Composite Decking vs. PVC Decking
What’s the Difference?
Composite decking is made from wood fibers compressed and glued together with plastic. Because it still contains wood, it can absorb moisture over time, and the cut edges are especially prone to swelling, fading, and eventually breaking down. PVC decking (also called vinyl decking), like the VEKAdeck line we install, contains no wood at all. It’s 100% cellular PVC, so it doesn’t absorb water, rot, or support mold growth, and it holds its color far longer through repeated freeze-thaw cycles.
Why We Install PVC Instead
We get asked about composite decking often enough that we wanted this page to exist, but when it comes time to actually build your deck, we install VEKAdeck PVC (vinyl) decking almost exclusively. After years of installing decks around Pittsburgh, we’ve seen how composite holds up over time compared to PVC, and PVC wins, especially through our freeze-thaw winters. It costs more upfront than composite, but it’s built to last essentially the life of your home without the fading, staining, or edge swelling that composite eventually shows.