The manufacturer (Evergrain) recommends 2 teeth per inch. Would that mean an 80 tooth 12" chop saw blade and 40 tooth 7.25" circular saw blade?

From ThisOldHouse.com - "To cut composite or plastic decking, manufacturers recommend using carbide-tipped saw blades with 18 to 24 teeth per inch, to reduce friction and prevent the blade from gumming up." 18 to 24 teeth per inch? That has to be a misprint.

A standard 7-1/4" framing blade with 24 teeth is plenty good for composite material.

TOH blew it unless they want you to use a hacksaw. 25 teeth is for thin metal. You hide it exactly on the head, a 40 tooth 7 1/2" carbide blade is what you need. Black and Decker makes a Pirrana (sp?) blade.

Thanks guys! I don't feel like experimenting on a $2.25 plf piece of material.

You got a good product at a cheap price. Some of that stuff can go for nearly $4 p/ft. I recently decided not to use any of it because some fad and can't be stained and others have a limited warranty. I know 5/4 PT pine will last as long as their warranty, cheap too. Evergrain does look pretty nice.

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Originally Posted by ballengerb1

You got a good product at a cheap price. Some of that stuff can go for nearly $4 p/ft. I recently decided not to use any of it because some fad and can't be stained and others have a limited warranty. I know 5/4 PT pine will last as long as their warranty, cheap too. Evergrain does look pretty nice.

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That $2.25 price is why I jumped on it so quickly. That is $0.25 cheaper than I've seen anywhere else. I've done a major amount of research on the product and haven't found any negative opinions on it. After spending 2 days digging and pouring footers and pads, I decided that I'd rather spend the extra cash now rather than staining/weatherproofing wood every other year. I'm planning on using deckmaster hidden fasteners; any opinion on them?

Can't be of much help since I have not used them. They look great and I considered them before switching to PT pine. If Evergrain recommends them then by all means do it. Otherwise your screws will create a bit of a mushroom. The only thing that concerns me is that I don't see what the product looks like 5 -8 years done the road. Stains do fade due to UV and most of these procts will not accept a new stain. Tons of people are going in your direction. Did TOH give any opinions of this decking? Try DYI .com too, I'm on that help desk also. Good luck,
Bob

That is my one beef with Evergrain; they don't recommend any fasteners. They told me that people love using "them" with their product, but wouldn't define "them". Seems like they don't want to be held responsible for someone else's system. Definition - Look for them to come out with a fastener system in the future.

I once read in their website a warning about mushrooming. They are probably dodging some liability issue and don't make their own fasteners. I think other brands do recommend them.

What about a jigsaw blade? I'm using a jigsaw to cut out notches for the railing posts on vernada decking material, and having a hard time with my standard wood jigsaw blade.

Any recommendations for a blade for jigsaw cutting?

Thanks,
Todd

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Originally Posted by ballengerb1

TOH blew it unless they want you to use a hacksaw. 25 teeth is for thin metal. You hide it exactly on the head, a 40 tooth 7 1/2" carbide blade is what you need. Black and Decker makes a Pirrana (sp?) blade.

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How wide is your rail, most composite rails are only 3" so it doesn't sound right about make a notch. I think I'm not picturing what you are doing. Any chance for a pic or drawing. Jig saw blades for composite would go back to TOH recommendation. 18-24 teeth is OK for a jig saw just not a circular saw blade.

I am using deck boards that are 5 1/4" wide. They need to be notched out to accoomodate the existing support beams that are 3.5x3.5.

What are TOH recommendations?

Todd

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ballengerb1

How wide is your rail, most composite rails are only 3" so it doesn't sound right about make a notch. I think I'm not picturing what you are doing. Any chance for a pic or drawing. Jig saw blades for composite would go back to TOH recommendation. 18-24 teeth is OK for a jig saw just not a circular saw blade.

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Hey Todd, I take back my 18-24 teeth after picking up my saw today. That was double what you should use on a jig. Do uyou have access to a reciprocating saw, they are 5X faster than a jig. If ou stay with a jig, 10-16 teeth per in. I was "notching" today but with PT pine. I did both cuts with my circular saw and finishe that little wedge with ahand saw, you could use your jig at that spot too.