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Over
the past fifteen years we have been focusing our sights on stronger,
longer lasting and more durable deck products. Although we still
construct a full line of products made with real woods such as
Redwood, Cedar and hardwoods. Our clients are finding themselves
with less free time on the weekends and too many more obligations
with the time they do have to be spending their discretionary
time sealing and staining the outdoor living space; they increasingly
request products that require much less time and maintenance.
Many
new composite materials, solid plastics, vinyl coverings and even
fiberglass products have recently flooded the market and have
some very lofty promises to limit or even eliminate the normal
maintenance problems. It has been our experience that a lower
density mixed composite material can provide the longevity, durability
and can limit the maintenance, while staying in a similar cost
range.
Allow
us to share the positive and negative
aspects from our perspective of the most popular choices in today's
retail decking and railing markets.
Trex
- "Trex" brand decking has become the most popular choice
because of its composition which is a balanced mixture of plastic
and wood which gives the product a life span many times that of
real wood, with much less maintenance. Trex was first used over
a fifteen or so years ago and has a promising track record. Trex
will expand and contract less than solid plastics allowing normal
deck hardware to be used in its application. Trex comes in different
colors, blending nicely into landscape designs. It provides textured
decking options with increased control in inclimate weather. When
exposed to certain oils, stains and dyes, Trex will discolor and
require cleaning, power washing and will take months to fade out.
Trex, by its composite nature has no natural grain strength and
is classed as a nonstructural material, which cannot be
used to construct structures, but only to face or cover structures.
Cedar
- has been widely used in the United States in various
applications for hundreds of years and is growing in popularity
in today's decking and structural landscaping markets. Cedar is
milled for so many different applications and textures making
it the most versatile wood used in America. Rough cuts are produced
for fencing, siding, facing and trims. Timbers of all sizes are
cut for both structural and architectural uses such as roofs,
pergolas, arbors and gazebos. Smooth cuts of Cedar are so beautiful
because of their grain and knot configuration and are milled for
many deck and rail applications. They can be cut, routed and milled
easily on the job site to fit any purpose. The strength of its
grain allows it to be used in almost all structural uses. Cedars
softness allows it to age well in very dry climates, paints well
and resists the normal cracking of denser woods, and dry very
quickly in wet climates. Cedar has a very pleasing natural aroma
and is resistance to rotting. Cedar will oxidize and gray if not
treated properly and will mildew or even get burned by the sun
if it is over sealed. In Colorado's dry climate, Cedar needs to
be sealed yearly or bi-yearly to maintain its natural beauty or
should be primed before being painted.
Redwood
- has been American's primary choice for decking products in the
past, but is quickly losing its charm and popularity because of
its rising cost and high maintenance. It has a natural lasting
beauty in its grain and knot configuration, mixed colors of common,
B-grades and heart grades. The nature of Heart Redwood allows
it to be very resistant to decay and can be used for many applications
in the most humid of environments. In more arid environments,
it can crack, split and raise its grain when not protected properly.
The changing laws and management of the Redwood forests in the
United States has greatly increased the cost and limited availability
of products. Redwood should be sealed every year in the early
fall.
Denser
Composites - such as Weather Best, Evergrain and Timber
Tech decking systems are all relative newcomers to the composite
decking market but are quickly making up ground. These new products
offer a variety of colors and wood textures. Their denser composition
affords the desired durability, strength,
resistance to denting and requires
potentially less maintenance respective to each product. With
the higher density of these products comes the possibility of
fracturing, increased expansion and contraction and the need for
stronger and more expensive fasteners. Although affording more
strength and durability, these products have no natural grain
strength and are also classed as nonstructural materials and cannot
be used to construct structures but is used to face or cover them.
Some of these products have been modified from their original
design to overcome apparent difficulties in application.
Hardwoods
- such as Mahogany, Ipe and Cypress have been widely used in the
construction of decks and other landscape structures for many
years in other countries, but have just recently been gaining
in popularity in our area. The true beauty and consistency to
a real hardwood product is very attractive to the consumer in
this market. The durability and longevity are clearly acknowledgments
of the hardness and extreme density of hardwood trees. The strength
of a drying board of this density often requires a stainless steel
screw (costly) application to hold it firmly in place and will
also require high grade steel or titanium drill bits to bore pilot
holes. The hardwoods require more intricate and involved construction
applications, and in turn requires a more experienced and talented
carpenter. The additional labor involved with this type of construction
can be as much as double the normal time and can cost between
double and triple the normal fees. In our climate, normal oil
based sealants may take several additional days to soak into a
hardwood product and specific ones may require a special type
sealant.
The
opinions expressed here are those of Denver Decks and more specifically
of Philip R. Tussing, the owner and your "Deck Answer Man".
Note: The consumer should always
thoroughly investigate a product before choosing to purchase a
material or product for use in their construction project. It
would also be prudent to test every opinion in order to determine
its factual nature.
We
have determined that products such as vinyl, solid plastics and
fiberglass decking materials have too great a financial or health
risk, or some type of liability we are not willing to undertake.
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