New Deck Question

Advertise with us
Shop deals on ebay
SpartanEpoxies
House Repair Talk

Help Support House Repair Talk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
C

cibula11

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 9, 2006
Messages
331
Reaction score
0
With spring around the corner I am going to start a deck and fence project for my back yard. The current deck is just a simple 12x16 deck. I am adding a fence and tearing out the deck and adding a new one. What is the BEST material to use? I know there are varying opinions on the topic. This is probably not a house we will live in forever, but at least several more years. I am thinking cedar so that I can use the same material for both fence and deck. Any other options or things to consider?
 
cibula

This question is bound to get the full range of answers. Everyone has their own opinion of what is BEST. Far too many things to consider to call any one choice BEST.

I will say my preference for a deck would be to use composite decking. It runs about 2x the cost of cedar/redwood decking but no finishing and annual restaining. For cost considerations think about if you will be there for five more years, what is the cost of restaining it probably 3x? Of course you will do a new stain job right before you put the house up to sell. That one you are not going to get to "enjoy" like any of the other times.

I like cedar fencing. Just what I am used to. See lots of vinyl fences going up on new housing and I have to say it definately looks like plastic.:eek: Now to some I'll bet they like the look and think cedar looks run down and junky because of the way it fades and changes as it ages. (Gotta maintain it at least a little bit)

Cedar framing for the deck is probably good. That or treated lumber.
 
I figured I'd hit a nerve with "BEST", but I need some feedback. With compostite decking I have heard there is a tendancy for the boards to bow between joists. Is this true? Any ROUGH estimates of the cost of a 12x16 deck with PT, Composite, Cedar?
 
stick with 16" centers for the composite decking.

Check out the big box retailers. They often show decks in their sales adds. usually something like a 10x12 ft deck for the price listed. I'm sure these prices vary quite significantly regionally due to material prices.
 
well "Best" I like Ipe (e-pay) it will knock your socks off. Use brass/bronze screws to put it over the top. I think this is flat out the best looking stuff.
 
Okay, so what about a standard 12x16 deck on a budget. My home would not get back anything too extreme. It is in a pretty modest neighborhood. (I don't want my deck to be better looking then my house :)
 
Ipe is on a budget- just a big one.
Composite may still be a good choice long term, just price it out and remember that it needs almost no upkeep.
 
what about a pressure treated sub structure and composite or cedar floor and post/rails? Does this work and look okay?
 
For your money, Composite can cost up to 3 times, (even more) than treated wood. Composite is prone to mildew and rust staining. Also, to keep the manufacturer's warranty, you will need to use their recommended cleaner. NO pressure washing!! Pressure washing can eject fibers and make the surface even more pourous, making it even harder to clean!

On a budget? Treated, treated and treated.. Framing, floors and rails.
 
Thanks. After thinking about, I will go with pressure treated. I guess cedar looks nicer, but does age like any other wood in freezing rain and a foot of snow. I figure if I put the time in, I can keep a pressure treated deck looking nice.....and nice on my checkbook.
 
I think you will find it looks great. By the way do not forget to use screws and predrill all the ends that way it won't crack at the ends. Just thought I would mention that.
 
Has anyone seen or installed a horizontal deck railing using steel rods? There's a house in the area that has rods/poles used as a railing. They are run horizontally and give the deck a contemporary look. I would like to look into this, but have no clue where to look or where to find them. Also would want to check price. Anyone have any ideas?
 
Yes, you can use 1-1/4" pipe or square tube and get a nice looking effect. Just prepare yourself for a very high price; somewhere around 4 or 5 times as much as wood railing.
Glenn
 
There are lots of options you can use for this. Probably even painted PVC pipe might work. Don't know what strenght is required for these types of railings.

I have seen tensioned cable used as horizontal members in a railing system. This gives a unique look as well as very minimal visual obstruction. Of course this requires some stout corner posts to withstand the tension in the cables.
 
Do I buy a set or system to do this, or do I just get any old rod and use that?
I guess I'm looking for some names to look for or brands.
 
This is not the house that I was refering to, but very similar. The only difference I see is that the house in my area uses black tube, not steel like this one.

Cuernavaca.jpg
 
What a great looking railing, some thoughts come to mind like checking out your local scrap yard or recycle depot for Steel, Iron, or Aluminum just to see what kind of prices you can get and sit down and do some calculating to see if it is feasible. It wouldn't be that difficult to construct.
 
around here stainless steel wire rope is a popular choice, some come as kits, Google it.
 
Try getting some rigid conduit. Have it powder coated to the color you want.

1/2" rebar, interesting industrial look.

scrap yard is a good suggestion, get creative you might find something really interesting.
 
Any thoughts on whether ths would conflict with code? I know I will check first before buying, but I just wasn't sure if this would even be allowed. I don't think our building code is super picky.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top