I have recently been working on a new deck project in which I am using Trex products. The products have exceeded my expectations in both quality and ease of installation. I am going to specifically write about the rail system today. I started with the online catalog of parts and pieces, and did my takeoff from there. Once the product was ordered and delivered on site, the process has already begun because all the boxes are labeled "step 3 of 5" for example. So organization of the product on site was easy. From there I followed the trex express installation guide, which included a template for mounting the post brackets to the post, see picture to the right. This is great for a couple of reasons. One the template requires no measuring as other brands and systems do. Secondly the template also acts as a third hand holding the brackets in place till you can pre drill and fasten them with screws, very cool! The rest of the installation is truly as simple as following the steps marked on the boxes. Trex also includes a few extra fasteners per bag of hardware so if you drop or lose one you don't have to immediately crawl below the deck to retrieve it. The rails themselves are solid, strong and have a smooth finish. Way to go Trex for designing a better way of doing things!
