Deck rot

[fred1949]

Can anyone tell me their experience with a product called Copper-Brown or Copper-Clear? I have some rot occuring on some cedar decking. Also can you tell me which is better for exterior use cedar or wolmanized lumber?

[SSN596]

Treated lumber will usually outlast untreated, but has its own disadvantage ( color, chemicals, etc)

If completely replacing a deck, consider the new synthetics such as Trex.

[Meredith]

Hi All,

Do you have a deck made with Trex wood-alternative material?

Trex lost a lawsuit a few years ago because their deck materials didn’t stand up as advertised. Now, other homeowners are seeing their Trex decks rot, warp and fall apart.

I work with a law firm that filed a lawsuit against Trex for misrepresenting their materials and then failing to help homeowners with repair costs. The suit represents everyone who has a deck made from Trex materials and are experiencing rot, warp or degrading of any kind. Anyone who’s experienced problems since 2004 can join. It’s worth checking out.

You can learn more about the case by visiting the Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro website and selecting Trex Company under the list of Featured Cases.

[wvguy]

With all the changes in pressure treated lumber it is more important than ever to apply a thin coat of either a toner, clear, or semi-transparent stain after a month of building the deck. Back in the day pressure treated lumber would stand up to the elements for months if not years and still remain green as the day purchased. With the changes from CCA to ACQ( a copper based product) the wood is barely green at all and begins to turn gray with in one year in the elements.
Copper brown is probably referring to a product by Jasco. It is a fair product but more suited for termites and insect repellent.
Cedar is great but grays quickly and requires much more work to keep looking good than people think. Sure it hold up great because it will not rot or decay, however it will gray quickly.
Trex or other composite decks are great but are still 3 times the cost of a pressure treated deck. The colors are better but still don't look very natural.