What's the current wisdom on this question? We are redoing the deck this summer and are also facing the choice between the two brands. Two different contractors bidding for the work recommended Timbertech XLM (or "twin"?) One of them said, CorrectDeck "went bancrupt" because of "quality problems", and was aqcuired by Gaf... This is a bit strange, because Consumer Reports still recommends them (they prefer plastic, but CorrectDeck CX got their top score among composite materials). There are also products by "Veranda" (HomeDepot) and "Trexx"... Any opinions on them?

Thank you for thoughtful suggestions and/or assumptions. I did see samples of all of the products - but, dude, the samples had not been cut or trimmed. I should also state that the problem with the planks and fascia is primarily on the stairs. Our deck is not attached to the house but rather it sits in the woods and is on a rather steep hill. There are 8 steps to the first landing, 6 steps to the second landing and 5 steps to the top level. The stairs are not continuos - but at each level they actually are at the opposite end of the landing so that one is not staring at a large climb. Since the stairs are in the woods the treads or planks were not concealed by the fascia so that sweeping the stairs could be done rather easily. So we have a slight overhang at each step. Of course the fascia has been trimmed to follow the contour of the stringers. All in all it is superb design all around. As I said - the original deck was cedar and the ends were not an issue. I still suggest that TT should point out the fact that the core will not match the shell in their marketing pieces.

Sensibuilt is actually moving towards one of the top composite brands out there. I personally LOVE IT. It's Spill, stain, scratch and mold resistant. We used to have a portico deck which turned a hideous shade of green with mold, so i wanted something that was going to stay clean and playable for the kids. What i REALLY love about Sensibuilt above ALL other brands it that it is 100% recyclable! No other composite can do that, they may be made out of recycled material but they can't be recycled after it's life-cycle. The life-cycle of Sensibuilt can be reused 4 TIMES OVER! It's VOC free. It's all around environmentally friendly. Not to mention the 10 year color hold warranty which you simply won't find anywhere else. Sensibuilt is also in the process of re-working the surface of their product to take away some of the sheen so by the time you start building your deck, the lot you get will be the lot that has alot less shine to it. Obviously i am a fan of Sensibuilt and would recomend it to nearly anyone considering building or rebuilding thier deck! Here is a link that might be useful: Sensibuilt

thanks millworkman, i do know there is some maitenence with TT but i feel alot less than IPE. we got the quote for material, DH is doing work, and all i can say is "OUCH"!!!! we are not doing railings, deck is low, just running a step around most of deck (two sides). every expensive!! and azek is even more!!!! frankly not really comfortable enviromental wise to use IPE, 1st its coming out of the rainforest and second the shipping to get it here. this my personal opinion. its just amazing the prices they charge. the conceal screws are 3xs the price as top loc. just outrageous.. so we are re-thinking it but might not have too many more choices. why does everything have to be so hard???? any other advice on other material would be appreciated!! TIA