Hello all,
I am researching what products to use for my deck, and figured I’d get some educated opinions!
It’s an existing deck – I am going to put new deck boards and railings in myself. Not sure what the joists are O.C., but I can add more in if need be.
I read the FHB article on composites and thought they were the way to go, but am now thinking Ipe may be the better choice based on some stuff I found online…
I would like to avoid the yearly maintenance, which makes composites look like a good choice, but I’ve read opinions about fading/checking/movement that make me nervous about dropping the wad on a deck that won’t be all I want it to be.
Has anyone used any of the new PVC decking? What did you think? I’ve heard (read) that the wood fiber/plastic composites can be prone to the same problems as PT, albeit to a lesser degree…
Thoughts?
Replies
You could probably do a search and find lots of past discussions on this, but the main bad thing I've heard about composites is they get very hot in the sun--hot enough you wouldn't want to stand on them in your bare feet. On the other side, they don't get splinters.
I built an ipe deck on my own home using Eb Ty concealed fasteners and it's everything we hoped it would be.No maintenance,no movement,not hot,no splinters-all around,very nice
This summer, I'm replacing the son's womanized deck with a concrete topping patio.
Besides the rest of the project, I'll remove the deck boards, and add thin angled strips to the joists to set a 1/4" slope away from the house. I'll replace the deck boards with 3/4 T&G exterior ply, rearranging the flashing to accommodate what I'm doing.
Then I'll cover with felt or membrane. Attach stucco mesh and push in a brown coat of Miracote Repair Mortar. Apply 2 coats of Miracote Membrane A, and then a coat of Miracote Protective Coating, colored, stained and finished to taste. Etched & grouted if the design calls, then sealer applied.
A completely waterproof patio over a store room below for his lawn equipment.
http://www.miracote.com
Look for their Miraflex II Decking System information.