Trex Decking as a facade material??

It's possible that I will get banned from ever visiting this site again for even suggesting such sacrelig, but here it goes anyway:
Anyone ever consider using Trex Decking as a material for a facade (i.e. rainscreen replacement for Ipe or Cedar?)
Can anyone think of a reason why it would be a horrible idea to do so? I would appreciate any thoughts...positive or negative.
My thought is that it would be maintenance free and would maintain close to its original color, but maybe I'm kidding myself.

I'm not sure how light-fast Trex is. A lot of the engineered plastic woods also suffer from fading over time just like regular wood.

I've considered the same thing, so no, I don't think you are out of your mind! Trex is just one product but there are dozens on the market now. But I have not had a chance to use it on a project yet.

Some issues I've considered:

- Many of the products fade to grey, although I think there are newer ones that are formulated to hold their color. That may be good or bad depending on how good or bad the woodiness is.

- The material tends to be wiggly - it is not as stiff as wood and it may sag between screws depending on how far apart they are.

- Its heavy, a lot heavier than wood.

- The deck profiles may not be the best product to use in this way, but there are other shapes the manufacturers offer, and plain old plastic lumber is also available although I am not sure you will get the range of cosmetic colors from that kind of product.

The only problem I see from a modernist perspective is that there is no particular reason for that material, plastic, to be in that form, 5 1/2 in x 5/4 in., on your wall. Why not bigger sheets of plastic? It would be easier to install and you would have a lot more design possibilities. Trex is pretty thick because it is manufactured as a decking material. You do not need that thickness as a cladding material. Wood has to be a certain thickness before it splits apart.

If you are going to use fake wood you might as well use fake anything. If you have time to plan and purchase I would not limit your design to what you can get at the big box stores.

I, too, have brainstormed the possibilities of several of these products.

Once again, I'm trying to finalize my selection of cladding materials and I find myself coming back to this option.

As for some of the comments above, some manufacturers offer thinner profiles (3/4") that would be more appropriate for a cladding material.  We are looking for something with a little bit of "heft" since the other material we are using is an exterior cementious fiber board (SIL-LEED) and we would like a contrast of the two materials...not  just in color but also thickness.

Although there is some color fading for these "plastic" lumbers, they generally hold their color, and when compared to real wood...well, there is just no comparison.  If you want to keep the warm color of, let's say, cedar or redwood, you have to power-wash and re-seal or oil every 2 years.  This is not something we desire.

I posted this topic quite awhile ago.  I would still be interested in further comments if anyone has tried this. 

There is also PETE wood. This is plastic "wood" they have made using recycled milk jugs, etc. Really good because it contains no PVC, and all the other benefits you get with a plastic component. (I considered using it not as a rainscreen material, but for the furring strips under the rainscreen. In the end, I found that metal hat channel was a better choice for me.) They use it for decks, mostly, like Trex. There are a few manufacturers, and the ones I was in contact with were very willing to ship out samples. This is important, because most folks trying to emulate a wood look are disappointed with Trex. There are, as I'm sure you've found, much better products in the marketplace now.

As for the light fastness issue, a horizontal surface always will bleach out faster than a vertical one, according to Sikkens, a high-end deck finish I have have had very good luck with.

Good Luck

   -R.

Steve Erlich (a well know SoCal architect) used gray Trex for the fence around his own  house in Venice, CA.

It's been up 4+ years now and has retained its color. As to the "wiggly" aspects, it's hard to tell, but I have looked at it closely and there seems to be metal in between the joints, so my guess is that the edges were routed and the metal slipped in.

You can see it, although not the detail, at his web site and it's the 700 Palms project.

http://www.s-ehrlich.com/

Matthew: 

I am a representative of Trex and came across your post and wanted to reply. 

Trex boards used, as siding must not be placed in direct contact with sheathing. It is recommended that furring strips, a minimum of 1 ½” thick, are placed between Trex material and sheathing and spaced a maximum of 24” on center.  

Trex materials cannot be used as a furring member. This material must comply with a screw withdrawal force of 558lbs/in as conducted per ASTM D1761. A minimum of two fasteners at each support is required for this application.  The width-to-width gap can be set at 1/8”, but 1/4” is our normal recommendation. A 1/8” end-to-end gap should be maintained and the corners can be mitered. A 4” cantilever is permitted. 

If I can be of further assistance please feel free to contact me at question@trex.com or 800-BUY-TREX. 

Pat M – Trex