PVC Decking Reviews

Ryan Matthews

PVC Decking Reviews

Welcome to PVC decking reviews where you can find the newer PVC composite decking materials used by most of the manufacturers today.

PVC is an interesting option for homeowners when they don’t like maintaining the wooden decks and are not sold enough on composite lumber.

In this guide, we are going to discuss what things make the deck board unique, why people like and don’t like using the PVC decking, the PVC Vs Composite Decking, how to choose the perfect PVC decking, the prices and the top brands.

This review is more than just a review. In this post, all the points are explained and described in details in each sections.

So let’s start having read on each of the review sections below and get a complete understanding about PVC decking reviews.

PVC Decking Pros and Cons

In explaining a product, there will always be advantages and disadvantages to use any type of building materials.

Later, let’s have a look at PVC decking pros and cons to ensure you whether you insist on purchasing this decking materials or not.

PVC Decking Pros

PVC planks can be a great options if you are looking for a deck style with a low maintenance.

In this case, the high quality of PVC decking, the less it is prone to fading compared to the other types of decking. Take a note, you will not generally care about scratches or stains.

Mold, rot or insects that are likely to chomp through the natural wood will not be a great issue on PVC decking material.

You just need what is called by seasonal maintenance to keep the decking well. This way, you need only to wash the deck off without the need to sand or stain the deck again.

PVC Decking Cons

Some people like using PVC decking materials while some others do not.

Why don’t they prefer this decking material?

One of the biggest downsides of PVC decking is the fact that some of the decking materials look unrealistic, for example, Cedar plank.

Further, PVC decking is not available for DIY options compared to the other decking materials. So, getting it installed by a pro is costly.

What’s more?

Well, a low quality of PVC decking materials can fade. One of the examples is the composite boards. In addition, PVC decking can be more expensive if you need to keep expansion and contraction in mind, too.

Read Also: Genovations Decking Reviews

PVC Vs Composite Decking

Later on our PVC decking reviews, we are going to take PVC Vs. Composite decking into the discussion. Believe it or not, comparing traditional wood decking to PVC planks is like comparing apples to oranges.

That’s why we are going to compare them since these styles are the most closely associated one to another.

One of the major differences between PVC and Composite decking is the way they are created. PVC decking boards are 100% synthetic while the composite boards are the mix of plastic and wood.

In this case, there are many high-quality PVC decking boards are also made from a high amount of recycled stuff so that they are recyclable.

On its drawback, PVC decking will get warmer in the summertime than the composite boards.

However, PVC decking comes with the scratch and stain resistance while the composite boards can be highly resistant to scratch and stain if they are capped.

However, composite boards are heavier and more structurally sound.

In pricing, everything depends on the brand and style. The capped composite decking comes with the price tag that goes beyond a premium PVC planks.

Alternatively, most of the mid-range and premium PVC decking will cost higher than the uncapped composite deck boards in the similar class.

So, does this means that PVC decking cost is higher than the composite boards?

The answer is depending on the brand and styles.

How To Choose The Perfect PVC Decking

Did you believe that choosing the perfect PVC decking is easier than just saying it?

In fact, PVC decking is not as popular as lumber or composite decking. Thus, it can be a bit harder to find the decking boards at times. This means that there is only limited selection available on online stores.

So here are a few tips to help you find the PVC decking by narrowing the field:

Look at The Types of PVC Decking

To narrow your field, the first thing to do is to look at the types of PVC decking. In this case, PVC decking comes with a very few different forms. If you want to find PVC, you must deal with capped and uncapped decking.

Simply put, capped PVC boards come with an extra layer of protection. This may require some additional cost yet it includes a longer warranty period.

By comparison, the uncapped PVC boards is structurally durable but offering an extra layer on top without requiring additional cost. In the other words, uncapped PVC boards are cheaper.

Look at The Styles of PVC Decking

To help you choose the perfect PVC decking, you had better look at the styles, too.

In this case, the planks are put into the collections so you can find it like you find hardwood and other flooring products. It is very uncommon that the boards are grouped into series by name after cities or seasons.

So, one thing to do is to look over the grain pattern and see how much it repeats from board-to-boards.

There will be no problem if you want to find PVC decking by color despite the fact that the overall selections are not as huge as the composite decking.

Further, it is critical to learn that you had better choose the right shade of PVC decking because you cannot change the color options.

If you want more realistic looks PVC decking, you can head to search more color variegation along with the high-end lines.

Look over The Profiles and Sizes

In this PVC decking reviews, we also suggest you to look over the profiles and sizes if you want to choose the right PVC decking.

In this case, there are only limited options of profiles in PVC decking. A profile of the most expensive boards is available in two styles; the grooved and the square edge profiles.

There are three Links that the deck boards usually sells. Those are 12, 16 and 20-foot boards. Based on the researches, 90% of decking companies go on those standards.

Nowadays, there are a few companies that sell 10 and 14 foot boards while 20-feet seems limited for residential use.

Consider The Green Factor

The next tip to help you find the right PVC decking is to consider the green factor. In relation to eco-friendly factor, it is little tricky to compare PVC decking to the other decking forms.

This way, hardwood or natural wood is organic. In some cases, this makes the sustainability a problem. With PVC decking, the boards are 100% plastic.

If you are wondering how the company cut the trees?

No worry!

Don’t take how tree are cut into a big thing. The only thing you need to know relating the green factor is that the boards are recyclable. Most of the brands that product PVC decking use recycled materials today.

PVC Decking Price

As we mentioned, PVC decking is more expensive that the natural wood or composite counterparts. However, pricing always depends on the quality, brand and style. Look at the table below:

BrandCollection or Color12 foot16 foot20 foot
Wolf DeckingSerenity$36-45$48-59$60-73
TimberTech AzekHarvest$60.00$80.00$100.00
ZuriChestnut$70-90$80-100$100 – 120

Read Also: DuraLife Decking Reviews

The Best PVC Decking Brands

With PVC decking, there aren’t many brands to choose from. Based on our PVC decking reviews, here are just a few companies that come with the multiple collections or styles of PVC decking.

Azek

Azek decking can be found under the TimberTech banner. It is one of the most popular names in the decking industries.

There is one larger collection of PVC deck lines available along with the vintage, arbor collections and harvest.

Colors and grain patterns are available in a wide variety across their collections. It includes the boards with infinite grain patterns, straight and cathedral wood grain patterns.

Azeks is featuring monochromatic and variegated colors. However, there are various finishing techniques texturing their premium lines.

VEKAdeck

VEKAdeck is regarded as an interesting option when you want to look for decking for your boat or just for your small patio outdoor.

In this case, the company’s deck boards are offering an expansion and contraction rate which are less than 0.05%. This makes the installer use end-to-end butt joints using the lightweight cellular extruded boards.

Fortunately, VEKAdeck is recyclable, fire resistance and coming with an embossed of wood grain pattern. There are 10 colors provided by the company in the collections.

Wolf Decking

Wolf decking consists of two types of PVC decking which are available with the boards for your deck.

The Wolf Serenity collection is designed with the feature of capped PVC decking in more than a dozen colors within the lines. These PVC deck boards comes with a feature of ColorWatch 100 technology to prevent fading.

They are also fully reversible. This way, both of the collections are completed with a 50-year stain and fade warranty.

Zuri

In our PVC decking reviews, Zuri is just the same top brand of PVC decking in the list. Zuri has considerably harder surface due to the cellular composite PVC decking.

There isn’t the largest selection provided by the company since there are only two styles and a few natural tones. However, Zuri is resilient and stain and fade resistant.

Looking for A Qualified Installer for PVC Decking

Unfortunately, if you want to install PVC vinyl decking or PVC wood decking, there is no local installer found.

This is based on the readers’ complaint toward the company. As a solution, an online free estimate tool is developed to help you find the installer in 24 hours.

FAQs

Can PVC decking get damaged because of the sharp pet claws?

That should not be a problem since PVC decking is able to handle even the largest dogs.

How long will the PVC decking last on average?

Different manufacturers come with the different timespans for specific products. On average, 20 years is about the lifespan of the products.

Can I plank a PVC deck?

Yes, but make sure you check on the manufacturer’s installation specifications.

Ryan Matthews
I'm a decking enthusiast who loves nothing more than spending time outdoors surrounded by nature. A well-designed deck can transform any backyard into a private oasis. I enjoy designing and building decks that are both functional and beautiful.