Composite wood porch

[RearAdmiral]

Hello gang,

So my front porch is an L shape if you are looking at it from the front of the house. There used to be really ugly carpet on the porch but I ripped that up to reveal half concrete and half plywood underneath. The left portion of the deck is the plywood and the right portion is the concrete.

I'd like to put down some composite wood. Looks like I might need to build a 2x4 frame and drill into the concrete and plywood to mount the frame, then mount the composite decking to that according to the internet. I'd basically space them 16" or so and shim as necessary to get reasonably level.

Does this sound like a decent plan? Any recommendations?

There's a 10% sale on all decking at Lowe's so I might want to take advantage of that.

 

[mizzou]

Composite decking needs a good sturdy frame with more joists then your regular wood deck. Think of it as a really heavy semi-wet noodle. I don't think building a box frame on top of your existing frame will be an adequate structure for that concept.

Since you already have a plywood base, and if the concrete is stable...have you thought about a tile or stone floor?

 

[RearAdmiral]

Composite decking needs a good sturdy frame with more joists then your regular wood deck. Think of it as a really heavy semi-wet noodle. I don't think building a box frame on top of your existing frame will be an adequate structure for that concept.

Since you already have a plywood base, and if the concrete is stable...have you thought about a tile or stone floor?

Hmm...no I have not thought about that. Well the new frame would be supported by the existing flat plywood and concrete as well. I guess it is really just for having something to drill into on top of the concrete.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Without complicating things, why go composite vs wood? Maybe it's just me but it's butt ugly. Staying in Oklahoma right now at the in-laws lakehouse - spent $20K on a new wood deck w/ metal railing (also expanded it out about another hundred feet from previous) and it looks miles better than the neighbor's composite that was installed next door.

More maintenance, sure, but it's hard to beat that wood look. I understand certain weather conditions/climates or farther up north it's pretty common vs wood though vs the south.

 

[Greenman]

Before adding anything, you may want to consider the pros and cons of having plywood on an exterior deck. I can't come up with a "pro" right off hand.

 

[RearAdmiral]

Before adding anything, you may want to consider the pros and cons of having plywood on an exterior deck. I can't come up with a "pro" right off hand.

The situation is not ideal. I was also surprised to find that it was half and half with the concrete. I don't know if rebuilding the entire porch is doable.

 

[Greenman]

The situation is not ideal. I was also surprised to find that it was half and half with the concrete. I don't know if rebuilding the entire porch is doable.

It's far less than ideal. Plywood is the wrong material to have under a deck. Putting a new skin over it is a waste of money. If your budget won't allow you to do the job properly, then cover it up with the cheapest material you can find, or just paint it.

 

[richardycc]

shim? 16" OC? I can see a bouncy unlevel porch in your future.

 

[RearAdmiral]

shim? 16" OC? I can see a bouncy unlevel porch in your future.

Well I purchased some 2x6s and normal 5/4 wood decking and hopefully I don't need to shim.

Had to go through a pallet and a half of Lowe's decking to find decent boards.