Frequently Asked Questions

F.A.Q.

Orders, Shipping & Warranties

Parcel orders typically ship within 24 hours, and are delivered in 2-4 days for most areas of the lower 48 US States.

Large item orders (decking/railing) typically ship in 48 hours, and delivery dates vary based on third party carrier availability. We typically see 2-3 day delivery for most orders in the lower 48 US States.

We understand that time is of the essence – and in many instances it is beneficial to pick up orders instead of waiting for them to ship.

Most orders are eligible for Willcall. Once this option has been selected, and your order is successfully submitted with payment, someone from our team will contact you with a confirmation that items are in stock, and ready to be picked up at one of our warehouse locations.

If the option is not available at checkout, you can reach out to us and check on your order’s eligibility for this fulfillment option.

There is no need to schedule an appointment in our showroom to look at options for your new deck. Come on in during business hours and we’ll work with you on selecting items for your project.

You are welcome to pick up your order from one of our locations. Please contact us for more info on this!

We’d like the opportunity to help you source what you are looking for. Either fill out a request on our contact form – or give us a call and we’ll see what we can do!

We have access to thousands of parts from dozens of vendors with whom we have worked with for decades. Our experts can likely help you find what you are seeking.

Yes! You can visit our showrooms any time during business hours. Please visit our ‘Showrooms‘ listing, and select a location nearest you and come on in!

We’re glad to help you with this! If your hardware need is related to a brand or product that we sell in our store, simply use our site search with a part number or name of product, and choose from products that are listed there.

If you are looking for a special part or product you don’t see on our site that is critical to your project – give us a call! We have access to thousands of parts from dozens of vendors with whom we have decades of history ordering from. Our experts can help you complete your project.

Please refer to our Return Policy items ordered from our website.

Warranties are issued by product manufacturers. Please visit our Resource Center and select the product of interest for more information.

For deliveries in the Kansas City or Wichita area: Typical charges for large orders are $100, and $50 for small orders to addresses within a local metro area where we have a lumber yard.

Shipping fees for online orders will be calculated at checkout.

Local deck delivery in the Kansas City and Wichita areas  are typically available in 2-4 business days, once a deposit has been applied to the order.

Online orders typically ship in 24 hours, and deliver within 2-4 days. Carrier transit times may vary.

Decking

Every manufacturer has a set width of deck board, and they range from 5.25″ to 6″ in width (and in some instances wide and narrow width boards as well). As a general rule, we recommend that you use a calculation of ‘deck projection’ x ‘2.2’, and this will give you an estimate of how many deck boards you’ll need. Projection is the measured distance from the structure to the point furthest from the structure, running perpendicular to the direction the deck boards will lay.

It is our recommendation that you leave gaps between deck boards when installing them – It is best to leave a small gap 1/8″ – 5/16″ in order to allow debris to fall freely, and to eliminate the opportunity for standing moisture and promoting airflow, particularly if your deck is low to the ground. If installing green/wet treated lumber, it is best to install them tight and touching with no gap between boards, as these will season and dry, shrinking to reveal a small gap between the boards.

We do not recommend this – as there isn’t much data that supports this use. If one was to use a product on a deck with the purpose of melting ice and reducing slip hazard, we recommend reading all applicable warnings and limited warranties to ensure you are not jeapardizing your coverage.

The answer is ‘Yes’; however, care should be taking to understand how sound the supporting structure is. If the structure is deemed safe, we highly recommend using a sealant or deck flash tape to cover the existing structure with a waterproof barrier, which can help to protect the structure and give it maximum lifespan, so water doesn’t penetrate existing perferations from natural aging or nail/screw holes from a prior installation.

Any time there is an environment that allows for sustained moisture stagnation, low air flow, high shade or cover – it will be prone to mold and mildew. Although most composite decking is resistant to mold and mildew – we recommend that you use a gentle soap or cleaner approved by your decking manufacturer to treat the affected area as need. If appropriate, a power washer can be used, with the understanding that high pressure water can damage surfaces of any deck if not used carefully – which is not normal wear and tear – and not warrantied by any decking company.

We don’t recommend that you install decking on any surface where it cannot be securly fastened to a frame or structure, or over an existing deck that needs replacing.

We recommend using some sort of frame or sleeper system underneath decking on a concrete base to allow air and moisture flow, keeping the space as dry as possible.

There may be some slight discoloration that takes place over time with your decking, most will be un-noticeable. However, all manufactures are offering warranties on fade resistance for their products – most starting with at least 25 year coverage. Technology has progressed a great deal over the past decade or so – it’s what makes composite decking a no-brainer for your deck.

Today’s composite decking often carries a 25+ year warranty for stain, fading, and structural rating. Most composites are made from a wood/plastic composite material, and coated with a PVC wrapper on at least three sides of the board. No staining. No maintaining except for a cleaning as often as you see fit.

This is a fairly simple question to answer – and the list of benefits continues to grow. Visit our ‘Decking‘ page to learn more about this subject in-depth.

Many different manufacturers have created formulas specifically for cleaning your deck, whether covered in wood or composite material. Power washers can be effective as well, but care should be taken to understand the effects high water pressure can have on your deck. We recommend visiting our Resource Center to better understand how to clean your composite deck or rail from the manufacturers.

There are many ways to attach decking to a frame, and each achieves a different look. Face screws can be faster to install with CAMO Drive systems, but hidden fasteners can achieve a more modern and seamless aesthetic.

Fascia is typically a wide width decking material that matches your decking color/texture. Most common applications include it as a wrap that covers the frame around the rim of your deck structure, and/or the exposed wood sections of a stair frame/stringers.

Riser is also a wide width decking material that matches a chosen decking, but it is most commonly used to cover the vertical back or rise of stairs. Most local codes require that this space is closed, and this material is a great way to use a color/texture matched material to hide the back side of steps on a stair run. Riser can also cover smaller frame material (less than 7-1/2″” or 2×8″” nominal lumber).

Building

Each project holds a different set of needs for fastening, but we recommend the following:
– 350 Screws for a set of stairs with approximately 8-10 rises
– 5 Screws / Square Foot if decking runs on joists with 12″” spacing
– 3.5 Screws / Square Foot if decking runs on joists with 16″” spacing

We do not recommend this – as there isn’t much data that supports this use. If one was to use a product on a deck with the purpose of melting ice and reducing slip hazard, we recommend reading all applicable warnings and limited warranties to ensure you are not jeapardizing your coverage.

Unfortunately, decking products are not rated for a structural value, other than their intended purpose as decking.

Cladding – in our world – is a material that is used on the exterior of a building or structure to protect it or provide aesthetically pleasing features. Several manufacturers are producing cladding from composite or PVC materials also used in decking for use in vertical applications. It can resemble natural materials, yet hold up to the elements with minimal maintenance over long periods of time. Cladding materials can also be used as a vertical screen on shade structures or pergolas.

This question is answered by narrowing down many factors – are you installing new rail on an existing deck? Are you installing new rail on a new deck? Usually the best way to determine what should be done is to choose a style or color of post, and then determine whether you’ll install blocking and hardware to install metal posts or retrofit wood posts, or whether you want to cover up existing wood posts with something more modern like a post sleeve.

You need a gate for your deck – it’s important that your order all the necessary components to complete this section of rail on your deck.

Every manufacturer designs their gates differently, but most will require that you buy an upright kit, a rail section, and gate hardware. Some will also recommend a tension cable to provide stability and keep your gate square in it’s opening.

The average size of a deck varies, but if we had to pin a number on it 12′ x 16′. We’ve found that this is about the most efficent size of deck that warrants the least amount of waste on framing material, decking, and rail.

In most instances residential deck railing must be 36″ from the top rail to the deck floor; commercial decking or multi-unit residential railing must be 42″ from the top rail to the deck floor. We recommend referring to your local building code or a local licensed contractor for more information.

The answer to this question will be based on your geographical location. In MOST locations, a galvanized or mechanically galvanized fastener or hardware will be approved for your project. Stainless steel is a costly option, but may be required if your project is within a certain distance of a body of saltwater – where corrosion plays a significant role in deterioration of sub-standard materials.

Most decking fasteners, composite screws, and fascia screws are stainless steel, and/or coated with epoxy and are designed to meet most building codes for most areas.

If you have questions about what is required in your area, check the local building code or contact a local licensed contractor.

Our best recommendation is to follow a local building code – but in most instances we believe it is faster and more efficient to use structural screws as they eliminate the drilling and tightening steps in the installation process. In addition, most of these screws are multi-purpose and can be multi-purpose for laminating beams, and structural connections, etc.

View our selection of ‘Structural Screws’ and choose the best option for you.

There are many different kinds of balusters – so this question really is best answered by shopping our selection of balusters – and viewing the installation instructions listed in that items details.

If you want a truly bug free environment, we recoomend that you install screen between the members of your frame underneath your frame. It is not necessary, but if you deal with bugs and critters, this may be the solution you need.

More and more contractors are using joist tape, because it offers a great deal of protection against moisture, and moisture in tight spaces in contact with lumber and other materials that could rot, particularly where there are deep cuts or joints on posts or stairs. It could offer your deck frame a great number of years beyond what would be considered a normal life. Some consider this tape as a fairly inexpensive form of insurance against potential water damage on your outdoor frame/structure. Currently, we do not know of any code requirements pertaining to the use of joist or deck flash tape.

We do not build decks. We work with many contractors in the area who do. We keep them supplied with material so they can keep doing what they do best – building your deck.

Building a deck is not rocket science – but there are a lot of working parts that require a set of carpentry skills and structural understanding. Be sure to consult with your local building code to understand what your municipaltiy may require of you, and what liability you or a contractor are taking on in such a project. TREX Academy has a great set of instructional videos that can help you understand the scope of what this process entails.

We think adding lights to your outdoor space is a great way to elevate the space for use more hours of the day. There are great no-hassle solar cap options available, and there are some low-voltage systems that can be a challenge to retrofit into your space.

Yes – and we recommend it to keep the posts looking great for as long as possible. What you will need to understand is the actual width of your lumber, whether they are a rough sawn, or nominal or smooth cut post. Measure your posts actual dimensions, and match this number with dimensions listed on any of our Cap products for an accurate fit.

Most rail manufacturers offer a paint touch-up solution, either in an aerosol, or marking pen appliction. Our recommendation is that you indeed use a paint specifically made for a manufacturers product, not a paint purchased at your local hardware retailer. All colors are not the same, and in many instances paints are a special textured or gloss product that are made to match a specific rail.

Great question – and the answer is – it’s personal. Many people prefer the look of real wood on their deck, and accessories with metal balusters and caps – and others prefer a clean modern look of powder coated steel or aluminum rail.

Building a wood rail on your deck can look great, and will be budget friendly, but will require a great deal of maintenance over time. Treated Yellow Pine and Western Red Cedar can look really great when installed, but will fade over time, and if not cleaned, painted or stained will become susceptible to fading and warping.

Installing metal railing on your deck, although can cost more than installing wood, can be considered a worthy investment. Metal deck rails provide an appealing aesthetic to any outdoor space, and most offer decades of warrantied value from defects, including discoloration. Metal deck railing has the potential to outlive the frame and structure of your deck!

Building a deck is a great way to expand your useable and liveable space. While we can make great recommendations for products that will help you make it yours – size and shape are personal choices that you’ll need to make based on available footprint, physical constraints, and budget.

If you need help getting an idea of what various sizes of deck may look like, and what materials may cost to build your deck, visit our Resource Center or visit one of our conveniently located showrooms!