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When I first started covering composite decking 25 years ago, it was hard to get excited about it. Most options looked pretty meh and performed even worse. Times have changed. Though composite decking is still made from the same basic formula of wood fibers, plastic and polymers, the ingredients and manufacturing process have gotten so much better.
Over the last three years, I’ve overseen the testing of a dozen new composite decking products in the Home Improvement and Outdoor Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute. While some fared better than others in our tough tests, they’re all leaps and bounds ahead of first-generation composites in their ability to resemble real wood while fending off the effects of weather, mildew and more, all with minimal maintenance.
If you’re embarking on a deck redo, give today’s composite a look. Our top picks are all readily available from home centers or online retailers. And the best of the best should still be looking good 50 years later, so this could well be the last deck you ever install.
The company that invented composite decking in the late 1990s has been the category’s biggest innovator. Any shortcomings with its earliest products have been addressed, especially if you spring for its top-of-the-line Transcend Lineage Composite Decking.
The material isn't cheap, costing as much as premium wood decking, like Western cedar or ipe. But when we brought samples into the Lab for testing, the composite proved extremely resistant to staining and held up well in our impact tests, designed to simulate pounding hail or heavy objects getting dropped onto the surface. Trex backs its promise that the material won't rot, warp, crack, or splinter with a 50-year limited warranty. Though it does get a little slippery when wet.
As for aesthetics, our design experts were wowed by the subtle grain patterns across the Transcend Lineage’s five color options, a nice mix of browns, grays and beiges. “Love it!” said GH’s Home Design Director Monique Valeris. “The color options feel sophisticated, especially the brown shades, which are so rich. The pattern of the grain seems natural as well."
There’s a sustainability story here too, since Trex says its composite is made from 95% recycled content, including reclaimed sawdust mixed with the plastic film from old sandwich bags, newspaper sleeves and the like.
We like MoistureShield for its wide range of composite decking products to meet every budget. Though the brand has even less expensive options than its Meridian series, it’s our top value pick because it hits the sweet spot between cost and performance.
Based on Lab tests, the capped composite decking (meaning its composite core is protected by a polymer outer layer) should deliver exceptional durability and moisture resistance for many decades. The 50-year warranty shows the brand's willingness to stand behind that performance.
The decking's resistance to fire enables it to be listed as one of the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Approved Products in California. Appearance-wise, its wood-grain finish and reduced pattern repetition create a convincingly natural look.
Choose from three colors: Citadel (a cool gray), Shoreside (a sandy blond) and Mariner (a dark brown). The Citadel and Shoreside lines offer CoolDeck technology, which the brand claims can reduces heat absorption, a benefit for homeowners in extremely hot regions. “While the color choices are limited, they are quite rich and sure to work with a variety of home styles,” said Valeris.
If you live in a region that gets a lot of rain, it’s important to choose a composite decking that’s built for moisture. We like this TimberTech because its wire-brushed, rough-hewn finish provides superb slip resistance, not to mention a depth of character and variegation.
The capped composite decking also does an excellent job fending off mold and mildew growth, which contribute to premature erosion. In our extensive Lab tests, the boards were extremely resistant to stains in our test, including tough ingredients like oil and mustard. The tradeoff for that durability is a hefty material that's harder to cut through.
The 5.5-inch-wide composite boards come in 12-, 16- and 20-foot lengths, and a blend of hues ranging from Reclaimed Chestnut to Dark Roast. TimberTech gets a check mark for sustainability too, since the company claims its USA-made composite decking consists of 85% recycled materials, including shrink wrap and laundry bottles. A 30-year warranty against staining and fading isn’t the industry’s best, but it still promises decades of services without signs of wear and tear.
Given its dense construction, composite decking tends to be heavy and hard to cut. That’s what we love about this composite decking from Deckorators. It uses a fiber-like structure to maintain exceptional strength while being about a third lighter than the competition. The claim checked out in our extensive Lab tests, but for good measure we had the decking installed by Fernando Pages, a Houston-based homebuilder and outside judge for our annual Good Housekeeping Home Reno Awards.
Pages confirmed that the Voyage decking is “lighter than most PVC and composite materials." He also reported virtually no expansion and contraction, which makes for an easier, more forgiving installation (though the flexibility of the material means extra care must be taken to keep them straight during installation).
And he liked that the decking can be installed directly on the ground or in water without voiding the warranty — good for coastal applications, or even for building directly on a lawn. (For more details, check out Pages' full documentation of the project on his YouTube channel.)
This competitively priced product comes in six colors, including grays and browns. The vertical grain design adds a bit of slip-resistance. We also like the variety of widths, from 3.5 inches up to 9.25 inches, which helps create visual interest.
I’m a big fan of deck tiles — a floating system in which the deck is installed above an existing substrate, like a brick patio or stone terrace. The tiles simply snap into plastic connectors, so the project is extremely DIY-friendly.
While we didn’t get hands-on with this version from NewTechWood in our Lab, it’s a good example of the simplicity of the system. The 1-square-foot tiles come 10 per box, so it’s easy to do the math to figure out what you’ll need to cover your deck (though the installation is relatively easy, I always tell people to add at least 25% extra material to account for mistakes in the field).
The UltraShield Naturale tiles come in close to 30 colors, from wood-look browns to bright pinks and blues for those looking to have more fun with the deck. Plus they can be laid out in visually interesting patterns, like checkerboard or parquet. We can’t speak to the performance of the composite, though it’s worth noting that the 10-year warranty is significantly less than other composites. But for a quick, easy and inexpensive makeover of an outdoor space, composite tiles are an excellent option.
Our experts in the Home Improvement and Outdoor Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute keep constant tabs on the decking market to identify the composite materials you’re most likely to find at home centers and specialty dealers. To keep up with all the latest trends and innovations in outdoor living, we also regularly attend trade shows and industry events, including the International Builders Show (the 2024 edition in Las Vegas was my 24th in a row, not counting the year off during the pandemic).
When it comes to hands-on testing, we focus on brands with a proven track record for performance and reliability. In our Labs, we run stain tests to determine how well a material resists mustard, wine, mud and more (pictured). We also run abrasion tests to see how materials withstand scratches.
To see how well decking resist dings from pounding hail or fallen branches, we use an impact machine. Finally, whenever possible, we use the decking materials for actual installations, including by professional judges during the annual Good Housekeeping Home Reno Awards, to see how they perform under real-world conditions.
By narrowing your choice of decking down to composite, you’ve made the whole selection process easier (for example, you don’t have think about maintenance as much, since all composite involves very little upkeep). But within the composite category, most brands offer good, better and best options. So you do need to make sure you end up with the right material for your needs. Here’s what to think about:
✔️ Cost: Composite decking can cost anywhere from $4 to $12 per square foot, according to ANGI, the home services marketplace. Do the math on a 300-square-foot deck, about the national average, and you’re looking at between $1,200 and $3,600 for materials alone. Spending more on a brand’s top-tier composite line typically gets your better performance and a more natural-looking deck, though we do find exceptions to this rule, so you should never go by price alone.
✔️ Durability: The best composite decking will deliver decades of service without cracking, staining, flaking or fading. The manufacturer’s warranty is a good indication of how long you can expect the deck to last; some only cover it for 10 years, while the best warranties extend up to 50 years. For a deck to last that long, it’s almost certain to be “capped,” meaning the composite core is protected by a polymer outer layer that resists fading, staining and other kinds of degradation.
✔️ Design: If you’re going for the look of a real wood deck, look for composite decking with convincing grain patterns and color variation. The best versions also have minimal pattern repetition, a giveaway with cheap faux products. Color palettes tend to get more expansive with higher-quality composite decking lines. That’s helpful, since the current trend is outdoor spaces that integrate with the adjacent space indoors, including matching the color of the deck with that of interior floors. We’re also seeing a lot of interest in lighter-toned decks, especially in hot parts of the country, since they don’t absorb as much heat as dark-colored decks.
✔️ Safety: The main consideration here is slip-resistance. Entry-level composite decking often has a smooth surface that can be quite slippery when wet. Deck boards with a textured surface will have a much higher slip-resistance, which is measured by an industry standard known as the coefficient of friction, or COF. It’s not as easy to find as it should be with all composite decking materials, but if you’re concerned about slippage, it’s worth asking the manufacturer or retailer if they can provide information. A COF of .5 or higher is needed to achieve proper slip resistance.
Though composite decking doesn’t require any of the sealing or staining of wood decking, some maintenance is needed to maximize its lifespan and keep it looking good over time. We recommend a deep cleaning at least once a year.
Start by clearing any items off the deck and sweep away debris. Then clean the surface with warm, soapy water and a soft bristle brush. Tackle any tough stains with a special composite deck cleaner, available online and at home centers. Rinse the deck with fresh water.
Important note: Though some composite decking can be cleaned with a pressure washer, be sure to check your user’s manual first. The high-pressure spray can damage some composite surfaces, potentially voiding your warranty.
The Good Housekeeping Institute Home Improvement and Outdoor Lab provides expert reviews and advice on all things home-related, including decking and other building materials.
Dan DiClerico has covered the home improvement market for more than two decades. In that time, he has tested every major decking material, and installed more than a few, both during his years working on a remodel and as a serial remodeler of homes he has lived in. He has written countless how-to articles on the installation and maintenance of decking, working closely with professional installers to understand the latest techniques and innovations. DiClerico is a regular at trade shows and industry events, where he keeps up with the latest trends in the marketplace. In his role at the Good Housekeeping Institute, DiClerico oversees all decking testing, working closely with our team of engineers and product experts. He also manages any consumer surveys designed to capture homeowners' experiences with various building materials.
Having written thousands of product reviews and how-to articles on all aspects of home ownership, from routine maintenance to major renovations, Dan (he/him) brings more than 20 years of industry experience to his role as the director of the Home Improvement & Outdoor Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute. A one-time roofer and a serial remodeler, Dan can often be found keeping house at his restored Brooklyn brownstone, where he lives with his wife and kids.
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