Trex RainEscape

Think of a large rubber tarp lying between the floorboards and the joists.

This system serves a very similar purpose to our Amazing Underdeck system: it’s meant to keep the space under the deck dry. However, this system is completely different in design and it is generally sold to a customer who is building a new deck.

It’s fairly simple: Before the deck boards go up on the newly built deck, rubber throughs are laid on top of the joists. Water is channeled into a gutter and downspout in the front. 

Pros: 

• Available in Home Depot/Lowes
• Very inexpensive 
• Easy to DIY
• More flexibility as to what you can have as a finished product under the deck

Cons:

• Not a finished product – you would need to complete the job with an underdeck ceiling 
• Difficult to do on an existing deck since you would need to take the floorboard off
• Rubber cracks/breaks and needs to be replaced occasionally – which is a big undertaking since floorboards need to come off
• Many deck installers agree that it doesn’t work as intended many times and causes more problems than it solves

In Conclusion 

Unless you are building a brand new deck and want a specific finished product underneath, stay away from the Trex Rain Escape.