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Replacing my deck

Aviator
Aviator Posts: 1,757
edited August 2012 in EggHead Forum

I guess with the egg on my old and never or rarely used deck, we have started being out on the deck in the evenings almost daily and realized that we need to completely revamp the deck. That means a teardown and rebuild a new one.

Its gonna be on the upper floor where the patio door is, onto the main deck, then with a few steps down to another deck at a lower level and then egress out to yard.

Here is my question:

1. Are products like Trex worth the extra cost (big$) ?

2. Would you or have you done anything different to the place where the egg would go on the deck. I mean like tiles on the deck or something to fire/flame retard the area?

 

______________________________________________ 

Large and Small BGE, Blackstone 36 and a baby black Kub.

Chattanooga, TN.

 

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Comments

  • travisstrick
    travisstrick Posts: 5,002
    My dad has a trex deck. He lives in Gulf Breeze Fl on the water. It has lasted longer than any wood. It may depend on where you live as to weather or not its worth it. If you live on the water in Florida, I'd say its a good buy. 
    Be careful, man! I've got a beverage here.
  • FanOfFanboys
    FanOfFanboys Posts: 2,615
    I have a concrete patio. But a deck wouldn't "fit" my house really. I've looked at trex. It is big $. And if selling house next few years not worth investment.
    Boom
  • dweebs0r
    dweebs0r Posts: 539
    I wish I would've budgeted for trex wood.  We built the deck around our above ground pool with standard pressure treated lumbar and it requires periodic maintenance that trex would not (staining and or sealing, pressure washing, etc).  If I could go back and re-do it I would.


       -Jody Newell (LBGE & a 36" Blackstone griddle).
    Location:  🍺🍺  The back porch, Munford, TN.  🍺🍺
  • Kristinnn
    Kristinnn Posts: 133
    When i was rebuilding my front porch i looked into trex and i found a lot of negativity toward it.. people saying it would grow black spots on it and they couldnt get it off and it would be HOT to the touch which could suck if you like to go barefoot.  I believe depending on the color i read about it fading as well.. so factor in the sun beating on a certain side.

    I also learned if you go with treated wood you are supposed to let it sit in your garage for 6 months to "dry" before staining and using.. dumb. :)  no wonder my pergola out back is cracking

    I dont know what i would go with building a deck.. i guess it depends on if you have the time to stain every couple years with a good stain/sealer.. one that starts with a T i think lasts 8 years so it says.  i forget the name.  


  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Jatoba is very durable.  IPE too, but even more costly.  Trex is better than pressure treated pine, but I've heard nightmare stories about mold, fading and crumbling.  Hopefully they're fixed those problems.  Takes time for flaws to show.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • double
    double Posts: 1,214
    Trex had an issue long time ago but they stood behind the product a friend just had a huge pallet of new tree delivered under warranty with an allowance for labor to replace! I have not heard of an lumber company doing that! As another poster mentioned if you have no plans on moving in the next few years trex is the next best thing to a concrete patio IMHO
    Lynnwood WA
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Trex does have a good warranty.   I'd rather have the beauty of Teak, Jatoba or IPE.  It's easy spending other people's money!
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • double
    double Posts: 1,214
    True on the IPE especially if You can afford that you can afford to pay for it to be maintained ...
    Lynnwood WA
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    mahogany, painted fir....
    lots of options that don't break the bank
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Had my deck replaced with pt pine and the quality of the pt pine product is not good. I have had others say the same. After two years and after being stained and maintained it looks like it's 10 years old. Will never use pressure treated pine again. Friend of mine is getting ready to replace his deck with cypress. Do your research and you'll make a good decision.
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    If I were on a budget and needed a deck, but wanted it to last, I'd buy a good quality kiln dried treated fir or pine and paint all sides of it prior to construction. Use the best paint you can afford.  Make sure water sheds off as many of the surfaces as reasonably possible. 


    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    edited August 2012
    Vertical grain fir, properly prepped and painted, will last indefinitely.
    I have mahogany. No splinters, looks great new, goes silver.
    Low maintenance

    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Aviator
    Aviator Posts: 1,757

    Thanks, all excellent points to consider. The framer has given me an estimate with PT pine. I am going to ask for a quote with trex just on the floor of the deck.

    Again, have not heard anything about any special creative ideas about where the egg goes on the deck so it can be incorporated in the build.

    ______________________________________________ 

    Large and Small BGE, Blackstone 36 and a baby black Kub.

    Chattanooga, TN.

     

  • Trex is a decent product.  Others are out there as well.  3 times I have built decks for myself and could't justify the costs to value.   The decking is OK priced but you get killed on the rail system.  If you had a deck with no rails, I'd consider it, otherwise, go with a #1 pressure treated pine and have it screwed down with deck screws, not nailed.
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    I have a deck and the egg is in a table with wheels.  You could do a built-in egg nest - I don't know if building it in would violate any building codes or impact insurance if it's attached to the house.  Might want to inquire about that.

     You obviously want to prevent your deck and house from burning down from a hot egg bottom.  That's as simple to prevent as a paver and some green feet, and exercising some caution. 

    I prefer a table, with wheels.  I can move it around on my deck, out of the sun, shift it downwind, etc.  It's not a hardship to have it anchored down if you have a good spot.  You probably don't want to build a nest with 3000 pounds of brick if you're on pier and joists construction.  You might offset the cost of building something in if it saves you money on expensive railing (by making it the railing).
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • cortguitarman
    cortguitarman Posts: 2,061
    I'm a teacher during the months of September-June. From June-August I'm a licensed contractor who specializes in deck construction. I've built over 50 decks in the past 10 years. Most have been pressure treated, but some have been out of various alternative materials. The original Trex and other composites had mold and mildew issues.

    Enter second generation composites which have zero wood fibers. Instead they are 100% cellular pvc. Azek is the leader in these products. They are phenomenal. Scratch resistant, won't mold or mildew, no splinters, and a lifetime warranty. These materials are also fade resistant. Expensive, yes. Worth the money, absolutely.

    Along with Azek, there are some new kids on the block that are very good. Wolf decking is very good. I worked with it for the first time this summer. Same warranty as Azek, but cheaper. Azek has the most colors. Wolf has 3 color choices. All very nice. Azek has around 10.

    Trex also makes a cellular pvc called Trex Escapes. It is very good. The primary differences between Azek and the others is the coloring. Azek colors their decking the same color the whole way through. The others color the outside layer and leave the inside black or gray. It is still pvc. Trex Escapes is also colored through, but I recently read that Trex was going to discontinue Escapes because it was not selling well.

    There is another company called Guardian which also makes pvc decking. The quality is there, but I don't care for the look.

    My top 3 in order of preference.

    1. Azek
    2. Wolf
    3. Trex (if available)

    I hope this helps.
    Mark Annville, PA
  • I just put in a 1000 sf deck. I considered trex and got all the neg comments as well. I went with pt pine and used a product called TWP-total wood protection. It cost a little more than stain but is a better product as I see it. Read reviews online.
    LBGE 4/2012, MBGE 6/2012 & Mini 11/2013
    Rome, GA
  • cortguitarman
    cortguitarman Posts: 2,061
    If you decide on PT, I recommend.waiting a year then stain with Sikkens SRD. This is the best stain I've ever used.

    For a solid stain, go with Sikkens Rubol Dek. It can be tinted to any color under the rainbow.
    Mark Annville, PA
  • XLBalco
    XLBalco Posts: 607

    my deck is about 600sq ft worth of pain in the arse.

    dont get me wrong- i love it and it is great for parties.. .but when it expires- i will be going with pavers or something else.

    avoid wood where at all possible

  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    If you decide on PT, I recommend.waiting a year then stain with Sikkens SRD. This is the best stain I've ever used. For a solid stain, go with Sikkens Rubol Dek. It can be tinted to any color under the rainbow.
    My neighbor built his porch with kiln dried PT - he painted all sides before installing.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • I built mine out of Ipe a few years ago. At the time, the material cost was a little less than Trex. I don't know how they compare now. A contractor will probably charge more to install Ipe, because it is a bit more labor intensive than other materials since each screw has to be pre-drilled. I built it myself, so labor cost wasn't an issue. Unlike most other woods, you don't have to stain/seal Ipe. If you leave it alone, it just turns silver (but doesn't decay). It's also essentially fire-proof - it has the same fire rating as concrete. It was a lot of work, but I would do it again. (Though I hope I never have to) :))
  • cortguitarman
    cortguitarman Posts: 2,061
    As long as it's kiln dried it will work. It is actually not PT. This wood is called Stora-Enso Thermometer Wood. The sugars from the sap actually harden making the wood impervious to moisture. It will take stain though. Sikkens makes a product for sealing on all sides, but I can't remember what it is called. I saw it at a builders show once. The sampled looked like furniture. Impressive, but a PIA to maintain.
    Mark Annville, PA
  • I would go with a composite type deck, it does not need to be trex.  There are many out there go to a local fence company and they will help you out.  You will want to put tile on top of you deck where the BGE is because it burns the plastic/ deck.  Make it temporary.  so you can move the BGE around.  Also make the deck bigger than you want right now, bigger is always better.  I have now built 2 decks and you will b much happier.  
  • my deck is about 600sq ft worth of pain in the arse.

    dont get me wrong- i love it and it is great for parties.. .but when it expires- i will be going with pavers or something else.

    avoid wood where at all possible

    This is about the smartest post in this thread.  After 4 houses with decks, the home I'm building next month is getting a concrete cover patio. 
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    pt is a pretty low-grade wood.  it has its applications (ground contact is the reason it was invented), but use in open air, dry environments (like a porch more than 18" above grade), there's no benefit to it.  it's fast-growth, and its giant growth rings mean it is unstable, prone to splitting and checking.

    you pay a premium for basically pine, because it's pressure treated.  and unless the wood is close to grade, the PT treatment offers no benefit.

    any wood properly prepped and finished, will look better and prove more serviceable than PT.  you'll never get a warped hunk of fir, mahogany, ipe, etc.  and neither will you get a two inch long sliver thru the ball of your foot with any of them.  but it's common with pt.  pt is oversold, overhyped, and frankly crap wood.

    composites are poor, structurally.  they need to be fully 1 inch thick, formed into pseudo structural profiles/cross-sections, otherwise you need 12" o.c. framing.  they also have their place, but the ones that try to look like wood don't, and the rest look like plastic sawdust

    i wish folks valued the way something looked as much as they valued low-maintenance.

    wood worked perfectly well for the last few thousand years.  now we buy the cheapest thing we can... 

    just as i could have bought a cheaper grill, but i like the BGE for what separates it from the cheap stuff, i appreciate real wood.  there is nothing that feels like a wood deck when you step onto it each morning in your bare feet.  and real wood can be had cheaper than composites, and for only slightly more than PT.  you wouldn't build a boat out of PT, why build a porch from it?

    >soapbox dismounted, double twist, and into-one-of-these-things (arms thrown back, smile at the judges)<
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • Tjcoley
    Tjcoley Posts: 3,551
    Replaced my deck with stamped concrete last year and will never do anything else.  Probably not practical for a raised deck, but if you are close to the ground, stamped concrete is the way to go.  
    __________________________________________
    It's not a science, it's an art. And it's flawed.
    - Camp Hill, PA
  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    on the ground it's a patio, yo.



    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • pt is a pretty low-grade wood.  it has its applications (ground contact is the reason it was invented), but use in open air, dry environments (like a porch more than 18" above grade), there's no benefit to it.  it's fast-growth, and its giant growth rings mean it is unstable, prone to splitting and checking.

    you pay a premium for basically pine, because it's pressure treated.  and unless the wood is close to grade, the PT treatment offers no benefit.

    any wood properly prepped and finished, will look better and prove more serviceable than PT.  you'll never get a warped hunk of fir, mahogany, ipe, etc.  and neither will you get a two inch long sliver thru the ball of your foot with any of them.  but it's common with pt.  pt is oversold, overhyped, and frankly crap wood.

    composites are poor, structurally.  they need to be fully 1 inch thick, formed into pseudo structural profiles/cross-sections, otherwise you need 12" o.c. framing.  they also have their place, but the ones that try to look like wood don't, and the rest look like plastic sawdust

    i wish folks valued the way something looked as much as they valued low-maintenance.

    wood worked perfectly well for the last few thousand years.  now we buy the cheapest thing we can... 

    just as i could have bought a cheaper grill, but i like the BGE for what separates it from the cheap stuff, i appreciate real wood.  there is nothing that feels like a wood deck when you step onto it each morning in your bare feet.  and real wood can be had cheaper than composites, and for only slightly more than PT.  you wouldn't build a boat out of PT, why build a porch from it?

    >soapbox dismounted, double twist, and into-one-of-these-things (arms thrown back, smile at the judges)<
    Stike - 

    Since I'm new here, I figured I'd better stay off the soapbox. :D  That said, I've never seen a man-made product that looks as good as Ipe.  I took these pics during construction.  (I stained the decking before I built the railing).  I guess the decision really just boils down to budget and education.  Some people can't justify the extra cost of Ipe (or Trex).  Others, including contractors, just don't know about the other options out there.  I've seen lots of million dollar homes with PT pine decks.  I'm just tryin' to spread the word - there's other stuff out there!  Just google "exotic decking", and you'll find multiple suppliers that will ship to your home.


    image
    image :-O
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    kevinhville - beautiful.  I have a wood fetish.  Love to play in the shop.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    edited August 2012
    We used to call PT wood "spaghetti wood".  It was heavy with preservative,  They would treat it by saturating with a pesticide/fungicide solution and sell it wet and heavy.  It is unstable because it's wet wood.  Soak any wood in water until it weighs half as much more as when it's dry and it'll swell up and bend.

    That said, there are different climates, applications and pests such as fungi, insects, sun, moisture and mold.

    I'm a big proponent of using natural wood, even in outdoor applications.  You have to keep it dry, at the very minimum, for it to last.

    They now sell kiln dried treated wood.  Looks and acts just like regular wood, except it's more corrosive due to copper.  The treat pine and fir, since they're renewable, cheap, strong and farmed.  Unlike old PT woods, you can paint these.  If you're on a budget, you can use these for decking.

    I used untreated fir when I built my windows and doors for my shop.  Painted all sides and assembled, then painted again.  Windows and porches are one thing, decks that are exposed in hostile environments like the south are another.  I wouldn't use untreated pine or fir for an exposed deck in New Orleans.  The big problem, besides termites which are treatable and preventable, is fungus.  If you live in a milder climate like Santa Fe, untreated pine or fir might be fine for a deck.  Depends on where you live and the application to match the right material for the job.  Traffic on a deck will breech any protective paint and rot is like rust.

    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..