What qualifies a board as eco decking here
"Eco-friendly" is not a specification, and the FTC advises against using it without saying why. So each board on this page is here for a stated reason, and the reason is on its product page with the source:
- Modified wood from certified forests. Kebony Clear and Accoya start with FSC-certified pine and modify it so it resists rot like a tropical hardwood. Neither contains plastic.
- Wood modified with heat only. Thermory Benchmark thermo-ash is made durable with heat and steam, with no chemicals added, per Thermory.
- High recycled content. Trex Enhance and Trex Transcend Lineage (95%, per Trex) and Fiberon Good Life (at least 94%, per Fiberon) are composites made mostly from recycled plastic and wood. They still contain plastic, and we say so.
Modified wood or recycled composite?
Modified wood is real wood: it feels like wood, can be sanded, and weathers to silver gray unless oiled. It is stable and decay resistant because of how it is modified, not because of a surface coating. Recycled composite keeps its color longer, needs only cleaning, and puts waste plastic to use, but it runs hotter in the sun and is not wood. Neither is wrong; the choice comes down to look, feel and upkeep.
Why not tropical hardwood or pressure-treated pine?
Ipe and other tropical hardwoods are durable, but their sourcing is hard to verify. Pressure-treated pine is inexpensive and remains the standard for deck framing, but as a deck surface it needs regular staining and tends to check and splinter. Modified wood gives a wood surface with published durability and certified sourcing.
Installation
Modified wood is installed like a quality hardwood deck, with stainless fasteners or the manufacturer's hidden clips and pre-drilled board ends. Composite follows its own manufacturer guide. Either way, the frame, footings and ledger come first; see deck installation or compare every WPC composite board we carry.
Common questions
What is the most sustainable decking?
It depends on what you want to avoid. For a deck with no plastic, FSC-certified modified wood such as Kebony or Accoya, or heat-modified Thermory ash. For the least upkeep, a composite with a high stated recycled share, such as Trex Enhance at 95%.
Is modified wood decking treated with chemicals?
Kebony is modified with furfuryl alcohol made from crop waste and Accoya with acetic anhydride; both become part of the wood. Thermory ash is modified with heat and steam only. None is pressure treated with copper preservatives.
