# Composite/PVC for deck



## denniswoody (Dec 11, 2011)

I am looking at a new deck and considering composite or PVC. In searching the net I find conflicting opinions about various brands. Trex in particular seems to be a target of many buyers. What is everyone's experience with current decking material? I am located in Canada so freezing/ice is an issue.


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Not sure what brand my neighbor used but they had to replace all the wrap around stair treads due to warping...less than a year from installation...under warranty.


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## Gaffboat (Mar 11, 2012)

We used Trex for our deck about 5 years ago and it still looks great and has stayed in shape without the need for stain or other treatment. There has been no twisting or warping of any of the deck boards. We have a lot of rain here in Louisiana but don't have to contend with freezing and ice. 

One other nice thing about the product. We used screws that automatically set below the surface and the screws came with plugs of the same Trex material and color that are easy to tap into the screw hole. The end result is no screws show. I'm planning an additional deck on the other side of the house and will definitely use the same product.


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## giradman (Jul 23, 2012)

Hi *Dan* - we renovated our deck and porch last year; the decking material is from TimberTech (couple of pics below) - really looks great! 

Nearly all of the screws are hidden; spacing is critical so a good contractor is needed. I made a few projects from 'left overs' and this stuff is heavy and like a tough plastic - screws are the only way to put the pieces together.

Re-doing the deck w/ this product did take time (and was MORE expensive) - the senior installer said he could have built 3 wood decks in the same time!


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## DaninVan (Jan 1, 2012)

Dave; I have to admit that the new replacement material (over at my neighbours) has been trouble free...so far. But yeh, on the labour part. I couldn't believe how labour intensive their installation was. Still, I'd be the first to say it looks great.
Full sun, rain and wind, and a _lot_ of salt off the ocean haven't left any obvious damage.


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## OPG3 (Jan 9, 2011)

Dennis, there are numerous brand names of composite decking material and they are all very near the same in terms of performance from what I have observed. *KREG* makes a wonderful installation tool and fasteners for this type of stuff. There is also a great product to utilize in the removal of your old wooden deck, it's called the *Duckbill Deck Wrecker* - you can use it to do a day's worth of work in an hour!


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## denniswoody (Dec 11, 2011)

*Thanks for the comments*

Thanks for the comments and photos thus far. All very useful information and much appreciated.


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## Gene Howe (Jul 10, 2007)

5 years ago we considered several brands of composite decking available here in N. AZ. There were installations around town we could look at and talked to some of the owners. Major concerns/gripes seemed to be that all of them sagged and/or felt "spongy" in places (joists were generally 16-24 OC.) A local contractor suggested 12" OC for composite and, our joists were already in at 16" Many of the installations had board ends rotted or crumbled, and ALL had faded from the sun...none were covered.
We finally went with redwood and used the Trex fasteners that insert into the edge of each pair of deck planks in a routered groove. Then a SS square drive screw secures the fastener and pulls the two boards down tight to the joist. When I bought the fasteners, an option was to buy their grooving bit at $18.00 US, IIRC.
What I learned from other's experience was: 1.shorter spans between joists and 2. some sort of edging, or protection on the ends. 
Good luck.


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## roofner (Aug 1, 2010)

Here is the trick if you go with Trex which I did . You must use 12" centers instead of 16". I used the kreg deck jig. It was on sale for $79 and free box of screws which did my 16 x 10 deck. Very little extra cost for framing but makes the deck feel that much stronger anyway.


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## wannaBelkhuntin (Oct 14, 2009)

As a contractor I can also recommend Trex and Timbertech. Stay away from the cheap stuff from the orange and blue stores as it fades and curls. Also I would not recommend using the hidden clip fastener system. From what I have seen with these clips the decking will move with the weather but these clips seem to only allow movement one way. When the material tries to move back the clips bind causing the decking to buckle/warp. The Kreg system is good but the CAMO system is even better and easier in my opinion.The Trex screw and plug is not a bad option either. As allready mentioned closer spacing of the joist creates a more solid feel. 
Dave


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