wood deck advice?

[davemchine]

I'm considering a wood deck that would run the width of my house in the back yard. I have a contractor coming out later this week but I don't really know much about wood decks. Do I need to request a certain type of wood or finish? Anything else? Thanks for any advice,

Dave

[papercup]

Maintenance on a real wood deck is a huge pain, unless you like a dingy, grey deck.

http://jcgi.pathfinder.com/toh/print/0,1...28,00.html

[davemchine]

What would you recommend besides wood?

Dave

[papercup]

[quote davemchine]What would you recommend besides wood?

Dave
Read the article I linked. Or search on "non-wood deck substitutes (Trex)"

[jimbrady]

I've got a company around here singing the praises of "jacketing" my wood deck with some synthetic, non-slip material that lasts 10 times longer than wood (supposedly). I have no idea what it looks like, though--I'd rather have weathered deck (one man's "dingy" is another man's rustic"), than one that reminds me of vinyl siding.

[shadow]

Wood - Southern Yellow Pine, Pressure Treated

Pros:

Least expensive
Easy to install

Cons:

Lots of maintenance to keep it looking good.
Splinters and checking.

Costs: Around $25 / sq ft for professional install

Wood - Ipe

Pros:

Holds up to anything
Minimal splintering and checking
Can stain every two years or let weather to grey color

Cons:

Harder to install
Price

Cost: Around $35 / sq ft or a bit higher for professional installation

Composite - Trex, et al

Pros:

Doesn't check or splinter
Easy to cut and work with
Comes in variety of colors
"Lower" maintenance

Cons:

Cost.
Possible mold issues - can be mitigated with occasional cleaning / sealing (once every few years)

Cost: Around $35 / sq ft or a bit lower for professional installation.

Plastic / Vinyl - EON, etc

Pros:

Doesn't check or splinter
Easy to cut and work with
Comes in variety of colors
Very low maintenance

Cons:

Cost.
Looks like siding (ie - really fake looking)

Cost: Around $35 / sq ft or a bit lower for professional installation.

NOTE: I am about to build a 20x20 deck and it will be using Trex. FWIW, I've found that labor accounts for about 60% of the price for quotes I've received.

- Shadow

[samintx]

I've seen ads on TV for a plastic not wood that looks like wood. There is a vinyl sealer...but I don't like the wood after it get dirty grey.

[vicrock]

We have a Trex deck that is over 6 years old and it looks brand new. Pressure wash in the spring and it comes up fresh as a daisy.

[Mike Johnson]

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.

[davester]

I have a redwood deck that is 7 years old and looks great (framing is pressure-treated lumber). I originally finished it with Penofin penetrating oil finish then pressure-washed and recoated this year. It still looks like new.

The critical thing with decks is that everything is constructed properly so as to minimize the places where moisture and debris can accumulate and dryrot can get a foothold. I've rebuilt several decks where the original builder did not understand this. For this reason, make sure you hire someone who specializes in decks...not just a regular homebuilder. If using wood, one of the key features that will ensure longevity is using fasteners that attach from underneath ( I like these: http://www.grabberman.com/Deckmaster/ ) ...do not use "deck screws" or nails that go through the tops of the boards if you want the deck to last a long time. They add to the cost, but then you recover the cost in longer lifetime, and the deck looks MUCH better without all those screw or nail holes.