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Composite Decking Problems and Complaints

Alternative Premium Quality Composite Decking Range from www.woodplastic.eu made in the EU

TREX Decking Complaints Janice of Grass Valley, CA Verified Reviewer Original review: June 26, 2016

We bought Trex in 2003 and built a deck. The main reason we bought Trex was because of the warranty. Within 10 years of building it, it began to warp, looking like weather had hurt it. We immediately contacted Trex. It took quite a while for their representative to come look at it. He claimed only a very few boards were an issue and offered to give us a very small monetary amount to replace them. By then, Trex no longer made that color anymore and it would have looked ridiculous, not matching. What a joke of a warranty. Don’t believe their warranty. Don’t buy Trex!

HELPFUL77 people found this review helpful

Tess of El Dorado Hills, CA Verified ReviewerOriginal review: June 9, 2016

We purchased Trex for our front porch when the deck redone $7000 and some change later – mainly for the lack of maint since my husband is a disabled veteran and we need to cut down on the around the house work to what I can handle on my own. By the beginning of May in Northern CA it’s really difficult to walk on it in your bare feet on. By July it’s shoes only. You can end up with blisters if you step on a direct sun area. I cannot let my dogs out on it at all. After @ 6 yrs it’s starting to lose the grain pattern and your hands get dusty when you touch the deck rails.VIEW MORE

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Sharon of Fergus, ONOriginal review: June 2, 2016

We have just had our deck finished with gravel path for the outside of the deck called picture frame, and saddle for the spine and middle of deck. We bought it from Home Depot, and we used the Pro Desk lady, Liz. She was very helpful in the designing of our deck. We had the deck installed by a professional installer, no complaints there. The deck looks great, my only complaint is I have doggy paw prints all over the deck and I can’t get them off. I was told to use dish soap and scrub them and then rinse off. I did it but they are still there… now contacting TREX. I have read the other reviews about mold and warping, but no stains?

HELPFUL55 people found this review helpfulCustomer increased Rating by 3 stars!

Greg of Ramona, CA Verified ReviewerResolution response: May 17, 2017

I found that the material is made by Tamko, not Trex, Trex did reply to me after I learned the builder did not use Trex. The deck is still failing and Tamko has accepted my claim, but only offered a fraction of the cost to replace the decking and rail system that is crumbling. So Trex gets 5 star, Tamko gets 1 star for failing to replace/warranty the materials that need replacing.Original review: June 1, 2016

My first deck in Ramona Ca. is perfect ware and no fade. No mold, great stuff. Then we bought a house with an 80 ft. deck that was built as new const. about 8 yrs. ago and the 2X2 vertical posts are decomposing into flakey crumbly faded material. The 2×6 planks are not as bad, but they show decay as well. I thought this stuff was like the stuff I had in my other house. The general contractor that built this house is going to get a call from me asap. There better be a solution to this because this deck is elevated and long and part of the house structure. Not a pop out on grade. It’s a 10ft. elevated deck. I am looking into the class action claims now. HELPFUL43 people found this review helpful

Carol of Troy, NYOriginal review: May 24, 2016

Don’t buy Trex. It’s been a nightmare for us. Although it gets full sun for most of the day, the mold issue is horrible and requires cleaning so often it’s excessive. The only product I have found that removes the mold is Kaboom mold and mildew cleaner. You need to soak the deck with it and let it sit for a while then hose it off. It looks great temporarily, but the mold returns after only a few weeks. Trex customer service has not been helpful at all. Our deck is only 2 years old. We are so disappointed. HELPFUL72 people found this review helpfulHow do I know I can trust these reviews about Trex Composite Decking?

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Jetta of Bigfork, MT Verified Reviewer Verified BuyerOriginal review: April 25, 2016

I have TREX Decking on my deck and on the steps going to my house and steps going to the dock. One fifth of the steps are crumbling like sawdust (Not every step and some of the lower deck). The crumbling Trex looks somewhat precarious. It has been this way for the last 8 years. The first couple years it looked fine – but then it started to crumble and now it looks terrible. My children have been confronting me to do something about it. I have talked with Sliters in Bigfork, MT where we bought it. They suggested I go to Trex Decking… HELPFUL45 people found this review helpful

karen of Bensalem, PA Verified Reviewer Verified BuyerOriginal review: April 10, 2016

After having a house fire in 2006 my husband decided he wanted to redo our porch with Trex. We purchase it on 9/12/08 at Home Depot after we did some research and read that it had a 25 year guarantee. That it would not fade, mold, warp, chip and so on. $3087.13 later our porch was done and 4 years later mold. And my porch looked a little lighter in color. It’s now almost 8 years. My porch is almost white. The mold is horrible. I tried to contact company and I got a recording and found out there was a class action lawsuit regarding this and case was closed in 2014. We were never notified about this from anyone. HELPFUL59 people found this review helpful

Joe of Brentwood, TN Verified ReviewerResolution response: March 24, 2016

Trex support handled our situation in a very professional manner. We did speak to an attorney and were preparing an action as a result of the original decline to our claim. After reviewing the report prepared for them – we were able to correct a pretty glaring error by the Company doing the diagnostics (a downspout had been removed in order to address a structural issue, and had been replaced shortly after their inspection). The error appeared to point to a water issues of improper drainage, but we were able to provide pictures of the before and after to show that there was not a drainage issue, and the matter was quickly resolved to our satisfaction.

The one piece of advice I would give to anyone in our situation, pay close attention to the details, have your own decking and engineers come in and do an independent review- (cost of a couple hundred dollars) and then you can make your assessments based on good information.

If/when you are declined when you submit your claim, make sure you inquire as to the reason and ask to see the report they based their decision on- in our case we were able to stay on top of the details and work towards an acceptable solution. Most importantly stay patient and work with their people, they are very good and in many cases working with limited information- provide as much documentation as you can to resolve the issue without resorting to hiring counsel. Good luck to you!Original review: March 18, 2016

I wanted to post a note regarding our installation and subsequent warranty filing. The product was installed in 06-07 on a new construction home wrap around deck. Over a couple of years the boards swelled and eventually came together creating large amounts of pooling on the deck – at the wrap around corner – it’s actually pushed the banding out creating gaps in the railing system that will need to be addressed. After having my own engineer and installer inspect the deck, we went ahead and filed a warranty claim. It took a couple of months and several letters back and forth but Trex has now agreed to replace the product. We did ultimately request a copy of the report from which our claim was originally denied – there were a couple of discrepancies in the report which we were able to clarify for them.VIEW MORE HELPFUL47 people found this review helpful

Judy of Rapid City, SD Verified ReviewerOriginal review: Jan. 24, 2016

We replaced 3 large, second story, decks with Trex Transcend decking. Living on the top of a hill that sees forever, we get wind. We were warned by our master carpenter that a previous client had experienced significant whistling from the wind blowing like a trumpet, through the hidden deck fasteners. Somehow he installed the fasteners so we don’t experience the whistle. But, what we did experience is 4, 20″ potted tomato plants & our grill blown completely off the deck. The heavy cast aluminum patio table with 8 chairs were slammed into the house. Luckily they hit the siding rather than the windows, which would have broken out. Now we are terrified when we go out of town & have to pull everything to touching the side of the house in hopes of less damage as it readily blows across the slick Transcends Trex. One more reason to NOT put in Trex. HELPFUL39 people found this review helpful

Andy of Olympia, WA Verified ReviewerOriginal review: Nov. 1, 2015

I installed 900 sq ft of “best” Trex decking in my backyard in 2005. It rains during winter in the Pacific Northwest here. First winter, the planks warped into U-shape and hold water in poodles on its surface. It also sags between traces as much as half an inch. HELPFUL69 people found this review helpful

Jeff of Bluffton, SC Verified ReviewerOriginal review: Oct. 29, 2015

Trex Spice Rum decking – Bought/installed Trex on 3 porches. Product looked ‘cloudy’, not at all like photos. Think we made a big mistake. Very dissatisfied/disappointed in customer service response. HELPFUL51 people found this review helpful

Dawn of Longmont, CO Verified ReviewerOriginal review: Oct. 25, 2015

I had my deck built in 1997. So, 18 years later and my Trex looks like it did when it was new. The only problem I’ve had is it’s slippery when it gets frost on it. I fell down the steps one morning. HELPFUL59 people found this review helpful

Ronald of Santa Barbara, CA Verified ReviewerOriginal review: Oct. 13, 2015

Bought a new home in 2004 that had a 700 sq ft of Trex decking that surrounded half the house. After two years the decking was flaking and fading even in the mild climate of central coast California. I went on the Trex website and they said the Trex material can be painted. I use the recommended Behr paint for decks. Looked great for another two years then the paint began to peel. The flaking Trex underneath the paint continues to deteriorate causing the paint to lift off in big chips. See photo. What a horrible product and what a horrible company. I don’t have paperwork, receipts, or any of the so called evidence that Trex demands so it’s a waste of time and effort to try and file a claim regarding the class action suit against them. I don’t see how this company stays in business.

HELPFUL75 people found this review helpful

Jared of Springfield, OR Verified ReviewerOriginal review: Sept. 15, 2015

Bought the product in 2012 and some boards are deteriorating and some aren’t. I had to replace 3 of my steps due to it.

HELPFUL58 people found this review helpful

Sharon of Ruskin, FLOriginal review: Aug. 4, 2015

We built our house in 2003-2004. We installed the Trex decking on a front, elevated, screened in porch approx.. 10 x 48 ft. The first thing we noticed was how soft the material was and how easily it scratched and dented if you dropped something on it or moved furniture. Next came the mold issue. Every time it rained or we had any extended time of dampness, there were areas that turned almost black. Then it faded. Even though almost the entire porch is under roof, it had faded.VIEW MORE HELPFUL74 people found this review helpful

Justine of Columbus , NJOriginal review: Aug. 1, 2015

Deck was installed 3 years ago and the black mold just keeps re-appearing. I cannot find any products to dissolve this mold. I am concerned it is coming from the inside of the product. HELPFUL38 people found this review helpful

Cheryl of Berwyn, PA Verified ReviewerOriginal review: July 19, 2015

We installed a Trex deck 12 years ago. It is still very beautiful. I experience none of the warping issues I’ve read here. I do get mold but I feel it is not the fault of Trex decking. I inadvertently voided my warranty in the second year by power washing mold and leaves from the deck. The only problem I’ve had is not due to the Trex but to the installation. It was installed by the contractor who built our house and they put the boards too close together in many places. I would advise specific instructions BOLDLY written for an order. Because they are so close together, dirt, helicopter seeds from trees become stuck and are difficult to remove. In some places, dirt has become a sort of glue and cannot be removed. I would recommend Trex decking materials for anyone wanting a beautiful, virtually maintenance-free product. I wanted to install Trex at our beach house but the historic preservation committee vetoed our use of anything synthetic. HELPFUL35 people found this review helpful

Catherine of Duryea, PAOriginal review: July 11, 2015

This product is so expensive yet so disappointing. It gets so hot you can not stand on it and it is also discoloring which I discovered from other reviews is mold. The deck is only 2 years old!! HELPFUL60 people found this review helpful

Ronald of Foristell, MOOriginal review: July 2, 2015

I noticed last year there was some black staining. So I washed the deck and this year, it’s worse. It appears to be mold. What is the remedy? It was sold as maintenance free and a lifetime materials warranty. Material was ordered through and installed by Lowe’s in Wentzville MO. HELPFUL52 people found this review helpful

Mona of West Jordan, UT Verified ReviewerOriginal review: June 10, 2015

We bought our home with a big beautiful deck made of Trex. It was one of the reasons we bought the home. Now 7 years later the whole thing is starting to peel. We were told to sand and seal it. It didn’t work. Now what? It is not like wood. How do we fix this without replacing the entire thing? HELPFUL46 people found this review helpful

Dee of Lake Katrine, NY Verified ReviewerOriginal review: June 1, 2015

When I lived in NC I ordered and spent thousands of dollars for Trex Decking for my pool and entertainment area. After two years it warped in 3 areas and also was not told that the material gets so hot that it burns your feet… not very enjoyable and in some spots there was mold. I called the manufacturer and he wanted me to check on the boards for the number/code and told him “I can’t check every board for a white sticker with a number” and told him “I have the receipt which shows Lowe’s delivered the material (over $5,000.)” He said he can’t help me and to have a Lowe’s manager take a look at the damage. He was rude and curt.VIEW MORE HELPFUL71 people found this review helpful

John of Calgary, ABOriginal review: May 27, 2015

Do not buy TREX composite decking. We thought we were buying a product that would last. After 5 years the boards are badly faded and the surface is disintegrating. It will not be long before we have to replace the TREX decking as it is turning to sawdust. This is an expensive product that does not deliver on its promises. Stay away! Avoid like the plague. Do not go near this stuff at any price. It’s garbage. HELPFUL92 people found this review helpful

Patrick of North Vancouver, BC Verified ReviewerOriginal review: May 11, 2015

We installed TREX decking 3 years ago on our floating deck (it’s above torch on). We were advised by TREX that this would be fine. The boards came warped. The Trex Rep told us they would settle down in a short time. They continued to worsen and the TREX rep came after 1.5 years and told us it was the support structure that was warping not the TREX boards even though we showed them the pictures of the warped boards prior to install. It has now been three years and we have spent countless hours talking circles with the TREX people. They are TERRIBLE to deal with. We are going to remove the TREX material and throw it out…. Please do not install this crap on your deck…. It’s a waste of money. HELPFUL115 people found this review helpful

Beverly of Holts Summit, MO Verified ReviewerOriginal review: May 11, 2015

We have had our Trex Decking for 2 years. The first time it rained after the decking was installed, we had water running into our basement. We contacted our contractor and he came back and cut off some of the post so the deck has a slight incline for the water to run off. That did help the problem of the water running into our basement however, now when it rains the water pools on the deck and it looks like a swamp. We have to take a broom and sweep off the standing water. Very unhappy with this expensive decking and not sure how to correct this problem. HELPFUL49 people found this review helpful

Denise of Ravensdale, WA Verified ReviewerOriginal review: April 30, 2015

We had our dream deck built out of Trex material. The summer after it was built the materials became warped, cracked and stained. It is not safe to walk on. We had benches put around the edges of the deck and they have all tilted outward. I suspect the benches will eventually fall off completely. I cannot believe this deck material is sold in the U.S. I expected more from my $15k. What a waste. HELPFUL83 people found this review helpful

Brian of Palm Coast, FL Verified ReviewerOriginal review: April 18, 2015

Our dock builder recommends Trex. No showroom in the area. We order $70 worth of samples, choose our colors, and we pay postage to return the samples. Trex refuses to credit. We are online to buy $25,000 worth of product. Trex has no business ethic towards the “right” way to treat a potential customer. Time to check out the competition. Sad and their ego will define their future. HELPFUL90 people found this review helpful

Joan of Dixmont, MI Verified ReviewerOriginal review: April 10, 2015

We installed ourselves square Trex decking with screws on the floor of our west facing covered porch 10 years ago. The only regular “cleaning” is sweeping the snow off it. We had replaced the painted tongue and groove pine flooring on this porch twice before. The Trex has not stained, but has faded in color slightly and evenly. Looks good. There is no wear. We are very happy with Trex and had planned to replace our large open pressure treated back deck with Trex. Now am wondering if Trex only lasts under a covered porch. HELPFUL54 people found this review helpful

shawn of Redding, CA Verified ReviewerOriginal review: April 2, 2015

We purchased some Trex decking from Trinity Lumber in Weaverville Ca. They spoke highly of the materials and I’m not sure why they did.The decking was a nightmare from the start and Trex didn’t honor the warranty. When our Decking expert installed it, It was only two months when the boards shrunk, twisted and destroyed many of the Trex screws we purchased with the product. They boast of a 25 year warranty. My mother called them and eventually a trex representative came out and told my mom that it was all her fault. She should of used different screws than the ones trex recommended. They change out books every year so they can warrant not honoring the warranty.VIEW MORE HELPFUL108 people found this review helpful

claudia of Bellingham, WA Verified ReviewerOriginal review: March 18, 2015

I had a deck built in 2002 and at least one half of the Trex has discolored with permanent black stains, despite frequent scrubbing and pressure washing. It looks horrible. I had looked forward to a maintenance free deck. HELPFUL83 people found this review helpful

Lisa of Weaverville, NCOriginal review: March 7, 2015

I saved for 2 years to have a 2nd story deck replaced. I was very excited to have my old rotting deck replaced with Trex composite decking. However I quickly realized the decking created a completely different problem I never dreamed I would have. With even a slight breeze a loud whistling noise comes from the deck. When a storm system dipped down from the north it did not stop whistling for 3 days! It is so loud it wakes up everyone in the household at night and all our bedrooms are located on the other side of the house.VIEW MORE HELPFUL77 people found this review helpful PREVIOUSNEXT 

Trex Composite Decking Company Information

Company Name:Trex Composite DeckingWebsite:www.trex.com