Decking - Trex Material

[chemgear]

Hey guys,

I didn't want to necro some of the older deck threads but I was wondering if people had (more) experience with Trex material these days. I've seen some horror stories about very quick fading in the sun, peeling, and mold problems. I think there was a class action lawsuit on their "first generation" range of products but there were some positive responses in those older deck threads here on CP.

With a bunch more years of use since, what are people seeing now?

(Thanks in advance!)

[RyZ]

I had a deck built last summer and was looking at composite materials at the start but I had more than 1 builder tell me that within a year the deck will likely start creaking and squeaking when you walk on it and it will get worse over time. The newer gen product lasts and is a good product if you don't mind the sound.

I can't confirm, because I went with wood in the end, but one builder told me that heavy winds will even make composite decks and fences squeal with the gusts and at times you can hear them from inside the house. That particular builder refused to use composite materials for that reason.

[Ace]

We used timbertech. The deck has been good (no squeaking at all) for 4 seasons.

-No noticeable colour change, still looks great
-All I have to do is pressure wash it at the start and mid way through each season (easy)
-The installer had to come and do some repairs after the first year because some boards in the "hottest" parts of the deck warped up, I believe this was an install issue primarily (should have used more clips)
-Some boards that were under a BBQ mat swelled over the winter. I'm not sure if they will settle back down over time.

Ultimately I would do composite again in a second, because I like the appearance of the deck to last; but certainly the product has its own challenges.

[Tiger]

So far I'm happy with TREX, but I will say my deck doesn't get too much sun and hasn't been through a whole summer yet as I put it in in September last year. The newer gen composites have a plastic cap layer that prevents the issues they had before.

[Komskies]

We've had Trex at our Cabin for 7 years or so now and other than some initial color changes during the first year (not fading, just changes from exposure to elements) it's barely aged at all. I'd recommend it.

[Flacker]

Originally Posted by Ace

We used timbertech. The deck has been good (no squeaking at all) for 4 seasons.

-No noticeable colour change, still looks great
-All I have to do is pressure wash it at the start and mid way through each season (easy)
-The installer had to come and do some repairs after the first year because some boards in the "hottest" parts of the deck warped up )I believe this was an install issue primarily (should have used more clips)
-Some boards that were under a BBQ mat swelled over the winter. I'm not sure if they will settle back down over time.

Ultimately I would do composite again in a second, because I like the appearance of the deck to last; but certainly the product has its own challenges.

+1 for timbertech, great product. I suspect it may be significantly more expensive than TREX however.

TimberTech has been on my deck for 6 seasons now, and is as low maintenance as you can get. Dogs haven't scratched it, despite their best efforts. I would say it has faded slightly, but compared to any paint or stain it is awesome.

[SportsJunky]

Check out Zuri decking boards. They are 100% cellular PVC and they have a 25 year colour warranty.

http://zuri.royalbuildingproducts.com/zuri/