Posted by Joe in I think I can make the claim that I built one of the first Trex decks in Idaho. Maybe not THE first, but pretty close. The project I did was at my own house and it was photographed and written up on the front page of the Life section of the Idaho Statesman newspaper on May 11, 1995. That deck is still there and looks great.
Since then, I have built 3 others for myself and probably at least 200 for my customers. I have seen a lot of other products enter the market and disappear.
The Trex company has a problem. The product name. People are starting to use it somewhat generically for composite decking. I have been called out to repair a Trex deck only to find out that it is not Trex, but something else. I have been asked to add on to a Trex deck only to find out it was some other off brand. I have even seen Real Estate listings touting the Trex decks on a home for sale and it was anything but the Trex product. BE CAREFULL. If you go to your lumberyard and ask for Trex, make sure you are getting it. Same goes for a builder or contractor giving you a quote on a Trex deck. Know what you are buying.
I say this because although Trex had a warranty issue for a few decks a couple of years back, they have always stood behind their product and taken care of their customers. What good is a warranty if the company is out of business?
As a contractor, their support has been nothing short of great. They continue to expand the line with railings and accessories, even fencing now to make any design possible. I have been through their training and am a Trex Pro Contractor for my area. They keep me informed as to new products and they listen to my input as a contractor. Any company that does this much for me, a lowly installer, I know the customer is in good hands.
I like working with Trex. It is heavy, I’ll give it that, but you can mill it, rip, drill, route it, and carve better than wood could ever do. Of the three Trex decks on my house, the oldest faces East and other than give it a bath once or twice a year; usually before a party I am hosting, nothing has ever been done to it. In 10 years!
My current favorites of the Trex product line are the 5/4 x 6 “Accents” series, and the “Brazilia” series. Check them out on the web and see these.
For a Do-it-yourselfer, you will need to know a few details about how to build the proper supporting structure for Trex decking, spacing requirements, and how many, what size, and where to place the screws. It’s not much to learn, but critical to the performance of your Trex deck. Most screw-ups by homeowners come from one of these three areas. Any dealer should be able to help you design your deck or Trex has good instructions in their Installation Manual”. You won’t need any different tools than you would use for a wood deck. But I would suggest a good self-feeding screw gun. More on that tool in another product review.
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Hi Joe:
Congratulations on your Trex decks! I wanted to say thank you for the post and let you know that you can also call 800-BUY-TREX as well as visiting trex.com for more information. Be sure to check out the New Trex Escapes as well as the ones you mention!
Vanessa – Trex
Joe –
You may want to google “Trex Decking Problems” to see if you are still willing to stand behind Trex. They have many, many problems with both there decking and their warranty. I, along with many, installed a deck in 2004 that has since rotted and flaked away. And if you are refering to the class action suit Trex settled (lost) in 2004 as a couple of deck problems, perhaps you have a monetary stake in Trex to write such a review.
Good for you! I have had nothing but problems with mildew on my Trex deck. I have complained and sent pictures, but they tell me mildew is not covered on the warranty. No one showed me a warranty before I bought it. We have scrubbed and scrubbed the way Trex told us, to no avail. This product sould not be sold anywhere but in a desert – certainly not in the Northeast. I have discovered other people have the same problem. They are also a terrible company to deal with. They don’t return phone calls or emails.
i currently have a trex deck and am looking for something to clean the mildew spots off…not sure if a power washer will work and with what solution…please email any recommendations thanks
A small percentage of boards on my deck have rotted and are flaking apart. I’ve been navigating the hoops required to have Trex honor their warranty for months. Recently, they sent me a 14 page form for a class action lawsuit. I just want new boards to replace the rotten ones (~80 feet). If I had a way to haul 16′ boards the 50 miles from the nearest lumberyard I’d give up on the warranty fiasco. I can understand the poor quality issue and would be willing to forgive them for that but I will never forgive them for their lack of response to the poor quality.
Unfortunately the Trex name is crumbling like their Accents line. We have had to replace the full deminsion boards each 3 years since we first installed them. The flacking and crumbling is chronic throughout all the boards, over 3000 feet. The first warranty claim was a hassle but complete including over $8k for installation. This time they only want to send more boards and blow us off. I would discourage anyone from using any more Trex material. The Fernly Nevada plant has been shipping junk for years. The class action suit they settled but is inadequate to cover the sizable cost. Do not use this product. I would be glad to discuss our frustration with anyone, including a Trex rep.
Hey Tom, I have been frustrated a few times since my original post too. The problems have continued and yes, they are willing to replace the bad product. This I am glad for. The labor side of the reimbursement is an issue. I have had to fight for my customers a few times to get it worked out. But, I can say that in two of three cases, Trex took care of me. I do hear that this has been stopped now and from here out it is just materials being covered if there is a warranty issue. I still like the product and have continued to use it and maintain my TrexPro status. I especially like the new grooved edges on the product and the hidden fastener system. I just pray that the whatever caused the problems has long ago been worked out and the industry, and especially Trex, does’nt have a permanent black eye from this. They shouldn’t, and perhaps covering the labor again would take some of the sting out of it for you and me.
Hi Joe – Appreciate the info and your candor regarding recent issues. Are you saying that Trex problems have been worked through and it’s “safe to go back into the water” with them again? I am replacing a 10-yr old (CCA / builder grade) deck … rails and decking. My research is producing one of two extremes: either people absolutely LOVE it, or they absolutely HATE it. Ours is south exposure, Missouri (100 degree summers, 0-degree winters with snow). As of today, is there any “line” (i.e., transcend, brasilia, accents, etc.) or color to avoid, or are they all good now? Appreciate the help.
I haven’t seen or been told about any product issues (problems) in a while. The new Trancends technology has my interest. The cap layer should take care of a lot of the past issues abd be very durable. I guess I’ll find out how it is to work with as I am building a Deck in April with it. Accents has been without problem for me the last several years. I think the “Corn Flaking” and loss of texture (wood grain) is behind us now. On a side note, I do like the new side groove lock fasteners. They take a while to get used to installing, but they do make it look nice.
I’m thinking about using Trex for my screen porch, however, I’m concerned about my two dogs scratching it? How well does it wear with pets? I’d hate for it to be scratched up in week? Someone recommended I use epay instead but it only comes in one color. The new Trex colors are great. Any help on this is appreciated!
Thanks.
Erin,
I have a Trex deck and a rough-housing young Lab. His paws do put a lot of surface scratches in the (gray) decking. They eventually “weather” away. But you’ll see them for a time. Not an issue to me, I guess. At least not in comparison to my spendy Trex boards completely disintegrating on their own (surface flaking) after only 5 years. If I was starting over, I would steer WAY clear of Trex.
Joe here- The new Trex Trancend line is VERY scratch resistant. Take a look at some sample of that product. Contact me directly at joe@joeprin.com if you want to talk more.
Trex is a bad product, my deck is covered in mold after two years. No help when I called Trex.
Since the original problem Trex had, which was several years ago. I have not had any problems. I have recently been using the Accents line of products without incedent.
Joe.
I am just sick…deck not even been finished yet and we had a shower of rain and mildew spots appearing…I pored plain water on spots where there was some mud from contractor feet and those spots stand out like sore feet! Am at whitts end…don’t know whether to continue or stop process now. Live in NC.
I bought a home in Bend Oregon ( high desert) and the Trex deck is a mess.
The boards are flaking and falling apart and are less than 10 years old.
I contacted Trex, got 3 different stories from 3 different people.
The third person I talked to was a man named Robert who was the “head honcho” or supervisor. He was rude, insulting, and implied I was lying to him about the treatment I got from one of his subordinates.
I am retired now but own a real estate development company. This is the WORST company I have ever dealt with as far as customer service and customer relations.
The builders I have talked to ( several ) have all recommended using wood instead of Trex.
We have been battling for help with our Trex deck for 2 years. It started spotting a month after it was installed. The contractor said he had another install that same summer and they were having problems also. We sent pictures to Trex and were told it was mold due to where we live. Our neighbors put in a deck the year before with Trex and it is not molding. The Trex Product Specialist, Pat McCarthy, wrote the problem was environmental (not their product) and we should be washing it with special products twice a year. Nothing is making it better and Trex is NO HELP! We are telling all not to buy this product and anyone who comes to our house can see why!
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