Composite decking myths, checked against what owners actually report

Most of what people believe about composite decking is half right. Trex says its decking needs far less maintenance than wood⁶, and on a good frame a composite deck lasts a long time. The trouble starts when the qualifier gets dropped, and the owner finds out in the second winter that the shaded end has gone black. Each claim below is checked against the makers' own documents and against what owners write on ProductReview and Whirlpool.

Myth 1: you never have to do anything to it

The makers' own documents don't say this. Ekodeck's care guide for its capped Designer Series opens by saying it is not a self-cleaning product and will need periodic cleaning, especially under cover¹. NewTechWood says sweeping and cleaning are still necessary and recommends a monthly clean with water, mild detergent and a soft brush⁹. ModWood lists sugar soap and a yard broom as the routine⁵, and in a reply to one unhappy owner it says it does not claim its boards are free of upkeep¹⁰. The makers do say you won't need to oil or paint it⁹, and that is the work that eats a timber-deck owner's weekends.

Owners land on both sides. A Whirlpool member wrote in August 2024 that their Trex deck had never been cleaned, "not even a sweep or pressure wash", and was in the same condition as new¹⁷. It had been in full northern sun for five years. On the ModWood listing, an owner says the deck "turns green and extremely slippery every winter" even though he keeps it clean¹⁰. I'd put the difference down to sun and damp rather than luck. A deck in full sun dries out quickly, while a damp, shaded one holds the film of pollen and dirt that mould feeds on. Low-maintenance means a sweep when the leaves fall and a wash in spring, with more on the shaded end. The cleaning guide has the routine.

Myth 2: it never fades

Some of the marketing says it outright. Ekodeck's home page promises "no fading"². Its own Designer Series warranty, though, excludes the natural change of colour that comes with time and exposure⁴. NewTechWood is plainer and says no material is fade proof⁹. ModWood says its uncapped Natural Grain boards change colour mostly in the first couple of months⁵.

The cap helps. Trex brought in its capped boards partly to deal with the fade on its early uncapped ones⁶. The fade warranties are limits, not promises of no change. NewTechWood's is a colour-change limit measured in a lab unit⁹, and ModWood offers its fade warranty on its capped range⁵.

The reviews don't split neatly. One ModWood owner said a red timber-tone colour went to "a soft pink", and ModWood's reply points to the colour change of its uncapped range¹⁰. The change took three months. A retired builder on Whirlpool recalled in 2015 a big commercial Trex deck that had faded nearly to white¹⁸. Newer boards draw complaints too. A Perth owner on the Trex listing wrote in 2024 that the deck had "completely lightened" and greyed in areas¹². It was five years old. On the other side, an Ekodeck Classic owner compared the deck with stored offcuts and says the colour still matches¹⁴. It was about six years old. A Whirlpool member who put Millboard on a fully exposed deck in 2013 said it hadn't faded by the time the house was sold late in 2018¹⁸. The true claim is fade-resistant, with the caveat that a dirty deck looks faded before it is.

Myth 3: it doesn't get hot

It does, and the makers say so in writing. NewTechWood says its boards get hotter than timber in direct sun because of the plastic and compares them to concrete on a hot day⁹. Trex says the darker the colour, the hotter the deck feels⁶. ModWood says its darker colours can get quite hot underfoot, especially when new⁵.

Owners are blunter. One Ekodeck Designer Series owner wrote that sunny days make it "impossible to walk on with bare feet"¹⁵, and a Millboard owner says it gets extremely hot in direct sun through an Australian summer and wouldn't recommend it where there are pets or kids¹⁶. The fix is colour and shade, and the heat guide goes through the sample test to do before you order.

Myth 4: it can't scratch

Trex says it plainly: none of its product is scratch proof, and its ranges differ in how well they resist it⁶. NewTechWood lists skateboards, dragged furniture and stiletto heels as things that can scratch or chip its cap⁹. ModWood says its uncapped natural-grain boards can show scuffs when new, and that a little clear decking oil rubbed in makes them less visible⁵.

Some of the damage shows up straight after install. One Ekodeck Designer Series owner had "lots of scuff marks and scratches/ gouges just from install"¹⁵, while another on the same listing said a month in it did not seem to scratch easily¹⁵. A NewTechWood owner said the top layer scratches "so easily"¹³, and another warns that a scratch or dent can't be repaired, only replaced¹³. That is the real difference from timber. You cannot sand a capped board back, and NewTechWood says so in its own advice⁹. Uncapped boards are the exception: ModWood says heavy scratches on the brushed face of its uncapped boards can be sanded or wire-brushed out⁵. Pads under the chair legs are NewTechWood's own first line of defence.

Myth 5: all composite decking is the same

A capped board with a plastic shell and an uncapped board with wood fibre open at the surface behave like different products in rain, sun and grease. ModWood's notes on the two faces of its own uncapped board show how much the surface changes things. Hollow and solid boards differ again, which the hollow vs solid guide covers, and a PVC board has no wood in it at all. Within one brand the ranges differ too. Trex rates its own lines from one star to five on scratch resistance⁶. One ModWood owner who chose its capped range said it was "much better" for scratch marks than the maker's natural range¹¹. When a friend tells you composite was terrible, I'd ask which board and which year. The PVC vs composite guide sets out how the all-plastic boards differ.

Myth 6: it looks like plastic

Some does. A Whirlpool member who went with merbau in 2013 called the composite alternative "too fake" and plastic-looking¹⁹. A 2019 poster on the same site held two brands' samples side by side and said one looked grainy and faded next to the other²⁰. A member choosing boards in 2024 found the natural timber colours looked just like timber, and that the unusual colours were where they started to look like plastic¹⁷. On the other side, the Millboard owner who sold that house in 2018 would never put a timber deck in again. This one is taste, and I'd decide it with samples in your own backyard light, not online. Order several, lay them in the spot, and look at them at the time of day you will use the deck.

Myth 7: it's not green because it can't be recycled

That is two claims in one. On the inputs, the makers publish figures. Ekodeck's spec pages list the mix for each range: close to half reclaimed timber, with recycled polyethylene making up most of the plastic and some new plastic in its capped boards³. Trex says almost all of its composite board is recycled or reclaimed material, mostly plastic film and reclaimed wood⁸. ModWood describes its boards as made from recycled wood and plastic and makes them in Australia⁵.

On the end of life, the picture is thinner. Trex says it reprocesses its own factory scrap and is exploring ways to bring old decking back into production⁸, which is a maker saying the loop is not closed yet. Its Australian care guide says its boards go out with normal construction debris or household waste, and must not be burnt⁷. None of the makers' pages cited here describes a take-back scheme for used boards in Australia. So the fair statement is that composite diverts a lot of waste on the way in, and that the board at the end of its life is still a question.

Myth 8: it lasts forever

The warranties are long, and they are limited. Take Ekodeck's Designer Series warranty. For a home it runs 25 years, but mould is covered for only the first two, and the most it pays steps down over time⁴. It excludes colour change from weathering, staining from dirt and grease, and anything caused by movement of the frame under the deck. I'd read your own maker's terms for the same clauses. The lifespan and warranty guide goes through them in detail.

Owners who reach the far end of those terms report mixed results. On the Millboard listing, two long-term owners report wear. One says the surface pattern had "totally worn off" by year ten. Another says the deck is showing fibres after thirteen years, and that the company called it normal wear and tear¹⁶. On the Ekodeck Classic listing, an owner who installed the deck in 2013 says it is "still in excellent shape with some fading"¹⁴. The board is only half the deck, though. The frame underneath decides how long the whole thing lasts, and a long board warranty is no help on a frame that rots first. The problems and disadvantages guide covers the frame and the rest of the fine print.

What I'd take from all this

I'd buy composite for what it is: a deck you wash instead of oil, on a frame that should be built to outlast the boards. Choose a capped board for a shaded or stain-prone spot and a lighter colour for a sunny one. Keep the care guide and follow it, because the warranty is written around it. And when you hear any of the eight claims above without a qualifier, ask for the document. The warranties in this guide each run for a set term, and that term is the maker's own answer to the forever claim. If you are weighing boards now, the composite decking hub lists the Australian ranges and lets you filter them by cap.