Trex Deck Repair for Dummies

Composite decking

Sometimes our research staffers have to read through online articles a second time to come to the realization that they're being fed a line of bull. Sometimes it's obvious right up front – if the staffer has the requisite experience or background. Today's DotD candidate has already distinguished himself five times for pretending to know what he's talking about when he doesn't, so welcome back Owen E. Richason IV and his HomeSteady.com post, "How to Repair Trex Decking."

If you aren't familiar with Trex® decking – and Richason IV apparently isn't – it's a composite instead of natural wood. By "composite," we mean the exterior equivalent of MDF; a material made of wood particles mixed with tinted plastic. Like MDF, the stuff is homogeneous, which exposes Owen's introductory statement as completely clueless:

"If you have a Trex deck attached to your home and have planks that have warped or come loose, you can replace them yourself without having to hire and pay a professional carpenter."

Sorry, Owen, copying instructions for repairing a wood deck don't cut it here... because one of the most important selling points of Trex® is that the stuff doesn't warp! As for having "come loose," whatever that is supposed to mean, his solution seems rather drastic... Whatever the case, Owen trots out the time-honored instructions for removing damaged decking, inserting the brand name to make readers think these are "good" directions:

• ...set a circular saw cut-depth to the same thickness as the Trex deck planks...
• ...cut into the damaged deck plank lengthwise, just a few inches inside the deck joist. Cut through the Trex deck plank lengthwise, stopping a few inches before reaching the next joist.
• Insert a claw bar into the saw line, close to one of the joists. Pry up and begin to break the plank into two -- the composite Trex deck plank should split evenly lengthwise. Continue along the cut line, prying up until one side breaks away length-ways [sic].
• Pull up the other side, unfastening the screws with a screw gun. Unfasten out [sic] any other screws still in the joist with the screw gun as well.

Neither of Richason's claimed references is online (both are books), but it's pretty obvious what Owen did here: he cribbed instructions for pulling up tongue and groove porch flooring. If you ask the people who manufacture Trex®, you'll learn that Owen's "solution" is half-assed at best. The manufacturer says to make not one but two cuts the full length of the board and simply lift out the middle piece.

Richason's attempt to use instructions for a wooden decking make a simple task difficult. In fact, they may well make a simple task impossible! And that's not to mention that the OQ very likely wanted to know how to repair a scratch, burn, or stain – not a "warped" or "loose" board. You know what they say about to assume? It makes a Dumbass of the Day out of Owen!

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