light instead because we will have like 16 steps so it will get pricey,

[icedcoffee]

knx9211, bcv513, Yes---I think my H and I are both in agreement that we want it done right and up to code. We have no plans to sell, but we're both rule followers and like things done right.

Kind of related. The deck is kind of a sore subject to me because right before we closed on the house 5 years ago I was playing on the county website and learned that our deck had the permit issued in 1999, but it was never "finalized" (ie: final approval). I told the sellers we would not close until they got final approval. They made a small change to the deck and got the final approval very quickly. I have no idea how. Every guy that's come out here has told me that our deck is not up to code and it's not even up to the code that existed in 1999. I have no idea who the sellers paid off to get final approval from the county.

[latte]

When we built, we went with Trex decking for the deck and front porch. It was expensive but worth it because we wanted low maintenance. All we need to do is power wash it. We didn’t get any lights in the stairs, but I think it looks so good and wish we had done it, but we were over budget on everything already. If you are spending that much money, I would do the new framing for as well. I wouldn’t want to spend that much and still not have a deck that was to code.

[candreco]

We've used composite decking at two houses now, it was Trex at the last house but a different brand at this one, they had a hidden fastener system option and better color selection. I can probably find out what it is.

First was professionally done because we were adding a new deck one story up, so that did include pressure treated structure and railings, except the top piece was still Trex, and we just put solar lights on the stairs to meet code.

The current house was just replacing the planking on an existing ground-level deck, and DH did that himself. Since we were not replacing structure, we didn't have to bring it up to code (per our county regs, it was built to a recent enough version), though I believe the only issue would have been spindle spacing on the railings, and they were borderline.

I much prefer the composite, especially with the hidden fasteners- no splinters, screws, or nails to snag bare feet. It does get hot in the sun, but not ridiculously so, our dog loves laying on it, lol.

[knx9211]

Feb 21, 2019 9:13:29 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Ooh that's really nice knx9211,! Do the lights in the posts make any difference in your enjoyment of the deck? Would you say they are worth it? Do they actually give off any light? We do need more lighting out there than the one light we currently have.

We are thinking we'll skip the ones in the stairs and put in a flood light instead because we will have like 16 steps so it will get pricey,

I think the ones in the steps are definitely worth it especially with how clumsy I am haha. I really like the look of the ones on the deck and we can sit out there without any other light on, but they’re not NECESSARY if it adds too much of a cost.

[megstoo]

We have a trex deck (20x24) and it was pricey but definitely worth it. I want to say it was double the price of just plain wood but I like that it's literally no maintenance. To clean it we just use a regular garden hose and no staining. The downfall though is that the composite gets very warm in summer. We can't be out there barefoot since it's to hot on the feet.

The color we have is lava rock which I love - sort of a reddish/brownish and we ended up doing black metal balusters. We do have lights on the steps because that's code.  Whatever you do DON'T use the old framing - you won't pass inspection and when you go to sell you'll get screwed.  

[icedcoffee]

Has anyone done gray? I kind of like it, but I also wonder if it's too trendy and weather it will stain easier than a red/brown color.  I'm thinking gray will be cooler in the summer too. 

[nicanmatt]

I love ours, it came with the house we bought 10 years ago, so I don't know how old it is. Only issues are that it gets really hot in the summer sun even thought the boards are a very light tan. The boards are also super slick when it rains or snows. That is probably just the kind of boards they bought. My favorite is that instead of a step, they installed a ramp. Obviously that wouldn't work in your case, but it's been a great feature to have vs. 1-2 steps that would be difficult for my mother-in-law's bad knees.

[latte]

Feb 21, 2019 9:31:44 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Has anyone done gray? I kind of like it, but I also wonder if it's too trendy and weather it will stain easier than a red/brown color.  I'm thinking gray will be cooler in the summer too. 

We have gray. So far it hasn’t stained at all, but we have only lived here for 2 years. It does get dusty looking because we have a lot of wind storms, but we just hose it down, and it looks good as new! I can’t say if it would be any cooler though since both our spaces are covered. I will say though, it’s a lot cooler than our last deck, which was stained a darker shade of brown.

[ssmjlm]

We're on our second composite deck and I love it. We haven't used the trex brand specifically, but our current house is Azek which is what our builder installs.

Also on the lights, we did them on our patio and I am so happy we did. I kind of worried about the cost, but it was worth it.

[icedcoffee]

Feb 21, 2019 9:20:04 GMT -5 candreco said:

First was professionally done because we were adding a new deck one story up, so that did include pressure treated structure and railings, except the top piece was still Trex, and we just put solar lights on the stairs to meet code.

How do you like the solar lights?  One guy we got a quote from suggested not doing the hardwired Trex brand lights and instead just order the solar lights online and his crew will install them for free (basically they snap on in 5 seconds).  I wonder how well Solar lights work compared to wired.  The solar post cap lights are $25 or under online so it's definitely a lot cheaper....

My only experience with solar lights is glow in the dark stickers when I was a kid.  LOL

Our deck gets direct sun so I think they should be ok.  We still plan to install 1 or 2 flood lights regardless because our backyard and deck is super dark.

[candreco]

Feb 21, 2019 10:50:16 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Feb 21, 2019 9:20:04 GMT -5 candreco said:

First was professionally done because we were adding a new deck one story up, so that did include pressure treated structure and railings, except the top piece was still Trex, and we just put solar lights on the stairs to meet code.

How do you like the solar lights?  One guy we got a quote from suggested not doing the hardwired Trex brand lights and instead just order the solar lights online and his crew will install them for free (basically they snap on in 5 seconds).  I wonder how well Solar lights work compared to wired.  The solar post cap lights are $25 or under online so it's definitely a lot cheaper....

My only experience with solar lights is glow in the dark stickers when I was a kid.  LOL

Our deck gets direct sun so I think they should be ok.  We still plan to install 1 or 2 flood lights regardless because our backyard and deck is super dark.

We only lived in the house about another two years after we put the deck on, but they were fine in a relatively shady spot.  We honestly didn't think too hard about those, we were unlikely to use those stairs in the dark so we really just needed them to meet code.

[icedcoffee]

Feb 21, 2019 10:58:24 GMT -5 spearmintleaf said:

Feb 21, 2019 9:31:44 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Has anyone done gray? I kind of like it, but I also wonder if it's too trendy and weather it will stain easier than a red/brown color.  I'm thinking gray will be cooler in the summer too. 

I really love gray, but it’s so in style now that I’d do something more classic. You don’t want your 30 year decking to go the way of avocado colored fridges in 5 years.

Yeah---this is definitely my concern.  We tend to do trendy things just as they're going out of style.  I'd prefer to avoid that with a $20k deck.

[sparty04]

We have Trex but cedar railings and edges. I hate staining the cedar and wish we had just done Trex for all of it, but money was tight. We recently got a quote to have the cedar changed to Trex and it would end up costing more than the original deck we bought (which is crazy because the majority of the deck is already Trex). DH is going to redo it himself within the next few years.

I do like Trex though and we picked a style that has a wood grain so it looks really nice. My kids won’t walk on it barefoot during the summer though

[TBM]

Feb 21, 2019 11:02:14 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Feb 21, 2019 10:58:24 GMT -5 spearmintleaf said:

I really love gray, but it’s so in style now that I’d do something more classic. You don’t want your 30 year decking to go the way of avocado colored fridges in 5 years.

Yeah---this is definitely my concern.  We tend to do trendy things just as they're going out of style.  I'd prefer to avoid that with a $20k deck.

I'm not a psychic, but don't see gray going anywhere anytime soon. It is a neutral color that is also classic and a color used in hardscape (concrete, pavers, stone, wood fences age gray, etc.).

I kind of wish that we had gone with gray instead of brown, (in part because I am having a hard time finding pavers or stones in a color that looks right to me with the deck), but I did choose it because it blends with the brown floors we have indoors, and I like that continuity. I think I just need to keep looking until I find the right thing. The courtyard is going to be heavily hardscaped, and it is what we see from almost every room of the house, so getting it right is a big deal to me.

[icedcoffee]

Feb 21, 2019 12:04:18 GMT -5 TBM said:

Feb 21, 2019 11:02:14 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Yeah---this is definitely my concern.  We tend to do trendy things just as they're going out of style.  I'd prefer to avoid that with a $20k deck.

I'm not a psychic, but don't see gray going anywhere anytime soon. It is a neutral color that is also classic and a color used in hardscape (concrete, pavers, stone, wood fences age gray, etc.).

I kind of wish that we had gone with gray instead of brown, (in part because I am having a hard time finding pavers or stones in a color that looks right to me with the deck), but I did choose it because it blends with the brown floors we have indoors, and I like that continuity. I think I just need to keep looking until I find the right thing. The courtyard is going to be heavily hardscaped, and it is what we see from almost every room of the house, so getting it right is a big deal to me.

These are good points too.  Also--our siding in the back is gray and we're not residing that anytime soon so gray probably won't look out of place there.  Hmmm.

[isabel]

I would get it up to code regardless of what you do, and I think Trex is worth it. We have a Trex fence and the thing will basically never have to be replaced. It is solid and shows literally no sign of wear.

[cleo29]

I would do it all up to code, including railings and lighting.

I don't think we used Trex, but a different company, but we love it. And we ended up having to down an extra two feet because the soil was back fill or something and too soft. if you are going to do this, do it right and then you will not have to worry down the road if you were to sell the house.

[fryjack2]

Feb 21, 2019 14:29:06 GMT -5 isabel said:

I would get it up to code regardless of what you do, and I think Trex is worth it. We have a Trex fence and the thing will basically never have to be replaced. It is solid and shows literally no sign of wear.

I didn't know this existed. 

I'm going to google as we are getting bids for a fence right now. 

[isabel]

Feb 21, 2019 14:36:46 GMT -5 fryjack2 said:

Feb 21, 2019 14:29:06 GMT -5 isabel said:

I would get it up to code regardless of what you do, and I think Trex is worth it. We have a Trex fence and the thing will basically never have to be replaced. It is solid and shows literally no sign of wear.

I didn't know this existed. 

I'm going to google as we are getting bids for a fence right now. 

I wish I could give you more detail. It was installed (and is maintained by) the HOA. Our backyard backs up to the rec center. But that fence has been there at least 10 years and with a quick pressure wash, looks brand new. We're moving this summer, but the next time we need to put in a fence, it will definitely be a consideration for me. I know it's pricey, but those things last for-e-ver.

[cleo29]

Feb 21, 2019 14:39:18 GMT -5 isabel said:

Feb 21, 2019 14:36:46 GMT -5 fryjack2 said:

I didn't know this existed. 

I'm going to google as we are getting bids for a fence right now. 

I wish I could give you more detail. It was installed (and is maintained by) the HOA. Our backyard backs up to the rec center. But that fence has been there at least 10 years and with a quick pressure wash, looks brand new. We're moving this summer, but the next time we need to put in a fence, it will definitely be a consideration for me. I know it's pricey, but those things last for-e-ver.

It's more money upfront, but then lasts far longer so you will end spending less in the long run. i feel this way after watching Holmes and Holmes install metal roofs (looks like shingles) that last 50 years.

[DotAndBuzz]

Feb 21, 2019 9:31:44 GMT -5 icedcoffee said:

Has anyone done gray? I kind of like it, but I also wonder if it's too trendy and weather it will stain easier than a red/brown color.  I'm thinking gray will be cooler in the summer too. 

My parents just put in gray. their front porch has been gray wood for the past 30 years, and they just replaced it with the gray trex, so I say definitely not trendy. They trimmed it out with white rails, so it's not super "modern" looking. 

But definitely do it all up to code. 

[simpsongal]

I have a mahogany floor on our screened porch that is indestructible. I’m not sure how it would wear on a deck. That said, I’ve heard mostly great things about composite. I think they had mold issues a decade ago but that seems to be a thing of the past.

[thatgirl2478]

So it's possible that their manufacturing has changed since we looked into using it in 2012, however we opted for a standard wood deck for 2 reasons:

1) long term durability questions - the local wild life park has composite decking in their visitors center area and it has not held up well to the weather & traffic. Now, that's a lot more foot traffic than any house will ever see but, even the weathering in less traffic prone areas was evident (peeling/splitting product, faded, warped).

2) increased cost - the wood deck we built already cost 13k to build (it was really 2 decks, an 8x8 elevated about 6' in the air with stairs to the 24x16 deck that was probably 5' off the ground and stairs to the back yard), so the trex was going to add a significant amount to that total not just because of the visible product but also because it needs joists that are closer together (12" vs 16") which adds more structural material as well.

That said, if they've addressed the quality issues and you've got examples of the companies work that's been done for several years (that you can go see in person), it's a great product. Not staining & sealing it is a HUGE bonus. That's a chore I never ever want to do again. As for the decking being uncomfortable in the sun, so was my wood deck (south/west facing very little afternoon shade), it's a pain but the best way to avoid it is either a sun shade/awning or a wood pergola type covering.

[thatgirl2478]

Feb 21, 2019 16:01:17 GMT -5 simpsongal said:

I have a mahogany floor on our screened porch that is indestructible. I’m not sure how it would wear on a deck. That said, I’ve heard mostly great things about composite. I think they had mold issues a decade ago but that seems to be a thing of the past.

Yes, there were mold issues a few years back. That was one reason we decided against it.

[L]

We have one on our back deck that is 15yrs old and another one at our cabin in the mountains (so under snow 6+Mo a year) that is about 17yrs old. They are great, if you can swing it, totally worth the money. Occasional power wash or hose off and you are good to go.