Trex Composite Decking

CARE  and Warranty

 From my own experience, Trex has a decent warranty program.  Most of the problems with some boards are a disintegration of the board itself reducing it to either peeling apart  or reducing it to  a sawdust like  condition.   In fact, according to a popular trade magazine,  Trex recently in 2008 set aside approximately  45 million dollars towards it’s present  warranty claims. 

 Mold is another concern to watch out for too, which as most of us know, black spots appear on the boards.  Composite decking,  is made up of 50% wood fibers which under the right conditions attracts mold.

To file a claim go to the Trex home page and follow the guidelines.  Once that is done, Trex will arrange for an inspection of your deck and claim.  An actual representative of Trex will call you and set up an inspection appointment. 

 He or She will diagram your deck, identify the problem and take digital pictures of the problem.  Next this information will be submitted to Trex for review.  Expect the whole process to take at least 30-60 days before getting an approval to finally have a scheduled   reinstallation of the flawed boards, done by a licensed contractor through Trex.  Lately, they will pay for the bad boards that need replacement, but not the labor.

Trex in the past usually prefers to  replace the whole deck just in case other boards in time become warranty issues, and will not cost you  even a penny.  The following information deals with Maintenance issues , plus present problems and solutions to keep your deck looking it’s best; Trex Company offers one of the industry's leading warranty coverage for both residential and commercial decking and railing products.

Trex warrants that, with  normal use and conditions, (25 year residential warranty) Trex products won't:
* Check
* Splinter
* Rot
* Split
* Suffer structural damage from insects

visit www.trex.com for full warranty details.

Basic Problems with Soultions Listed:

       CARE & CLEANING

All exterior building materials will require cleaning. Periodic cleaning of Trex Decking & Railing will maintain the beauty and appearance of a Trex deck for you to enjoy through the years to come   

·        Debris and  Dirt           

 Your deck will need periodically cleaning with soap and hot water.  Use a stiff bristle brush  

       Chalk Markings                

         * All colored chalk lines are permanent except white. One other idea is to user baby powder. Scrubbing the area with hot soapy water with bleach may remove some of the chalk. 

·        Mill Markings with the letters TREX, etc  that are Visible      

        * The mill markings on the side of Trex decking boards are required by building codes. With careful installation, most mill markings can be hidden. Visible mill markings can be lightened with acetone.

·        Water Spots/Leaf Staining/Wood Tannins                

         Tannin leaching occurs in Trex and all wood based products naturally. Allow for at least 12 weeks of normal weathering. This process may be hastened through the use of a product containing oxalic or phosphoric acid.

·        Pigment Staining                

          During the weathering process, a small amount of surface pigmentation may wash off of the Trex surface, which may discolor neighboring surfaces. Remove with common rust cleaner.

·        Ice and Snow     

         Calcium chloride or rock salt, available in many home centers, will melt ice on Trex decking. Then be sure to rinse off when first practical.

·        Rust Stains, Ground-In Dirt and Grime             

          Use a cleaning product containing oxalic or phosphoric acid base to lighten or remove the rust or dirt. Product may need to sit on stain 10-15 minutes.

        Berries and Wine Stains         

        Mix bleach into hot water according to the bleach-packaging label. Scrub the stain lightly and rinse thoroughly. The stain may not disappear entirely.

      Ink Stains          

       Ink stains at times become permanent. However, the stain may be lightened by scrubbing with hot soapy water. Rinse thoroughly.

      Mold       

        * Use conventional deck washes or cleaners that contain sodium hypochlorite (bleach) and detergent (refer to Trex’s Mold Technical Bulletin).

        * Treat with PSC Composite DeckAfterKlean (www.psc-solutions.com) or Anti-Growth (www.anti-growth.com) to delay regrowth.

        * Periodic cleaning of your deck, even if it appears clean, is important to prevent the build-up of pollen/debris that can cause mold. 

·        Pressure Washer  A-NO- NO 

        Note:  Trex does not recommend the use of a pressure washer. The use of a pressure washer with a greater than 1,500 PSI and/or applied closer than 10" from the deck surface could damage the decking surface and result in a loss of warranty coverage. 

·        Sanding            

          Trex does not recommend sanding. Sanding will change the appearance of the surface of Trex material.  I at one time got a few oil speckles on a Trex deck from staining redwood rails .  These oil spots could not be totally  removed with lacquer or paint thinner.  I tried sanding it off, but it left a funny flat look to the deck.  So don’t sand Trex decking; A  personal observation.

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