Every red-blooded American wants a big house with a big kitchen, a big back yard, and a big deck for grilling. At the very least, we all hope for a small deck to maybe cook a burger on every once in a while. But what type of decking is perfect for you?
Composite decking is incredibly popular because of its low maintenance but wood decking is incredibly popular for its beauty.
When you are having the inevitable composite decking vs wood decking debate, you should know that things have come a long way from the days of plastic-looking composite deck boards.
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Composite Deck Board Options

There are numerous composite decking options. The brands that you know are familiar only because of marketing so don’t be afraid to try a different brand just because you haven’t heard of it.
Composite deck boards are made in one of two ways.
The first type of composite decking option is one that is made of a composite core with a PVC, or plastic, cap. The composite inner core is made of a combination of wood and plastic.
Depending on the brand, the vast majority of the plastic used in composite boards will be recycled plastic.
The second type of composite decking is made completely of plastic PVC material. These boards typically last longer and they are much lighter than traditional composite deck boards.
Because these boards cost more to make, they are usually made to look nicer than less expensive composite boards.
Trex Deck Boards
Trex decking is probably the most well-known composite decking. There are a wide range of options to choose from in the Trex line. From decking to perimeter fencing, there is something to suit most needs and design choices.
All Trex deck boards have a 25 year warranty to fading and stains. The composite core of a Trex board is made of 95% recycled materials.
Trex boards are capped, covered, with PVC on only 3 sides. This means that they may not be very damp resistant on the undersides.
Though, theoretically, they wouldn’t need to be terribly damp resistant on the underside since they are unlikely to have water on the bottom.
Trex Transcend
Transcend is the top-of-the-line Trex. It comes in 8 different colors of brown and gray. These boards are made to look more natural than most, with streaking of different colors and variable graining patterns throughout the board.
Trex Select
This is the moderate version of Trex decking. With 5 different colors, there is probably a color that will suit your design style. Unlike their more expensive Transcend boards, Trex Select boards are monochromatic.
With only a single color, the boards don’t look quite as realistic. But at a more realistic budget, it’s not a bad trade off.
Trex Enhance
If you have a minimal budget, Trex Enhance is a great option. These deck boards come in 7 different colors to suit your design needs. The bottom of the board is scalloped so that there is less material.
The reduction in material makes these boards lighter weight, more like traditional wood deck boards, as well as less expensive.
Timbertech Composite Lumber
Timbertech prides itself on being a “better board” than most composite deck boards. In reality, they are incredibly similar to Trex, though less well-known, at this point. Originally, Timbertech boards were all capped on all 4 sides, including the underside.
This made them more weather resistant than Trex boards. Boards were also full boards, with no options that included the underside scalloping that Trex Enhance boards do.
However, to compete in the market, Timbertech has now made options that include both a scalloped back side and a 3 sided PVC covering. Now, I’m not saying these are bad options. But in reality the two company’s offerings are now virtually identical.
Legacy Collection
The Legacy Collection from Timbertech is the highest end composite deck board that Timbertech offers. They boast a beautiful and realistic PVC top with a variable graining pattern.
The color is also more realistic with some variation between the boards and within the boards. The Legacy Collection is available in 6 different colors.
Reserve Collection
The Timbertech Reserve Collection has “cathedral graining” which means that it has a strong and obvious graining pattern to the boards. These boards are fire resistant, making them incredibly popular on the west coast where forest fires are a common issue in the summer.
With a high amount of color variation within the board, you can get a hyper-realistic look to a composite deck. With only 3 color options, the Reserve Collection may restrict some peoples’ designs.
Terrain Collection
Timbertech Terrain boards also have a cathedral grain to them but they come with scalloped backs on the boards. There is still some color variation within the boards however, with less variation, they won’t look quite as high end as the Reserve Collection and Legacy Collection.
The Terrain Collection is great for homeowners with a moderate budget and high design style. The Terrain collection comes in 2 colors: Brown Oak and Silver Maple.
The good news is it’s easy to choose but the bad news is, there are not a lot of options to really customize.
Prime Collection
Timbertech made the Prime Collection to compete directly with lower-end Trex boards and cedar decking. These boards have almost no variation in color which gives them a distinctly…plastic…look.
The back side is scalloped as well to reduce the price of the board. However, the biggest difference in these boards is their 3-capped sides.
There is no PVC cap on the underside of the boards like all the other Timbertech composite deck boards, making them a budget option. Prime Collection boards come in 3 colors to give you a moderate range of options.
Azek Composite Wood Decking

Technically, as of 2012, Azek is a part of Timbertech. However, unlike most company merges, Timbertech has maintained the premier and luxurious nature of Azek.
Azek composite decking isn’t really a composite decking product at all, but a 100% PVC board.
That fully PVC nature makes these boards not only some of the lightest options but also some of the most weather resistant options. Azek deck boards are also some of the most beautiful and realistic looking boards available.
But those features do come at a price: Azek boards are the most expensive composite deck board.
The great news is that all of the Azek deck boards are fire resistant. If you’ve ever lost your home, or been at risk of losing your home, to a forest fire, you’ll appreciate the peace-of-mind knowing that a little part of your home will make it through.
Azek deck boards have the added benefit of being cooler than a composite deck, which tend to heat up as the day goes on.
Vintage Collection
Azek’s Vintage Collection deck boards have a wire-brushed finish to give an appearance almost identical to a hemlock or fir grain board. Especially for people who don’t like the appearance of an oaky grain pattern (hello all of my fellow 90’s children) these are excellent boards.
These PVC boards have a variable color appearance to increase the realism. There are 5 colors to choose from, so it may take you a while to choose.
Landmark Collection
With 3 color choices, you may think that the Azek Landmark Collection is restrictive. But it specializes in giving options to people who love the look of reclaimed wood.
If you want an antique, reclaimed style on your deck, but don’t want to get splinters or maintain that deck, this is a great option. The grain pattern looks realistic and there is some variation to make the boards look even more realistic.
Harvest Collection
Sometimes you just want something more simple. For people who don’t like the highly variable coloration in their Azek deck board, there is the Harvest Collection.
These more monochromatic boards offer a simpler appearance with a cathedral grain pattern that some people really prefer.
Treated Deck Boards
For people who just can’t tolerate, or can’t afford, the composite deck board options, there are treated deck boards. These boards are treated with either amine copper quat or copper azole.
This makes them more weather resistant and rot resistant than untreated boards but not as weather resistant as composite deck boards.
The downside of these boards is that the chemicals are, unsurprisingly, not very environmentally friendly or family friendly. If you’ve ever gotten a splitter from a treated board, you know what I mean.
Those things will fester to the point of wanting to cut your finger off before they start healing.
Pressure Treated Deck Boards
Pressure treated deck boards are made by punching small holes in the board, putting the chemical treatment on the board, and then subjecting the board to a higher atmospheric pressure.
This does just what it says and presses the chemicals deep into the board. The depth of treatment means that these boards last longer however some people don’t like the look of the board with the holes in it.
Surface Treated Deck Boards
Boards that are surface treated, such as Duradeck, are treated with the same copper-based chemicals but without the holes and pressure treatment. These boards are nicer to look at than a pressure treated board because there are no holes in the wood.
However, the chemicals do not penetrate the wood as well which means that they won’t last as long. However, they look very similar to a cedar board and they are usually less expensive.
Cedar And Redwood Deck Boards

When you want a wood deck, the king of wood is cedar and the queen of decking is redwood. Here’s the deal; and it’s an unpopular opinion.
I personally don’t think that redwood is any better than cedar when it comes to deck boards. They look almost exactly alike and they last about the same amount of time.
Here’s the difference: depending on the market at the time, redwood can cost twice as much and everybody knows the name.
There’s something luxurious to be said that redwood is a less commonly available wood.
Cedar, on the other hand, is more pedestrian given that it has been on the majority of decks for the last 50 years at least.
Composite Decking vs Wood Cost
When you are comparing the cost of composite decking vs. wood decking, you need to remember that wood and lumber are commodities. This means that they are not brand specific.
Nobody cares that a cedar board came from Seneca Sawmill for example. So wood pricing, and therefore cedar deck pricing, is based purely on how much supply and demand there is.
For example, in the middle of 2021, there was a huge demand for building materials and a…less than desirable amount of supply…so for a short time, the price of composite decking was less expensive than cedar decking.
In general, of course, cedar deck boards are less expensive than composite deck boards. But don’t always rely on that.
Maintenance Of Composite Decking vs Wood
Most of us, at this point, understand how to clean a cedar deck. But how do you clean a composite deck. Just in case you don’t know how to clean a cedar or pressure treated deck, you want to use a wood cleaner and brighter and scrubbing to make sure that dirt is cleared off.
DO NOT pressure wash a wood deck. If your pressure washer is set to a high pressure, you will create patterns in your deck that you do not want.
Wood decks are more susceptible to mold and mildew than composite decks, especially in a more humid environment. Wood decks may also require more chemicals to really get clean if they are not covered by some sort of patio cover.
Composite decks require less chemicals to clean, but even a clean deck tends to feel more slippery than a wood deck.
For a composite deck, you should use a basic outdoor cleaner and water. Don’t be tempted to buy a specialty cleaner but don’t use bleach either.
A basic outdoor garden and deck cleaner and a garden hose will work. If you absolutely need to, you can use a bristle brush and pressure washer. But don’t make a habit of it.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, a deck is the American dream regardless of what it is built out of. Composite deck boards or wood deck boards won’t make that big of a difference in your enjoyment of it.
The grill will still sit on it and your family will still congregate on it. If you are looking for something authentic, you will probably want a wood deck board.
But if you want less maintenance and a longer warranty, you will probably want a composite deck board.