Homeowners in Omaha, NE, always look for durable and attractive alternatives to Trex decking. While Trex is still a leading composite manufacturer, many other composite decking brands have gained popularity lately.
We’ve tried several other products, and we can say for sure that the top players in this industry are still the best, but you’ll see for yourself below.
This article guides you through five of the best composite decking options on the market in 2024. Let’s begin!
Top 5 Trex Alternatives for Decking
TimberTech
TimberTech stands out as a robust contender in the world of composite decking. Its high-quality composite decking is designed to mimic the natural beauty of wood but without the demanding maintenance that traditional lumber requires.
Homeowners seeking eco-friendly decking options will appreciate TimberTech’s commitment to sustainability; their products consist of up to 80% recycled materials.
TimberTech boards are engineered for durability and resistance against the elements, like increased sun resistance to ensure your deck maintains its color and finish.
Main differences between TimberTech and Trex:
- TimberTech is a little more expensive.
- TimberTech has a longer warranty period.
- TimberTech boards are capped on all 4 sides, compared to Trex capping just 3 sides.
- TimberTech also offers PVC decking in their AZEK line.
- TimberTech has the best collection of realistic-looking boards.
Cali Bamboo
Cali Bamboo stands out as a noteworthy Trex alternative, especially for homeowners looking for eco-friendly decking.
Their composite boards are made primarily from recycled materials and bamboo fibers, which contribute to their durability and resistance to the elements.
Cali Bamboo offers the same benefits as TimberTech and Trex composite boards but on a lower scale.
Main differences between Cali Bamboo and Trex:
- Cali Bamboo has a smaller selection of styles and colors.
- Cali Bamboo is not as accessible as Trex.
DuraLife
This composite decking stands out with its proprietary polypropylene and hardwood fibers blend, ensuring a longer lifespan than many conventional composite options. It’s a high-quality composite decking engineered for resistance against fading, staining, and damage caused by moisture or insects.
DuraLife decks feature a unique co-extruded layer that guards against everyday accidents and sun exposure. Unlike some alternatives, the surfaces come with a non-repeating grain pattern that mimics real wood’s appearance.
DuraLife products are made from up to 90% recycled content, aligning with environmentally friendly homeowners while still providing lasting value for their homes.
DuraLife decking comes with CoolTrac, a feature to keep the decking cool when you work under the summer sun.
Main differences between DuraLife and Trex:
- DuraLife is more expensive than Trex.
- DuraLife has a smaller selection of styles and colors.
- DuraLife is not as accessible.
CertainTeed
With an emphasis on sustainability, CertainTeed’s decking is designed to resist fading and staining, ensuring your deck looks as good as new for years to come.
Featuring a variety of textured surfaces, the decking materials from CertainTeed provide not just aesthetic appeal but also enhanced safety with better traction underfoot.
The CertainTeed EverNew Vinyl Decking is one of this brand’s best sellers when it comes to decking materials. However, vinyl decking is not the same as composite, which is a mix of natural wood and plastic. This means the EverNew Vinyl won’t ever look like natural wood.
Main differences between CertainTeed and Trex:
- CertainTeed decking doesn’t look like natural wood.
- Vinyl decking is not as durable and strong as composite.
- Vinyl is not as eco-friendly as composite.
- Trex has better life-time value compared to CertainTeed’s vinyl decks.
Envision
Envision’s textured surfaces for decking bring an authentic wood grain feel to your outdoor living space while maintaining composite materials’ durability and low maintenance benefits.
This composite decking brand provides homeowners with a diverse palette of rich colors designed to resist fading and sun damage, ensuring your deck looks vibrant year after year.
Envision’s high-quality composite decking is engineered to withstand heavy foot traffic and extreme weather conditions without splintering or warping, all while being made of recycled materials.
Envision offers synthetic decking that merges beauty, performance, and conscious living seamlessly into one product line.
Main differences between Envision and Trex:
- Envision has 17 rich colours vs Trex’s 24 standard ones.
- Envision is denser and manufactured by compression rather than Trex extruded decking.
- Trex backs its decking with a more comprehensive warranty than Envision.
- Envision is also more expensive than Trex.
How to Choose the Best Trex Alternative for Your Deck
Price
Homeowners must align their budget with the initial cost, installation expenses, and long-term ownership considerations.
While lower-priced options may seem economical initially, they can lead to higher maintenance costs and shorter lifespans.
Higher-priced brands often offer superior quality, extended warranties, and advanced features, reflecting a commitment to durability and customer satisfaction. Investing in a higher-priced composite decking brand can contribute to a more resilient, low-maintenance, and aesthetically pleasing outdoor space.
We’ve tested this already. No other composite decking brand compares to the durability, resistance, and looks of TimberTech decking, which also happens to be the most expensive composite decking on the market.
Durability And Maintenance
Choosing a decking material that stands up to the test of time means less hassle for you down the road. If you want nothing to do with staining, sealing, and repairs, look for options like high-quality composite decking or even PVC decking.
Durable substrate materials can resist weather, wear and tear, and even pests—that’s fewer repairs and replacements for you.
While all composite materials are more resistant, durable, and require less maintenance than wood, there are some better than others. Again, TimberTech’s approach of capping all 4 sides of the board gives this brand superiority.
Warranties
When you’re promised low maintenance and no repairs, you expect this promise to be backed with a nice warranty.
Most composite manufacturers offer a 25-year staining and fading warranty, but there is one brand that takes this warranty even further.
TimberTech offers 25 years of warranty for their railings, between 25 and 30 for their composite decking, and a 50-year and lifetime warranty for their PVC decking lines.
Conclusion
So, what’s your winner?
Honestly, we can’t find any reason why you wouldn’t go with Trex or TimberTech for your new decking project in Omaha or anywhere else in the US.
While these Trex alternatives are still great, none of them match the warranty, price, quality, resistance, options, and accessibility of Trex and TimberTech composite decks.
If you need more information about other composite brands or if you’re ready to start your new deck with a quality brand, give us a ring at (402) 369-5724, and we’ll be more than happy to help out.
Also, check out our deck building offer for homeowners in Omaha, NE!