Deckorators Mineral Based Composite vs TimberTech Azek PVC Decking

Comparing Deckorators Mineral Based Composite with TimberTech Azek PVC Decking

When comparing Deckorators decking boards with TimberTech Azek there are 5 key characteristics to consider.

  • Appearance
  • Slip Resistance
  • Price
  • Warranty
  • Durability

How do Deckorators and TimberTech Azek decking compare?

TimberTech Azek, compared to Deckorators mineral-based composite offers more colours along with features creating better-looking decking with a longer warranty. The advantage of Deckorators (MBC) is slip resistance and price.

But we will need to go a little further into this before concluding which composite decking is right for you.

Comparing how much they differ from each other.

If it’s not a clear-cut answer. What are my reasons for considering one better than the other? To see if you agree with my conclusion, could they be understood differently? Or does my reason not matter for your deck?

A good example is appearance.

I have my reasons why I think TimberTech Azek is going to look better on your deck, but you may not share my values of what make a deck board look good.

So let’s get into it, starting with where TimberTech Azek is better than Deckorators.

How is TimberTech Azek Better than Deckorators Decking?

Of these 5 key performance matrices for evaluating decking, TimberTech Azek is better than Deckorators for.

  • Appearance
  • Warranty

Deckorators VS TimberTech Azek for Appearance

Many things go into what makes a good-looking deck board.

But let’s simply start with colour.

TimberTech Azek Colours

TimberTech Azek 3 lines, with 11 colours.

The Vintage Collection® (PVC)

  • Coastline®
  • Dark Hickory
  • English Walnut®
  • Mahogany
  • Weathered Teak®

Wire-brushed finishes with a high blending of colours.

The Landmark Collection™ (PVC)

  • Castle Gate™
  • American Walnut®
  • French White Oak

The look of reclaimed wood with cathedral wood grains. A wide spectrum of colours on each board.

The Harvest Collection® (PVC)

  • Slate Gray
  • Brownstone
  • Kona®

Cathedral wood grain patterns

Deckorators (MBC) Colours

Deckorators (MBC) has 2 lines, with 8 colours.

Voyage (MBC) Decking (6)

  • Sedona
  • Sierra
  • Tundra
  • Costa
  • Mesa
  • Khaya

Look and feel of traditional wood decking without significant wood grain patterns. But with more dark streaking to enhance the depth of the decking colour.

Vault (MBC) Decking (2)

  • Dusk
  • Mesquite

Vault has a more traditional cathedral grain look.

They also have a Dark Slate Picture Frame board 21’ long. Handi for trimming out your deck and hiding the end cuts of your decking. Not to mention the dark colour pops with contrast with the other deck boards.

But because of its single design use, we did not include it with Deckorators (MBC) colour options.

Well, this is a little more subjective and depends on what you are looking for in a deck board.

  • Wire-Brushed vs Cathedral Wood Grains
  • Hair Texture vs Deep Grain Embossing
  • Variation vs Consistent Colouring
  • Streaking over Solid Colour

Now both Azek and Deckorators include all of the above in their decking boards.

The difference is the degree and style of each between brands.

This is where often comparing samples or seeing built decks will help you better decide which is better.

Characteristics like cathedral wood grains. It may be best evaluated with a full deck. I remember completing a Fiberon (Goodlife) deck with cathedral wood grains. Individual samples you couldn’t see it.

But with the whole deck.

Cathedral beside cathedral beside cathedral.

And immediately, it became clear it was too much. No repeat boards would have been good things.

Decking Options

If you are into a variety of deck boards. Both Azek and Deckorators are good options.

Vintage Width Options

  • 3.5″
  • 5.5″
  • 7.25″

Harvest Width Options

  • 5.5″
  • 7.25

Voyage Decking Width Options

  • 3.5″
  • 5.5″
  • 7.25″
  • 9.25″

Deckorators Voyage has the greatest breadths of sizes, but Vintage is not far behind.

Combined with Deckorators minimal expansion and contraction leaves you open to many possibilities for decking patterns and designs.

If it comes down to colour option for decking, Azek gets the win with 3 more than Deckorators (MBC) for a total of 11.

But if you are looking for additional creativity in decking patterns and those subtle enhancements. Deckorators may be calling you.

Deckorators VS TimberTech Azek for Warranty

None have the best decking warranty in the market, but Azek is close.

With the lengths of its warranties.

  • Deckorators 25 years fade & stain, 50 years structural
  • Azek PVC 50 years, fade, stain & structural

Matching in length for structural but Deckorators has a much shorter fade and stain warranty. Opens in a new tab.

Prorating

The amount of payout is also better with Azek’s warranty. It’s prorated with 100% replacement for the first 10 years.

Compared to only 6 years with Deckorators.

And then the difference only increases.

Azek, at 22 years, will still pay 70% of the cost of the decking. Deckorators is down to 10%. And in a few years will be 0.

Deckorarators’ one redeeming factor in their warranty is labour.

Labour Warranty

Once unheard of but now many of the big composite decking brandsOpens in a new tab. include some version of labour in their warranty.

Deckorators include a 25-year labour warranty. Yes, it’s pro-rated also, but at 10 years, they will cover 80% of the labour cost to replace the failed boards. The first 6 is 100%

Labour is a huge part of the cost of building a deck. Making this super valuable.

Azek’s labour warranty is much more limited.

For starts, it is only valid for Azek-approved installers.

Where Deckorators includes anyone, including homeowners.

Then the length of the warranty is determined by the company’s volume of Azek decking installed.

On the low end, it’s 2 years increases up to 7.

And to get 7 years, you must include railing from TimberTech. Otherwise, it max out at 5 years.

Making Deckorators the better labour warranty. Longer and fuller coverage.

This one may become a toss-up.

The first 5 years, if you hire an established deck contractor, are the same.

If not, Deckorators is better.

Between 6 and 18 years, it’s close with a slight edge for Deckorators.

After that, it’s Azek all the way.

So if you don’t plan to enjoy your deck for a long time or believe the warranty claims will be earlier on. Both Deckorators and Azek warranties will serve you well.

If this is your “forever deck” and you plan to enjoy it for more than 18 years.

Azek has a better warranty.

How is Deckorators Better than TimberTech Azek Decking?

There are a couple of things that Deckorators mineral-based composite decking is better than TimberTech Azek PVC board.

  • Slip Resistance
  • Price

Let’s start with safety and then compare money.

Deckorators VS TimberTech Azek for Slip Resistance

If you are constantly afraid of slipping, it hard to relax and enjoy being out on your deck.

Traction, often called slip resistance for deckingOpens in a new tab., is a key element that will allow you to enjoy being out on your deck.

Rain or shine.

This is why it’s good to compare decking slip resistance when both dry and wet. With an eye on wet because that is when you are most likely to slip.

 DryWet
Deckorators (MBC) 0.73-0.74 0.66-0.69
 Azek Vintage (PVC) 0.74 0.61
Azek Harvest (PVC)0.280.59
Slip Resistance

Deckorators (MBC) easily outperform Harvest from Azek. Surprisingly even when it’s dry.

Vintage and Deckorators are much closer. So close that I would doubt you could feel the difference.

So either one will keep you on your feet.

But if we need to pick a winner. The numbers put Deckorators on top.

Deckorators VS TimberTech Azek Price

 We all have budgets to live within, even when designing our dream outdoor oasis.

The cost of the decking plays into what we can enjoy and what is out of our reach.

Lineal Price
Deckorators Vault (MBC)$5-5.50
Deckorators Voyage (MBC)$6-6.50
Azek Harvest$6-6.50
Azek Landmark$7-8.00
Azek Vintage$8-9.00
Decking Cost Per Foot

If you want to spend less on your deck, Deckorators is better than TimberTech Azek.

There is a spectrum between boards.

In fact, Azeks’ Harvest is tied with Voyage for cost.

But do keep in mind that Voyage is Deckorators BEST.

Harvest is Azek’s lowest.

Comparing the best, Azek Vintage and Deckorators Voyage.

A 12′ X 12′ deck with Voyage will cost $2 028.

Compared to the same 26 boards with Vintage decking, costing $2 808.

Almost $800 difference.

There are other things to consider when buying decking. But if it’s about price, Deckorators is the better choice.

Deckorators VS TimberTech Azek for Durability

Beyond price but often associated with it is durability.

How long will the decking last?

Here we are going to look outside of the warranty. Focussing on what the decking is made of and its advantages.

What is Deckorators (MBC) Made Of?

Decorators (MBC), like the name, says it’s composed of minerals and virgin polypropylene. The addition of minerals gives it some key advantages.

  • 34% better traction
  • 35% lighter than traditional composites
  • Virtually no thermal expansion or contraction
  • Warrantied for installation in the ground or water
  • Nothing for mould and fungi to grow on

The minerals do make it harder to cut. You can still use standard woodworking tools, but it does not cut as easily and will need additional time to file the edges smooth.

But virtual no expansion and contraction as the temperature rises and falls, opening up possibilities for unique decking patterns and inserts. Designs that cannot be done with Clubhouse when allowing for expansion and contraction.

Plus, Deckorators can be installed near and in water and not void its warranty.

Deckorators is also slightly thinner (7/8″0) compared to Azek. Which measures a full 1″ thick.

For flame spread ratings Azek scoring Class A (25) in flame spread. Considerable better than Deckorators calss B (100). The lower the number, the slower the fire spreads.

What is TimberTech Azek Made Of?

Azek is not composite but a full polyvinyl chloride (PVC board) with no organic material to rot.

Deckorators (MBC) share this advantage. Azek containing no organic material makes it a plus near water or moist areas as mould and rot cannot develop with nothing to feed the fungi.

There are many advantages of PVC over composite deckingOpens in a new tab., but for Azek, here are the top 2 benefits.

  • Stays up to 30° cooler than competitive boards.*
  • Up to 40% better slip resistance than leading competitors.

PI should clarify these claims.

They are when Azek is compared to traditional wood-based composite deckingOpens in a new tab..

As we have just seen compared to mineral-based composite decking like Deckorators (MBC). The advantages disappear.

The one that does not disappear is the claim of “30° cooler”.

Azek is one of many that claim this advantage. This can be true in labs or trade shows under heat lamps.

Real-life experiences have not shown as dramatic results. A bigger factor is colour. Lighter colour boards like French White Oak will help more in reducing the temperature out on your deck.

That being said. Heat transfer which is harder to test but is relevant, is better with Azek.

Let me back up a little. The temperature on the surface of the board may be the same, but PVC holds less heat than wood-based composite decking. (I haven’t seen studies with mineral-based composite). So despite being the same temperature, it will burn your feet less when walking on your deck in the sun.

To be clear, “less.” Still, take precautions not to burn yourself. Especially on extremely hot days.

But having built PVC decking, I can tell you a simple cloud passing overhead will almost instantly cool down PVC decking. Compared to composite, which takes longer to cool down.