Synthetic "wood" decking


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Old 04-22-05, 05:04 AM
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Synthetic "wood" decking

My wood deck is 17 years old and the part exposed to sun and rain is rotten. The boards are on joists with 16" centers. Because we have such harsh summers here in Austin, TX, I think I will replace the rotten boards with one of the brands of synthetic deck materials, preferably composite -- Trex and ChoiceDeck are the two brands available at Home Depot and Lowe's, respectively.
How do the composites hold up in strong UV conditions? Any recommendations as to brands? ChoiceDeck Premium has a limited lifetime warranty, Trex a 10-year warranty. If they don't last at least 10-15 years, maybe treated wood is the best way? We are mainly concerned that it (1) look nice, and (2) need little or no maintenance, and (3) last a long time!
Please give me your advice based on your experience.
Thanks. Jo Wilson
 
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Old 04-22-05, 05:48 PM
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Hello: Jo

Composite wood is used very often here in Ca. also. Holds up very well in the desert heat and needs very little work to maintain & keep it looking great.

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Old 04-23-05, 08:20 AM
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composite decking is meant to look like wood but without the maintenence. it should not warp, splinter, or be affected by bugs. however, being a manufactured product, there is a fair bit of difference between products. strength, water absorption and expansion are the probably the most important. each product should have published information regarding these specifications. if the information is not in the brochure, insist on a written copy or visit the manufacturer's website.

here is a bit more about those specifications, what they mean and how they are expressed.

strength should be expresses as MOE (modulos or elasticity). higher number = more strength and less possibility of feeling "springy" underfoot.

water absorption should be expressed as percentage. less water absorption means less chance of mold growing in the product. you may see verbage indicating "minimal" absorption, which is too subjective and impossible to compare. insist on an objective number.

thermal expansion is expressed as modulous or thermal expansion. unfortunately, it isn't always expressed the same. the simplist form is a number (xx) multiplied by 10 to the minus 5th. Essentially this is how much expansion per degree of temerature change. if installed in cool weather, boards not gapped sufficiently (end to end) may buckle. the amount of gap depends on this specification and some require significantly more than others. even if not butted end to end, boards may elongate, lift up ends and shear off or pull the screws through the product. the less air flow under the deck due to design, etc, makes this specification critical. you may hear, "leaving X amount per 20 degree temp change will be ok". a verbal "ok" and a written statement can make a great deal of difference when you are trying to compare products.
 
 

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