6 Benefits of Composite Decking You Need to Know
September 23, 2025
As you search for the best material for your new deck build, you’ll likely read about the many benefits PVC & composite decking offer over traditional wood. In addition to being a low-maintenance alternative, Advanced PVC & composite decking from TimberTech also offers color-rich boards with an authentic wood-like appearance — giving you the natural look you desire along with easy upkeep (and long-term cost savings, too).
What are PVC & Composite Decking?
PVC & composite decking refer to deck boards made from cores comprised of either 100% inorganic material (ex. PVC decking) or a blend of organic and inorganic material (ex. composite decking). These deck boards can be partially or fully encapsulated — meaning a 3- or 4-sided cap. Unlike traditional wood, most PVC and composite deck boards feature an exterior layer of protection: the outer capping.
TimberTech offers two different types of decking as defined above — TimberTech Composite Decking, which is made from a blend of recycled organic and inorganic material, and TimberTech Advanced PVC Decking, made with high-performance and recycled polymers, and zero organic material, for longer-lasting performance.
TimberTech Goes Above the Competition
- Industry-leading technology to ensure your deck has enduring beauty.
- All the nuanced beauty of nature, with realistic grain patterns, finishes, and color blending.
- Warranties you can count on so you have confidence in your deck from day one.
- Offers collections with industry-leading fire ratings — our Vintage and Landmark Collections have an Ignition Resistant designation, Class A Flame Spread Rating, and are WUI-Compliant.
Benefits of PVC & Composite Decking: Why Leave Wood for Good
Unlike traditional wood, TimberTech Advanced PVC & Composite deck boards have a core made with high-performance recycled materials and an engineered cap for extra protection. This makes them resistant to moisture, rotting, weathering, and fading — the perfect combination for an outdoor oasis.
The benefits of TimberTech Decking make it an ideal choice so you can enjoy a low-maintenance deck that will retain its rich color for many years to come.
Traditional Wood
A weathered pressure-treated wood board. Even “protective” pressure treatments can’t compare to the engineered capping of TimberTech Decking.
TimberTech Decking
Both our Advanced PVC and Composite deck boards feature 100% engineered caps that lock in beauty — and lock out moisture and the elements.
Enjoy More Time Outside With Less Overall Maintenance
One of the greatest benefits of PVC and composite decking is its minimal maintenance. Traditional wood decks need extensive upkeep every 1 to 3 years and will need to be replaced every 10 to 15 years — a labor intensive and costly process. Wood decks also require regular cleaning and re-staining or -sealing to keep their color.
By comparison, TimberTech Advanced PVC and Composite deck boards are easy to maintain, saving you time, effort, and overall costs. A TimberTech deck never needs sanding, staining, or sealing to maintain its color or protect against weathering agents. To remove dirt, dust, or pollen, a TimberTech deck will only need spot treatment or cleaning with TimberTech® DeckCleaner™ and proper brush.
Choose a More Durable Option Than Wood
What Our Technology Means for You
A Protected Deck:
- Mold, mildew, and moisture invasion won’t be a concern thanks to protective capping and a proprietary material blend that resists moisture so mold and mildew can’t grow.
- This also means that Advanced PVC deck boards (made with 0% organic material) won’t rot and fade like traditional wood decks – a big benefit of PVC decking compared to wood and even other composite decking.
Select the best with TimberTech Advanced PVC: Made with the most advanced materials technology for the highest grade of protection, durability, and design.
Capture All the Beauty Of Real Wood — But Nix the Drawbacks
A concern you may have with using PVC or composite deck boards is the possibility of a plastic or fake look or feel.
Not so with TimberTech Decking.
Designed with realistic grain patterns, authentic color blending, and nature-inspired hues, TimberTech Decking innovates beyond the plastic-y-looking deck material found in competing brands.
Realistic Grain Patterns
Embrace the textured look of real wood thanks to grain patterns ranging from classic cathedral to uniquely hand-scraped.
Authentic Color Blending
Enjoy the nuanced colors you associate with real wood with options including board-to-board color variation.
Nature-Inspired Hues
Each of our deck lines is inspired by nature, so you can trust your engineered deck captures all the colors you’d expect in the great outdoors.
Find Your Real Wood Look
Choose from a variety of realistic grain patterns and rich color options.
Enjoy High-Performance & Durable Decking
Wood decks require a lot of maintenance that can not only exhaust your energy, but also your finances. In as little as six months, the original luster of wood boards can fade due to exposure to UV rays, precipitation, and other weathering agents.
By contrast, TimberTech deck boards are designed to stay beautiful long after their original installation.
Engineered with incredible durability, TimberTech deck boards are built to look and stay beautiful year-round with minimal maintenance. Backed by competitive warranties, TimberTech decks resist weathering and protect against the durability-reducing culprit — moisture — so you can enjoy an inviting, color-rich deck that is beautiful for decades.
The Pain of Stain
Staining your deck might not sound like a huge project — but how about when you have to repeat the whole process every 1 to 3 years?
Add in the eventual need to replace your wood deck, and your deck can become a big headache.
TimberTech
After six months of outdoor weathering, TimberTech Advanced PVC samples (lower left and lower middle), and the TimberTech Composite sample (lower right), maintain an attractive appearance like their control samples (upper left, middle, and right).
Every TimberTech decking line is engineered to lock in color, defend against weathering, and stay looking and performing great for longer.
Traditional Wood
Six months of outdoor weathering can do a lot of damage to traditional wood. These samples (left to right: cedar, treated pine, and mahogany) are clearly faded from their original control samples (upper left, middle, and right) after being exposed to the elements.
Traditional wood decks — including pressure-treated wood — can fade, rot, or splinter over time. Even premium hardwoods like Ipe will be noticeably affected by the elements.
Beauty Backed By Competitive Warranties
We believe a deck should stand the test of time. And we back that up with industry leading warranties.
TimberTech Advanced PVC Decking: Backed by a Limited Lifetime Product Warranty and 50-Year Fade & Stain Limited Warranty.
TimberTech Composite Decking: Backed by 25- or 30-Year Product Fade & Stain Warranty, depending on the collection.
Claim Long-Term Value & Minimize Costs
The long-term benefits of PVC & composite decking often outweigh the cheaper cost of a traditional wood deck. Initially, the cost of a PVC or composite deck can be higher than a wood deck. However, once you factor in the costs for maintenance, re-staining, re-sealing, and repair on a wood deck, a composite deck can offer more long-term savings.
The takeaway: In a matter of years, a composite deck can pay for itself while you enjoy its sustained rich color and minimal maintenance.
Want More Cost Insight?
Browse real TimberTech Deck projects from across the country. See what was built in your area, what features were included, and what it actually cost.
Choose a More Sustainable Decking Product
For many years, a wood deck was the only choice if you wanted to design an outdoor getaway. However, this meant that millions of trees were lost to the production and maintenance of wood decks nationwide. Today, composite and PVC decks provide a sustainable, eco-friendly alternative that can be more sustainable than wood.
With TimberTech, you can enjoy a beautiful outdoor living space that both looks good and does good.
Sustainability Is at Our Core
TimberTech is dedicated to using recycled materials to make a lasting impact.
- We diverted approximately 2.6 billion pounds of waste and scrap from landfills since 2019.
- We have helped save over 4 million trees since 2001.
- We recycle up to 97% of the water in our facilities.
At TimberTech, we bring sustainable deck materials to life. We use up to 85% recycled materials in our Composite decking collections, and up to 65% recycled materials in our Advanced PVC decking collections.
How Recycled Decking Material Benefits You
- Gives you high-value, low-maintenance solutions – Our products require no sanding, staining, or sealing for protection. These maintenance activities are costly and can release potentially harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
- Delivers enduring beauty – Our decking boasts the nature-inspired colors and grain patterns of real wood, without the fading, staining, rotting, and weathering associated with traditional lumber.
- Helps helps protect the planet – Choosing boards made from recycled material means you refrain from contributing to harmful deforestation and instead support a more sustainable future.
Build Your Next Deck With TimberTech
There are many benefits to choosing PVC or composite decking for your next home build. TimberTech Decking pays for itself with minimal maintenance, lasting durability, and sustainable impacts. Experience our color-rich boards and find the right grain pattern for your home when you order free samples and connect with a contractor to bring your yard to life.
Order Free Samples
Compare colors, finishes, and materials, and see the real wood aesthetics of TimberTech Decking in your outdoor space.
