Painting or staining vintage composite decking isn’t necessary to make the material last longer, but it can give the deck a new look — changing the color, eliminating stains from mildew or ...

The best composite decking products, according to Consumer Reports, whose testing experts evaluated planks from Azek, Envision, Fiberon, TimberTech, and more.

That doesn’t mean composite decking looks boring, says Rich Handel, the engineer who tests decking for Consumer Reports. “Manufacturers usually use a few different molds to make their ...