Best Decking From Consumer Reports' Tests
Our extensive tests expose aluminum, composite, and wood decking to extreme conditions, to see which ones hold up for the long haul
When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. 100% of the fees we collect are used to support our nonprofit mission. Learn more.
If youāre planning on building a deck this year, youāre bound to encounter some pretty harsh realities. Inflation, coupled with an unprecedented lumber shortage, has caused decking prices to skyrocket. One estimate from Homeserveāa home repair service that operates across the U.S. and in Canadaāreports that decking costs are up 66 percent since the start of 2021. A quick search at Loweās reveals a single 16-foot decking board in pressure-treated pine costs just under $26ānot far off from the $32 the store charges for a Trex Enhance board of the same size. Prior to the pandemic, even entry-level Trex wouldāve been at least double the cost of wood.
When youāre choosing between decking boards, know that pretty much any deck will look great when itās brand-new, but how materials hold up over time can vary considerably. A deck built with subpar materials will start showing its age in a year or two. Fast-forward a decade, and a wooden deck that was beautiful that first summer might have warped or cracked wooden boards. Even a composite deck might have a faded finish or a span that sags between joists.
Historically, most decks were made from wood, such as pressure-treated pine or cedar. But a proliferation of new materials, including aluminum, composites, and vinyl, offer compelling alternatives.
However, when it comes to picking a material, play the long game. Rather than making a choice based on short-term availability, consider performance, longevity, and maintenance.
How CR Tests Decking
For wood alternatives, we test individual product lines from brands such as Azek, Fiberon, and Trex.Ā With wood, we simply test by species (like yellow pine, cedar, and ipe). Wood of a particular species should perform similarly, regardless of where itās milled or sold.
In our Yonkers, N.Y., test facility, we use specialized instruments to test each decking sample for resistance to flexing, to ensure that boards wonāt bow or bend if youāre entertaining a crowd or if you park a heavy grill in one spot all summer long. Next, we size up which materials resist common stains, such as ketchup and mustard, and which offer some slip resistanceāextra-important if youāre installing a deck near a pool.
We also drop weights of various sizes on the surface of each board to see which samples dent on impact. And we send more than a dozen samples of each material to two areas with extreme climates: hot and dry Arizona, and Florida, where the humidity presents a different challenge to certain materials. We assess those samples yearly for three years, evaluating their appearance and retesting for all the attributes above, to see whether age and exposure to the elements affect overall performance.Ā Wood products are tested without a stain or sealer.
For a look at all the considerations, start with our decking buying guide. CR members can also jump right to our decking ratings or read on for the very best decking from our tests.Ā Unless otherwise noted, the prices below are per linear foot.