08-14-2006, 08:30 PM
Trex can get hot if it gets a lot of sun; I know this from personal experience. I didn't burn my bare feet, but if I'd tried to walk across it I might've. And it was Trex, not a knockoff or competitor.
But it's still probably the best overall choice for a deck unless you have little kids, or if you just prefer wood.
The most important advice I could give you is, check out your contractor. Make sure he's licensed and insured so that if one of his employees or subcontractors puts a nail in his skull, your homeowner's insurance won't be on the hook. Ask him for his three most recent clients, and call them. Ask if he showed up when he said he would, and whether he demanded all the money up front. Some contractors get behind paying their bills, and use money from the current job to pay off the bills from the previous one, and you do not want to get in the middle of that. When you have an idea what kind of deck he's going to build, talk to some clients who've had the same type built. Trex, for example, requires very different strategies than does wood, and if a contractor doesn't have much experience with Trex he can muck it up. But nowadays, most contractors are pretty comfortable with it.
If you do go with Trex or another composite, take some time to explore all the options. Composites come in an ever-growing variety.
But it's still probably the best overall choice for a deck unless you have little kids, or if you just prefer wood.
The most important advice I could give you is, check out your contractor. Make sure he's licensed and insured so that if one of his employees or subcontractors puts a nail in his skull, your homeowner's insurance won't be on the hook. Ask him for his three most recent clients, and call them. Ask if he showed up when he said he would, and whether he demanded all the money up front. Some contractors get behind paying their bills, and use money from the current job to pay off the bills from the previous one, and you do not want to get in the middle of that. When you have an idea what kind of deck he's going to build, talk to some clients who've had the same type built. Trex, for example, requires very different strategies than does wood, and if a contractor doesn't have much experience with Trex he can muck it up. But nowadays, most contractors are pretty comfortable with it.
If you do go with Trex or another composite, take some time to explore all the options. Composites come in an ever-growing variety.