Rating
Trex Deck Railing
Trex Deck Railing
Trex deck laid over concrete front porch and stairs? How??
I have a concrete front porch and stairs leading up to my house, and there is a big step down from the front door to the porch so we have some room for a frame and deck laid over it…
but the price we were quoted for Trex decking and PVC rail was $5300!!! Is this something me and my hubby could do ourselves? (We have zero experience in DIY stuff)
Any other ideas? Maybe something I’m not thinking of? If we took out our old metal railing and fixed the concrete that’s falling apart, could we just put a PVC rail on top of that.. and paint the concrete??
Any good websites we should check out? Thanks in advance!
Our steps were listing to one side. We built a deck over the top of the steps, along with wooden steps, etc. down to the driveway. We bought concrete blocks designed as footings and put the 4×4 posts into them. We used pressure treated wood, and then the top surface was Trex (a similar product by another company actually). We then used PVC railing. Home Depot and/or Lowes will help you design a deck. They have computer programs that will do it for you. There are also DIY books that will help. Home Depot runs classes in deck building – I took one – and they are free (hey, they want to sell you the supplies).
The best advice I got from a DIY book was to start the decking up next to the house. Put down the first board and screw it in. Then put in 2 nails, into the wood, right up next to the decking board. Lay the next board down. Screw it down. Now you can take out the two nails. Because the nails are the same diameter, the gap between the decking boards is consistant and straight. “Double Headed” (a.k.a. “Duplex”) nails work will for this.
If you are reasonably good with a drill and a saw, you should be able to build a deck. Do yourself a favor – buy 3 drills (cheap ones are fine – I recommend corded rather than cordless – nothing worse than having to quit early because you run out of battery). In one drill you will have a drill bit for the pilot hole. In another drill, have a “countersink” (with Trex, you can drill the screw in, but the plastic will mushroom out when you try to make the head flush, so do yourself a favor and countersink the screw head). Lastly, the last drill you put in a phillips head bit to drive in the screws. Picking up a couple of cheap drills will save you having to change bits all the time. You can pick up some cheap low end model at a hardware store or maybe something at a pawn shop. Well worth the $15, IMHO.
PS: Pressure treated wood is very caustic. You must use galvanized nails and/or screws designed for decking. Screws do not have “shear strength” – use nails for vertical surfaces – only use screws for the decking. Pre-drill holes for the nails (smaller in diameter than the nails) because the process of galvanization seems to weaken the nails, at least in terms of bending. I can’t tell you how many nails I bent and had to pull out .
Trex Trancend Railing.wmv
|
|
Pine Top 511-0007 4-Light LED Solar-Powered Plastic Fence-Post Cap Light, White $22.99 … |
|
|
TREX Deck Lighting LED Post Cap Light: Vintage Lantern $70.00 This sleek LED post cap light integrates discreetly into the cap to provide a warm downward glow and is available in Trex Transcend railing color: Vintage Lantern. Spend more time on your deck by adding light to the night with this Trex 4 in. x 4 in. Pyramid Post Cap LED light. From late suppers to outdoor slumber parties to even later cocktails, the Trex 4 in. x 4 in. Pyramid Post Cap Light crea… |
|
|
Screw Products, Inc. CD134G C-Deck Fascia, Fencing and Railing Star Drive Screws $269.47 C-Deck Composite Deck Star Drive Screws, #9 x 1-3/4-Inch. Use T20 bit and conveniently packed in a reusable bulk container of 3500 piece count. Includes one “Free Bit-Inch. Extra sharp quick starting point, with deep, wide sharp threads. Works in all composites, treated lumber compatible, PVC and great for fascia, fencing, railing and much more. Color matched E-Coat finish has shown over 1000 ho… |
|
|
Building a Deck: Expert Advice from Start to Finish (Taunton’s Build Like a Pro) $12.23 The definitive guide to building the most popular exterior building project there is: the deck. This book walks the reader through the entire process — from the planning stages, through construction, step-by-step, to the custom details that make a deck unique. The book covers the practical side of building as well as design considerations that make a difference to discriminating homeowners…. |
Have A Question?
Are you looking for something but can not find it, or have a question for us? We would love to help you. Just fill out the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
