Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - Best deck material
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07-25-00, 12:55 AM
Which would you prefer for a new deck:
cedar, pressure treated wood or Trex?
cedar, pressure treated wood or Trex?
07-25-00, 04:39 AM
I prefer a pressure treated structure, with a cedar deck, and rails.
thomas kramer
01-03-05, 11:22 AM
Ipe with redwood rails and skirting is all that i build.cost of ipe varies with dealer.get the amout of decking you need , and submit them for bids. let them know that you are submitting this for bids and they will know you are shopping. also i strongly recomend using a penofin brand sealer it is pricy but will protect the wood and will make it look like a piece of furniture not a deck
Joe.Carrick
01-12-05, 04:20 PM
There are several composite materials available other than Trex which is just the one that's been around the longest. I would go to a lumber company that specializes in deck materials. In San Diego County that would be J&W Redwood.
Some of the composites fade a lot and some don't. The big advantage is that they don't rot or warp and don't need to be stained or sealed.
I've used pressure treated lumber and have not been happy with it. Redwood will turn black if left unsealed (needs to be sealed on all sides prior to installation which is a lot of work).
Cedar will dry out and loose strength over time.
Some of the composites fade a lot and some don't. The big advantage is that they don't rot or warp and don't need to be stained or sealed.
I've used pressure treated lumber and have not been happy with it. Redwood will turn black if left unsealed (needs to be sealed on all sides prior to installation which is a lot of work).
Cedar will dry out and loose strength over time.
lefty
01-12-05, 08:10 PM
"Best deck material?"
That's like asking "What is the best car?"
Wood, whether it's cedar, redwood, or Ipe will have the look of wood, albeit each will have their own unique look. (Where I live, PT isn't really much of an option. What we have available for PT is best suited for mudsill. And besides, we have redwood, which looks 20 times better and costs about the same.)
Trex is just on of about 100 composites on the market. Like Joe.Carrick said, it's been around the longest, so Trex (the company) wants people to refer to composites by their name -- much like everybody calls facial tissue Kleenex. If you are thinking about using a composite, find the one you like the looks of best -- you're going to be living with it for a very long time.
Another option is vinyl. Again, you're going to be living with it a very long time, so choose carefully.
From an installers standpoint, some composites are easy to work with, some are more time consuming because of how you install them. Ipe is simply very time consuming, because you have to predrill everything. (It's not called 'Ironwood' for nothing!!)
That's like asking "What is the best car?"
Wood, whether it's cedar, redwood, or Ipe will have the look of wood, albeit each will have their own unique look. (Where I live, PT isn't really much of an option. What we have available for PT is best suited for mudsill. And besides, we have redwood, which looks 20 times better and costs about the same.)
Trex is just on of about 100 composites on the market. Like Joe.Carrick said, it's been around the longest, so Trex (the company) wants people to refer to composites by their name -- much like everybody calls facial tissue Kleenex. If you are thinking about using a composite, find the one you like the looks of best -- you're going to be living with it for a very long time.
Another option is vinyl. Again, you're going to be living with it a very long time, so choose carefully.
From an installers standpoint, some composites are easy to work with, some are more time consuming because of how you install them. Ipe is simply very time consuming, because you have to predrill everything. (It's not called 'Ironwood' for nothing!!)