Hello,
I am building a rear deck.
because this is located near the ocean , I would like to use the best flooring out in the market today.
Wondering if anybody can tell me the differance between TREX and Weather Best material. I am getting different answers to different builders / suppliers.
Half say TREX is a better.
Please help !
Replies
Use EON - it's not slippery when wet, and uses concealed fasteners.
Forrest
You might want to look into using Ipe or Mangaris for your deck. Ipe is a very durable material. Mangaris is just about as durable. You might want to look into using stainless fasteners and joist hangers to make sure that everything stays put.
http://www.ecoproducts.com/Building/build_decking/build_decking_mangaris.htm
http://www.mcfeelys.com/index.asp
The first link is for the decking, the second is McFeeleys they will have all of the stainless hardware that you will need.
You may want to look into using Penofin deck finish to top everything off also.
http://www.penofin.com/products_exotichardwood.shtml
Just to let you know both of these decking products are a major pain to work with. Be prepared to predrill everything, and have plenty of new saw blades around because you will need them.
If you want the best, IPE` is your choice.
between Trex and Weather best, I like the Weather best better. It haas colour and texture, doesn't sag between joists as much, and generally feels more subnstantial.
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Please, show us a picture.
Your Ipe decks always make me jealous.View Image
Nevermind, I found one of yours.
If you have any poo, fling it now.
Edited 4/10/2006 5:44 pm ET by dustinf
Add to the collectionI think the last one 12 is Trex
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Thanks.If you have any poo, fling it now.
Here's one of my mahogany decks.
View ImageIf you have any poo, fling it now.
Is that one of those dirty bombs everyone is worried about sitting there? LOL
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What types of fasteners have you used on Ipe? I've done a few Ipe decks, one with SS ring nails and another with Ebty's. I've seen a few posts in the past about SS finish nails and marine construction adhesive. I've seen a few houses on TOH where they did that. They only used a few finish nails here and there just to hold the boards down while the glue set up. I like the consealed fasteners but not the time, seems like a few finish nails would get a similar look in much less time. I think the first time I saw Ipe was on TOH and they gun nailed it 7 or 8 years ago and they did the same about one year ago.
Tried a nailing through a few pieced, just to see how well it would penetrate something that dense and at about 100 psi the nails set very well.
GRK Canada Reiser Torx drive Trim head Stainless steel - predrill
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This deck looks so good I could eat it.
View ImageView Image
you put catsup and mustaard on that deck and I'll take away your baseball priveleges young man
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seeing that hot afternoon sun reflecting off that one reminds me of one major advantage of wood over synthetic decking choices.Bare feet on a hot summer day feel like they are melting into a Trex deck. Very uncomfortable!
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That's a real good point too Piff. I can remember installing a dark red Trex deck two summers ago. One of those blazing hot late July days where you feel like the sun is four inches from your face. We were all in shorts and installing the decking on our knees. My knee caps are actually sort of callused and they were turning a weird blackish color from the heat coming off the deck that day.
Ipe still isn't very popular in my area of MA. Last summer I saw more of it around. Most of the wood decks around here (other than PT) are mahoghany. But I suspect it's not actually mahoghany, right? Isn't there another tropical hardwood that often gets passed of as Brazilian mahoghany or something like that? Ironwood, maybe? I forget.View Image
Yeah, all the builder's I see do 1x4 mahogany, probably Meranti not Cambara, or they use PT. The really high end stuff, places $3 million and up usually set their house for stone or paver patios. Most of the builders I've met have never heard of Ipe, they always think it is a synthetic. The only place I know that stock it is Anderson McQuaid in Cambridge and they're a millwork shop.
Unless you get into the expensive houses or its a custom/pre sold house, I don't know if the builders could make back the extra money the Ipe costs in labor and added material prices. I doubt most people would pay extra for Ipe and the builder would need to explain too much.
I don't know how it works out now, but my first several ipe decks were not meqasureably more expensive than the CVGfir that i had been using. One reason is that I had no waste with IPE while the fir had started going bad enogh that I had 15% waste. The IPE doestakemare time for predrilling but once you get a system going it's not so bad. And if you are planning for it from beginning, you can lay out frmain at 19.2" or 24" instead of 16"oc so the overal cost is close
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IPE` is the one mqarketed as Ironwoods. Canbvera and Merantii ae fake phillipine mahoganies
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I've installed a fair amount of composite decking and I'd have to say that Weatherbest is my favorite. Installed it on both the front porch and the back deck at my own place. Trex is ok, but I just don't think it looks as nice and I've heard of it sagging on joists spaced 16" OC and greater. Whatever you do, stay away from Geodeck IMO.
Here's a couple from my own house.