Stringers - Composite Deck Boards

[singram]

Walking the docks at a local marina today and noticed a construction barge. Looks like the owner had been doing some deck building with the new composite deck boards.

Wondering if anyone has ever used composite deck boards for stringers? Will fiberglass adhere properly?

Below is a link to a sample product.


http://www.trex.com/decking/

Just a thought.

 

[Lion hunter]

Re: Stringers - Composite Deck Boards

Don't know if they would have the strength even if you got them to bond. They flex alot more that wood and require a support every 16" like on a deck. You might be able to use them as stringers if you ran a perpendicular support every couple feet.

 

[jcsercsa]

Re: Stringers - Composite Deck Boards

I got then For two of my 3 stringers !! they dont make one big enough for my center stringer !!

Loin hunter you get the strengh from the glass, I used epoxy on mine , I got pics in my thread , Used a pipe wrench on it and couldnt break it apart !

I got 26 oz of eglass on them so there not going any where and they will never rott !! John

 

[Lion hunter]

Re: Stringers - Composite Deck Boards

See, that is why I stck to tinnys. Didn't realize that about the glass. Thanks for the info.

 

[jcsercsa]

Re: Stringers - Composite Deck Boards

See, that is why I stck to tinnys. Didn't realize that about the glass. Thanks for the info.

hhahahaha any time there Loin hunter !! John

 

[singram]

Re: Stringers - Composite Deck Boards

you mention 26oz eglass. What is this? Epoxy? Is 26oz. the weight of the fiberglass?

Thanks

 

[jcsercsa]

Re: Stringers - Composite Deck Boards

you mention 26oz eglass. What is this? Epoxy? Is 26oz. the weight of the fiberglass?

Thanks

yep its two layers of 8 oz eglass and one layer of 10 oz eglass. eglass is 30% stronger then regular glass !! epoxy is the glue , its really strong stuff , it coast a little more but it sticks to everything !! with a machinal bond and an chemical bond, where poly just has a machinal bond, and that is good stuff most of the buys here use poly, I just trust epoxy better it a lot stronger , think it was 4000 psi !! John

Ps it sounds like you need to read the completed prijects forum , mine thread is petty good or oop's thread !!

 

[redfury]

Re: Stringers - Composite Deck Boards

I only have one aprehension about using plastic composite boards and encapsulating them with fiberglass...

Plastic shrinks and expands a fair degree when heated and cooled. I have plastic double walled gutters and get a good inch of movement longetudinally out of them. I actually have once seam that came apart from movement.

I worry that the trex will epand or contract and cause problems with the glass. We'll know if there is a problem if anything goes south or awry with Johns build over the course of the next year since he lives in a climate that changes temp enough to test it.

I would definitely use epoxy though if you are going to use it, at least for the stringers. Poly resin would probably work fine for everything else you do above the deck, such as the actual deck.

Keep in mind though, poly doesn't stick to epoxy, it's the other way around. You can epoxy the stringers, but you'll need to glue the deck to the stringers with a polyurethane adhesive like PL premium or a deck adhesive that will bond wood even if it's frozen...aggressive stuff, and will do a fine job bonding the deck to the stringers.

 

[ondarvr]

Re: Stringers - Composite Deck Boards

TREX is junk even for the deck on a house. The recycled plastic used is cheap stuff that was never designed to hold up to UV rays and then you mix that with junk wood that can't be used for anything else.
Its weak, heavy and costly, but it doesn't rot, well at least the plastic portion doesn't rot, the wood molds and mildews badly, which means it rots also.
There are PVC trim boards that would be a better option.

Since they have very little strength, the laminate needs to be strong enough carry the entire load, that isn?t a problem, just costs more and adds weight. Basically you?re just using the Trex for a shape to glass around, so if you need to build the laminate to carry the entire load, then you could use wood and not worry about it rotting, this would be lighter, cheaper and easier to work with.

You can buy foam for stringers, but the price is high, so most people don?t use it.