Hello guys,
We are getting tired of re-stainting our decks. We have had to replace some boards over the years due to rot. We are now thinking that we should just replace the entire deck with composite. Menards has the UltraDeck brand on sale right now. Has anyone used this brand? Anything good or back to say about it. Do the composite boards hold more heat then standard wood decks? We have a dog that uses the deck daily.
TIA,
FDR
when we redid the outside of our house we went with a maintence free deck, composite??? probably. love it, pressure wash it now and then and good to go. i am not sure where the material came from, probably a local lumber yard as i had the work hired out.
to answer your question………..yea the floor of the deck gets real warm. dogs dont care for it much until it gets shaded. other then that i love it!!!!
Yes, they typically get much hotter than wood.
I haven’t used Menard’s brand, just make sure your joist spacing will accommodate whichever brand you choose. Especially on the stairs.
Check out Trex Select or Transcend, or if you want the ultimate look at Azek.
I will second what epg said and add if you are worried about it getting hot, look at lighter colors.
I have the composite decking from Home Depot, the stuff they carry I store. I’ve had it for about 8 years now, and like Glenn said you just pressure wash it, and it looks great. I think I would stay away from Menards (everything) decking, I think it’s hollow, or has these channels, mine and most quality decking is solid.
I’ve installed my share of the stuff! The composit decking from Menards is ok, it really fades in color after a year, so be prepared for that. Definitely go with the solid material!
We are planning on going to some type of composite also and one item a contractor mentioned was that the composite is heavier than the wood so make sure your joists and posts are good and can support the extra weight. We are going to add a beam under ours and cantilever about two foot in from the side of the deck for added support.
What I Learned About Composite Decks
In no particular order:
Composite wants straight joists; it is not as forgiving as wood. Irregularities will show. Shimming may still be necessary. 5ft. levels were used to check the plane.
Apply butyl tape (aka: “bitchathane”) to tops of all joists. Paint all bare wood.
Get yourself an impact driver for removal of old screws.
16” joist centers are acceptable, but 12” is preferred. Blocking perpendicular to the joists is recommended every 4ft. – if for no other reason than to have something to brace against when pushing with clamps <grin>.
Joists must be solid wood, repair rot in many ways: liquid hardener, “Dutchman,” replace with new, or sister.
TimberTeck specifications call for double joist or double blocking (sistering) wherever a butt joint is because of fastener positioning requirements. To do over again, I’d reconsider screwing in “L” brackets underneath or the Fibron clip system.
Screws pull the planks down firmly. If screwing down through the plank (e.g. Cortex), pre-drilling will help with questionable wood (i.e. rot). All ends must be pre-drilled to avoid chance of splitting.
If Cortex screw doesn’t go deep enough, then plug bottom must be shaved down to prevent bottoming out. Plugs are more noticeable not because of poor color match, but rather when they are not flush. To remove a plug, center punch, use a slightly smaller diameter drill at super slow speed and it’ll lift right out.
Assume composite planks as not reusable if screwing them in through the face. The composite encloses slightly around the head, preventing it from rising back up. Force lifting will crack the plank across the screw holes. With hidden fasteners, there is a better chance of reusing the plank.
The majority of this job was using CONCEALoc Hidden Fastener.
The CONCEALoc Hidden Fastener screw heads were non-forgiving, i.e. soft metal. You get only one chance or the head strips. The clips’ tabs might need aligning up or down to fit plank’s groove.
Hidden fasteners are not as simple to use as the videos portray. Bar and pipe clamps were used to pull/push the plank into the proper gap. And then a good whack with a heavy hammer onto scrap wood to set the plank.
The crew noted that the TimberTech was cooler to handle than Trex on hot days. We used TimberTeck Pro, Reserve Collection “Antique Leather.” Cortex offers a matching plug. Antique Leather has varying colors running through it, so take your time matching the plugs. Again, the most important thing to make the plugs “disappear” is making them flush (use a plastic head hammer).
Butt gaps vary with temperature. At over 90°F. the gap utilized was a tight 1/16”. We actually notice the expansion and contraction as the temperature changes.
Carry composite planks over 16ft. vertical on edge.
Pre-paint the joists and blocking before installation, you’ll thank me later.
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The Home Depot stuff is better quality than the menards stuff
FDR, I cannot offer any expertise, but my we have a composite porch floor and it’s wonderful. It’s 12-13 years old and looks new. Go for it!
I want to enclose a small backyard with a maintenance free 6′ privacy fence and have been wondering if these deck composite boards would work for fencing. I heard one person state they are too heavy for that.
Way too heavy!
Visit the web and your home center for ideas. Drive around your neighborhood.
Off the top of my head: how about chain link with filler strips
I’d go to your local lumberyard and talk with the people who make a living using, selling, and handling the stuff. The department store composite decking from Menards, Home Depot, etc are not the same quality as what can be ordered or is often stocked at lumberyards.
Hire someone to install it that’s used it before. Don’t be anyone’s guinea pig or go with the “how hard can it be” approach. When done correctly, it makes a beautiful finished product. When installed incorrectly, it’s an expensive fix and slight issues show much easier than wood decking.
Don’t rely on the 16″ on center stair stringers. When I did our two sets of stairs I had to cut new stringers to go between the existing ones. If I recall correctly I believe the lumber company said to string stairs 12″ on center but I’m under that even and could tell the difference immediately. I did the short stairs first at 16″oc and was showing the step son and he actually stepped thru the bottom step. Cracked all the way thru the outboard tread. I re-did the stringers and no issues. The high stairs I added the new stringers to before I did anything else.
The composite doesn’t seem to be slippery when wet and snow/ice will pretty much just slip right off of it. BUT….it sure does get hot on the feet in the sun.
Don’t rely on the 16″ on center stair stringers
Building a deck right now and the Azek Vintage series I’m installing requires 8in OC stair stringers. Definitely check the installation specs beforehand.
Les Ismoore just curious why spend all the time and money an then still have a wooden railing that you have to maintain all the time.
Les Ismoore just curious why spend all the time and money an then still have a wooden railing that you have to maintain all the time.
Won’t speak for Les, but if the railing is still in decent condition for budgetary reasons some may hold off replacement until they can budget for it again. Its not like they both need to be done at the same time unless the railing was bad or had to be removed to replace decking.
Railing doesn’t have the wear surfaces that need refinishing as often.
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