February 23, 2012
HomeShow Online Stories
HomeShow Radio | Tom Tynan | Home Improvement Answers
Home remodeling, renovation, and repair tips with Tom Tynan
I've long believed composite decking is a better choice instead of pressure-treated decking. Even so, composite products came with trade-offs. Until now. Trex Transcend is a giant leap forward in decking that's nearly maintenance free and long-lasting; it keeps its color better than anything you've seen before.
Trex Transcend's shell technology makes all the difference. Transcend's shell helps provide superior protection to your investment protecting the core from wear and tear and everything else nature throws its way. Trex Transcend's protective shell is the key to why Transcend decks are hassle-free.
The three-sided shell is designed to allow the moisture to escape during manufacturing providing higher performance and beauty. Trex's proprietary formulation offers a low-sheen finish--avoiding the "plastic" look of competitive products.
That's why Trex comes with an unheard of 25 year limited fade and stain warranty. See how Trex compares with others and some of the design options. There's no sanding, sealing, or painting with Trex Transcend. Best of all, it's 95% recycled. So, it's not just great looking, but it's good for the environment
Wood decking fades and fails. But you can build a stronger deck that will outlast weak wood. What's the secret? Well we're here with John from Trex to find out what that is. What makes composite decking last longer than wood?
Composite decking is a combination of plastic and wood. Trex, specifically, is recycled wood fiber and recycled plastic from grocery bags. It takes the strength and durability of wood, as well as the longevity, UV resistance, rot resistance, and insect resistance of plastic and combines them to make a superior product. Well this specific product, right here, is called Trex Transcend. And it's actually backed by a 25 year fading and stain warranty. So Trex will last a minimum of 25 years or could last a lifetime.
Is installing Trex like installing a wood deck?
Installing a wood deck and installing a Trex deck are nearly identical. Trex cuts like wood, routes like wood, drills like wood, installs nearly identical to wood. The substructure on both decks are exactly the same. The main two differences in Trex and wood is gapping and joist spacing. It has to be gapped laterally and end-to-end. If you don't have those gaps there you can create a puddle effect on the surface of the deck which can create some problems down the road. Joist spacing has to be 16 inches on center for our one inch thick material or 24 inches on center for our two inch thick material. This will prevent any sort of waviness in your deck.
Is this a do-it- yourself project?
That all depends on your experience level. If you've ever worked with wood before or built your own deck, yes, you can do this yourself. If you're a little bit hesitant on whether you can build Trex deck or not, you may want to consult a professional prior to taking the project on yourself.
Deck your home with composite decking and enjoy outdoor living for years and years to come. For HomeShowonline.net, I'm Tom Tynan.
TOM: Several years ago they changed pressure treated lumber. They just changed it right out of the blue and it’s not the same as it used to be. In fact, now, it weathers, it makes splinters, it gets in your hands if you do handrails, it gets in your feet if you are walking barefoot. It’s not a great way to build a deck anymore. So a lot of people quit building decks but there are products out there can give you that deck you want but not the hassle that pressure treated lumber gives you. The one I recommend is TREX Transcend. It holds its color, it comes with all the parts and pieces necessary for handrails, steps, anything, benches, you name it. They have the product for it. And a great variety of colors. TREX Transcend, no more splinters in your feet or in your hands or how about this, no more splinters in your children’s feet because that’s never a fun thing to deal with and they love to run around barefoot. TREX Transcend. Make sure the deck that you want is made with TREX and you’ll be much happier then if you ever used pressure treated lumber because it just doesn’t last. TREX does.