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Slickcraft · 02-22-2017, 03:51 PM

We have a wraparound low deck of about 550 sq. feet and are getting bids to have it resurfaced. The old material is stained 25-year-old pressure treated wood. The bids that we have are for Trex brand composite decking. As we have no experience with composite decking, some questions:

One apparent downside is vulnerability to scuffing and scratching. Is this a real issue? We do scrape snow off with shovels and a small snow blower. Also, roof access for chimney sweeping involves setting a ladder on the low deck.

Another possible issue is thermal expansion with the main decking section being on the south side. Should we stay away from brown and just consider the grey colors? Or does proper installation make this a non-issue?

The Trex composite comes in 3 grades: Select “good”, Enhance “better” and Transcend “best”. I have not found a good explanation of what the differences in the self-ratings are really based on. No doubt the pricing goes from $ to $$ to $$$.

We will probably have the house on the market in 2 or 3 years so presumably composite will be more attractive than PT to a buyer. On the other hand, PT is much lower in initial cost and maybe stands up better to being beat upon. Any comments?

02-22-2017, 03:51 PM	#1
Slickcraft Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Welch Island and West Alton Posts: 3,215 Thanks: 1,172 Thanked 2,000 Times in 914 Posts	Composite Decking We have a wraparound low deck of about 550 sq. feet and are getting bids to have it resurfaced. The old material is stained 25-year-old pressure treated wood. The bids that we have are for Trex brand composite decking. As we have no experience with composite decking, some questions: One apparent downside is vulnerability to scuffing and scratching. Is this a real issue? We do scrape snow off with shovels and a small snow blower. Also, roof access for chimney sweeping involves setting a ladder on the low deck. Another possible issue is thermal expansion with the main decking section being on the south side. Should we stay away from brown and just consider the grey colors? Or does proper installation make this a non-issue? The Trex composite comes in 3 grades: Select “good”, Enhance “better” and Transcend “best”. I have not found a good explanation of what the differences in the self-ratings are really based on. No doubt the pricing goes from $ to $$ to $$$. We will probably have the house on the market in 2 or 3 years so presumably composite will be more attractive than PT to a buyer. On the other hand, PT is much lower in initial cost and maybe stands up better to being beat upon. Any comments?