Azek versus TimberTech, which is the better composite decking?
Azek decking and TimberTech decking are becoming more and more common as the demand for low-maintenance decking increases. Homeowners are becoming more and more aware of the benefits of composite decking. Low-maintenance, color retention, durability and just beautiful looks are some of the many reasons that we are seeing a major market shift into the composite decking over the traditional wood decking. I often tell clients that I work with: “A wood deck is going to look the best the first day after the install is complete. After that it starts a slow, deterioration process. I’ve yet to see a wood deck that looks awesome 10 years later. It could look decent, but probably not great. With composite decks that is one of the biggest benefits that it’s a lot more stable. You can have a great looking deck 10 years later; all you have to do is clean it occasionally.”
Once you decide to invest in a low-maintenance composite deck the question becomes, which one is best?
Azek deck which used to be called Procell, has been around for about 20 years and TimberTech was formed in the ‘80’s. Both these companies have been around for a long time and have a had a large role in developing and refining the low-maintenance deck offerings of today.
What’s interesting is that in 2012 Azek Building products acquired TimberTech and they are now owned by the same parent company CPG International. For a while they kept these brands separate and brought them to market as TimberTech and Azek Deck.
Today, they are offered under the same umbrella. There are 3 product categories:
- TimberTech Azek (which used to be called Azek Deck)
- TimberTech Pro ( which is the traditional TimberTech line)
- TimberTech Edge (which is are new offering, a value line)
So, the question today would be, which is a better composite deck? TimberTech Azek or TimberTech Pro or TimberTech Edge. For this article I’m going to focus on TimberTech Azek versus TimberTech Pro, since that is generally what people mean by what’s better TimberTech or Azek?
TimberTech Azek, (Azek Deck) has the best warranty in the class, 50 years. Their claim to fame is that they do not use wood flour or wood fillers. It’s a Capped PVC material and it’s much lighter weight than traditional composites, which makes it nice to work with. They have three categories under this line which are: Vintage collection, Arbor collection, and the Harvest collection, each with a different price point.
TimberTech Pro, (TimberTech) has a 30 year warranty. This is a traditional wood flour capped composite board. Their cap goes on all 4 sides of the board. Under this line they also have three categories: Legacy collection, the Reserve collection, and the Terrain collection.
When deciding between Azek versus TimberTech it’s important to remember that they are made differently. So the fact that Azek is lighter will not mean much to you if you are not installing the deck yourself, or unless you are doing a rooftop deck. But because they are made differently, they will feel and look different. Azek has a unquie feel under your feet as well as a distinctive look. The sheen and grain pattern is different on the Azek board. Best way to compare is looking at samples side by side. I also recommend doing a scratch test with your keys on the samples to see how they respond. Azek claims that their boards are cooler in the sun. I would also test this is real life to see if the difference is noticeable to you. Again, lay the samples out in the full sun and step on them with your bare feet, do you feel a difference?
