Decks, Patios, Porches and Docks - Best deck material to repel mold/mildew ?

We live in Oregon and want a new deck in our back yard which is shaded by oaks and conifers. Did a search and found much info on composite mfrs, also hardwoods (which apparently have a natural resistance to mold/mildew).

I realize there has to be SOME blowing, hosing and power washing but we had a redwood deck in CA and we did all three of the above, plus sealing, staining and finally, painting. No mas. :madhell:

How about TREX Escapes which apparently has the BEST mold and mildew resistance of 0.3 AWPA E24-06 rating?

How about ChoiceDek CX which allegedly has a built in algaecide or WeatherBest which allegedly has zinc borate built in?

Other mfrs I read about are ProCell 100% vinyl, Veranda (cheaper), WeatherBest, EverGrain and Bella Rosa.

Have not yet checked with local distributors to see what is actually available in our area, but when I get some basic info as to mold/mildew resistance, I will be off and running.

Many thanks,

Made some phone calls and it seems that only Timber Tech, EverGrain and Trex are available in our area.

Local lumber dealers like TimberTech XLM as the "maintenance free" choice for me. Trex is not a favorite.

I will look at EverGrain website, if there is one.

You mentioned Pro Cell decking -- did you look for a dealer who carries Azek?? Azek took over Pro Cell a couple of years ago. The product is virtually unchanged, other that Azek added white to the color options. That is going to be about the only decking that will tolerate the enviornment that you are talking about installing it in -- lots of shade, lots of moisture, oak leaves with their tannin acid, ...

Hi Lefty:

Just yesterday I went to a H/I store that carried Azek and while reading the literature saw "ProCell". I was going to ask the forum about Azek but you beat me to it.

It is high-end, about $3.33 a board foot. But I think TimberTech is about $3.00 to $3.50 a b/f, depending on color.

I have a sample and it has a relatively smooth surface which I think is good, insofar as dirt, pollen, etc. will not settle into the highly textured surfaces of some other planks I see. As I understand it, mildew likes to feed on dirt, dust, pollen, leafs, etc.

Have not yet seen, in person, any TimberTech, but it appears to have a very smooth surface and apparently, you have a choice of which side to present as the plank is double sided.

Azek did have a warning that bug repellent and sunscreen lotion might stain the planks. It could be TimberTech carries the same warning, not sure. But heck, if the deck is in the shade, one of the two items is not needed.

Thanks

At $3.33 per BOARD foot, it would be a steal. Check again -- pretty sure both the Azek and the Timber Tech are listed at LINEAR foot price. (All of the dealers in Redding list their decking that way, and Azek is right at $3.25 to $3.30 at every one of them.) and it takes about 2.2 linear feet to make a square foot.

Sunscreen and bug sprays are going to stain virtually EVERY decking, including Azek. You won't get away from that by selecting a different brand. But the list of things that will stain a composite is a lot longer than the list of things that will stain Azek, since a composite contains wood fiber and Azek doesn't.

OK, we have chosen TimberTech XLM, solid plank for the deck. It will be $2.99 a linear foot.

Azek did not have the color we wanted. We chose SandRidge by TTech.

Thank you for your help.