TREX Composite Decking Tips / Considerations Before Building - How to install deck that will last
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- Опубликовано: 3 окт 2024
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*TREX HIDEAWAY FASTENERS: amzn.to/35gPuKZ
*JOIST TAPE: amzn.to/2Qswa97
*COMPOSITE SHIMS: amzn.to/2CXeP3A
*FLAT SHIMS: amzn.to/32Pg0gg
*COMPOSITE DECKING SAW BLADE: amzn.to/2CRZqyf
Here are some tips and things you should consider before building with composite decking. Rapid fire info and I share some of the mistakes that I made. In the end, I'm very happy with my Trex deck and I'm glad i chose this option over wood decking.
~Video on my Conduit Railings: • Conduit Railings with ...
@The Samurai Carpenter is the guy I was referring to and here's his video on railing posts: • FTF #54 How To Install...
Additional Tips:
If you're laying your Trex board by board (unlike me), it's best to start farthest away from the house. That way if you have to rip a board, it's the one that rests against the house. It's critical to make accurate measurements/calculations if you want to have all "full" boards. `
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On Amazon:
*TREX HIDEAWAY FASTENERS: amzn.to/35gPuKZ
*JOIST TAPE: amzn.to/2Qswa97
*COMPOSITE SHIMS: amzn.to/2CXeP3A
*FLAT SHIMS: amzn.to/32Pg0gg
*COMPOSITE DECKING SAW BLADE: amzn.to/2CRZqyf
He said, "Caddy Wompus" right off the bat. As a lifetime carpenter, I can really appreciate this type of super-technical terminology so I will actually continue watching this. I am proud of you young man.
lol. sarcastic?
😂🤣
Kiddy Wompass or Kluge. Two of my favorite construction terms.
Thanks for sharing all of the challenges you had with this installation. I learned more useful information from your deck video than from any other.
Those were fantastic tips! Just absorbing as much as possible before starting my own deck DIY. Kudos on the video! I saw great points that I didn't find in any other video!
Great job, looks beautiful. Just did my own using steel with 12"OC horizontal stages, no shims needed and I love it. To keep the deck cool we simply keep it under an overhang umbrella during pool time. Works perfect
Thanks. And damn, nice! That's the way to do it. Steel>Wood
Your video is a generous service to the public.
That’s the best deck video I’ve watched , so many YT vids are like look how cool we build decks with no help
Yours was rammed with info
Thanks
I love your honesty man!! Im exactly like you, shit happens and we as contractors deal with everyday whereas the customer has no idea......Love it man, keep em coming...
Great video. I especially appreciated the info on framing so dirt and debris doesn’t get trapped. Also about the joist tape. Now I gotta revisit my framing and make adjustments before laying deck boards.
Great job, lot of info that i needed for my small deck especially the heat part. wish it let me give you two thumbs
Great video! Just did my little front porch in Trex and learned a lot. Definitely glad I had a small project to learn on before doing my large deck in the backyard
Thanks! That's great you did your own porch! Wish you could post pictures in the comments on here. Would love to see it
Great video, no B.S. honest mistakes, just like a regular guy. LOVED IT!!!!
This is the best info video on trex. Thanks
This is great valuable insight on the Trex decking and installation.
Thanks, I appreciate your input
Nice work. I'm moving to FL (ton of rain) from So CA (almost no rain) and you gave me several great ideas. THX!!
Thanks man. And good move. Florida is great!. Just got back from Cocoa Beach
Thanks for the very detailed video. I came in just wanting info on the hidden fasteners and how they were installed. You covered that nicely along with a bunch of other stuff that was very useful. Thanks again.
You're welcome, and happy to hear the video was helpful. Thanks!
Thanks for the tips. You confirmed my question on Trex or any composite, that it gets extremely hot. We have full sun in our backyard and I don't want to put permanent roof or awnings over my deck that will block light coming into the house in the Winter months. I do walk in my yard barefoot a lot, plus we have 2 dogs which if the decks get extremely hot, the dogs won't even be able to walk on it. Thinking to get Ipe instead.
Lots of good info, thanks! I'm in the beginning stages of rebuilding my deck. Will use Trex decking, and now will be looking for #1 kiln dried joists!
Thanks man and good luck with your project!
My boards just arrived today. Your video was very helpful. Much appreciated!!
Awesome, good luck with the project! Thanks for the feedback and comment
@@NoNonsenseKnowHow Thanks. I don't know about all types but my 20 footers are like working with gummie worms.
Yeah mine were the same way! Definitely not the easiest material in the world to work with
@@NoNonsenseKnowHow They are great but getting a GOOD STRAIGHT EDGE to begin is an issue. If you don't get it perfect in the first one the error can compound through the entire surface.
You fix one thing by moving away from wood only to find a new set of hurdles. I wonder if 'Starfleet' has these issues?
Hi, If I would tweak anything that you did, it would be to angle both sides of the deck / joist tape, so any water from rain or hosing, drip out , away from the timber and increases the life of the joists. Sometimes I use metal flashing with a 10mm/ 1/2" kick out to do the same job as the tape. The tape is the less expensive option though. I use the same metal flashing method, when I erect outdoor roof stucture ( BBQ area), wherever there is clear polycarbonate roof sheets,as the sun can do damage to the top side of the timber roof batten. Lets face it, the top of the timber batten , only gets painted once at the begining and after the clear sheets are installed, it can never get another coat of paint on it ( unless you replace those sheets after several years, due to wind/ dust abrasion. I'm in Australia
Great tips and attention to detail!
Very helpful.
Just starting my project and doing more research.
Good info for us that never used it before. Thank you.
Excellent points! Thanks for sharing your experiences and issues with Trex. I will use several of your tips during my installation. Nice job!
Thanks and good luck on your build!
I’m doing a Trex deck and I’ve wasted soooo much time screwing around with trying to get trusses flat. Shims here and planing there. What a royal PITA. I’d do Trex or metal trusses in a heartbeat if I had to do it over again.
Yeah I'm totally with you on that. Although I will say the kiln-dried pressure-treated lumber that I got was incredible. Super straight and true. And dry!
You are so right regarding the foundation and the way the composite decking conforms to it. I chose to go with NewTechWood vs Trex (same type of vinyl wrapped composite product - uses stainless steel clips at every 12") and created the same design as you did (picture framed). The idea was to just re-clad the existing foundation with the new decking. This was NOT the way to go. As you had alluded to in your video, the decking will conform to the hills and valleys created by the joists so one could shim each contact point, and that's exactly what I ended up doing. It took a solid month of two to three hours per night installing all the decking but every board is flat and after four years the surface today looks just as good as it did when I finally finished the install! If I were ever to do this again I would tear out all existing structure and start net new with #1 treated. Great video.
Awesome to hear you were able to shim it to Perfection. Thanks for sharing your story
What did you use to shim the decking?
Very useful, thanks. I am in the UK and about to install a small deck. Found your video really helpful.
Awesome to hear, and good luck on your build.
Dude thanks for the information definitely following your guidance.
I'm so glad I ran across your video. Thank you very much for all the useful tips because I am going to build my deck in a month, definitely shopping for the # 1 kiln-dry boards at a local lumberyard.
Glad it was helpful! And yea thats def worth you time and the extra $. Good luck!
Great explaining and tips. Good stuff my friend
Thanks Raul
Great, candid review. Thanks for the tips!!!
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Well done.
Wow, very helpful stuff. I will be sure to not block my joists where they will create a pocket- I didn’t even consider that. Thanks!!!
No problem Tony and good luck on the build!
Thanks for the insight and tips. Well done.
No prob and thanks!
I have framed with thicker galvanized steel before and I will say it carries it's own challenges. You definitely save on warping but fastening and assembly isn't as easy as wood.
Great video finally talking about the real installation of composite decking. Well done!
Thanks, I appreciate that
Good tutorial. Being a deck builder for 25 years, I appreciate your suggestions. I see on the house side with the last deck board and the gap...you could just take a deck board and use the table saw and rip a trim strip about 1.5 inches, pre drill and trim it out. If you have decking with a groove, you could rip that groove off and take a router and round edge one side....
Thanks man that means a lot coming from a deck builder. I ended up filling the Gap with a piece of garden hose actually. LOL It fit in there perfectly snug in. But I appreciate the suggestion
NoNonsenseKnowHow cool, as long as you’re happy. I fought treated joists my entire career. I always bought and picked the posts and joists bds from the same lot pile. Had a lumber yard that opened up more bundles for me because I was good for 10-20 grand a BB month with sales.. sure helps:)
Fortunately I don't fight with crumby Lumber that often. But I definitely found it to be frustrating LOL. And yeah I'm happy with filling the void. Let me rephrase, I actually stuffed the hose behind the siding so it just brought the siding up against the Trex and it looks perfect
So glad I found your video. Was seriously considering this stuff - until you mentioned the heat thing. With grandkids always running around barefoot, can't have something that will burn them and no money in the budget for covering my decks. Going back to my cedar, it has lasted 15 years.
Yeah man Cedar is definitely the way to go when thermal conductivity is concerned! I'm glad the video helped you make your decision. I was so torn between sticking with wood or not but ultimately I felt not having to stain it and the lower maintenance was my main priority
A thumbs up just for the heat transfer comment alone.
You're the first guy mention that point in the comments. . It's certainly an important aspect to consider.
Or maybe aspect is the wrong word. Certainly negative property of Trex to consider. Unless you want to cook eggs on it
very good information. didn't hear any crap or unsupported opinion.
Thank you for your info on trex. I was going to do my large deck all over again but I noticed what was missing from mine. You have all that metal holder parts on each plank underneath. I dont. Thanks for sharing every part of the deck.
No problem! Thanks for dropping a comment. If yours do not have the hidden fasteners under each plank, what is securing them?
@@NoNonsenseKnowHow sounds like she might be referring to the metal joist hangers on yours. Her joists might have just been screwed or nailed to the cross beams. Cheap lazy way to do it!
Awesome points you make. Excellent video....Thanks
Thanks. I’m looking to put a deck in this summer & I’m really liking the composite options, but so many choices. May be worth the $ to me if it means no maintenance over the years.
Yea thats what i was sold on. Low Maintenance
1.Almost no one uses galvanized floor joist for a small deck like yours.
2. It's better to use pressure treated joists on small decks like yours.
3. Kiln dried wood will warp over time as much as wet wood. It is the grain of the wood that determines if it will stay straight.
4. Good call on expansion and contraction.
5. The hidden fasteners do look much better.
6. Your deck looks good - great job!
7. I'm not a big fan of the threaded posts for for your railing. The better method is to lag your posts to the structural frame with galvanized bolts. This assures that if someone is pushed hard against the railing, it will hold. It also meets structural codes, the " Samurai " system you mention won't.
FL FL Good comments! Galvanized steel would also be very difficult to screw to. Drilling and bolting will create a rust point.
Thanks for the info.
Looks nice.
Kudos.
Thanks buddy
Of course.
Thanks for posting the video.
We're supposed to start a deck next week and the home owner decided on Trex. I'm a commercial carpenter, not residential. I can frame the hell out of something with metal studs, but wood framing isn't my specialty. So any info is a great help.
Do you have more videos on deck building?
Nice. And no unfortunately I don't have many videos about deck building. I'm an auto mechanic. I actually caught quite a bit of grief from people commenting below about me not knowing what I'm doing. LOL. Merely put this video off just to share my experience and Thoughts with some tips as well. Good luck on the build. Only other video I have as far as Decks that would maybe be helpful is for the railings that I did
Great tips thank you! There’s more than meets the eye. I think I’ll call a contractor, wife will be much happier!
Very informational . Thanks
Great tips. Thanks!
Great job. Thanks for making this video.
Thanks John and no problem
Good topic range. Love the American flag on display!
very well made video
Thanks for the great info and tips! Could have sworn I was listening to Ray Romano! :)
No problem and thanks for dropping a comment. I'm not sure who that is but I'll have to look him up now. lol
Thanks for the video. I learned a few things for sure.
No problem, and that's great to hear! Thanks for commenting
Thanks!
Super helpful
I had no idea about the deck joist tape. I have always covered the deck joist with asphalt underlayment paper. Usually stapled and one inch wider than the joist i was covering. You can do a lot of deck joist with one roll of paper and a lot cheaper the deck tape. Good explanation of what to look out for, thank you.
That's a great idea! I'll keep that in mind for the future. Thanks for the tip
You can also use concrete to brick vapor barrier. Even cheaper and it has a slight curve to it. I considered fake wood, but after a while it looks weathered and that it needs re varnishing.
Great tips in "layman's" terms.
Great info. Definitely a “thumbs-up 👍🏼”. Now I’m a new subscriber to your channel. Well done!
Thanks Jean. I really appreciate that
Man you are right using steel framing instead !! I’m trying to find a source in So California. You did a damn good job.
Thanks man! And yeah if your budget allows it, definitely going to save a lot of headache by skipping the wood framing. Plus it should last a lot longer
Could you use steel framing attached to existing wood framing that’s in good shape without ripping everything out...maybe even using a steel L channel screwed to the side of your deck frame
@@RogerNQuevillon I thought about doing something like that. But in my case I think it still would have been a better call to just get rid of all the wood.
Thanks! Going to do a deck soon and this is super helpful
Nice video. I learned a lot from you.
Thanks, and that's good to hear! Of course I'm no deck builder, but I figured other people could save time by learning from my mistakes
Here is a big tip for all.....go to real lumber yard that has experienced salesmen for good lumber. It might be more expensive, but a better grade will provide more value and give you way less headache than the culled garbage roof framing lumber sold at the big box stores. Plus, most lumber yards provide waaaay better service and will load it for you. You will not miss pushing a loaded lumber cart through aisles wide enough for a shopping basket around a hundred other people staring at the shelves wondering what the hell they are looking for with no help in sight..
Couldn't agree with that more! I will say, the #1 kiln-dried pressure treated was night and day difference
On the money there. If you can’t stand pressure treated, and who could, try #1 kiln dried as no nonsense says, completely different. Way less warp, dimensionally stable, lighter, less ugly, way better in every way. Again usually sold at a real lumberyard, by folks that use their knowledge and expertise to throw bread on the table every night, and want you to come back.
Amazing! Thank you brother!
No problem buddy. Good luck on your project
Great information thanks 🌹🌹🌹
solid video, thanks man!
No problem man! Thanks for the feedback
I build out here in the California & Arizona desert along the Colorado River & the decks I’ve done in the last 7 yrs using the Saddle Brown from the Trex Select Series have all bleached out from the sun. Very disappointing to have a brown deck surface that’s turning white. I’m waiting for a Trex rep to come out our way someday so I can show him that the product is not holding up in the desert sun. I don’t have any problems with the gray Trex colored decks, so far..... It’s a shame cuz Trex does provide the best looking color choices than all the other composite manufactures.
Damn man, I'm sorry to hear that. Hopefully they take care of you and warranty it out. Thanks for sharing your experience. I guess I'll see how mine Fares. It gets a lot of sunlight everyday. But probably nowhere as much as you get.
They all fade even in good conditions. I just compared after 2 years and well all I can say is im very disappointed.
really enjoyed this video! I learned a bunch! Thanks!
Awesome to hear! Thanks for commenting
Great video, pretty much made me decide I'm gonna hire someone to do it rather than do it myself cause there's too many things to consider.
Nah you got this man. Just take your time with it and you'll be totally good
Great video. Thanks!
Very informative
Good job! Very helpful.
Thanks. Glad it was helpful
That's why it's important to always make sure your crown is facing up on your joist then as it settles it flattens out if the crown is down it'll definitely have a belly I've been a carpenter 27 years there's no doubt in my mind that's the issue here
I'm not a carpenter but I crowned them the best I possibly could trying to read the grain and also ran a string line across some of them to make sure. I guess I did it wrong. They were sopping wet and the crown was hard to identify
Great! Thanks!
Nice job my friend! Over killed on the posts.
About how far north/south are you? I'm planning on resurfacing an existing deck with Trex (the existing paint is peeling like crazy, and several of the deck boards are rotted, and I figured the Trex would be maintenance free, or extremely low maintenance, at least). I don't think I really paid close attention to the temperature difference, but I HAVE noticed it: my parents put in new decks and used Trex, close to 20 years ago, and I was always too focused on not getting splinters from the Trex like we used to with the previous wood deck that I didn't notice it was that much hotter.
The rest of the tips are also useful! As much as it pains the person who suffers through it, it's super helpful to the rest of us to see what mistakes, or installations gone wrong, look like, and how to avoid them. Thanks!
I'm in Pennsylvania. So far I'm really happy with it. It definitely gets hotter then wood, but hasn't been a big deal for me.
Appreciate you dropping me a comment
Do you have a full video on installing the deck stairs?
It is kind of crazy how unstable pressure treated pine is. I like to use Cumaru or Ipe for the flooring. The composites seem to get really hot on the feet. Nice looking work.
Yeah I couldn't believe how much this stuff warped and twisted. The #1 kiln-dried was light years better. I think if I was to do it again I would definitely go with steel framing though. You can probably tell by this video how meticulous I am about things I build. It's almost like a sickness LOL. Andrew definitely doesn't have the same problem. I'm almost jealous of that though
I did some temperature testing back in the summer and the Composites don't actually get that much hotter, but they do transfer heat at a more rapid rate so yes they will burn your feet pretty bad.
@@NoNonsenseKnowHow wood is a better insulator and remember the internet is not your friend. I am :) I used the composites back 12 -15 years ago hn they first came out and noticed the difference in heat absorption. I never used them again. But again, experience is something we all have to go through. Natural materials will always be better than synthetic. This is the artisan way :) Many will transverse the popular, few will take the road laid out for us in the beginning.
@@ArtisanTony I originally planned on putting a roof over this. Well I shouldn't say originally, because it was an afterthought. But since the deck overhangs the beam quite a bit, I started running into some complications. Do you have any suggestions for building a roof over this? I was thinking about a lean-to Style coming off at the house. Keeping the sun off of the Trex would definitely eliminate the burning feet problem
@@NoNonsenseKnowHow send me your dimensions and I will draw it for you :) but you can cantilever the roof like you did the deck joists. If I had your roof pitch and width I could help.
Good stuff! It's always great to hear from actual users about their experiences, so as to make mine more favorable. :o)
Yeah definitely good to learn from others bad experiences! Good luck on yours. So far I'm very happy with the Trex. Although I will say it is extremely slippery when it gets icy. But then again so was my wood...
@@NoNonsenseKnowHow That's what she said.
Thx. Great tips
No prob man!
Great video
I wondered where that RR sign went near my house where that car was cut in two by the train. Glad to see it again😂
Lol! Nah i would never. Unless it was in abandoned Railroad. Found it on Ebay for $33 brand new
well done vid....thank you
Used Trex on deck in Ontario almost all boards split along the edges and swelled to close the gaps in deck. The only reason I have not replaced the deck is the work involved in removal, disposal issues and redoing a very large deck
How close were the screws to the edges? And you're talkin about the board ends correct? Also did you use a sealer on the open grain of the Trex?. Sorry to hear man, I can only imagine how frustrated you must feel. Hopefully mine doesn't do the same. Crossing my fingers
@@NoNonsenseKnowHow what kind of a sealer ? i never heard about sealing ends on trex decking... or any mention of it in manual...
@@miankopl i used twp1500. trust me, worth it. otherwise they wick up water fast
@@NoNonsenseKnowHow so you used it on cut ends, but did you use it on the bottom of the boards as well?
Did you have to use some kind of the primer before applying sealer?
@@miankopl no I didn't use any kind of primer. Just TWP 1500. I did not use it on the bottoms. I suppose you could, but I feel like that would be a little bit Overkill. I suppose not a bad idea though! After all, Overkill is my middle name
Great video..
Thanks
I walked on a Trex deck in a pretty low humidity condition and got massive static shock when touching metal screen door knob. Do others experience that ? Good idea using the #1 kiln dried lumber.
I haven't personally experienced that yet, but yeah I could definitely see that happening!
And yeah unfortunately I found out about the kiln-dried pressure treated after the fact. Lot of wasted time there.
Good info. I’m currently having a Trex deck installed, and wondering if it was difficult to install in case I wanted to expand it myself later. Thanks for sharing.
Great video, thanks. What is the bottle that is suspended under the deck?
Thanks. That's a carpenter bee trap. They work pretty good
Nice job man look good
Thanks Heuy
My old boss just used stainless screws right thru the face of the decking...i now see why...all that xtra blocking drives up costs. Plus i know a 2 1/2 or 3in stainless screw isn't going anywhere...just have to be careful not to drive em in too far
Thanks
If it’s cold then the decking is smaller and if you build in the heat and it expands the decking blows up and sometimes you will need to take a utility knife to cut a space for the hidden fasteners. And where is his railings
home depot loves to sell wet doug fir. Next time grab a hand planer and buy dry.
also 12" on center for composite
Yeah tons of wet Lumber there for sure. Stuff is talk to build with especially since it shrinks so much. Dry Lumber all the way next time. And when I was installing I read 16in on Center unless you're going diagonal. Seems to be holding up well so far
Standard case of do as i say not as i do, learn from my mistakes.👍
Good details
Be advised that if your Trex delaminates (which is not unusual), if Trex accepts your claim (that's a big if) they will only replace material cost, not labor cost. Also, regardless of application, use 12" centers. Over time, 16" centers will bow. Trex also absorbs grease, barbecue drippings, is easily stained by red wine and gets hot to the touch in the sun. Linear expansion is a thing. Be advised. When building a deck with Trex, include an awning.
Hoping I don't deal with any delamination. So far pretty happy with it. Yes definitely gets extremely hot. But I didn't feel like dealing with staining wood or splinters so I decided to try Trex. Guess time will tell. This was about $3,000 for the Trex alone. transcend
I would have used butyl tape on each joist. Also, they have screws with plugs for every color of trex decking for perimeter boards and steps instead of those screws. looks great though.
I did use butyl deck joist tape. And yeah I actually have the plugs for it, but I I figured I would just maybe add them in the future. In case for some reason I had to pull the outer boards back up for some reason. Thanks for reminding me though maybe I'll go ahead and add those plugs now that I'm done with everything
Beautiful work and also very informative video. Actually used it for reference when I did mine this past spring. The question I have is, are your chairs/tables scratching the Trex? I just bought 2 new Polywood Adirondack chairs and when assembling I noticed the legs were scratching the surface of the Trex Select. Now I'm looking at adding felt leg protectors. Laying an outdoor area rug is also a thought, but then it's covering up the Trex and also there's concern of discoloration where the Trex isnt covered. Thanks in advance.
How did the Trex hold up from point of view of scratch resistance? Is it really scratch resistant? Many thanks for the great advice.
Seems to be holding up excellent. I might do a 1-year review video on it.
Hey mate, great video, learnt heaps from it. I'm just about to decide on the Trex composite decking material and build the deck on a galvansied steel frame as you suggest. Before I decide on Trex, can you tell me if it is slip resistant and whether a basketball would bounce well on top of it. My son and I will play basketball on the deck that I intend to build, and I want to make sure the ball bounces well and we don't slip over on it. Cheers.
Thanks Matt and glad to hear you'd learned a little bit from the video. My experience has been that Trex can definitely be a little bit slippery especially when wet. A basketball will bounce on it fine, but probably better on wood. Good luck on your project!
Good video
Love your flag
Thanks Roger
Trex expands and contracts like crazy. Customers don't get that.
Yeah for sure. It's crazy
Good video
@@Styles5311 thanks man