What to Use? Composite or Wood?

Composite decking marketing loves showing pristine boards and promising “maintenance free” performance and a “permanent solution” to yearly staining. The real question is whether your deck will still look like the marketing photo five or ten years in — or like the horror-show photos we’ve had clients send us over the years.

Composite has a mixed track record. Some major manufacturers have faced class action suits tied to board deterioration, mold, and fading. Warranties have historically been inconsistent about covering labor if a batch turns out defective, which matters more than the material cost when you’re the one paying to tear out and replace a failed deck.

We don’t rule composite out, but we go in with eyes open, and we push clients to actually read the warranty terms rather than the marketing copy before committing.

Still deciding between materials for your own project? Our composite vs. wood decking page breaks down the pros, cons, and costs of each.