Now back to the initial question. Which brand should you choose?
First let us say that there are a number of other synthetic brands on the
market but based on our experience working with these boards and both
companies, we use these 2 brands almost exclusively. Both brands have
similarities in terms of the makeup and performance of their various boards.
One exception is that AZEK only utilizes PVC. TimberTech’s line
includes both traditional composite boards (see note below) as well as
a cap stock line. TimberTech previously had a solid PVC lined called XLM
which is now produced by AZEK.
Much comes down to aesthetic preference
All of the synthetic decking lines produce boards in a variety of colors.
In addition to a difference in color pallet, many synthetic companies
now provide additional design characteristics giving the boards streaks,
grooves and other design details to more closely mimic the look of genuine
wood. These vary by board so you will want to take your time evaluating
the aesthetic you prefer.
AZEK’s line currently has 3 different collections.
AZEK’s Vintage Collection is a PVC board capped with a PVC coating
providing additional fade and stain resistance. The boards in this collection
have a rustic scraped texture and come in rich deep colors such as the
medium brown “Cypress”, dark brown “Dark Hickory”
and the reddish brown “Mahogany”.
AZEK’s Arbor collection emulates the deep, rich and warm tones of
exotic Brazilian hardwoods. Brazilian hardwoods such as Ipe can be a compelling
higher end choice but the significant benefit (deep rich color) is soon
lost with exposure to the elements requiring a good bit of work to maintain
that look. In fact, with genuine exotic hardwoods, you may not be able
to maintain the depth of color and clarity of the unique exotic streaking
even with substantial efforts to do so. AZEK’s Arbor Collection
has marvelous streaking as well as deep rich coloring. This solid PVC
collection comes in quite a few colors including Acacia, Mountain Redwood,
Brazilian Walnut, Morado, Silver Oak and Hazelwood. Of these, Acacia (deep
rich brown) and Morado (rich but slightly lighter brown) are two of the
most popular colors in the entire AZEK line. You will want to take a look
at both when making your synthetic board selection.
AZEK Arbor Collection Redland Rose
AZEK Arbor Collection in Silver Oak
AZEK’s solid PVC Harvest Collection provides a softer shade pallet
including a chestnut colored “Brownstone”, a more reddish
medium brown “Autumn Chestnut”, two gray shades including
“Island Oak” and “Slate Gray” and one very deep
dark born “Kona”. Kona is also one of the tremendously popular
colors in AZEK’s collection.
If these options weren’t enough, now let’s take a look at TimberTech’s
collections.
TimberTech’s capped composite line also includes three collections.
TimberTech’s Legacy collection is a capped composite that emulates
interior hardwoods with a hand scraped texture and a color pallet that
resembles interior hardwoods. “Tigerwood” is arguably the
most popular color in the line. Tigerwood is a medium brown color. What’s
really special with this collection is the board-by-board shade variation
that mimics its Brazilian hardwood equivalent. The collection also includes
a richer brown “Mocha” and a lighter warm shade “Pecan”
that closely resembles that of the authentic pecan it emulates. For a
darker gray, the line also includes “Ashwood”.
TimberTech Earthwood Evolutions Legacy in Ashwood
TimberTech’s Tropical collection includes a few shades of brown including
“Caribbean Redwood”, “Antique Palm”, and “Antigua
Gold”. To offset this collection is a rich dark gray “Amazon
Mist”.
Finally, is TimberTech’s Terrain Collection. This collection has
an authentic graining design that also mimics natural hardwood. The colors
are the hues of the natural woods they emulate. These colors include “Brown
Oak”, “a darker “Rustic Elm”, and 3 lighter shades
“Silver Maple”, “Sandy Birch”, and “Stone
Ash”.
TimberTech Earthwood Evolutions Terrain in Sandy Birch
Should you use AZEK or should you use TimberTech?
The best way to make this decision is to do your research. The resource
above will give you some guidance into what you would like to explore
further. Both companies have tremendous websites where you can see images
of each of the shades. Only AZEK’s line includes solid PVC boards.
If you want the superior stain and scratch resistance of PVC, you will
want to start your search with AZEK.
Another great place to start is asking your Archadeck design consultant.
As you can imagine, we’ve built synthetic decks in the Chicago area
with numerous different collections and shades. We can guide you as to
what’s most popular and show you images of structures we’ve
built with the various boards. We also encourage you to visit the homes
of some of our references. There is nothing like seeing the materials
in use. Our goal is to thoughtfully lay out the options, features and
benefits to help you make the best decision for your deck.
For more pictures of synthetic decks, please visit our
Chicagoland Composite and Decks photo gallery
It all begins with a complimentary design consultation, so give us a call today at
(847) 250-4100 to get started.
