I have a deck about 300 sq. ft. to build and the HO is looking for guidance on material choice. They want white railings and some sort of brown decking, so I need a system that has white railngs available. Northern climate, if that matters. Any ideas?
Thanks.
Bear
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I just did one using Timbertech 5/4, and Fairway vinyl railing system.
Timbertech now has something more squared, what I used has a 3/8 radius.
Like using them both.
A good impact driver is a great tool to have when doing this.
I put in Weatherbest white railings and their composite for the deck surface. It is easy to install and it looks fantastic. The only catch is that it is quite expensive.
http://www.lpcorp.com/lpweatherbestdeckingandrailing/lpweatherbestdeckingandrailing.aspx
I've heard several mention Weatherbest just recently. What makes it better than Trex?
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
I don’t know if it is functionally better than Trex but it looks a lot nicer. And it has a different pattern on each side so you can choose between a wood grain look or the more plain look. I haven’t worked with Trex but the weather best really cuts nicely. One negative thing I can say (and I don’t know if Trex does this or not) is that the surface scratches fairly easily. Since the finish is very “clean” compared to Trex the scratches show. But it is a deck after all so no big deal. The Weatherbest crystal white railing kits by far make the best looking composite railing I have seen.
Edited 8/17/2006 12:11 pm ET by Gimby
At the boards suggestion, I just built a deck of Ipe. Half the price of the synthetic stuff. Beautiful grain, no maintenance if you let it weather to a silver. Not terribly difficult to work with.
Certified boat fetish.
I heard about that stuff. It is some kind of bullet proof tropical hardwood correct? Is it tough to cut?
No. I found I was needing to rub some parafin on my blade to keep it from burning, but the stuff cuts nice. I also did some jig saw and hole saw cuts and had no problems. I ran my boards wild and then cut them off with a circular saw and a "experienced" blade. I found that I was getting some chipping and the saw wanted to wander depending on the grain. A sharp blade proably would have prevented this. If you are face screwing, you'll need to predrill the holes. A stainless trim head screw works really good with Ipe and if allowed to weather it will blend in. I blind fastened mine using the deckmaster system and only had to predrill the board ends so the board wouldn't split. To keep the board from checking, they want all the cuts to be coated. The coating is a water based wax. I used a chip brush to apply it right from the can. It took a pint to do a 800sq ft deck. I kept the can open and by the saw. As the day went by I'd wash the brush out a couple of times as it gummed up, but it was never ruined by dried product. This stuff is like a rock. Harder than oak and stronger too plus the grain looks better than PT or synthetic.
Certified boat fetish.
Cool thanks. I may give it a try next time.
Does anyone know where ipe comes from? Is it plantation grown or is it taken from the rainforest?
DP
I honestly don't know. I know that the pieces I had had some growth rings that were pretty close together. I also saw a picture on the internet of a log that was a good 12' in diameter.
Certified boat fetish.
Supposedly sustainable harvested from the forest.
Just finished a Fiberon Tropics deck with railing. Used Tiger Claw hidden fasteners. Looks great - like real wood with out maintenance very happy but costs a few bucks extra - you pay for what you get!!!!!
i hope they didn't pay too much for that railing! is that finished?
besides being a little hard on the eyes, in most areas that design is not even up to code- its like a ladder for kids to climb...
Temp railing until the rest of the deck is finished
Thanks for all the suggestions. I've got some shopping to do.Bear
P.S. Re: Weatherbest - Here are some pics. I also used it on my garage roof deck.
Brian
Thanks for the suggestions.Bear
We have been using Elk's CrossTimbers. The material you use for the main "field" is already grooved for use with hidden fasteners. Seems to expand/contract a little less than others as well. We've had good success with it.
The cover article of FH July 2005 covers all the synthetic decking.
The cover article of FH September 2006 covers the railing options
Be carefull with weatherbest. I am realy surprised at how many of you like it. I just finished a deck using weatherbest decking and I found it to be one of the worst. It scratches easy, it still mushrooms even with synthetic screws, and don't get to close to the ends because they will split.
I do however like their railing system. I think it looks the most like wood.
Try Pro-Cell decking. It has a nice grain to it and it is easy to work with. The only draw back right now is that every color but grey is back ordered for a month.
This thread typifies why I am so confused about composite decking.One guy says "XXX is junk, use YYY always!" In reply to that, another says "YYY is terrible, always use XXX!".I've used probably from 2-3,000 ft² of Trex and have never had problems with it. So judging solely by my personal experience, I stick with Trex. But I hear the quiet roar of complaints and start to wonder...
Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
ANother vote for Weatherbest decking and Fairway railing systems, both which are outrageously expensive, which is great for the markup, but difficult to sell. There are other brands available (I order WB from the lumberyard) at HD and Lowes, but they appear to be much more cheaply made, and appear more 'fake.'
"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
I read with interest about the Ipe. I've installed it a bunch of times and put it on my porch. I installed with a bisquit jointer. Lots more work than face nailing cedar.
It does fade to a not very impressive color but once it is installed, that is all.
You can drag a cinder block or more likely a patio table and it will not scratch.
Ipe - or Ironwood as I always heard it called. (or even tigerwood - which has the rabbit already cut into it for the biscuits) is super dense. It is the only wood I know of that sinks in water.
All the good properties makes it a good resale point.
I know it is hard to finish (so dense that not too much will stick). I just let mine fade to what looks like a faded cedar.
I would recommend sealing the cut ends. It used to come with the sealer when shipped to a job site. Now it doesn't come. I'd ask for it. Cheap insurance for a product that will last for a long time with no maintenance.
Nail it, you ain't building a liquor store!
I don't like any of the railing packages offered that are made of synthetic materials. I will usually make the railing out of wood. Just my personal preference. I do like trex for decking in a northern climate. If you ever have to shovel snow on a trex surface it feels like it is greased..... Nice.. I like to space the decking up to 3/8 inch so the residual snow will fall through. Do not wear your stiletto heels on a 3/8th spaced deck. Tight is OK if the deck is covered. I slather Blackjack on the tops of all girders and joists even if it is already pressure treated.