hotrod32

I just finished replacing over 1200 sq ft of redwood with Evergrain (after 7 years it was totally disintigrating). Looks real good even close up. Very pricy though, but over recent years all of the softwood prices here have skyrocketed up. Checked many homes in the area using composites and so far everyone is doing OK; some installations are 10 yrs old or better. I live in Northern AZ at 5500' it is DRY (single digits)most of the year and the sun here kills the wood. A good design is still a must. My decks are hanging from the second floor of the house (as are most houses in the area as we are mostly built on hillsides)I guess my point is that weather conditions can have major influence in the product you use. In this area composites and vinyl are used in more and more homes from the tract house to the million $ variety as wood is destroyed by the dryness and sun.

I am a furniture builder and wood lover, so I searched and did my homework; I hope my design and material choice works out. BTW I did a deck in SoCal of Ipe; good product, tough to install because of hardness, must wear resperator to saw,and inexpensive. But in recent years the price has risen significantley. But my wife vetoed its use for this project for 2 reasons(beyond those listed above) it needs to be sanded/stoned(like teak boat decks), and it is slick as ice when it is wet; and we have entry/exit traffic across our decks into the house.

That is my experience so far. .....Wayne