We've put together our opinions and experiences on the different collections of alternative decking in the form of product reviews, to help you understand how every line of decking we carry is different from the others.
We mean to point out the pros, cons, similarities, and differences between the various decking brands and families. The information below is not intended as an endorsement of any one product, but to highlight the strengths of each for helping you plan, install, and enjoy your deck.
Collections are ordered by price, most expensive being towards the bottom of the page.
Solid-color Inorganic-composition collections
Bang for Buck
8
Durability (Strength, lifespan, toughness)
9
Realistic wood appearance
6
Value compared to competing decking lines
8
How well it hides scratches, dents, and traffic patterns
7
Slip Resistance
6
Color palette variety and color-coordination
4
Ease of installation
9
How well it stays cool
9
Pros
- 50-year fade and stain warranty
- Completely waterproof PVC with no organic fillers, with coloring and texture on top and bottom of board
- Lighter PVC formula makes boards easy to cut, carry, and fasten with no predrilling needed
Cons
- 8" Riser board not available
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0
(0)
Bang for Buck
7
Durability (Strength, lifespan, toughness)
9
Realistic wood appearance
7
Value compared to competing decking lines
8
How well it hides scratches, dents, and traffic patterns
7
Slip Resistance
8
Color palette variety and color-coordination
5
Ease of installation
10
How well it stays cool
9
Pros
- 50-year fade and stain warranty
- 3/4"x7-1/4" riser board is available. The riser board is thicker than fascia, so that Cortex plugs can be used with it. Hidden fasteners on stair risers are especially noticeable because every time you walk up the stairway, you see the risers up close and at eye level.
- Completely waterproof PVC with no organic fillers
- Available in multiple deck board widths for more design options
- Lighter PVC formula makes boards easy to cut, carry, and fasten with no predrilling needed
Cons
- Simpler pattern doesn't look as realistic as other lines of Azek
- Only three solid colors available
- Kona color is only available in fascia and non-grooved decking
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0
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Bang for Buck
6
Durability (Strength, lifespan, toughness)
8
Realistic wood appearance
5
Value compared to competing decking lines
6
How well it hides scratches, dents, and traffic patterns
7
Slip Resistance
6
Color palette variety and color-coordination
4
Ease of installation
9
How well it stays cool
8
Pros
- Completely waterproof PVC with no organic fillers
- Lighter PVC formula makes boards easy to cut, carry, and fasten with no predrilling needed
- Advantage Sample 3
Cons
- Monotone colors only
- 8" Riser board not available
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0
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Variegated Premium Inorganic-composition collections
Bang for Buck
8
Durability (Strength, lifespan, toughness)
9
Realistic wood appearance
6
Value compared to competing decking lines
7
How well it hides scratches, dents, and traffic patterns
7
Slip Resistance
7
Color palette variety and color-coordination
4
Ease of installation
8
How well it stays cool
8
Pros
- 25-year limited warranty
- Mineral-based "Surestone" composition expands and contracts less than any other decking material, and is completely waterproof
- 8" boards are also available for deck stair fascia and riser.
Cons
- Routed (rather than extruded) groove for hidden fasteners can be inconsistent, sometimes making installation difficult
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Bang for Buck
9
Durability (Strength, lifespan, toughness)
9
Realistic wood appearance
8
Value compared to competing decking lines
9
How well it hides scratches, dents, and traffic patterns
8
Slip Resistance
7
Color palette variety and color-coordination
8
Ease of installation
8
How well it stays cool
10
Pros
- 25-year limited warranty
- Mineral-based "Surestone" composition expands and contracts less than any other decking material, and is completely waterproof
- Available in multiple deck board widths for more design options
- Multi-tone variegation coordinates well with other decking colors and home colors
- 8" boards are also available for deck stair fascia and riser.
Cons
- Routed (rather than extruded) groove for hidden fasteners can be inconsistent, sometimes making installation difficult
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Bang for Buck
7
Durability (Strength, lifespan, toughness)
8
Realistic wood appearance
7
Value compared to competing decking lines
8
How well it hides scratches, dents, and traffic patterns
4
Slip Resistance
9
Color palette variety and color-coordination
9
Ease of installation
9
How well it stays cool
9
Pros
- 50-year fade and stain warranty
- Completely waterproof PVC with no organic fillers
- Lighter PVC formula makes boards easy to cut, carry, and fasten with no predrilling needed
- Broad selection of colors fits most color schemes
Cons
- Finer texture wears down and shows traffic patterns and dirt more
- Non-grooved boards only available in 20' length
- 8" Riser board not available
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Bang for Buck
9
Durability (Strength, lifespan, toughness)
9
Realistic wood appearance
8
Value compared to competing decking lines
9
How well it hides scratches, dents, and traffic patterns
8
Slip Resistance
9
Color palette variety and color-coordination
7
Ease of installation
10
How well it stays cool
8
Pros
- 50-year fade and stain warranty
- Completely waterproof PVC with no organic fillers
- Unique crosscut woodgrain texture
- 3/4"x7-1/4" riser board is available. The riser board is thicker than fascia, so that Cortex plugs can be used with it. Hidden fasteners on stair risers are especially noticeable because every time you walk up the stairway, you see the risers up close and at eye level.
- Lighter PVC formula makes boards easy to cut, carry, and fasten with no predrilling needed
- Multi-tone variegation coordinates well with other decking colors and home colors
- Dents and scratches can easily be "healed" using a heat gun, because of the plastic cap and cellular formula.
Cons
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Bang for Buck
7
Durability (Strength, lifespan, toughness)
8
Realistic wood appearance
6
Value compared to competing decking lines
6
How well it hides scratches, dents, and traffic patterns
7
Slip Resistance
6
Color palette variety and color-coordination
5
Ease of installation
9
How well it stays cool
8
Pros
- 25-year pro-rated fade and stain warranty
- Completely waterproof PVC with no organic fillers
- Coloring pattern coordinates with texture, coloring in the grain markings
- Lighter PVC formula makes boards easy to cut, carry, and fasten with no predrilling needed
Cons
- Texture is shallow and provides little slip resistance
- Though they are multicolored boards, they feature very little variegation other than the texture's highlighting
- 8" Riser board not available
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Bang for Buck
9
Durability (Strength, lifespan, toughness)
9
Realistic wood appearance
8
Value compared to competing decking lines
9
How well it hides scratches, dents, and traffic patterns
8
Slip Resistance
8
Color palette variety and color-coordination
10
Ease of installation
9
How well it stays cool
9
Pros
- Only decking brand to offer a limited lifetime warranty
- Completely waterproof PVC with no organic fillers, with coloring and texture on top and bottom of board
- Lighter PVC formula makes boards easy to cut, carry, and fasten with no predrilling needed
- Multi-tone variegation coordinates well with other decking colors and home colors
Cons
- 8" Riser board not available
- Overdriving trim-head screws can sometimes discolor area around screw
- Shell can chip off board edges if not cut with care.
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Bang for Buck
8
Durability (Strength, lifespan, toughness)
9
Realistic wood appearance
9
Value compared to competing decking lines
8
How well it hides scratches, dents, and traffic patterns
8
Slip Resistance
9
Color palette variety and color-coordination
9
Ease of installation
9
How well it stays cool
9
Pros
- 3/4"x7-1/4" riser board is available. The riser board is thicker than fascia, so that Cortex plugs can be used with it. Hidden fasteners on stair risers are especially noticeable because every time you walk up the stairway, you see the risers up close and at eye level.
- 50-year fade and stain warranty
- Completely waterproof PVC with no organic fillers
- Available in multiple deck board widths for more design options
- Lighter PVC formula makes boards easy to cut, carry, and fasten with no predrilling needed
- Multi-tone variegation coordinates well with other decking colors and home colors
Cons
- Premium product comes at a cost
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5
(1)
Bang for Buck
6
Durability (Strength, lifespan, toughness)
7
Realistic wood appearance
10
Value compared to competing decking lines
7
How well it hides scratches, dents, and traffic patterns
9
Slip Resistance
5
Color palette variety and color-coordination
7
Ease of installation
4
How well it stays cool
3
Pros
- 25-year pro-rated warranty
- Full profile PVC board with acrylic top cap for better scratch resistance
- Lighter PVC formula makes boards easy to cut and carry
- Printed-on wood pattern looks more like realistic than any other brand
- Coordinates well with homes with natural wood
Cons
- Acrylic cap is not compatible with trim screws, and no screw-and-plug option is available.
- Acrylic cap can whiten or chip if not installed correctly
- Minimal texturing of the acrylic cap greatly affects slip resistance
- Though it looks exactly like wood, the wood pattern is repetitive and must be decked strategically.
- Coloring only covers half of the edge, so stair treads and deck edges require a special trim piece and more labor to finish each edge
- No plug option available, so face screws will all be visible on treads, fascia, end boards
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