Alternative to composite decking
 

Got a deck on a rental. 14' long covered with 18 2x6's. Top of the wood is checked and split pretty badly. Priced composite decking at Home Depot. About $500. Any other ideas out there? Seems too expensive. I may just turn the 2x6's over which should get me a few years, but if there is a long lasting alternative to high priced composites I'd like to know.

Decks, in general are money pits - that and an unknown, potentially massive insurance liability - neither of which I would want as a landlord. I'd remove it, unless it is an essential part of the unit's entry/exit system. Too many decks can literally go south, if you know what I mean.

What is your time worth? Do you want to stain it every couple of years or what? You have to make sure that you have enough stud to make composite work since it is more flexible than wood. If so, I would go for it since it is maintenance free.

with all due respect, is every decision you make invariably based on money? or do aesthetic and other concerns occasionally intrude? why would you want to deprive a tenant of a nice deck?

to kerry: i would flip the wood and use some cwf every year, from now on.

It's a rental and that is about money. That said, the more attractive the place, the more you can ask. OTOH, you don't want to get carried away and spend money you may not recover for a long time, not in this market.

And on that note, . I'm no carpenter but I don't see how CFW will fix the splits. Also, there is an issue of liability. IF it gave way and I fell thru, you can bet the next person I will send to you is my lawyer.

It's not structurally unsound, just aesthetically displeasing. What's cwf? I've never put anything on it. It was pretty badly checked when I bought the place 12 yrs ago.
I'm all for maintenance free. It's just that composite decking seems outrageously priced. The existing joists are closely spaced enough for composite.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Search?keyword=cwf&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Again, what is your time worth. Do you want to keep having to maintain it or can you sucker the tenant into doing it every other year?

You bought it 12 yrs ago and is was badly checked then? I'd say you got your $$ out of it. Time to spring for replacement.

cwf is a product from the flood corporation. it's a penetrating oil in a latex vehicle.

to aklim: i do believe he was going to flip the 2 x 6's. however, if they're really warped, it might be time to start over.

i guess i'm a purist; synthetic decks seem... unamerican? :D (actually, probably very american, in the worst way.)

I'm not disputing the fact that something should be done to it. The question is what is the best option. Composite decking seems like an overpriced product, that's why I was wondering if someone knew of an equally durable product at a more reasonable price.

what's the price of redwood, cedar or doug fir, in comparison to the fake stuff?

also, is there a long term track record on the composite stuff? and i think it gets really hot in the summer, more so than wood.

I think I used the Veranda product on a house we renovated to sell 5 years back. I did a new deck and stair treads out of it. The had a "redwood" finish and a blonde or gray. I'd say it held up well - but I'm not sure. It looked good when we left.

If you do go with composite - predrill your holes or the composite material will pucker around the screwhead.

Jimmy

the three banner ads at the bottom of the page are now all for ... composite decking. :D

For a rental I'd price out a list of material- PT decking, composite, redwood, Ipe.... and consider the labor cost for replacement, not forgetting the underpinnings as well, as they may need a close look. Keep in mind that the quality of the deck needs to go with the quality of the rental, and a cheaper material will require additional upkeep. Decks kinda suck for life expectancy depending where they are.

Rumber

Structural underpinnings are fine. Deck faces south at a mile high so the UV light is pretty brutal.

Last time I checked, Ipe was less money than composite. But it's not as easy to put down since it's quite hard. The township here just re-decked an old, one lane bridge with Ipe

cwf, with a redwood or cedar tint, to protect against the uv rays. :D

Anyone ever use this aluminum decking?

http://www.lockdry.com/decking_installation.htm

Do you want to walk on the deck barefoot or fry eggs?

is the deck covered? awning? overhang?

Here's some more aluminum decking. It is very very pricey compared to composite:

http://www.versadeck.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=188_213&osCsid=k2fv2davngr6i52lb94ua7ujr1

No. There is a small eave at the house end.

If you want down and dirty, quick and cheap... plywood and exterior carpet (read - fake grass). Done in an afternoon, and probably squeeze another 10 years out of the deck surface. Being in CO and facing south, it would dry quickly, and it is actually easier to shovel than regular decking.

And you can put an old sofa out there....:P

I have done several decks for clients using the composite. It is expensive but looks like it should last for a good while.

At home I have framing spaced at 12" oc which allow one size smaller framing and 1x4 RW decking. The smaller framing offsets the cost of RW somewhat and makes it not terribly more expensive than the infernal treated pine which checks, splits and warps.

The RW needs staining every five years or so if you stain it (The lovely Mrs. W insisted....I would have let it be grey). We have also replaced boards here and there every five years after ten I suppose....it is about 17 yrs old.

It looks pretty fabulous too IMHO. If you do redwood though sort it and only use the dark heartwood. The light sapwood might as well be pine.

well, if his property were further north... say in Boulder, near CU, it would already have an old sofa on it... (unless it had been tossed into the last street fire):D

The one deck I did with plywood and exterior carpet was the rental where I lived, with no budget from the landlord. I actually enjoyed the finished product, of course I did not use the plastic fake grass, but a higher grade of exterior carpet. That was 10 years ago, and it is still there.

I have entirely quit using redwood. I just can't abide the thought of those magnificent trees being cut down so I can build a deck. That and the quality of the wood has fallen off so much that, as you say "might as well be pine"

of course I did not use the plastic fake grass, but a higher grade of exterior carpet

This makes me smile. I am a material snob and can never imagine using exterior carptet for anything ......

I have entirely quit using redwood. I just can't abide the thought of those magnificent trees being cut down so I can build a deck.

I have these same thoughts but it is SOOOOO nice a wood.;)

If the point is to make a faded deck look nice is it not possible to find a non slip paint that will bond to plastic? You can also make other paint more non slip by adding sand... May be this is a bit too wacky - I'd probably be a bad landlord. (I first thought of Astro-turf!)

You're bringing me around to the exterior carpet idea. I'm even thinking it can be put over the existing 2x6's without any plywood since the spaces between them are not wide. It would cover the ugliness of the old decking, protect it from any further UV damage, be quick to install, and relatively inexpensive.
I am looking for better visual appeal. I've used composite decking in a few other places and I don't have a lot of confidence in its long term durability. That aluminum decking is the ticket. If there was a dealer near me, I think I'd put it down before I put down composite again. It's a little less than double the price of composite but I think it would probably outlast composite by a few millenium.

Concrete with re-bar'll work far better than anything. Since cost may not be an object.

Concrete and rebar on a deck on the second built built on the roof of an addition would be bit of a challenge.

i think joe favors apt. bldgs which resemble a "suoermax"? perhaps captive tenants are the best tenants? :D ankle bracelets?

Nahh, if BP can pump concrete a mile deep in the ocean surely you oughta be able to overcome such a small obstacle as THAT!:rolleyes:

The composite stuff is the cat's meow here in the desert. You ain't got no UV rays like we got UV rays. Heck, we have to wear moon block let alone sun block!:D

Got a buddy of mine whose composite deck is 15 years old and it still looks good. My neighbor put up a wood (cedar) fence 5 years ago and it is already warping and splitting. My cedar fence is 15 years old and I treat it every other year (about $225 a pop) to keep it in good shape.

So I'd say it's the old, "Pay me now or pay me later" routine.

Maybe Halliburton could do it, for say, 500 million;)

UV is probably pretty close to the same... what Denver lacks in relation to the equator, it makes up for with altitude