Has anyone had a deck made of the composite wood/plastic material for any length of time? We're building a deck this spring and contemplating using it however dh heard that there can be some problems with it breaking down over long periods of time. Any feedback out there??
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There are differences between traditional composites and new composites, and there are good/bad reports. Just google "composite decking lawsuits" or "real truth about decking materials" - and read the warranty before buying to see what is excluded. I would only consider using PVC as decking.
yes they are franchises...but do excellent work....
Jenjen they must be a franchise I guess. Great to hear about their service. Dh is a carpenter so he'll be doing it himself, but we may be looking for some design ideas. Good to know they're reputable.
WWT...Hickory Dickory Decks is the company that installed my red cedar deck....about 3 years ago...they are fantastic!!!!....they send me xmas cards still...and when they were doing my deck...they let DS help build the railing and when they sent their pre-written thank you letter...they added by hand a lil note personally thanking DS for helping build the railing...told DS that it turned out better cuz of his help...i thought that was a really nice thing to do
Yes, Hickory Dickory Decks is not far from where we live. I'd really like to get feedback from a homeowner that has had this product installed for 5 years or so, because from what I hear that may be when the problems start. I'd really like to use the product because I'm SOOO not into deck maintenance anymore and this will be a second storey deck, so maintenance is not easy. Also from a structural standpoint, being that high off the ground, I want to make sure it doesn't weaken as time goes on.
sorry i don't have any experience with composite decking but i recall seeing it at the cottage life show from a company called Hickory Dickory Deck or was it Hickory Dickory Dock? anyway try googling it and see what comes up.
we were speaking with the rep and he said that composite decking is the majority of what they install now so it must be a great product!
Hi, sorry it took me so long to reply. I can't recall the brand name of composite decking we used, but it wasn't Trex. We considered Trex but it was too thick to fit on our joists and not have a tripping factor as we came out the patio door.
What we used instead came from HomeDepot (Trex was from Rona) It was 1/8 of an inch or so thinner and used a clip system to attach to the joists. Very easy to install. Ours is dark grey and I love the colour and no, it doesn't get hot for barefeet.
Love it, and would use it again. Though if you wash it down with a pressure washer, be careful not to get too close as it will leave marks, but so would it on a painted/stained wood deck.
hope this helps,
kipper
in our last house, we used a product called trex. it is a composite wood material and is supposed to last a lifetime. they come in boards that you lay down like regular wood planks. it was a very even temperature on hot or cold days and no chance of slivers on your bare feet! i loved ours although we only lived with it for about a year since we move. if we replace the wood on our deck of our house now, i would definitely use that product again. good-bye hellish maintenance!
What brand did you use? Do you find it gets hot when walking with bare feet?
We redid our deck with composite decking, but it will only be a year old this summer. We love it though... it feels almost velvety on bare feet. I love the colour, and the fact that I never ever ever have to paint it. It was also fairly easy to install. So far, I'm happy enough with it to recommend it to anyone.
Sorry I can't help you with the longevity question, but we do love ours.
hope this helped in some way,
kipper