Is composite decking worth it compared to wood?

It depends almost entirely on whether you will maintain a wood deck, because that is the difference the money buys. Composite costs more to install and asks for washing; wood costs less to install and asks for cleaning and sealing on a cycle for as long as you own it.

What is composite decking actually made of?

Wood fibre and plastic pressed into a board, usually with a hard shell on the outside.

The shell is what resists stains, fading and scratching, and it is why a modern capped composite behaves very differently from the first generation of boards people remember going chalky.

PVC boards, which is where Azek sits, have no wood fibre at all. They are lighter, they do not absorb water, and they are generally the most expensive of the options.

Between the capped composites, Trex, TimberTech and Fiberon behave closely enough that the choice usually comes down to the colour range and the surface texture you prefer. Level Line leans toward Trex.

How does each one handle a Long Island climate?

Salt air and the freeze and thaw cycle are hard on wood and largely irrelevant to composite and PVC.

Water is the whole story. Wood takes on moisture, swells, dries, shrinks and eventually checks and splits, and every freeze while it is wet accelerates that. Near the water, salt speeds it further.

Composite and PVC do not absorb water the way wood does, so the same winter does much less to them. They do get dirty, and a shaded deck will grow the same green film any surface does.

What does maintaining a wood deck actually involve?

Washing it, letting it dry properly and re-applying a stain or sealer on a cycle, for the life of the deck.

The cycle depends on the product, the exposure and how much sun the deck gets. A south facing deck works harder than a shaded one.

Skipping a cycle is not catastrophic once. Skipping it repeatedly is how a wood deck ends up grey, rough and splitting at the board ends.

What does maintaining a composite deck involve?

Washing it, and that is close to the whole list.

Soap, water and a brush handle most of it. Follow the manufacturer's guidance on cleaners, because the wrong product on a capped board can do damage that the warranty will not cover.

Composite is low maintenance, not no maintenance. Anybody who tells you it never needs touching is selling something.

Does wood still make sense?

Yes, when you like the look and the feel of real timber and you are honest that you will look after it.

Cedar, mahogany and ipe are beautiful, and nothing manufactured looks or feels quite the same. Ipe in particular is extraordinarily dense and hard wearing.

Pressure treated lumber remains the least expensive way to get a deck built, and for a deck that is a means to an end rather than the centrepiece of a yard, it is a reasonable answer.

What warranty comes with each?

The composite and PVC lines carry a manufacturer's warranty; wood does not come with one.

The manufacturer carries the warranty. Level Line assists you through registering it and through a claim if one is ever needed. Level Line is a Trex Certified Installer and a TimberTech Certified Installer, which is what keeps that warranty intact.

Timber is a natural product. It comes with grading, not a warranty, and how it performs depends heavily on how it is looked after.