Fiberon Vs Deckorators Composite Decking, All Lines and Types (Wood, Mineral & PVC)

From traction to the core to cap to colours to cost, there are lots of things to consider when choosing the perfect composite decking for your outdoor space. Deckorators and Fiberon are two of the main suppliers, so we’re comparing them to make your life easier. 

Deckorators offer two types of composite decking — wood-based and mineral-based. Fiberon, on the other hand, specializes in composite polyethylene (or PE) decking with recycled plastics and wood flour along with pure PolyVinyl Chloride (PVC).

Today, we are pitting both brands’ composite decking options against each other to see who comes out on top. 

Deckorators Vs. Fiberon Composite Decking — How We’ll Compare Them

We will compare Deckorators and Fiberon composite decking by analyzing seven factors to help you arrive at a final purchasing decision. The seven factors are as follows:

• Decking profiles
• Decking core
• Decking cap
• Number of decking colours
• Traction
• Cost
• Warranty

Decking Profiles

Deckorators Composite Decking

Score: 9/10

All Deckorators’ wood-based composite decking comes in the standard 5.5 inches wide profile, offering solid and grooved boards. With the hidden fasteners, the panels are a wonderfully convenient size. 

The lower-cost options are scalloped, while the entirely solid profiles are for the company’s more expensive line, Vista.

Vista and Trailhead are only ⅞ of an inch thick, meaning you’re somewhat limited on which boards you can purchase for borders. For instance, you won’t be able to mix the Tropics line with the Trailhead line.

Although Vista and Trailhead provide longer boards, ensuring you can build a bigger deck without using transition borders or butt joints. 

Here are the dimension options available with Deckorators’ wood-based composite decking board lines:

The mineral-based composite decking is their higher-end panel type, so you benefit from longer lengths for bigger decks. That said, both lines are just ⅞ of an inch thick. But grooved and solid profiles are available for all sizes. 

The Voyage line includes various board thicknesses, too, allowing you to play with deck designs like never before. Not to mention they have minimal expansion and contraction — the installation possibilities are simply endless. 

Here are the dimensions available with Deckorators’ mineral-based composite boards:

Fiberon Composite Decking

Score: 8/10

All of Fiberon’s decking lines are available with grooved and squared edges. The former are all 12, 16, and 20 feet long.

Here are the edges, profiles, and dimensions for each of Fiberon’s composite decking lines:

How They Compare

Both companies offer a brilliant selection of solid and scalloped profiles, thick deck boards, lengths, and square and grooved edges.

While it was quite hard to distinguish a winner for this first round, we have concluded that Deckorators reign supreme here.

Upon inspection, this brand appears to have a wider, more beneficial range of lengths and thicknesses than Fiberon. But again, it was an incredibly close race. 

Decking Core

Deckorators Composite Decking

Score: 9/10

When it comes to Deckorators’ wood-based composite decking, the company isn’t so forthright about its material blend or the content of recycled matter. The only divulged aspect is that it’s a mixture of low-density polyethylene and wood fibres — standard for the industry. 

Thankfully, they’re more upfront about their mineral-based panels. 

Unlike other mineral composites, these boards don’t contain any organic fibres like wood or bamboo. Therefore, there’s nothing inside that can rot or become mouldy. 

You don’t need to worry about expansion and contraction either, ensuring you can complete even the most daring exterior decking patterns.

Deckorators’ mineral-based composite boards also absorb less than 0.05% of water, making them safe for ground-touching constructions. And yes, they’re warranted for water and ground contact! 

On top of that, the decking has one of the industry’s highest weight-to-strength ratios.

Although, there is a disadvantage here. The mineral-based composites are less workable. While they can be cut and trimmed with general woodworking tools, they’ll likely clog up blades faster. And, the extra friction heat can bur the cap, necessitating increased aggression when filing to clean up the decking’s edges. 

Fiberon Composite Decking

Score: 10/10

Fiberon is particularly upfront and transparent about the material blend found in the composite decking.

All four of their lines — Concordia, Sanctuary, GoodLife, and ArmorGuard — are cored by a patented amalgamation of recycled plastic and wood fibre. Regardless of the specific line or collection, you decide to use. You can rest easy knowing it contains between 94% and 96% recycled materials.

To reduce the cost and per-board weight, the company’s budget lines (ArmorGuard and GoodLife) are scalloped. 

With such a high level of recycled content, Fiberon boasts one of the most environmentally friendly decking products available in the industry! That’s quite a claim to fame if you ask us. 

How They Compare

Deckorators’ mineral-based composite boards have very little water absorption and a brilliantly high weight-to-strength ratio. However, they aren’t as open about the core of the wood-based composite decking. 

Meanwhile, Fiberon boards contain up to 96% recycled materials, making them one of the world’s most environmentally friendly decking products. And for that reason, this company wins the category. 

Decking Cap

Deckorators Composite Decking

Score: 9/10

Deckorators’ wood-based composite decking is capped on three sides — the top and both sides, including the groove. However, the underneath is left unwrapped. 

As you can probably imagine, you won’t be able to spot the uncapped material on the deck. However, if your deck is raised and you’ve installed a patio underneath it, you will see the panels’ unfinished bottoms.

While that may seem off-putting, it isn’t an unpleasant sight. Just don’t expect the underside to look as polished as the top side of your deck. 

The mineral-based composite boards are capped in a similar way to their wood-based cousins. The top and edges are capped (including the grooves), meaning three sides are beautifully finished. 

Fiberon Composite Decking

Score: 10/10

The Fiberon decking cap is one of the company’s main composite decking features. It is a PermaTech cap. Sanctuary, ArmorGuard, and GoodLife are capped on three sides, while Concordia boasts caps on all four sides. 

Since the latter’s cap is finished on both sides, Concordia’s panels are reversible. So, if one side of the board is damaged, you can easily flip it over to ensure the undamaged side faces up. 

How They Compare

Both companies offer composite decking with three sides capped — the top and two edges — for a finished appearance.

However, Fiberon goes above and beyond with its Concordia line by capping all four sides. That way, you won’t have to worry about damage to one side of the board; you can simply flip it over to hide any imperfections. 

For the above reason, Fiberon pips Deckorators to the post in this category. 

Number of Decking Colors

Deckorators Composite Decking

Score: 8/10

Deckorators composite decking comes in 20 colours split across two types of composites (wood-based and mineral-based) and seven lines. 

Wood-Based Composite Decking Colors

The wood-plastic composite deck board comes in five lines with 12 different colours between them, as you’ll see below. 

Vista Decking

• Driftwood
• Silverwood
• Ironwood
• Dunewood

Venture Decking

• Saltwater
• Sandbar

Trailhead Decking

• Ridgeline
• Pathway
• Canyon

Tropics Decking

• Tidal Gray
• Hana Brown

The last line is Distressed Decking. Unlike the others, it only comes in one colour (Cherrywood).

Mineral-Based Composite Decking Colors

Deckorators have created two lines of the mineral-based composite decking, boasting eight colours between them. 

Voyage Decking

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

Vault Decking

• Dusk
• Mesquite

Fiberon Composite Decking

Score: 9/10

Fiberon’s composite polyethylene decking comes in 22 colours split across four lines — Concordia, Sanctuary, Good Life, and ArmorGuard.

Concordia

Fiberon splits its Concordia line into two collections, which fit a casual look with subtle grain patterns and zero repeats. 

The first is the Horizon Collection which emulates exotic hardwoods in the following colours:

• Tudor Brown
• Rosewood
• Castle Gray
• Ipe

The second is the Symmetry Collection, boasting a low-gloss formula and a wholly unique texture. It also has four colours, specifically:

• Graphite
• Burnt Umber
• Warm Sienna
• Cinnabar

Sanctuary

The Sanctuary line is bold, with each panel featuring multi-tonal colours and bespoke embossing. It includes these five colours:

• Moringa
• Latte
• Earl Grey
• Chai
• Espresso

Good Life

Like Concordia, there are two collections in the Good Life line. 

The Weekender Collection features solid colours with darker grains for people who prefer a traditional deck look. However, there are only two colours to pick from — Cabin and Cottage. 

The Escapes Collection gives you more colour choices, as per the following:

• Cabana
• Tuscan Villa
• Bungalow
• Beach House

ArmorGuard

This eco-friendly line provides the warmth of natural wood without the time-consuming or costly maintenance.

It comes in three colours:

• Sandcastle
• Brazilian Walnut
• Nantucket Gray

How They Compare

Neither Deckorators nor Fiberon offers composite decking in “out there” colours. Each brand sticks to run-of-the-mill (but still beautiful) tones, taking inspiration from exotic hardwoods and grayscale exterior trends.

That said, Fiberon wins this category for two reasons. 

Firstly, you get two more colour options when you choose Fiberon over Deckorators. They have 22 hues over Deckorators’ 20. 

Secondly, all of Fiberon’s lines have more than two colours to pick from, whereas some of Deckorators’ lines don’t have many hue or tone options. 

Traction

Deckorators Composite Decking

Score: 10/10

Naturally, not slipping on your deck (whatever the weather) is important. Luckily, both Deckorators’ wood- and mineral-based boards have solid traction rates. 

The wood-based composite decking has a 0.5+ dry traction rating and a slightly lower rating for wet conditions, between 0.46 and 0.48. Truthfully, the latter is a pretty good rating for composite decking, as many fail to get over 0.5 even when the boards are dry!

But that’s nothing compared to the excellent traction rates shown by their mineral-based composite boards. The mineral-based boards are superb, with a dry traction rating between 0.73 and 0.74 and a wet traction rating from 0.66 to 0.69. You truly don’t have to worry about slips or falls; the decking grips like very few others can. 

Fiberon Composite Decking

Score: 5/10

Each of Fiberon’s collections has different traction ratings. And since an acceptable rating is around 0.5, some of them almost stack up to the challenge, while others fall somewhat flat. 

Sanctuary and GoodLife have the same slip resistance when dry (0.37). However, when wet, Sanctuary slightly outperforms GoodLife with a traction rating of 0.36 over GoodLife’s score of 0.33. 

Concordia and ArmorGuard share equal dry traction rates of 0.40 and wet traction rates of 0.31. 

How They Compare

The traction ratings speak for themselves here. Deckorators top dry traction rating is 0.74, while Fiberon’s is 0.40. As for the wet rating, Deckorators tops the charts with their mineral-based composite boards at a whopping 0.69, whereas Fiberon’s highest is Sanctuary’s 0.36. 

As it probably goes without saying by now, Deckorators easily wins this category.

Cost

Deckorators Composite Decking

Score: 9/10

Deckorators’ wood and plastic composite decking fall under two price ranges. 

The solid boards in the Vista line are $4.50 per linear foot, which is considered a medium price range in the industry. However, the Trailhead, Distressed, and Tropics wood-based lines are all priced at roughly $2.50 per linear foot, which is certainly at the low end of the spectrum. 

The mineral-based composite decking isn’t cheap. So, if you’re on a tight budget and choose Deckorators as your go-to provider, we’d suggest sticking to wood-based boards. 

You should expect to pay between $5.00 and $5.50 per linear foot for the mineral-based decking. This is the higher end of the price range.  

Fiberon Composite Decking

Score: 7/10

Fiberon boasts a huge range of decking — and that’s entirely intentional. After all, such a massive variety allows them to set price points for almost any budget.

The cheapest line is ArmorGuard, which is sold through Home Depot only. You can pick this up for under $2.50 per linear foot. At this price, it’s practically unbeaten; it’s hard to find quality pressure-treated decking at such a great bargain most of the time. 

Up next is their budget offering, Goodlife with its Weekender and Escapes collections. You will pay anywhere from $2.50 to $3.00 per linear foot here. While it’s more expensive than ArmorGuard, it’s still wholly affordable. 

If you want the Sanctuary line, you should expect to shell out roughly $4.50 per linear foot. And the Concordia line (both the Horizon and Symmetry collections) will cost you a drop over $5 per linear foot.  

How They Compare

Deckorators and Fiberon offer composite decking at the low, middle, and high end of the industry’s price spectrum ($2.50 to $5.50) across their lines and collections.

Even though Deckorators’ highest price point is more expensive than Fiberon’s costliest, they still win this category for one major reason.

Only their mineral-based composite boards track above $5 per linear foot. The majority of the brand’s wood-based boards sit at $2.50 per linear foot, giving you much more variety for a lower price than you’ll find at Fiberon. 

Warranty

Deckorators Composite Decking

Score: 9/10

Regardless of which type of Deckorators composite decking you choose, it’s backed by the industry’s best warranty available. However, there are differences between the warranties available for their mineral- and wood-based options.

The company’s mineral-based decking is protected by:

• A 50-year structural performance warranty.
• A 25-year stain and fade warranty.
• A 25-year removal and replacement warranty.

As for the wood and plastic composite decking, all products are protected by a 25-year structural performance warranty and a stain and fade warranty of the same duration. 

Deckorators’ Heritage, Vista, Trailhead, and Venture lines come with a 25-year removal and replacement warranty. However, their Distressed and Tropics lines aren’t protected by the same policy. 

Fiberon Composite Decking

Score: 8/10

A limited residential warranty covers Fiberon composite decking for stain and fade and physical integrity performance. However, their lines and collections are protected for various durations.

The company’s Concordia Symmetry and Horizon collections are covered by a lifetime physical integrity performance warranty and a stain and fade resistance policy for 50 years.

Both warranty types cover the Sanctuary line for 40 years. 

The Escapes collection found under the Good Life line is protected by the two policies for 30 years each. And the Good Life Weekender collection is covered for 25 years under both warranties, alongside the ArmorGuard line. 

How They Compare

Deckorators and Fiberon both have solid warranty policies, regardless of the line or collection you pick from. With none below 25 years, we’d argue that you’ll be satisfied (and well-protected) with either company.

While Fiberon has increased coverage (in terms of duration) for some of the lines, Deckorators wins this round due to the extra policy protection for most of their products (except Tropics and Distressed) — removal and replacement warranty.

Fiberon doesn’t currently offer this extra warranty, ranking the company below Deckorators here.

The Breakdown

With Fiberon and Deckorators winning certain rounds, let’s take a look at the breakdown to find out which composite decking is the overall winner:

The Winner — Deckorators Composite Decking

As you can see from the table above, Deckorators composite decking comes out on top overall. Across all the categories, the decking managed to score at least eight and above, while Fiberon ranked a mere five in traction and seven in cost (despite its glowing report for environmentally friendliness and decking caps).

All of Deckorators’ lines come with solid warranty policies, including the esteemed removal and replacement warranty that Fiberon lacks. 

Furthermore, the company offers a lot more choice for those with a tighter budget, thanks to the wood-based composite lines, Trailhead, Tropics, and Distressed, coming in at just $2.50 per linear foot. 

Not to mention the stellar traction rating for the mineral-based composite decking! When wet, it boasts a score from 0.66 to 0.69. When dry, it ranks between 0.73 and 0.74. Therefore, you’ll never need to worry about slipping or falling, provided your budget stretches to the mineral costs. 

There’s no wonder Deckorators came out victorious!