PVC rail Vs Composite deck rail.

freestyledork

freestyledork

Member
I'm starting to do some designs for this winter and I have the ability to get some composite deck material really cheap. In the past I've tried PVC and Steel bar rails. Steel is heavy and hard to work with not to mention really bad for your edges. Will someone who has used both please explain what they like or dont like about either PVC or the Composite Deck material. Thanks

Off top of my head

PVC - really slick / Prone to cracking (if you screwed through the bottom could end bad.) / 10 ft lengths / hard to bend / need lots of support / cheap

Composite wood deck - bends easier / less support required / wont crack / ???
 
i feel like wood won't slide as well. i'm not too sure what composite deck material is made out of though. find out and that would help. all i know is i don't even try and grind wooden rails in the park. occasionally i slide but I usually just get stuck.
 
I was told its some kind of vinyl and wood composite.

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alright,

your a bit off with the PVC.

i have had many PVC rails for years now. i still have the same PVC i started with. i have never cracked 1 piece and screwing though the bottom is the way to go and slick rails are also good, because when you start hitting metal ones on the mountain they will seem easier. and you can also get pvc for really cheap. also PVC is not any harder to bend then composite, and it could be bent in any axis while composite can only be bent on one axis.

i also have some boxes made of 2 pieces of composite side by side and they slide really bad, and need just as much soppourt as PVC and its harder to make a frame/soppourt structure for them. i have to put oil on them in the winter and they dont even slide in the summer. yes it shouldnt crack but its a shit ton esier to catch an edge on and it will bend if not soppourted properly

i think the choice is clear PVC is the shit

 
well theres different forms of "composite decking"

theres the normal stuff that OP wanted to use and that i have used, widely available at HD or lowes-

it is not just made with plastic but also has a good amount of small pieces and chips of wood, and the plastic is made from recycled bottles and waste material and a lot of that stuff is made from LDPE which is a much softer less durable plastic then HDPE or UMHW that resorts use. this also makes not as uniform of a surface and has a lot of tiny grooves and bumps. this stuff doesnt slide too well and is expensive.

but then theres some stuff thats similar but has a much higher quality and uniformity of plastic. on of the big companies that makes it is called "AZEK DECK". its made just like PVC and uses the same exact material. this means its a lot more durable and dense. and has the advantages of a board shape. this stuff from the looks of it will slide just like HDPE or UMHW but is a bit cheaper depending on how much you want. its still more then composite and a ton more then PVC yet it slides a lot better then compostite.

note: i have not used AZEK DECK, so i would go check it out before buying it and use your best judgement and HDPE isnt much more then AZEK so if you have any doubts just stick with the proven stuff, HDPE.

hope that helps
 
^^ Thanks... my dad sells the stuff. Owns a home improvement company, I gave him a call he seems to have an idea of what would work good. I will definitely give it a shot.. unfortunately I wont be able to test it till its cold enough for me to make some snow.. about 2 months.
 
All I know is PVC, but it works so good. I built an extremely shitty box this winter. You have no idea.10' by 15 " I have 3 two inch PVCs screwed down with one little nail on the bottom of each one and the only support is five 2 by 4s connectied on the top which also hold the rails. But it works so good.
 
I know I am late with 8 years, but composite decking is way better than PVC. I had PVC deck now I have Composite deck, it is way better than the PVC one.
 
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