Composite decking source--the best price?

[MikeT]

Does anyone know of a source or strategy for getting Trex or similar decking materials at a good price?  These are pretty pricey, it appears and I would like to explore ways of getting it cheaper if at all possible.

Thanks,
mt

[MountainDon]

I think we're kind stuck on using whatever is locally available at whatever best deal the individual can pull off. That stuff's about the heaviest material you'll ever use next to concrete or heavy wall steel. I don't even like the thought of handling it.

From what I've seen locally it's not as great a material as the manufacturers say it is. I have seen one well used deck with a high traffic wear pattern developing.

It's a little bit like a maintenance free car battery, IMO. Works great until it's worn out. Then what? That's my personal take on it. One guy's opinion. Don't get me wrong, I love the idea of no or low maintenance. I'm just not certain it's ready for prime time.

My experience has all been in the dry low humidity dry desert.

[glenn kangiser]

I also don't care for Trex or similar but if you decide to use it, it bows pretty bad after while if not supported on 16" centers.  Probably beats replacing wood every 10 years.  I know its always damp up there.

[MikeT]

Thanks Don and Glenn,

The Oregon coast is pretty damp, so regular wood will weather pretty quickly...and I would have to restain quite often--maybe that is a better way to go, however.  I know the Trex, Timbertek, etc is pretty heavy.  I have 400 sf of decking to work with.  I was also thinking of an impervious deck--like a PT plywood with an elastomeric paint over it.

Choices, choices.  

For what it is worth, I have my joists at 16" oc.

mt

[Redoverfarm]

Not intended to make you sick but this past Saturday I went a construction material auction. They had 4 stacks(72 boards in each hack) of 12' & 16' solid composite decking. New material. The 12' went for $14 and the 16' went for $17.  Good buy as Lowes had for $33-$38.  

[MikeT]

Now you guys have really done it to me.  I am rethinking the composite choice completely.  Perhaps if I can find and reclaim someone's deck and install that wood, I would save money and be environmentally friendly as well.  I would have to do more work in terms of staining (or I could let it just weather naturally if it cedar or redwood), but that might  be a better alternative to the more expensive composite.

mt

[MountainDon]

When we started planning for the cabin one of my wife's "musts" was composite materials for the porch floor and hand rails. Over time I've slowly convinced her there are better options, pine or maybe PT pine for the floor, and small diameter trees from our property for handrails and balusters. I just kept presenting other options to the composite at the same time I kept making comments about the wear on portions of the decking at the business. Contrasting that wear with the 15 year old playground decking, pine spruce or fir. That stuff receives an every other year application of some penetrating type of finish.

[glenn kangiser]

Check out this stuff too, Mike.  Supposed to stop something like 98% of the water.

Comes from up there too.  Aurora I think.

http://aloghomestore.com/finish.shtml#Deck%20Stain

[Preston]

Mike,

A buddy of mine is a deck builder and I recently asked him about what he thought of composite.  He said you're not having to restain every year-2 years but you're still having to powerwash and clean just as often.

He prefers the conventional stuff.   I was thinking of doing composite myself until he and I spoke about it.