# Deck and Pergola



## Dinggus (Jul 22, 2010)

Looks really nice!


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## CoconutPete (Jan 22, 2010)

Nice work!


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## btyking (Jun 17, 2011)

That is a beautiful deck man, I'm very impressed. Hope your family can enjoy it for a long time!


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## getzjd (Jun 25, 2009)

Thank you! If it wasn't for those on this forum and a few others, I would have never been able to do it and do it right.


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## Dinggus (Jul 22, 2010)

Did you use real wood or composite wood? Wife and I are debating which we should go for.


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## getzjd (Jun 25, 2009)

Dinggus said:


> Did you use real wood or composite wood? Wife and I are debating which we should go for.


As I mentioned, I used Trex. I figured that having full sun all day and no trees, I would be mostly immune to some of the mold/mildew that was reported with Trex. I was wrong. Not that it looks bad, but just not as good as expected. If I had to do it over again, I would likely use Ipe. Depending on where you live, it may be about the same price or slightly cheaper than composites. My advice, go to google, type in Ipe Deck, look at pictures and read about the wood. Do the same for composites and make your decision.


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## Dinggus (Jul 22, 2010)

Thanks, sorry didn't know what Trex decking was. I live in NC, so I'll do some research on what to use. Trex decking looks amazing so far.


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## getzjd (Jun 25, 2009)

Dinggus said:


> Thanks, sorry didn't know what Trex decking was. I live in NC, so I'll do some research on what to use. Trex decking looks amazing so far.


 
I agree, some of it does look good, however, keep in mind that it will fade from the original color as it was installed. The good news is that companies are starting to make stain for Trex. I believe Behr created teh Trex colors such as saddle, etc.

The more Ipe decks I see, the more I wish I would have gone that route. Eh well, unless I win the lottery, the Trex will stay.

Regardless, reasearch and read. Even different types of Trex have different results.


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## Dinggus (Jul 22, 2010)

Oh, wife had the impression it doesn't fade. I'm looking at the difference it would cost in pressure treated wood, and composite. I sure would like to go the real wood route, cheaper.


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## getzjd (Jun 25, 2009)

Dinggus said:


> Oh, wife had the impression it doesn't fade. I'm looking at the difference it would cost in pressure treated wood, and composite. I sure would like to go the real wood route, cheaper.


PT wood is definitely cheaper, but it will need cleaning and refinishing every few years. If you have small children, keep in mind that regular PT wood will splinter while ipe is splinter resistant. 

Post some pictures of your project as you work on it. I am sure I speak for most on here in saying that we like to see the work others are doing.


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## scotzilla (Mar 1, 2011)

awesome- that looks like a big project


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## DIY_Diva (Mar 29, 2011)

Wow! That's incredible. Really beautiful work.


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## hyunelan2 (Aug 14, 2007)

Dinggus said:


> Oh, wife had the impression it doesn't fade. I'm looking at the difference it would cost in pressure treated wood, and composite. I sure would like to go the real wood route, cheaper.


Calculate in the money -and especially time- it will take to clean, sand, and stain the deck as needed. If it's a huge deck, you could lose a few weekends every summer just trying to keep up with the weathering. What some people do to cut composite costs is build a wood deck, and only use composite on the decking (floor), as the horizontal surfaces are the ones that fade the fastest.


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## Dinggus (Jul 22, 2010)

hyunelan2 said:


> Calculate in the money -and especially time- it will take to clean, sand, and stain the deck as needed. If it's a huge deck, you could lose a few weekends every summer just trying to keep up with the weathering. What some people do to cut composite costs is build a wood deck, and only use composite on the decking (floor), as the horizontal surfaces are the ones that fade the fastest.


That's a good idea as well. Wife and I were looking at Ipe, which was recommended to us, and we like that it turns a nice silver color if you don't stain the deck.










And it seems to only be $2 more than pressure treated wood.


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## no1hustler (Aug 11, 2010)

I thought long and hard about using composite for our deck that I just finished this spring. I decided to go with cedar instead. I just couldn't justify the cost difference. I don't plan on being at this house for ever so I didn't need something that would last forever. I don't like pressure treated at all so I was glad to see that cedar was only a little more more. Ipe would have been great but the cost was the same for composite in my neck of the woods. The only downside to the cedar, in my opinion, is that it is softer than PT so you can get scratches but I don't mind it at all. I think it actually looks good and gives it a distressed look.


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## WirelessG (Mar 22, 2009)

nice work


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## jules4 (Jul 7, 2010)

Fantastic job on the deck!

I also second the idea of not staining wood - I love the silver colour of naturally weathered wood (and it certainly looks a million times better than worn wood stain, which looks like a$$).


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