Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - negativity towards trex?

Hi all,
browsing through this forum, i have come across what i am taking as negativity towards trex products. i am on a time deadline (tommorrow) for purchasing their new Brasilia product line at an introductory discount but i am leaning against it because of what i am reading. (class action lawsuit, mold and then trex sending out a sealent and the people told to seal, etc.)

is trex as bad as i am reading into it? how are they still in business and offering a 25 year warranty?
thanks

it was the first product on the market. it's lower density and recycled content make it less strong and more water absorbant than any other product. I was at a deck exposition in Reno in 203. Nothing but people who installed only decks for a living. There were lots of horror stories. The stories weren't limited to Trex, but Trex was the most common problematic product. Maybe because it was the first. Maybe because people use the term "Trex" generically. I think the most "noise" resulted from a class action lawsuit filed against them in New Jersey. All of this, plus a lot of other product salesment are quick to point out the shortcomings of Trex.

Did you place your Trex Brasilia order today or did all the negativity stop you? Just curious.

There are just other superior products on the market, that are just better made & will last & look good longer than Trex IMHO. :coffee: And also come in less expensive to buy and install than the Trex.

Check out CorrectDeck made by Correct Materials out of Maine, or Certainteed's Boardwalk, they're out of Pa. These are the products I recommend to my customers, they of course have the final say as to material choice & I have the final say as to whether I will install their choice or not. If the money is right we'll do it anyway they want that meets code, how long we'll warranty it for is a different matter. Here's a link to both products.

CorrectDeck (http://www.correctdeck.com)

Boardwalk by Certainteed (http://www.certainteed.com/CertainTeed/Homeowner/Homeowner/FenceDeckRail/ProdIndex/Deck/Composite/Boardwalk/boardwalk.htm)

This is my informed opinion as a contractor that does several decks each year. ;)

thanks for the replies. Yes, i allowed it to sway me enough to not place the order and not consider Trex anymore.
i am now interested in HDPE......

Do you mean IPE? Pronounced "E-pay". IPE is a natural product, grown in Brazil. Sometimes calle Brazilian Walnut. At least one supplier uses the proprietary name "Ironwood" It's incredible strong and completely resistant to rot, bugs, won't warp and probably will last forever. An example is the boardwalk at Atlantic City, installed in 1978. Millions of tourists, motorized carts, sand, hurricane winds and ocean salt spray have been pounding on it all these years and it's still good.

On the install side, it is a little harder because it must be predrilled. If you replacing a deck surface which had joists 24" OC, IPe is strong enough to span it.

If you do nothing to IPE, it will weather to a brownish tan-silver. If you choose to seal it with a product made for this super high density wood, you'll have one of the richest, nicest looking outdoor hardwood floor you can imagine. Only drawback is to seal it perhaps every other year.

I think jay_myself is probably right -- you mean IPE.

(HDPE is High Density Poly Ethylene. Wouldn't make for a good deck, even if you COULD afford it!!)

Ipe is fine, but very time consuming to install. Most DIY'ers just figure their time at zero, so that's not an issue.

Tons of other options as well. Awesomedell mentioned a couple, and I will mention a composite called Weather Best, and a vinyl called Pro Cell.

Shop around and find the one you like the looks and features of the best -- you are going to be living with this deck for a long time!

I built a gigantic 2 story deck out of trex- with surrounding seat/handrail and staircase with trex handrail and ballusters, and I thought it was a great product. I wasn't real impressed with the handrail and ballusters, but I liked the decking. I used special flush-drive screws that wouldn't make the surface "mushroom" when you drove them in.

That was over a year ago, and I've been back to inspect it since then, and it's really weathered out nicely, (trex naturally fades) and has much more of a smooth appearance. One thing that was unsightly was the end gaps, which seemed larger than when the deck was first installed.

I'd love to use some of these other products that you guys are talking about. If they are better than trex, I can hardly imagine how much fun it would be to use! It's hard to believe I get paid for having such fun.

hi all.
sorry for the confusion. i did mean HDPE, as oppossed to IPE. i looked into IPE and dislike the weathered color (my parents have it and did not seal) and i dont want to seal it annually no matter how easy it is.

The product i am looking into now can be seen at www.usplasticlumber.com
and there are others that offer it as well.
i am thinking that the only drawback (other than cost) is the expansion/contraction characteristics of the material. not to mention the 12" joist spacing i would use.

(HDPE is High Density Poly Ethylene. Wouldn't make for a good deck, even if you COULD afford it!!)

Would be one huge/nice cutting board though.

I'll install whatever the customer tells me to. It's their deck, they have to live with it, and I can't see it from my house (usually!!)

Nothing wrong with Trex (except for their Natural color, which developes black spots) but I don't care for the look of their Origins. Their Accents pattern looks better.

XSleeper, the end gaps of any composite will be larger in cool weather than they were last summer in the heat. Go back and look at it in July or August, and the gaps will look more like how they were when you built the deck. (Use a smaller gap in the summer -- you'll be fine!)

Kookmyers,

There are several vinyl decks available. I have installed and really like Pro Cell. The only other one I have ever looked at (don't remember the name of it) felt slippery when wet. That, all by itself, was enough for me to turn and walk away. Before you buy the decking, do what I did. Get a piece of it wet and try walking on it. Try sliding your feet across it. THEN decide whether to buy it or not.

The biggest advantages of vinyl over a composite are stain resistance, scratch resistance, and, if the mfgr. uses enough UV inhibitors, fade resistance.

XSleeper, the end gaps of any composite will be larger in cool weather than they were last summer in the heat. Go back and look at it in July or August, and the gaps will look more like how they were when you built the deck. (Use a smaller gap in the summer -- you'll be fine!).

Yeah, it was blazing hot when I built it, and it was a dark color. I spaced it less than 1/8" to begin with, the day (1 year later) I went back to inspect, it was cooler and the gaps were more like 3/16" which was a little unsightly. I should have butted everything tightly, knowing that it would never get hotter (and expand) more than the day I was there. Ah well, experience is the best teacher.

Regarding vinyl decks, I've never worked with it and have avoided it like the plague. The vinyl decks I've been on look dirty (due to the surface texture holding dirt) and they are so squeeky and creaky that I feel sorry for the people who own them. I'm suprised to find out that there may be some better vinyl products out there.

It's been interesting to read this thread, because we're considering Trex for a deck area that we're about to build this summer, and everyone we know in our area who's used Trex just raves about it! And I've seen their decks, and they're really nice (and also quite comfortable to walk on, rain or shine, from what I've seen).

We were thinking of using Trex around our pool. Any thoughts on that?

Trex is fine for decking. I just shy away from using their Natural colored Origins, for the reason stated. It tends to develop black spots that are nothing more than the tannin acid bleeding through. Looks ugly, and you can't get rid of it. Other than that, Trex is a great product.

Got to go deal with a Winchester Grey deck in a couple of weeks where some of the decking literally fell apart. I'll be replacing about 15 boards. Trex is not only replacing the boards on their nickel, but they are paying the labor, disposal, and new fasteners as well. Their warranty only covers the Trex material, but they are going to make it right for the customer. THAT is customer service.

I'm a contractor. Will I hesitate to install a Trex deck for a customer?? NO. I've taken pictures of the one that fell apart. Will I hesitate to install another one?? NO!!

Trex is good, but nobody said they were PERFECT!! As long as they stand behind their product, PLUS go the extra mile for their customer without a squabble, I'll keep installing their product.

I've dealt with other companies on warranties issues -- it was worse than pulling teeth to make the customer happy. Dealing with Trex on this one has been way too simple. It's taken a month or so, but that's just a paperwork thing. There hasn't been a bit of arguement from Trex.

Great to know! Thanks so much for the information. I work in the client services field, so I know what you're talking about regarding both difficult/unreasonable clients AND making sure the client is well taken care of so that they leave happy (as much as possible) with the company. And my husband is a painting contractor (20+ years), so we know about difficult clients AND products/vendors from that angle as well!

Again...thanks for the info :)