Aluminum decking vs the million other options

[bsheffer]

I previously posted about a product called Duxxbak which is a waterproof composite decking product and I have concerns about how it would hold up. Now I am noticing there are aluminum decking providers so I got a quote from one of them and amazingly, the price is about the same. 

https://www.nexaninc.com

The product is called lockdry waterproof decking

they make a plain aluminum or powder coated product that is either a solid color or a wood grain. 


I would have guessed the aluminum solution would have been considerably more expensive. In the end, the composite deck companies are double the cost of standard 2x4 pressure treated and this aluminum appears to be the same cost as composite. My application is for decks at a mountain/lakehouse that is in a high moisture environment.

[tomsteve]

thats pretty interesting. my first thought is how hot does it get in the summer.

[Roly]

thats pretty interesting. my first thought is how hot does it get in the summer.

Or icy and slippery from frost or snow.  I don't know but if it does not have a texture it will be like a skating rink.    I would think those two issues would be the biggest questions.   Roly

[bsheffer]

thats pretty interesting. my first thought is how hot does it get in the summer.

Supposedly cooler than other products. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xM2b039k0k4

This is not the same manufacturer and it shows cooler. The manufacturer says it is cooler. I know from our dock on the water, the plastic decking is much warmer than the aluminum framing.

[OneStaple]

I've been intrigued by aluminum decking too and may consider it at some point in the future when I redo my deck. These are basically like bleachers that you might find in a high school stadium.

Based on material properties (not necessarily direct experience with decks), aluminum should be significantly cooler than composite deck of the same paint shade. I don't know if it'd still hold true if the aluminum was black and the composite was white.

I'm curious about how slippery it would be, as well as how loud it would be when walking on it. A decade ago when I looked, aluminum was definitely the expensive option, so it's interesting to see that it's on par with composite. I'm sure prices can fluctuate a decent amount as material costs fluctuate.

Tyler

[shifty]

I did some work where I was on an aluminum deck. It was so hot you had yo have towels to kneel on or it would burn through jeans. I thought it was hotter than composite decks I have worked on. Definitely hotter than wood.

[OneStaple]

Very interesting. Was it painted a dark color?

Tyler

[shifty]

I believe it was a powder coated gray. I don't remember for sure, but it wasn't dark. We are in Minnesota and I know they said they didn't use it a lot because it radiated a lot of heat. After working on it, I could understand why.

[jteneyck]

The info. says it's slip resistant.  Where was that stuff when I built my deck with Ipe'?  Maintenance every year.  It doesn't really look like wood, but it looks a lot better than wood that needs to be cleaned and recoated.  

John

[bsheffer]

The info. says it's slip resistant.  Where was that stuff when I built my deck with Ipe'?  Maintenance every year.  It doesn't really look like wood, but it looks a lot better than wood that needs to be cleaned and recoated.  

John

I just got my samples from the company and I am going to do a little temperature test. I am not as concerned about the heat as it never gets above 80 degrees and the deck we use most faces north and gets very little direct sun. the company sells direct. Out of Alabama and the woman/salesperson who I spoke seemed great to work with. They took my measurements and pumped it through their application to come up with the ideal cut list. The install manual seems great…I am liking the stuff. looks like about $18 a square foot and the other waterproof deck product I was looking at(duxxbak) was a few dollars a square foot less. I might be in love…

I do think the noise issue is debatable. I am trying to discern between the noise of the shoes hitting the material or the material moving when weight is placed and from what I hear, it is the clang of the shoes. In our case, this is a “play house” and nobody has ever worn any type of hard shoe shoe..always tennis shoes, hiking shoes and water sandles, etc.