One of the appeals of composite Decking is that it will last a long time with minimal maintenance. Assuring you made the best investment by choosing the best composite decking is its warranty. The more extended and comprehensive the warranty, the better, right?
But not all composite decking warranties are the same. Different composite manufacturers offer different warranties, structural, stain & fade and labor warranties.
So which composite Decking has the best warranty?
We have found the best composite decking warranties to be Azek, Fiberon, Deckorators MBC and Moistureshield. We will dig in to the comparisons for 11 common decking brand warranties.
Deckorators
| Structural: | Mineral Based-50 Years Wood based-25 Years |
| Stain & Fade: | 25 Years |
| Replacement/ Labor: | 25 Years- This is Industry Leading |
AZEK
| Structural: | Lifetime Limited |
| Stain & Fade: | 50 Years |
| Replacement/ Labor: | The Warranty period depends on the level of registered TimberTech contractor as well as the Product System purchased to vary 2-7 Years. |
TimberTech
| Structural: | Timbertech Pro Collection- 30 Year Limited Timbertech Prime + Collection- 25 Year Limited |
| Stain & Fade: | Timbertech Pro Collection- 30 Year Limited Timbertech Prime + Collection- 25 Year Limited |
| Replacement/ Labor: | The Warranty period depends on the level of registered TimberTech contractor as well as the Product System purchased to vary 2-7 Years. |
Trex
| Structural: | 25 Years |
| Stain & Fade: | 25 Years |
| Replacement/ Labor: | Labor warranty is on trained installers. The warranty length varies 1-10 Years depending on contractor level and if Trex decking was installed with Trex Railing or not. |
Fiberon
| Structural: | Promendade- Lifetime Paramount- Lifetime Concordia-50 years Sanctuary-40 years GoodLife Escapes- 30 years GoodLife Weekender- 25 years |
| Stain & Fade: | Promendade- 50 Years Paramount- 50 Years Concordia-50 years Sanctuary-40 years GoodLife Escapes- 30 years GoodLife Weekender- 25 years |
| Replacement/ Labor: | 5 Years |
Zuri
| Structural: | 25 Years |
| Stain & Fade: | Stain- None Fade- 25 Years |
| Replacement/ Labor: | 2 Years |
MoistureShield
| Structural: | 50 Years |
| Stain & Fade: | Vantage- None Elevate – 30 Years Meridian- 40 Years Vision- 50 Years |
| Replacement/ Labor: | 2-5 Years based on Contractor Level |
Envision
| Structural: | 25 Years |
| Stain & Fade: | 25 Years |
| Replacement/ Labor: | 5 Years |
Cali Bamboo
| Structural: | 25Years |
| Stain & Fade: | 25 Years |
| Replacement/ Labor: | None |
LumberRock
| Structural: | 50 Years |
| Stain & Fade: | None |
| Replacement/ Labor: | None |
Duralife
| Structural: | 25 Years |
| Stain & Fade: | 25 Years |
| Replacement/ Labor: | 2 Years |
Ultra Deck(Menards)
| Structural: | Inspire- 25 Years Fusion- 25 Years Triumph- 25 Years Rustic- 10 Years Quick Cap- 10 Years Natural-10 Years |
| Stain & Fade: | None |
| Replacement/ Labor: | None |
LumberRock
| Structural: | 50 Years |
| Stain & Fade: | 50 Years |
| Replacement/ Labor: | 2-5 Years |
Important FINE PRINT OF Exclusions and Limitations in Composite Decking Warranties
“Acts of God” is the obvious exclusion that is included in almost every warranty.
But every composite decking warranty will have some fine print which is important to look for such as:
- Low-E windows
- Suntan lotion
- Cleaning Supplies
- Food Spills
- Installation Specifications
These have all been known to damage the surface of composite decking and are often excluded from the warranty.
Staining limitations
Most manufacturers have limitations on what products may stain the Decking and will not be warrantied. You will find that they give a time allowance for cleanup to avoid damaging the decking or voiding the warranty.
Fading limitations
Composite decking typically will slightly fade with in the first few months and then remain the same. Most warranties specify color changes that are equal to or less than 5 Delta E (CIE) are not covered by most fade warranties or Trex less than 15 Delta E.
Labor Warranty with Composite Decking
Some manufacturer’s warranty only covers the product and the product only. There are however a decent amount of manufacturers that include labor or remove and replacement warranties with guidelines.
Most labor warranty is conditional on trained installers. The warranty length varies by brand and installer’s experience level and the proper installation. In the fine print of warranties, you may find that if it isn’t a certified installer whom installed the decking any warranty to be null and void as well if the installation wasn’t installed to manufacture specifications.
What decking is right for you?
So as you see, all the warranties are variable. What dictates which warranty is the best? Is stain & fade most important or is replacement/labor warranty most important?
