Decking and Outdoor Living

There are several composite decking options on the market, so it can be overwhelming choosing the right one for your home. Your local building material dealer or builder can help recommended a composite deck product, but ultimately it's up to you as the homeowner to select the best composite decking for your taste and outdoor living area.

Lumber and building material dealers typically carry a variety of top composite decking brands from various manufacturers. Each brand will have differences in appearance and composition (wood to plastic ratio, high-density plastic, low-density plastic, polyethylene plastic, polyurethane plastic, recycled content, color variety, hollow or solid and more).

Key points for choosing composite decking material:

• past performance – does the product have a proven track record?
• color – will the colors offered complement your home's exterior?
• appearance – is the surface aesthetically pleasing?
• texture – does the surface look and feel like real wood (not like plastic)?
• durability – how well has it performed for builders and other homeowners?
• price – the most expensive composite deck board isn't always the best composite deck choice
• warranty – will the manufacturer stands behind it's warranty?

By prioritizing your personal decking and railing criteria and boiling down the results you can usually narrow your best composite decking brands to just a few.

When it comes time to choose the best composite lumber decking for you, whether you're remodeling or building new, make sure to ask for samples that you can take home or show your designer.

It's also important to note that if your local dealer doesn't carry the composite decking and railing products you desire, ask them to special order it.