# Composite deck with wood railings? Or ditch the composite and go all wood?



## CoconutPete (Jan 22, 2010)

OK: I'm ready to begin this whole deck adventure, but that same question bugs me... composite or wood. I'm honestly kind of liking the idea of composite, but my biggest problem is:

One side of my deck will have a privacy wall that is approximately 5' or 6' high. Every single manufacturer of composite decking seems to offer their own flavor of railing systems, but nobody seems to offer any privay ideas!

Do you guys think it would look weird to have a composite deck with wood railings or should I just ditch the whole composite idea and use all wood.

Here are a few pictures of what I am liking for the privacy screen.


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## CoconutPete (Jan 22, 2010)

Here is another one that i like. This will only be on one side of the deck.

Side A will face the house
Side B will have the privacy fence (Left if you are looking out from the house)
Side C will have a railing as well as stairs (straight if you are looking out from the house)
Side D will be all railing (Right if you are looking out from the house)


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

Stick with the wood. 

If you have to have Trex on the deck then fine but you won’t be happy with a composite railing/privacy set up.

I’ve tore out 3 Trex railing systems and replaced with wood so far. 

They warp, sag and just look like  IMO.


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## CoconutPete (Jan 22, 2010)

Yeah... I'm kinda getting to that point. It seems like there is no way to achieve what I want unless I do the whole railing system / privacy fence out of wood.

It's funny, It seems like there are a ton of horror stories out there about Trex. I'm going to look at the one called "CorrectDeck CX" either this weekend or the next. It seems to be the only composite that I am actually able to find a recommendation on where the brand is included. Everything is always "trex sucks" or "composite rules" It seems like those who like composite will never share the brand.:laughing:


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## CoconutPete (Jan 22, 2010)

Well, i went and looked at everything. Correct Deck CX is definitely solid stuff. I was a bit surprised by the colors. The color called "cedar" which is the one I expected to like best based on pictures. In real life that color actually looks pretty bad. I like the one called "Mahogany" much better. In the end though, I just couldn't picture our deck being made out of it, I just couldn't get used to it.

Final decision was Cedar. Both my wife and I really liked the cedar planks a lot and if they look just 50% as good after a few years I'll be happy. I dont' mind the staining, I spend hours in the yard on the weekends anyway. It actually works out well because the cost of the cedar boards are about 1/2 and not only that but the decking surface will match the privacy wall and the railings.

Don't mind the "stockade" looking fence, the privacy wall will be cedar lattice.


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## kwikfishron (Mar 11, 2010)

Good choice. :thumbsup:


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