How can we fill the holes from the removed wooden pickets on our deck with cable railing to ensure a smooth paint job for the Trex stair treads?
Asked by Christopher Chambers 
2 months ago
Last Updated: November 6, 2024
We took out the wooden pickets on our deck and put in this cabling instead. But now I can see all the holes from the Trex stair treads. Unfortunately, Trex doesn’t have solid boards in this color. Since we have to repaint the rest of the deck, I’m wondering if anyone has suggestions for plugs to fill in all these holes. There’s a ton of them along the long stretch of stairs.
There are plugs available in various colors for filling in screw holes. You might need to enlarge the holes for the plugs, though. Have you looked into painting the trex? Most of it doesn’t take well to paint, especially dark colors.
Thanks for sharing that! The backstory behind painting the edges is quite interesting 🫠. The reason we are replacing the stair treads is that the welder accidentally caused burn holes by letting sparks fly onto the existing Trex treads while installing our posts. So, the existing treads are being replaced. The paint you see (only on the edges) is from many years ago. If we were to paint, it would be on all the wooden supports.
Oh yes, it’s totally fine to paint the edges. However, keep in mind that the entire surface of the composite material tends to get quite warm in the summer. When you paint it, the material’s ability to expand and contract is limited. This might cause the paint to not hold well or the material to behave oddly because it can’t move naturally. Honestly, both scenarios are likely to occur.
Agreed, we would never paint the surface.
I’m sorry, upon rereading your post, I realized most of my response had nothing to do with your questions. In my most polite social media voice, I wanted to emphasize not painting composite materials.
If you’re replacing treads, then frame them like a picture.
Or consider using an accent trim board. Something different from attempting to fill those holes. That will likely not hold up due to temperature changes.
Do you think I’d need extra wood underneath to screw into…? Currently, I have 3, with 2 on each end and one in the middle.
Indeed you would.
That might lead to my husband teasing me about ‘another brilliant idea’ 😄
Yes…but what exactly? That suits me better.
Choose your preferred option. Use accent trim board. Create a picture frame with needed blocking or fill in holes. Some decking boards come without grooves. You may have to adjust the color accordingly.
Consider using Color Matched Caulk, or apply BONDO AND PAINT
‘t overthink it. When unsure, take a step back.
Cut and attach pieces with a clean edge.
It appears to be trex transcend lava rock, and they do manufacture fascia boards in that color.
Using colored silicone caulking could be the simplest solution, or if you want a really nice finish, consider cutting 45-degree returns. It’s relatively easy to do on the treads since they’re being replaced, but you’ll need to remove the facings to cut the returns on each end.
Mathew asparovich – I would suggest the same thing.. maybe even doing nothing at all. Looks good from where I’m standing.
I personally filled mine and then applied stain over them. It’s been 3 years and it still looks great.
There are a couple of effective solutions but they require a lot of effort. You could frame them like a picture or do mitered returns on the ends. I suggest getting used to them.
Annon Have you been chatting with my husband, Eric?
🤣🤣🤣. I also don’t really like the appearance. However, I feel like the effort required for the proper fixes is not really worth it. Any other solution might end up looking like an attempt to conceal something, which defeats the purpose.
Maybe take a break from the stairs and shift your focus to something else for now.
I’d suggest getting some outdoor-grade trim to cover up those holes.
There are end caps made specifically for this. Match the color, install, and you’re good to go. Check at Home Depot.