Composite Decking: Your Ultimate Buyer’s Guide
In the past, decks were entirely constructed of wood, which is one of the highest-maintenance building materials. In recent years however, composite decking has largely replaced natural wood decks for many homeowners, due to its longevity, ease of maintenance, and versatility.
In this article, we'll take you through the world of composite decking, providing deck design ideas, showcasing popular designer decks, and highlighting the benefits of Trex decking, among other composite decking ideas. By the end, you'll be equipped with all the knowledge about what composite decking is, its materials, technology, advantages, color options, top brands, and other important considerations. Get ready for the Ultimate Buyer's Guide to Composite Decking, tailored for homeowners who seek environmentally-friendly, low-maintenance solutions for their outdoor living spaces. Ready to dive in? Let’s do it!
First things first: What actually is Composite Decking?
Composite decking is an alternative material to natural wood decking. Unlike lumber, composite decking is created using wood fibers and plastic film which will not splinter or crack. Composite decking is infused with color that is stain-resistant and fade-resistant and the color goes uniformly all the way through the board. This minimizes the look of scratches and keeps the deck looking like new for years.
Though each composite decking product varies in its exact components, you can expect to find the following materials used in its manufacture:
Natural wood: Inside all composite decking is the real thing: wood directly from trees. However, this wood is actually waste from lumber product manufacturers, including sawdust, wood chips, wood fibers, discarded end pieces, and anything else that can be repurposed. As a result, wood composite decking makes great use of repurposed materials from the lumber industry.
Plastics: Wood composite decking includes plastics that improve the durability and strength of the product. The most typical plastics found in composite decking are polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyethylene. These plastics are often directly recycled from single-use plastic bottles or other non-renewable sources. Luckily, this allows plastic that would otherwise be wasted to find a new purpose in the beauty of your home and landscape.
Additives: The various additives in each composite decking product vary according to the requirements of the manufacturer, the demands of the application. Additives may stabilize the plastic and help improve the strength of the entire product. They also add color to the final product: color that is uniform all the way through each board. Some additives also protect the product from ultraviolet damage to preserve its color and prevent degradation of the material.
Since composite decking uses lumber waste and recycled plastic, it’s a pretty green solution for an outdoor living space!
What is the Technology Involved in Making Composite Decking?
The process of building a composite decking product is actually a lot like making pasta. This process is called co-extrusion and it’s a common practice found in all sorts of industrial manufacturing.
First, the main ingredients (wood, plastic, and additives) are combined to specific ratios. Then, the mixture is heated in order to fuse the plastic and additives together with the wood. Finally, the mixture is pushed through a die, also known as an extruder, into a specific shape. Then as the product cools, it is stamped with a specific texture that is molded directly from existing wood textures to give the final product a surprisingly realistic natural wood texture.
Some composite decking manufacturers will go further and even apply an outer layer around the product while it’s still hot. This outer layer will enhance the integrity of the surface to prevent cracking or splitting due to changes in temperature, sun exposure, and consistent moisture (such as around a hot tub or pool).
Why is Composite Decking a Better Choice Than Wood or PVC Decking?
Natural wood is a readily available material that makes an excellent addition to both home and landscape applications. Even though it’s still commonly used all around the world, it is not the most secure building material. Let’s cover some of the disadvantages of wood decking:
Time is the enemy: Even though lumber comes from completely natural sources, it isn’t meant to last forever. The moment wood is exposed to the elements, it starts to break down. This process can be delayed through regular maintenance but it requires a lot of regular maintenance. Unless you stain or paint your wood deck every 1-3 years, the surface will begin to fade, splay, warp, and crack, eventually leading to a potentially hazardous surface if regular maintenance is neglected.
Wood is soft: Wood may feel pretty solid, but it’s actually a relatively soft building material. Wood can easily be scratched by any harder material such as metals. Any time a chair gets pushed across the deck, anytime your dog plays chase with his furry friends, or anytime a strong wind knocks over a planter, the wood will get scratched. Short of regular sanding, there’s not much that can be done to restore the surface.
Quality lumber is expensive: A big problem that many homeowners and landscape designers run into is the fact that the availability of wood entirely depends on the growth of healthy trees, which takes decades, and as we saw during the landscaping boom that occurred during the pandemic, demand can far exceed supply and drive up prices.
PVC (vinyl) decking is often confused with composite decking but it’s not the same. PVC decking is all plastic and doesn’t include any wood fibers. While PVC decking is non-absorbent and won’t rot, PVC can contract and expand with temperature changes and potentially cause the deck to crack. PVC decking also has a tendency to be slippery when wet.
Composite decking effectively solves each of the problems presented by wood or PVC decking.
It does not require any regular painting or sealing, like wood decking
It won’t splinter like wood decking
It is much harder than wood and more scratch-resistant; and since the color goes all the way through, any scratches or dings that do occur are barely visible
Composite decking can be “uncapped” or “capped”; uncapped is cheaper, but the addition of a polymer “cap” adds an extra layer of protection (that does not include wood), to improve durability, fade-resistance, and scratch-resistance
It has a more authentic wood-like appearance than PVC decking
It has a better non-slip texture than PVC decking
It is less prone to warping than PVC
What Should I Look For When Buying Composite Decking?
With a plethora of wood composite decking manufacturers on the market, you can bet that not every product is the same quality.
Knowing which company, which brand, and which specific product to choose will help you choose the right wood composite deck material. Here are a few of the things to look for when you’re in the market for composite decking:
But hang on! Before you start designing your deck or choosing materials, set a budget and commit to staying within that budget. As with any other outdoor living project, staying within your budget will help you choose the materials and design that will best meet your practical and aesthetic needs without the stress of going over budget. As with anything, you get what you pay for. If you plan on staying in your home for more than a few years — and if spending time on your deck is a priority — it makes sense to choose the highest quality materials you can afford.
Okay. Let’s get to the fun stuff of choosing the best decking materials for your project.
The Boards
Not all composite deck boards are the same. Some feature a solid lumber-like construction (basically a two-by-six) which you’ll find on higher-end boards. Others feature a grooved bottom which reduces weight and the amount of material used. These are usually found in lower-end boards. For regular residential use, either one is just fine. If you’re worried about heavy items like a hot tub, it’s the structure under the decking that will need to be extra beefy. The boards themselves can handle the weight.
The other consideration relating to boards is: solid-edge or grooved? Solid-edge boards look more like lumber, and are typically cheaper than grooved boards. They are installed just like wood boards, by screwing them down. If you don’t want the look of screws interfering with the sleek visuals of your deck, you can use grooved boards.
While more expensive, grooved boards hide screws for a cleaner look. However, the hidden fasteners may need to be installed from below, which may not be feasible for ground-level decks; and the hidden fastener systems are also much more expensive than screws.
You can also create a cleaner fastener-free look on solid-edge boards by plugging the screw holes with a plugs that match the decking. You’ll hardly notice the plugs and this is a more cost-effective solution than grooved boards. You could also get a hidden fastener system which involves clips that are installed from underneath the deck (again, this may not be an option for ground-level decks.
You can ask the manufacturer about ways to stealth-fasten your deck boards for the best look within your budget.
Colors
It’s important that your composite decking material complements the home and the landscape. Your deck color will also be influenced by its location. Choose lighter colored materials for a deck that will get all-day sun, to keep it cool underfoot. Darker colors can look striking, but may get a little hot under foot although this can be mitigated by quickly hosing the deck off to release some of the heat.
The number of colors available changes with each and every manufacturer, so for now let’s just focus on one company. The Trex Company was the first company to begin producing wood composite decking and has truly pioneered this corner of the industry. They remain one of the largest providers of wood composite decking and they provide some of the best products on the market. Let’s take a look at some of the wood composite decking colors from Trex (image from Trex):
Composite decking, Deck design ideas, designer deck, Trex decking, Composite decking ideas
Island Mist: “A cool medley of calming silver tones, Island Mist mimics the weathered look of driftwood, with its true-to-nature vibrancy and realistic grain pattern.”
Biscayne: “A light coastal brown, Biscayne captures the beauty of mangroves and sandy coasts, with its light honey hues and natural grain pattern.”
Rainier: “An airy, mountain grey, Rainier mirrors white-capped mountains and wooded sounds, with its subtle silver tones and delicate grain pattern.”
While you shouldn’t expect to see all colors of the rainbow in wood composite decking, Trex features gorgeous colors in three price points and each collection can be a great companion to your home and landscape.
Mixing and matching colors to create eye-catching borders can be a way to jazz up the look of an otherwise ordinary deck.
Be sure to order samples of the decking you’re considering, as materials can look very different online or in a fluorescent-lit showroom than they do under the sun.
Styles
Tropical… woodsy earth tones… smoky weathered grays… not only do colors have a visual impact, but certain colors bring out more or less of the “wood” grain in each board. You may be surprised at how “busy” some colors are because they show so much more grain than others. If you want a bold, vibrant look, this can be a great look; but it can be too busy for the aesthetic of your home. Order samples so you’re not surprised when the deck is finished.
Railings
Unless your deck is at ground level, you’re going to need a railing so be sure to factor that into the budget and the deck design ideas. It’s often easiest to purchase railing and decking materials from the same manufacturer but if you’re using contrasting colors, you could mix and match products from different manufacturers to achieve exactly the look you want. Railings can be aluminum or composite and they can really put the finishing touch on your deck.
Are There Different Grades of Composite Decking?
Yes, there are! These grades each speak to the level of density and material quality and, as you can probably expect, this has a direct effect on the durability and price. Trex has three different grades of composite decking, so let’s see how they rate their range of products:
Good: The Enhance line from Trex is an excellent starter option for composite decking. Amazingly, 95% of all the materials used in the Enhance line are from recycled materials including plastic bottles and shopping bags which makes Trex decking about as green of an option as it gets. There are seven color options in the Enhance line from Trex.
Good: The Select line from Trex offers denser boards with stunning visual qualities that take on the incredible textures of hardwood. The grain pattern is more pronounced that in the Enhance line for a more realistic wood look with better scratch resistance. There are five color options in the Select line from Trex.
Best: The Transcend line from Trex as well as its companion Transcend Lineage line from Trex are absolutely some of the best composite decking products on the market. It’s the best available line from Trex and there are several grain patterns and striking color options inspired by exotic woods that can bring some fantastic ambience to your outdoor living space. There are an incredible 12 different color options in the Transcend line from Trex to help your deck reach a whole new visual level. This line also features superior scratch resistance.
Whichever price range is right for you, each Trex product is covered by an outstanding 25 year limited warranty.
Which Brands Make Composite Decking? (Low/Mid/High)
We have already covered one of the best brands of composite decking out there: Trex. Still, there are plenty of other companies that offer fantastic products as well. Let’s break down some of the most well known composite deck companies and some of their excellent products:
Barrette Outdoor Living ($18-$35): Barrette Outdoor Living, while based in Ohio, sources all of their wood materials from the forests of Maine. From there, they buy recycled hardwood fibers from lumber processing and combine them with plastic. Finally, they add their own ColorLock system to the finished planks to create the PolyPro line of composite decking. Each plank and board is capped with polypropylene coating, which makes color selection far easier. Their PolyPro line ranges from $18 per square foot to $35 per square foot.
Cali Bamboo ($15-$75): As the name suggests, Cali Bamboo uses a slightly different material in their composite decking products. Bamboo is used in place of wood and this has proven to be just as strong as wood. Even better, bamboo grows much faster than trees, a culm sometimes reaching full maturity and ready for harvest in just five years which makes bamboo a more sustainable natural product than wood. Their BamDeck composite decking boards are 60% bamboo and 40% plastic, while their TruOrganics line is 100% bamboo fibers. BamDeck costs around $15 per square foot while TruOrganics is around $75 per square foot.
Fiberon ($15-$22): Fiberon is a company that has grown dramatically in their 25 year existence, expanding from their original location in North Carolina to an additional facility in Idaho. They were the first company to develop capped composite decking, coming up with seven lines of capped composite decking and one line of uncapped composite decking. All of their composite decking products range from $15 per square foot to $22 per square foot.
Trex ($15-$30): We’ve already covered Trex composite decking quite a bit and that’s because they’re the company that originally developed composite decking. These days, they are still the largest company in the industry and remain a favorite company between both homeowners and landscapers. Between their Enhance, Select, Transcend, and Transcend Lineage lines, there is a whole lot to love. All of their composite decking products range from $15 per square foot to $30 per square foot.
What is the Best Composite Decking for the Money?
Even though you can find plenty of other products at the same cost, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better composite decking buyer’s experience than with Trex. Since they have been at the forefront of the composite decking industry since the very beginning, they are well positioned to continue to innovate and come up with even better products. Trex is a company that is also well represented across the United States and beyond, ensuring that their products are widely available and can be installed by experienced and licensed professionals. They also have a wide support network, all owing to their high level of quality through the years.
Are There Any Problems with Composite Decking?
No building material is perfectly perfect… Each material has its pros and cons, but as you’re about to see, the pros of composite decking far outweigh the cons.
Despite some of the occasional challenges with the material, composite decking remains a far better option for creating a sturdy and attractive deck for outdoor living spaces. Let’s cover some of the challenges associated with composite decking:
Heat retention: Since wood composite decking is a mixture of wood byproducts and plastic, it has different properties than natural wood. Wood breathes, and therefore it stays cooler than plastic, which can get pretty hot in sustained sunlight. Composite decking can get hot in intense sun so if your deck is south- or west-facing and your family likes to be barefoot on the deck. It’s a good idea to lay an outdoor mat over the walking surfaces and social spaces on your deck or simply hose it off if it gets too hot for comfort.
Mold vulnerability: Like any organic material, there is a chance for mold to creep into the wood fibers during long periods of high moisture. Indeed, mold will seek out the wood particles in composite decking. This can be solved by choosing a product with a plastic cap. You can also regularly clean your composite deck with mild dish soap, a medium-stiffness nylon brush, and water.
Composite decking is not structural: Composite decking is meant for the walking surfaces only. It does not have the load-bearing capabilities of natural wood which is why your composite deck will still have a wood, metal, or even stone structure. Unfortunately, a deck cannot be made of 100% wood composite materials because it is not meant to support a large amount of weight by itself. Perhaps this will happen in the future, but for now, your deck will likely include wood.
Temperature change susceptibility: All materials expand and contract to some extent with temperature changes and composite decking is no exception. Composite decking won’t warp to the extent that PVC decking can, but if you live in an area with wild temperature fluctuations during the course of a day, there’s always the chance that the decking will show that stress. Inspect your decking regularly for warping, loose screws, or cracks.
Is Composite Decking Slippery When Wet?
Composite decking is not more slippery than wood and less slippery than PVC decking. The only times a composite deck can become truly hazardous is if it’s covered by ice, in which case you probably won’t be outside anyway.
Is It Cheaper to Use Composite Decking?
Ultimately… yes.
Earlier we showed you some of the prices you can expect to pay when installing composite decking. However, we only mentioned the base cost of the materials. There’s a lot more to installing a deck than just the surface.
In order to make an accurate estimate of the projected cost of a finished product, you have to consider the costs of labor, footings, structure, fasteners, railings, fascia boards, and any special features such as steps. If you’re installing a mid-range wood composite deck of around $25 per square foot, you can expect the cost of a completed project to be around twice the amount at $50 per square foot. And that’s still a decent investment in a space that is an extension of your home.
If you compare it to the cost of wood decking, composite decking has a higher initial cost. A completed wood deck will cost around $35 per square foot, making it considerably cheaper than a composite deck. However, it’s important to remember that composite decking lasts far longer than wood decking and it doesn’t require any maintenance. If you consider that you will have to continually paint or stain a wood deck or even replace the deck in around 10 years, you can imagine that a composite deck will be cheaper in the long run.
Is Composite Decking Worth the Cost?
Absolutely! Even despite the higher initial cost typically associated with composite decking, the vast majority of homeowners who made the choice to install a composite deck are happy they did. Typically, a composite deck will have an initial cost of around 40 percent higher than a wood deck. However, a wood deck needs to be painted or stained every year, a project which can really add to the lifetime cost of a wood deck. A wood deck should also only be expected to last around 10-15 years. Both of these problems don’t exist when you choose to install a composite deck. As far as decking materials go, composite decking is about as “set it and forget it” as it gets.
How Long Will Composite Decking Last?
You can expect composite decking to last far longer than natural wood decking, up to 25-30 years. Trex guarantees their composite decking to last for 25 years. This is 2 to 3 times longer than natural wood and it’s largely due to the fact that composite decking holds up much better against the forces of nature, such as rain, freeze-thaw cycles, and mold. Decks that are entirely composed of plastic have a similar lifespan of around 25-30 years, so there’s no need to choose the fully synthetic version over composite decking.
The specific conditions of your landscape will have a direct effect on the lifespan of your composite decking. Even homeowners in the same neighborhood can have wildly different experiences with the same composite deck over the years due to sun exposure level and the presence of moisture. While some of these problems are hard to mitigate once a composite board or plank has been damaged, you can notice the signs of damage by scheduling a regular inspection every a year with your deck installation professionals.
Can You Power Wash Composite Decking?
Yes, you can! However, it’s not usually necessary. You can power wash a deck to remove any stubborn stains or mold. But plastic capping on your composite deck will ensure that stains and mold don’t make it into the “meat” of the boards, so light cleaning with soap and water is usually enough.
Does Composite Decking Need Maintenance?
At some point, composite decking is just like any other landscaping material in that it is going to need some maintenance. However, it’s still a whole lot less work than wood decking. There are a few ways in which you can keep your composite decking looking amazing over the years:
Sweep often: Accumulated dust can look harmless, but when combined with water it can create a slick film, and it can attract mold. Try to keep your deck as clear of dust as possible by sweeping often. During the winter, avoid using deicing salts which can stain and etch the decking surface. If you have to use deicing salts, sweep and hose off any residue to prevent damage to your deck.
Remove debris: It’s important to remove debris from the spaces between the boards from time to time. Grass, gravel, pine needles, leaves, and food can get trapped in the spaces. It’s ugly, and it holds water (and mold). Regular sweeping or hosing off will keep these spaces clear to allow surface water to drain away.
Ultimately, composite decking is a great deal. They look great. You’re doing something good for the planet by choosing composite decking which, in the case of Trex, is 95% recycled wood and plastic. You can chill with your friends and family instead of scheduling an entire weekend to sandblast, stain, and re-seal your deck. You can rest easy knowing that it’s going to last several decades. And, you can say goodbye to splinters.