Deck railings over concrete patio (washer, plank, stain, mold)

[curiousmatty]

Hi,
my spouse wants a deck..and I want a stamped patio (nothing new)...so can we get deck railings attached to a stamped patio? what are the pros and cons of doing this...anyone does this.
so u get the feeling of enclosure and no hassle of maintaining the deck planks.
Please help with your responses
Thank you

[davebarnes]

1. The deck will be more pleasing to your feet.
2. The deck will be psychologically more comforting.
3. Look at either:
a. Composite wood Composite Decking | Wood Alternative Decking Material | Trex for less maintenance
b. Ipé Ipe Decking for real wood. Minimal maintenance.
4. Your spouse is correct.

[curiousmatty]

isn't deck more a pain maintaining it?
isn't TREX more expensive and also gets hot in high summer heat?
isn't Deck (either pressure treated or Trex) more costly than the stamped concrete?
agree there is a better look to the deck... but that's why I wanted to know if the deck railings can be attached to stamped concrete...u get the feel of a deck and the base is all solid concrete.
Thanks for your response though.

[BirdieBelle]

Like this?



Sure you can. Just picture any outdoor dining area you've walked past on a sidewalk. It's the same concept.

[Jbeechuk]

A patio will last a lot longer than a deck, even one with composite wood.

[TrapperL]

You might want to read some of the issues that come with synthetic decking. Mold, algae, discoloration are all real issues that a lot of folks have with it. Neat idea if only it worked 100% of the time. I won't have it on any of my jobs. At one time I thought it was as good as sliced bread. Then started having problems that hit the wallet pretty hard. Then I used it only on handrails to eliminate splinters only to have issues there too. Now I won't use it at all. I've tried them all and all have problems. My vote goes to stained concrete but it too can have issues depending on the jobsite. If it sees a lot of shade and moisture, expect it to stain and look ugly in a few years. Best is raw concrete and a power washer for those areas.
https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q...decking+issues