Upcoming Deck Project...Experience / Suggestions?

Well the deck boards are showing their age after 20 years and the spousal unit didn't like how the paint/stain job turned out last year so it has been 'suggested' that 'we' do something about it.... like replace the boards with something nicer.

I am thinking this will percolate to the top of the project list in about 2 months when it will be a little crisper on those early November mornings. So I thought I would get the benefit of experience and suggestions from you guys and save myself some research on what it the best deck materials are now available as well as good fastening systems.

I will also post a pic of the deck to get ideas on board layout later this afternoon when I get back. I have a consistent diagonal pattern going now but would be open to other pattern ideas too. I can add joists or even a post if necessary to support a new pattern once the deck is off.

Until we see the pics later, I'll hope and guess they are not beyond what a 10X paint product can fix.
Rustolem and HD's Beher both market it.
I used a 4X for a AG pool deck in full sun which was built with 5/4 treated wood... It came out real...nice.

Big dollars to tear out and replace a deck now days.

It is 5/4 and all are not horrible, but some of the boards would need replacing if we went that route. There is a place with an ugly butt joint seam where new deck boards for the addition were not woven into the existing boards (yes I was lazy 12 years ago and didn't feel like weaving it at that point in the project after doing the inside work on the addition) so that would also need to be done - not a big deal.

I had thought about flipping the boards and sanding them to get to the less weather beaten side prior to staining. That may still be an option when the reality of the cost of replacement with composites sinks in. Either way I think I would like to go to a hidden fastener system.

Got any pics of that 4x finish job on your pool deck?

Some Pics...

McGiever wrote:Until we see the pics later, I'll hope and guess they are not beyond what a 10X paint product can fix.
Rustolem and HD's Beher both market it.
I used a 4X for a AG pool deck in full sun which was built with 5/4 treated wood... It came out real...nice.

Big dollars to tear out and replace a deck now days.

Unless the OP wants to join the rest of the civil litigants win the 10X paint users who discovered that the product has serious issues, he is going in the right direction of replacing.

What to replace it with? Wood or plastic is a matter of personal choice. If going plastic to avoid the need for painting I would call up the manufacturer an ask for their Florida paint panel light test results or similar to insure that they will meet his desires.

The OP has a big job ahead. Not difficult but big.

When going with composites they recommend closer joist spacing. I just recently walked on a small deck that used wide spacing as for wood but they used composite and it was very spongy. I have seen a lot of nice composite displays but I don’t know how well they stand the test of time.

My porch was redone with composite 2 years ago. Added stringers to reduce the spacing, solid as a rock now. We used some screws with a small head that is countersunk. I think the materials came to $4.80 per foot, but I would have to check to be sure.

Rob's decking looks something like the Correct deck I used at my house. I returned to Maine in June to tear it off and redo, because of snow load, and found the surface somewhat degraded. They have changed their name as there are problems with the longevity of the product. Most of the older composite decks have some sort of lawsuit going on. I have installed a couple of the older kinds and put on 2 of the hidden fastener kind.

Now.......They are softer, I don't care how you space them. Only more stringers fixes that.
They are not "forever" as nothing is. Mine were counter sunk decking screws and the frost broke many of the heads off over 8 or 10 years.
The fasteners I used on the hidden ones, a plastic "T" shaped one, screwed straight down, and a metal angled bracket that screwed in at an angle, are not likely to solve this problem as mother nature is very powerful.
Most of the new top rated ones are solid PVC, and composites with a "skin" on them. The jury is out......

Considering I paid $63 per stick of 1x6x20ft. I would be disappointed if I had to throw them away. But I used an epoxy fortified paint and it really seemed to stick. Time will tell.

The cost of that much decking will make you choke. Just the cost of the fasteners will get your attention.

Kevin

I am not sure what the brand name is of the decking we used. My dads porch is 10 years old, same materials as mine...no broken screws or complaints yet.

Holy smokes that's a large deck! We did Cedar boards and after 5 years I have to replace three out of 20. Guess I'm not very impressed with them. They are tough but really hard to get anything to stick to them with all of the oil coming out for years.

Thanks for the ideas...keep them coming. Pics are a great help too.

Rob, I like the edge board on the front side of yours but if I keep the angle theme I am not sure I want to use that since it was very easy to let the boards run a little long over the edge then snap a line and trim them even. Although maybe I can do the same trim trick prior to setting that edge board.

I planned ahead when I tied in the addition deck and have those joists on 12" centers thinking it would be supporting the weight of a hot tub someday. But the narrower span will come in handy to support the softer composite boards if we go that way. The original deck was on 16" centers so I will likely add joists there.

For those that used screws on the composite, did you get a mushroom effect around the screwhead as it countersunk? I wanted to avoid that so I was thinking of using the hidden fasteners.

For those that used screws on the composite, did you get a mushroom effect around the screwhead as it countersunk? I wanted to avoid that so I was thinking of using the hidden fasteners.

Yes, I have seen it with any type I have used. But I drilled mine with a separate drill to countersink them cleanly. The claims of self sinking bits are overrated as far as I'm concerned.

Kevin

I haven't built a deck without the edge trim for many years. Just looks clean and professional.