Deck Re-do @ The Bear Den

[uncle eddie]

Very nice! Now you have some excellent relaxation space while monitoring a smoker.
Ed

 

[Humo18]

Deck Re-do @ The Bear Den
Bear, that's a fine looking deck, good job! 3 weeks ago I signed a contract with a large reputable deck company to build a new deck from scratch. They are so busy that it will not be constructed until early December! I had bids from a couple of deck people and found out they were not reliable or reputable based on online reviews and on top of that they were about $1500 more. The less reputable folks could start on the deck the next day; they're not so busy I guess.

I chose to go with Veka based on the builder's recommendation and a friend of mine's that had his deck built with Veka 3 years ago and still looks new and never had mold or staining problems. By the way we live in a very high humidity and very high temperature area.

Of course I will finish my new deck with a new smoker and was wondering if anyone has any experience as far as dropping grease on the composite and any resulting stain or mold.

 

[Bearcarver]

Wow, beautiful.

Thank You Blum!!
Bear

Looks like they did a nice job , and a correct job . Nice choice on the colors too . Enjoy .

Thanks Rich!!
Yup, the Structural members were still like new from when I built the deck 16 years ago, and they were all above the requirements, so all they had to do was cover it, but they did a good job of not screwing any materials up, as each board cost about $90 per 20' Deck Board, and $103 per 12' Fascia.
I was surprised with the Rail Posts----They had to remove my 1/2" carriage bolts, and use a new special Screw-bolt to secure the posts, and they are really standing solid!!! Hard to believe those new screws hold the posts that solidly.

Bear

 

[wimpy69]

Modern technology moves quick. When you originally built 1/2" carriage bolts were the go to. Good heads up on your builder for addressing it. Good to go now.

 

[Bearcarver]

Bear, that's a fine looking deck, good job! 3 weeks ago I signed a contract with a large reputable deck company to build a new deck from scratch. They are so busy that it will not be constructed until early December! I had bids from a couple of deck people and found out they were not reliable or reputable based on online reviews and on top of that they were about $1500 more. The less reputable folks could start on the deck the next day; they're not so busy I guess.

I chose to go with Veka based on the builder's recommendation and a friend of mine's that had his deck built with Veka 3 years ago and still looks new and never had mold or staining problems. By the way we live in a very high humidity and very high temperature area.

Of course I will finish my new deck with a new smoker and was wondering if anyone has any experience as far as dropping grease on the composite and any resulting stain or mold.

Hi Humo18,
You should have something like this for yours.
Below is what mine says about Grease, BBQ sauce, and all kinds of staining materials:


The AZEK® Company LLC (hereinafter “Manufacturer”) warrants to Purchaser that, for a period of thirty (30) years from the date of the original consumer purchase (the “Term”), under normal use and service conditions:

(1) The Product’s color will not fade from light and weathering exposure, as measured by a color change of more than 5 Delta E (CIE) units. While the Product is designed to resist fading, no material is fade proof when subjected to years of exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays and the elements.

(2) The Product will resist permanent staining from food and beverage items that may be spilled onto the surface of the Product, including items such as condiments (barbecue sauce, ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise), salad dressing and salad oils, grease, tea, wine, coffee, fruit punch, sodas and other food and beverage related items that would typically be present on a residential deck, provided that such substances are removed from the Product with soap and water or mild household cleaners after no more than one (1) week of exposure of the substances to the surface of the Product.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, Manufacturer does not warrant that the Product is stain-proof, and does not warrant stain resistance resulting from spilled or otherwise applied food and beverage substances which are not properly cleaned as provided above within
one (1) week of exposure. In addition, this warranty does not cover any staining or damage to the Product resulting from abrasive compounds of acidic or basic pH, paints or stains, strong solvents, metallic rust or other abnormal residential deck use items, and non- food and non-beverage substances, including, but not limited to, biocides, fungicides, plant foods or other bactericides.

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

Modern technology moves quick. When you originally built 1/2" carriage bolts were the go to. Good heads up on your builder for addressing it. Good to go now.

Thanks Wimpy!!
These "Fastenmaster ThruLok Screw Bolts" are amazing. You don't even have to pre-drill to use them.
The tip of the screw is like a Drill Bit, so you just remove the special washer from the one end, and use a Drill or Driver to drill this screw right through the 2X, and right through the 4X4. Then Replace the special washer & tighten it up. Done!

Here's what they Look like:
https://dries.doitbest.com/products/242551

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

Looks like they did a nice job , and a correct job . Nice choice on the colors too . Enjoy .

Thank You Rich!!
It was the closest color they had without going Darker.

Bear

Nice job. Thinking about replacing my decking with non-wood.

Thank You!
Just talking about any kind of a 30 year Warranty woke me up.

Bear

 

[Humo18]

Thanks Bear, seems that Veka's 20 year warranty does not cover BBQ drippings, sauce, etc. They also do not recommend rubber backed mats.
Here's what they say:

FOREIGN SUBSTANCES EFFECT ON WEATHERING: Foreign substances including but not limited to dirt, tree sap, leaves, pine needles, suntan lotions, bug sprays, fertilizers, grill drippings, salad oils, cosmetics and most oil based products, etc. left on exposed surfaces will have adverse effects on weathering. These foreign substances will cause staining, spots, streaks, discoloration, lightening, darkening, etc. Immediate removal of any foreign substance is recommended to minimize the discoloration. VEKA does not warrant against weathering effects caused by foreign substances. VEKA reserves the right to reject warranty claims for uneven color changes caused by foreign substances. When sunlight is blocked or partially blocked by a roof, trees, awnings, railings, pool covers, etc., uneven weathering will occur. Direct or indirect contact with extreme heat sources such as cooking devices should be avoided CARE AND MAINTENANCE: Algae, mold and mildew growing on residue deposited onto ex - posed surfaces should be removed using a soft bristled brush and a mild mixture (10 to 1) of water and bleach. Rinse thoroughly with water immediately after brushing. (Note: algae, mold and mildew are sustained by surface residue deposited on the vinyl, not the vinyl itself.) Foreign substances should be removed using warm water and a mild non-abrasive detergent or commercially available vinyl cleaner. For tough stains, more aggressive cleaning solutions will be required. Use at your own risk and be sure to check for harmful effects on a hidden surface. Avoid using rubber backed mats, or any other non-porous objects such as plastic tarps as they may cause discoloration when used on the deck over an extended period of time. Products that contain chemicals or U.V. inhibitors such as sun block or other tanning lotions, insect repellants [sic], pesticides or herbicides, etc. may cause discoloration if exposed to the deck for an extended period of time. (Use caution and clean deck immediately when it has been exposed to such products.)

 

[Bearcarver]

Humo18,
We did the Front porch a Few years ago, and the main change I made was we only use a Plastic Snow Shovel on it.
I think their was something about a rubber backed mat on that one too. That one still looks new.

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

Excellent work! (...and composite is the only way to go - almost no maintenance).

I did the same many years ago, and all I need do each spring is a good pressure wash to get rid of the tree debris.

Thank You PZ !!
This Bear loves "No Maintenance!!"
And Thanks for the Like.

Bear

 

[mneeley490]

Looks good, Bear! My back deck is falling apart and needs to be done before winter. But it is a multi-level, and more job than I can do myself. I had a guy drive his car through my wood fence into my backyard, and then he trashed the rear chain link fence. I have had the same problems with getting people to call back to repair that, so I'm not looking forward to the deck project. I will check out this Azek material, though.

 

[Humo18]

Bear I hate a stained deck so I'll have to be very careful when using the smoker to immediately clean any droppings. Around here when it snows it usually melts within a few days or a couple of weeks at most. It seldom snows more than a couple of inches at a time so I don't plan on shoveling snow off the deck.

 

[Bearcarver]

We’ve had our composite deck now for three years now and love it. The company we went with was Moisture Shield. The composite decking has made many advances in the last few years. The deck looks very nice Bear and you’ll get great use from it. Here’s mine:)

That Looks Beautiful, Ishi!!
Nice Layout!!

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

Nice job. When we built our house 10 years ago we spec'd composite decking on all the exterior flooring and steps. I don't know the brand name, the builder picked it. After 10 years it is still in perfect shape and has retained its original color, as far as I can tell.

Thanks Braz!!
That's Great to hear.

Bear

Looks great John

Thanks Brian!

Bear

 

[buffalobbqpete]

Looks very nice!

 

[Bearcarver]

Nice deck John, I'm sure you'll enjoy many a night sitting outside enjoying that view.

Chris

Thank You Chris!!

Bear

Nice looking deck Bear, all you have to do is add the MES 30 in the corner to finish it off.

Thank You!
This Deck is actually for Dining & Entertaining.
The front porch is for grilling & smoking, because it has a roof over it.

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

Good for you Bear. Sounds like you got some old school taught carpenters there and it shows. Good contractors are a thing of the past these days. Enjoy.

Thank You!!
Yeah, I was a Cabinetmaker for over 20 years, and I worked with a lot of Carpenters, Electricians, Plumbers, etc, etc.
And I could get Great prices & awesome work from all of them.
But 16 years ago we moved 15 miles North, and it's like a different world as far as finding quality work for a decent price.
However I found a good one for Re-boarding a Deck with Composite material, and a Great job on switching the railings, too.

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

Bear, you have a beautiful home. The deck looks amazing. I’m sure that you will be enjoying that for many wonderful years. That deck needs to be christened with a big smoke!

George

Thank You George!!

Bear

Yup for sure a very nice job. Were the Amish I know those guys do great work.

Warren

Thanks Warren!
I agree on the Amish, but these weren't Amish.

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

Yup , the original Trex did not hold it's color . Had a bad mold problem and simply flaked apart . Most didn't last near what was promised .
The new products these days are PVC .

Yeah, The Timbertech that I used for my Front porch 3 years ago was a bigger Percentage PVC than this Azek is, but they discontinued it. I think they're both Great.

Bear

That came out great Bear. I will most likely have to do this to my deck in a couple of years. I hate to go with composite decking because the way my deck is situated it gets a lot of mildew and everyone of my neighbors that have composite decking fight spots from the mildew. I hope the new versions have fixed this problem.

My 16 year old Pressure Treated Deck had Moss growing on it because that side of the house doesn't get many hours of Sun, so we'll see how this Azek does. Judging by things I've read, it shouldn't be a problem.

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

Sure looks nice Mr. Bear!

Thank You Tom!!

Bear

Nice looking deck!
All you need is a hammock & your smoker!
Al

Thank You Al !!
Hammock Yes!!!
But the Smoker stays on the front porch---Under Roof.
Dang "Spotted Lanternflies" are driving us nuts though !!!

Bear