I just learned that Trex settled a class action lawsuit for alleged performance issues. Trex did not admit to any of the allegations:
http://www.trex.com/legal/classaction.asp
Does anyone have any first-hand performance issues stories with Trex or other composite lumber decking products? That can be shared?
can anyone provide any information on what the lawsuit was about? we use these products every once in a while, and they are becoming more important due to LEED considerations. I’m curious what the original issue was.
Go to the link above. Click the link at the bottom of the page “See Official Class Action Notice (PDF)” and read Section II, B.
Thanks Helaine, for posting your name, as well as the information.
Dear anonymi (and others):
Some of the questions I see indicate the poster didn’t make even the briefest search of the web. Others, like Anonymous 2, apparently don’t even follow the links when given a web site to look at. This is a great forum for getting answers, but please at least try to find the answer before asking “where can I find wood windows?”
I am one of the anonymi, and if you follow the links, what you get is “alleged problems” with the material, and a listing of the possible things that could go wrong: aluminum flakes protruding, some mold, some change in dimension (either bigger or smaller), some disintegration. What I was asking, is “what is the actual experience and practice” of the people on this site who have used it, and what are the practical issues with this product. The listing in the lawsuit is much like those drug advertisements that list every possible problem no matter how obscure, with little information about what actually happened to occassion the lawsuit. I also have a pretty good search engine on my computer, and when I used that, I got very little of substance in response – some Bob Vila columns, and a copy of the lawsuit, again.
So, again. These products are advertised as “maintenance free” and that was challenged in the suit. The apparent remedy is that the products will no longer be advertised as “maintenance free”. However, what will end up being changed in the product formulation, and will they still be available? What has been the actual experience and will you still specify the product, but provide for regular maintenance?
I have seen some trex that has weathered so that the surface swelled making a bumpy surface. the material had not failed it just looked “used.” maintenance free? Well kind of but 5 years out it did not look like the new stuff.
The Seattle times was looking for people that had used similar products about 6 months ago. I don’t k now if they published anything about what they found or not.
does that help?
Sounds like the material “uglied out” before it “wore out.”
This can be a problem in high use/abuse conditions even when maintenance complies with manufacturer’s recommendations. Definitely a factor to consider in product evaluation.
I can personally atest that the product uglies out and (due to the wood fiber content) will grow mold. Just ask my brother-in-law in Tacoma that has the stuff on his front porch…and it is less than 1 year old.
BTW, the cellulose is put in the product to make is less slippery. We had an instance where the regular non-cellulose lumber was used on a bridge deck and it was as slippery as slug snot! We had to paint the decking with a sanded traffic coating to reduce the chance of falls.
what is “regular non-cellulose lumber”???
Just plain old High Density Polyethelyne (HDPE)plastic…made from milk jugs.