Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - Deck Material

I am faced with the task of replacing about 750 sq. ft. of deck and after pricing the material in redwood I have come to the conclusion that someone has been smoking the "green stuff".:mad: Can anyone tell me what other options there are in wood for decking? I was considering doug fir or maybe cedar.

RJL88,

This may be long but you can decide based on this information.

Most would agree that natural wood is the most appealing when done with skill and finished properly. With woods like redwood, cedar, cypress, and treated pine products is unparalleled in meeting those desires. The synthetic decking systems have yet to produce a product that rivals the natural beauty of real wood. Wood naturally absorbs and dissipates solar energy. You can walk across many wood surfaces that have been in direct sunlight for hours without burning your bare feet.

As you said, the price of redwood is spendy but it is the beauty that you are paying for as an example. Real deck surfaces require periodic treatments with synthetic wood preservatives and sealants.

Pressure Treated (PT) Southern Yellow Pine
· The most commonly used decking material in the Northeast area
· Least expensive of the material choices
· Very strong and durable
· Always used for deck frame regardless of the surface, rail or
stair material
· Tendency to split, check and warp
· Starts out greenish/grown, turns brownish/gray

Red Cedar - (STK) Sound Tight Knots Allowed
· 20% More expensive than a PT deck
· Relatively soft wood (scratches and gauges more easily)
· Contains many knots - has a "rustic" look
· Much less likely to spilt, check or warp
· Starts out reddish/brown, turns browish/gray

Port Orford White Cedar
· Priced the same as STK Red Cedar
· Generally less knots than STK
· Harder and stronger than Red Cedar · No tendency to split,
check or warp
· Aromatic fruity scent
· We feel the best value of the available wood options
· Starts out white, turns light gray.

Trex ™
· 25% more expensive than PT
· Composite material made from wood and plastic by Mobil Oil
· Will NOT spilt, check or warp
· Absolutely NO maintenance required!
· Will hold up better than any of the woods over time
· Does not look like wood
· No wood grain or color variations that most people find
desirable
· Structurable members need to be wood
· Several colors to choose from (depending on availability).
· Turns dark gray, whitish/gray or brown.

Mahogany
Approximately 70% expensive more than PT
· A furniture quality hardwood
· Virtually no knots
· No tendency to spilt, check or warp
· Very strong and stable
· All connections and predrilled and screwed together
· Starts out golden/brown turns dark brown

Red Cedar - D&Better (Almost Clear)
· Priced the same as Mahogany
· Same as STK, but almost no knots

IPE
· Approximately 80% more expensive than PT
· The best decking lumber available
· No tendency to split, check or warp
· Virtually flawless
· Strongest and hardest of all the materials
· All connections are predrilled and screwed
· Starts out reddish/brown turns dark brown

As with most things, you get what you pay for, just know exactly what it is that you are getting before you pay for it.

Hope this helps!

Douglas fir will not hold up as long as the redwood or cedar.
If you are avoiding CCA pressure treated lumber due to the arsenic, wait until next spring and you should find the new AC2 non-arsenic pt lumber.

For composite decking (more sticker shock), here's a site which lists over 40 manufacturers:

http://www.4specs.com/s/06/06500.html

fred

fred,

Didn't like my long list? I was hoping you'd get in here somewhere!

It is nice to know you're around!

Actually I forgot to mention that I am in CA in the Sierra Mountain range, 4000 ft Elevation. I am a novice when it comes to wood decks thus I had no idea that PT wood was used! Does this PT wood look similar to "mudsill"? And are all the joists included or is Doug Fir suitable?

Thanks for your patience:)

Doug,

The ONLY 2 things that you said that weren't 100% correct were the part about Trex being made by Mobil Oil, and the part about it needing "NO maintenance". (Used to be made by Mobil, when it was first developed and distributed, but hasn't been for over 7 or 8 years.) Trex is made by Trex -- RJL88 would be getting his out of Fernley, NV (IF he chooses to go with Trex!) -- their other plant is in Virginia. And "NO maintenance" doesn't mean that you can simply ignore it. you HAVE to clean it! Sweep the leaves off of it every few weeks (expecially oak leaves and pine needles!), and scrub it with a stiff push broom and water every few months. Otherwise, you will get mold and mildew developing on it, and it WILL turn 'splotchy'.

RJL88,

The P.T. stuff you are looking at that looks like "mudsill" is exactly that!! You and I are both 'Left Coast' -- this is what's available to us. (And if you think redwood is expensive here, go to Meeks (or some other lumber yard) and get a quote on SYP -- Just make sure that you are sitting down when they tell you!!!)

No, around here, the deck of choice is going to be redwood, cedar, IPE, or one of the composites (and there something like 30 or 35 of them on the market now). Redwood and cedar will be the least expensive to build, but in 10 or15 years, the IPE or a composite will cost you less in that you don't have all of the expensive maintenance (stripping and resealing) involved.

Fred,

I stand corrected -- there probably ARE more than 40 composites on the market now!! It's just becoming the only way to go! Kinda like buying radial tires for your truck (or car). Remember the Firestone ads from the early '70's -- "It's not how much you pay for a tire, it's HOW OFTEN YOU PAY IT!!"?? (When's the last time you bought a tire that WASN'T a radial???)

Hi Doug,

Actually, when I posted, your's was not shown yet. We were obviously keying about the same time.

Between you, me, and Lefty, I think we have all the bases covered.
fred

Lefty, the last non-radial I bought was prob for my '68 SS 396 Chevelle!!

fewalt,

Thanks! I was just wondering where you were, I haven't been on as much due to other D/D projects. I always appreciate your input which is excellent!

I guess I blew it on my list of products so I will make an updated list. Was the list OK?

Lefty took the no maintenenace issue as to you don't have to do anything but in fact, no maintenance means not having to do all the sealing/staining like that of the wood products. Trex does get dirty, right?

Thanks for the feedback!

Doug,

If I gotta work on that sucker, THAT'S maintenance!! (Even if I AM just sweeping it!!) We had some monster thread posted here not that long ago by somebody who took "No Maintenance" to mean that you just install and TOTALLY FORGET IT -- then he was pi... No -- UPSET because his Trex deck had signs of mold and mildew.

Fred

HAVE YOU STILL GOT THE CHEVELLE????

lefty,

No problem! I also want to know if Fred has that car. Sounds great if it's still looking sharp! They just don't make them like they used too but that's progress (I think that's what they call it)

You used to be able to fix them yourself, for the most part but now, it's pay the bucks to someone who knows allot more about them.

Gotta go, getting late!

Doug,

Your list and descriptions were excellent information. But I guess us easterners need to think nationally sometimes. Apparently the SYP pressure treated is covered in gold out there on the West side. Wish we could get the redwood and Ironwood (IPE) as 'cheap' as out there. Long distance freight charges do add up.
Some of the newer composites are really great looking - saw a new home construction last month with either Weathergrain or Evergrain, fastened from underneath. As Lefty mentioned though, even the composites need to be cleaned.

Well, I wish I still had that 68 Chevelle. I'm surprised I survived that 350HP when I was young and foolish. It caught fire on the intersate in the md 70's. Now I have an almost running 73 Nova hatchback sitting out back. Got it in a trade with my son.

fred

fewalt... i got an original 69 chevelle, with the orig 427 still residing between the fenders+ 6 sets of original 68/70 polyglas tires...

as to decking. we just built a fairly large deck with weatherbest (grey) and trapzease screws (again gray).. looks good so far, but only 2 months...

paris401,

I've seen the Weatherbest - looks real nice. Good luck with it.

A '69 427 Chevelle - A friend of mine in Cleveland still has his - dark green. What was neat about those babies was no engine markings on the fenders. Big time sleepers!!!!!

fred

mine is light blue... i think they call it 'sky blue'

i own a bunch of mopars hemi's/6packs/wings/etc.. but none of them touch the 427 .. pouching on it in 2nd gear at 3/3500rpm's, the car goes side-ways..

ofcourse with the prices of these things, she seldom gets abused anymore...

ron

Fred,

For us, getting SYP here on the west coast is the same as folks on the east coast getting redwood. It's DOABLE, by special order, but the freight is a killer!!

The PT we can get is #2 and btr Doug Fir, but it isn't anything you want to use for decking. It's mudsill, and LOOKS LIKE IT!

Redwood, IPE, and most of the composites are our choices for decking. There is (or was) a PT called Sunwood that would be OK as a decking material, but I don't know if we could still get it. The one store that used to carry it (Lumberjack, a Payless Cashways company) is out of business.

RJL88, using Doug Fir for the joists and for the girders that support those joists is just fine. I use either a PT or redwwod 4X4 for the posts, set them on pier blocks, with a 15" square footing under the piers. How DEEP you need that footing to be is determined by the frost line where you are at. You want the footing to be deeper that the frost line. Check with your local bldg. dept. to get that info, but I am guessing that you are looking at footings that are going to be 24" or so deep.