rodger. Posted July 5, 2015 Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 Starting to look at building a deck. Thinking of going PT frame and composite decking on top. Anyone have some advice or suggested reading for a newbie to composite materials? I have built a deck in the past, but it was all PT. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodenskye Posted July 5, 2015 Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 Research the different types of hidden fasteners, some are better than others should you ever need to replace a board. Plus you will get proper spacing. Some will screw into the face, but it is more work in my opinion because you need to pre drill, countersink and still clean up at times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted July 5, 2015 Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 Some will screw into the face, but it is more work in my opinion because you need to pre drill, countersink and still clean up at times. Quality screws that require none of this are common now. Exotic hardwoods are all I have ever pre-drilled and countersunk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodger. Posted July 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 My preliminary research shows that a lot of people are having mold issues with composite decking. apparently Trex is terrible with customer service from what I have been reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted July 5, 2015 Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 My preliminary research shows that a lot of people are having mold issues with composite decking. apparently Trex is terrible with customer service from what I have been reading. Not molds usually. Algae in north face shady areas. A topical 10% bleach spray twice a year is usually all that is needed. Algae will grow on treated and cedar the same way. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chet Posted July 5, 2015 Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 Mike. is right but it doesn't matter which brand, they are all going to cook your tottsies if the deck is exposited to direct sun. I used the brand in the link below. Its a company called Tamko. Don't know if it is available to you. It seems to be holding is color well, it has been down for about eight years now. I researched about four companies at the time and came away really liking this one for reasons that have escaped my memory now. I also used this companies' rail system for my deck. I used the system called Tam-Rail. We wanted a colonial look in the railing and it is nice not having to paint all those turned balusters. https://www.tamko.com/Decks-Docks-Railing/EverGrain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
..Kev Posted July 5, 2015 Report Share Posted July 5, 2015 I've installed a few Trex decks and really like them. Yes they're more expensive but well worth it. Word of caution with composites.. When framing, run your joists at 12" OC. There's a lot of flex in the composites that need the extra support. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freddie Posted July 6, 2015 Report Share Posted July 6, 2015 The most important thing in any deck build is a well executed framing structure, everything else is all flair. 12' OC for composite like Kev said. Make sure to check with local building codes to ensure you are building properly. Many things can accidentally be overlooked, and I've seen it done too many times so I always try to pass on the word of caution . Forms, posts and frost lines for starters. Are you going free standing or attached to house? May need to apply for permit depending on local codes. Build your frame to accommodate spans and load carry. Decks at certain heights will require lateral support. Biggest mistake I see is support beams being bolted to the sides of 4x4 posts with 3/8 carriage bolts. I use 6x6 posts and notch them so i can tuck a double 2x beam in. This ensures the load is always carried properly and you never have to rely on the shear strength of a fastener. this is really only the tip of the iceberg, but Im tired of talking decks now. Anyways, blah blah blah Im done with my rant. Happy deck building to you sir! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted July 6, 2015 Report Share Posted July 6, 2015 Do a search on deck collapse . Code is a good starting point, exceeding code is smart in some instances. It's that holiday party that gets the deck covered with people, then they all move in the same direction to see something....... 6x6 notched is a very good idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vyrolan Posted July 6, 2015 Report Share Posted July 6, 2015 It's that holiday party that gets the deck covered with people, then they all move in the same direction to see something....... This is normally preceded by someone saying, "Hold my beer." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tpt life Posted July 6, 2015 Report Share Posted July 6, 2015 Here, the deck must be secured to the structure. Settling can leave a deck wanting to separate. It is neither cheaper or easier to install a ledger board. It is not necessarily difficult, but like all systems that keep water out of a house, you must know how to do it. The trickiest decks to weather flash are the cantilevered joist decks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodger. Posted July 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2015 Personally I am a fan of free standing decks (rather than attaching to the house with a ledger board). I built one for my sister 10+ years ago (house has since burned down) and after doing a lot of research I concluded that free standing was the way to go. 1) In chicago, we have extreme freeze/thaw cycles. I liked the idea of pouring all the footings to a uniform depth. If you attach to the house you risk have your deck footings move a different amount than the house. 2) I don't like poking extra holes in the home exterior. 3) Ledger boards require proper flashing and fastening. A lot can go wrong here. 4) In my case it was only 3 or 4 extra footings. All told, it really wasn't that much work. 5) It just seemed stronger to me. I'd rather have the weight of the deck direct down onto concrete piers, rather than rely on any kind of fastener to hold it to the house. Attaching to a ledger board is probably faster/cheaper and to me that is not a compelling advantage. Someone told me that digging post holes near the foundation can have issues. This is due to the fact that the soil is not "undisturbed" due to the original excabation and backfilling of the home. Is this true, do you think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodger. Posted July 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted July 6, 2015 Have any of you guys used the "floating" deck method (dek block piers)? My area has extreme freeze cycles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted July 7, 2015 Report Share Posted July 7, 2015 Have any of you guys used the "floating" deck method (dek block piers)? My area has extreme freeze cycles. Pug, I have a deck on those pyramid shaped blocks. It is free-standing, with the posts set back from the edge for a floating appearance. Mine has held up well for almost 15 years, but I'm in Tennessee, so freeze / thaw isn't that much of a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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