I don’t know if you were at Lowes, and the salesperson suggested ChoiceDek or did your neighbour built their deck using ChoiceDek. And now you’re curious about ChoiceDek. Is it a good pick for your deck? With its great price but still without all the maintenance.
Well, here you have it, a Review of ChoiceDek composite decking.
Brief Introduction to ChoiceDek as a Company
ChoiceDek is not a standalone company but is part of a much larger company Advanced Environmental Recycling Technologies, Inc. I would understand if you have not heard about them. You may be more familiar with MoistureShield. Which is also owned by A.E.R.T, who makes one of the top-rated composite deckings. For you guessed it, moisture.
If not, go read Review of MoistureShield Composite Decking
, where I go much more in-depth about who they are as a company and the wonders of their decking.
ChoiceDek is their line of decking sold exclusively at Lowes.
The more I research composite decking, the more common I find this is. Armour Guard made by Fiberon, sold at Home Depot.
Another low-maintenance decking sold exclusively at Lowes is Tropic and Distress made by Deckorators.
Just to say you are in good hands. ChoiceDek is part of a much bigger decking company known for its quality decking.
What is ChoiceDek Decking Made of?
As I said made by MoistureShield, and what I can tell using the same process as MoistureShield.
ChoiceDek contains 95% recycled material. A blend of old grocery bags, milk cartons and wood fibres. Or the more technical classification is a wood thermoplastic composite lumber (WTCL) product consisting of plastic, wood filler plus additives and colour.
The boards are scalloped. A typical design with economical composite decking. The reduction of material results in reduced costs.
I keep mentioning cost, so let’s get to that. It currently is listed for under $2.00 a lineal foot. Pricing it competitively with Trex’s Enhance Basic. And in the ballpark for cost of other budget-friendly composite decking.
Similarly, it has a Class C fire rating and can span 16″ on centre joists. With the workability of wood. Making it extremely friendly for DIYers and anyone with experience working with wood. You can even clean up the edges with a router. Which you cannot do with most capped composite deck boards.
As an added bonus, unlike most composite decking that can not be installed in contact with dirt or water. ChoiceDeck can. Just like MoistureShield.
If you want to learn more about ChoiceDek decking composition, click the link to go to ChoiceDek PFS TECO Research Report.
How Many Colours of Decking Does ChoiceDek have?
All those saving does come at a price. Limited colour selection. ChoiceDek is only sold in 3 colours.
- Beach House Gray
- Harvest Brown
- Coastal Redwood
The classic decking shades except missing the blonde.
Pros and Cons of ChoiceDek Decking
Less maintenance is the reason most of us install composite decking. Which is the same pro of ChoiceDek.But there are also more pros of ChoiceDek over and above the general list of Pros and Cons of composite decking.
Pros
- Traction 0.59 dry/0.92 wet
- Resists rot, warping, splintering and termites
- Semi-porous, can scratch but will naturally weather out
- Can be ripped, routed and bent to fit any space
- Economical Price
The two that jump out at me are traction and price. If you read my comparison of Composite Decking with the Best Traction, it is near the top, especially when wet.
Which only makes the price that much more impressive. With most decking, the less you pay, the more you slip. But not with ChoiceDek, affordability priced but with fantastic traction.
Cons
- Limited Colours
- Availability
With only 3 colours, choice is very limited. Especially when compared to Fiberon with 31. Further limiting is where you can buy it. If you don’t have a local Lowes, you’re out of luck.
How Long is ChoiceDek Warranty?
At first glance, LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY.
But further reading ChoiceDek warranty we find that it is actually 50 years. Well, kind of.
For the first year, full refund or replacement. After that, the refund is annually reduced by 2%. Down to 2% at year 50. Then the interesting twist of an indefinite 2%. So, in year 2300, you are out walking on your deck, and the decking breaks. You can file a claim for 2% of what you paid for your ChoiceDek. First, congratulations on enjoying your deck for that many years. That is amazing. Secondly, well, that is amazing, enjoy your refund. Hope you ChoiceDek is around to last another lifetime.
Two qualifiers, or should I say limitation with their warranty, stain and fade. Most composite decking warranties include a limiting fade of less than 5-Delta-E and if you clean it soon enough, it won’t stain.
ChoiceDek, not so much.
“Our colors are designed to weather to more natural shades within the first six months.”
So, expect some lightening of your ChoiceDek after installing. Because they do.
Also, not as direct, but “ChoiceDek® is stain resistant.” Reading between the lines, it shouldn’t stain, especially if you clean up any spills. But it is not warrantied not to stain. Do what you want with that information.
Keep in mind most warranties stipulate that you have a limited time to clean up the spill. Forty-eight hours with Timbertech or 1 week with Zuri. But still, it’s on you to prevent stains.
Summary of Reviewing ChoiceDek Decking
First, I need to be upfront. I think highly of MoistureShield and knowing that they also make ChoiceDeck has tainted my view of this more economical line. It feels like their Vantage line but under a different name.
But let’s start there. ChoiceDek makes composite decking affordable. If you consider the fact, you will never need to stain your decking again. The price is a steal.
Again, the traction amazes me. It is hard to find composite decking with this much grip.
But the biggest drawback is options. With only 3 colours and little variation or flair in board appearance, this is not a masterpiece decking. If you are looking for beauty, consider Azek or Zuri PVC decking. There are other ones, but Azek does a fantastic job of imitating wood. Zuri photorealistic cap replicates hardwood.
Not the same price point as ChoiceDek, but they will bring your deck to a whole other level.
Which everyone you choose, enjoy your deck.
