How to Choose the Right Composite Decking

It can be hard to choose a composite decking for you and your home. There are so many options that you may feel overwhelmed. I work as a salesman in Lumber Sales, and I deal mainly in decking and composite materials. Well, I am hoping that this may help.

Please keep in mind that there is no true maintanance free decking on the market. Any decking that contains wood is susceptable to mold and mildew, as there is still wood in the material for it to feed from. Even all plastic deckings can get mold, although they will not stain from them like a wood composite would. You need to keep your decking clean, and keep pollen and dirt from collecting on the surface, and creating the unsightly looks on mold and mildew. Please read below to see my thoughts.

When you are looking to purchace a composite, there are three main catagories.

Price: Some good buys that are still a great products are:

• Portico Eclipse Decking

  Available at most Lumber Yards, available in your 3 basic colors: Cedar, Brown & Gray. Also grooved for hidden fasteners. Usually sold under $2.50 per lineal foot. 

• Timbertech Twin Face Decking

  Another great and affordable product from Timbertech, a known company for quality. Available in Gray, Cedar & Redwood. Usually sold for under $3.00 per lineal foot. Visit www.timbertech.com for details.

Appearance: A composite decking that has the look and appearance of an exotic wood.

• Fiberon Tropics Decking:

  Available in 2 colors, Mahogany & Jatoba. A very attractive appearance, and sold at a reasonable price for this type of material. Priced around $3.00 to $3.50 per lineal foot. 

• Timbertech Earthwoods Decking

  Three Available colors Tropical Rosewood, Teak & Walnut. Another great product from Timbertech. Usually Priced between $3.50 to $4.00 per lineal foot.

Maintenance: A Plastic decking is a lower maintenance material then those that contain wood, which are listed above.

• Timbertech XLM Decking:

  Available in three Colors, Sandridge, Mountain Cedar & Riverrock. A grooved decking available for hidden fasteners. Usually priced around $3.50 to $4.00 per lineal foot. Visit www.timbertech.com for more info.

• Azek Decking:

  Five available colors, Slate Gray, Brownstone, Clay, Ivory & White. Priced anywhere from $2.80 to $3.50 per lineal foot. Formerly known as Pro-Cell Decking. 

The above deckings are the best in their categories based on my experience with these materials. Now, these are my recommendations, based on performance and appearance. I know that you may look at some of these, and think...I've seen cheaper. Yes you will, in the big box stores, they are price point items. The reasoning that they can sell so cheap is the lack of pigment in the materials, which is the most expensive portion of these materials. It may look ok now, but what about 5 years from now?

Now these are in no way the only options, as there are many products out there, and many more to come. Some upcoming products to keep an eye on are:

Trumark decking: An all PVC decking that also has a more realistic wood appearance. Should be hitting the market very soon. Pricing is yet undetermined.

Cellek: A new product to the market that is in much the same as AZEK decking, although unlike AZEK, Cellek comes pre-grooved for hidden fasteners.