Looking at installing a deck this year.
We have a walkout basement, so this would be a second story deck from the kitchen with stairs down to our backyard. Originally only wanted to go out 12′ and across 2/3 the back of the house, to leave a large window in the basement exposed to light. But now we’re considering going across the entire back of the house.
I’ve been getting some quotes for various materials: pressure treated, cedar, and Trex. I really like the way it looks. It also requires hardly any maintenance. And on top of that it is considered to be “Green” since it is made of recycled wood and plastic.
Few concerns though:
- Apparently the color fades, though they claim less than 10% over an extended period of time with direct sun
- Not barefoot friendly. Retains heat from direct sunlight.. so I’ll need to wear my Crocks when the Sun is out. Though our house faces west so we only get the Sun in the back until 2pm
- Mold. Yes… mold. This is where the maintenance kicks in. I would need to clean the deck with their cleanser and hard brush if mold is detected.
- Recent class action lawsuit: although it was settled out of court, the court found no fault with the product.
As for $$… I’ve been getting some dramatically different quotes, especially for Trex. Apparently the manufacturer’s costs have recently changed due to a rise in competitive products. The cheapest estimate I found was $29/sqft for Trex, $25/sqft for Cedar, and $20/sqft for PT. Though I have yet to confirm that with a formal quote. But if they hold… I think I would go for the Trex.
The Trex site has a cool Deck Designer app built into their site. Here is rendering of the deck I would like to have:
