iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

Experience with different decking material?

Started by samandothers, September 04, 2017, 12:15:53 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

samandothers

As we look to building a timberframe home we have started to consider several of the materials.  One area is the decking material. 

I am looking for feedback on experience with composite, PVC or wood such as IPE.  In particular I would like a low maintenance material.  I have been cleaning and restraining a pressure treated deck for the past 24 years.  I am leaning toward a capped PVC decking to eliminate wood fibers (present in composite) to reduce mold mildew and eliminate staining. 

While IPE is very hard it is still a wood and I assume would check, splinter and  would require not only cleaning but restraining for protection.

Thanks for input.


Bruno of NH

The PVC is not what they all claim it to be.
I have sold and installed a lot .
I wouldn't use it on my own house
I like Ipe
I just installed some Siberian larch was some nice stuff this last week.
Lt 40 wide with 38hp gas and command controls , F350 4x4 dump and lot of contracting tools

wesdor

Our deck is 12 years old and we used Trex.  It has held up nicely but I do pressure wash it every couple years just to get off dirt. 


Chop Shop

Its kinda ironic your asking about plastic decking on a sawmill forum.

I have nothing good to say about plastic decking products.  They look cheap/fake and most times age badly.   

Good ol Red Cedar or Redwood for decking out here on the west coast.

Don P

The best thing you can do for a deck to make it and the building it would otherwise splash on last, and make it more user friendly is to build a porch.

One of the nicest looking materials I've seen locally is black locust on a porch floor but it can be tough to find enough good stock.

I did visit one house with a pvc deck where they had put the charcoal grill up on the deck. It had dropped some embers onto the decking and made quite a mess. I then started thinking about it in relation to a structure fire. I'm not sure that its a real good idea.

samandothers

Thanks all for the feedback lots of options to consider. 

Chop Shop I agree with your observation on discussing non wood products on a wood forum.  We do plan a lot of wood use in the house. We have not made a decision yet and continue to explore options.




Don_Papenburg

Ipe does not need stain ,  give it  a coat of dewaxed shellac,alcohol based then once a year wash, let dry and recoat with dewaxed shellac .  It melts into the old and no sanding is required.
Frick saw mill  '58   820 John Deere power. Diamond T trucks

samandothers

Thanks for the feedback.  I want to reduce deck labor as I get older.  For 24 years I have pressure washed and stained the pressure treated deck and rail every 3 years.  Next time around this old deck will need to be replaced, but that is future project.

I may go the path of using IPE for the new house.  It looks good, is rugged and more resilient than composite or PVC.  I just gotta get comfortable with the reapplication of oil.  This will probably be easier than current deck. The most time consuming part now is the pressure treated railing.  Future railing will not be pressure treated.

Bruno of NH

Use Ipe for the rail with the colored aluminum ballisters .
They look good and don't need at be finished.
Lt 40 wide with 38hp gas and command controls , F350 4x4 dump and lot of contracting tools

samandothers

Bruno

I was thinking that too.  I like the look of the 3/4 inch ballisters with the board around the top for a beverage rail.  Cable is nice to see through but man that stuff is expensive!

Don P

4x4 galvanized sheep/goat panel is another fairly unobtrusive infill, I've painted it with brown rustoleum and inset it into 1/4" holes before.

DeerMeadowFarm

I used Ipe on my decks when I built our house 15 years ago. Still looks good!

Thank You Sponsors!