Composite decking is the right call if you’d rather not seal a deck every year. Trex, TimberTech, AZEK. All of these have 25-year fade-and-stain warranties, no annual maintenance, and look the same on day 10,000 as day one. HHS Contracting installs composite decks across Portsmouth and Scioto County. Call (740) 357-9020 for a Trex or TimberTech quote.
What Composite Decking Costs in Portsmouth
Capped-composite installation in Portsmouth runs $40 to $55 per square foot installed: meaningfully higher than pressure-treated ($25 to $35 installed) but cheaper than full hardwood. A 12×16 composite deck runs $12,000 to $18,000. Add stairs, railings, and lighting at $1,500 to $4,000. Color and brand selection drives the high end: premium Trex Transcend or TimberTech AZEK Vintage runs higher than basic Trex Enhance.
Trex vs TimberTech vs AZEK: Which One for Your Deck
Trex: the most widely-installed brand. Capped composite over a recycled-plastic core. Best value-to-quality ratio. Lines: Enhance (entry), Select (mid), Transcend (premium). 25-year fade-and-stain warranty.
TimberTech: owned by AZEK Co. Two product families: TimberTech Composite (capped composite, like Trex) and TimberTech AZEK (PVC, no organic content). The PVC option costs more but doesn’t have any wood content at all, so it’s the closest to true zero-maintenance.
AZEK: the parent brand’s premium PVC line. Top of the cost range, best performance in wet climates (which Portsmouth qualifies as). Lifetime warranty on the boards.
Why Composite Wins in Portsmouth
Ohio River valley humidity is hard on wood decks. Pressure-treated lumber here typically needs annual cleaning, every-other-year sealing, and full board replacement on the worst-exposed sections every 8 to 12 years. Composite skips all of it. The mid-July rainstorm that fades a PT deck in three years doesn’t touch a composite deck.
The lifecycle math works out: composite costs about 2x pressure-treated upfront, but PT requires roughly $500 to $1,000 of maintenance every 2 to 3 years (sealing, replacement of worst boards), and a full PT deck typically needs replacement at year 15 to 20. A composite deck installed in 2026 will look right in 2050. The break-even versus PT happens around year 12 to 15.
How We Install Composite Different from Pressure-Treated
Composite needs hidden-fastener systems on the deck surface (visible screws crack the capped surface over time and void the warranty). We use Cortex plugs or fully-hidden clips depending on the board profile. We also frame composite decks with closer joist spacing, typically 12 inches on-center instead of the 16-inch standard for pressure-treated, because composite boards have more flex.
The substructure is still pressure-treated (composite is for the surface, not the joists). And we install at temperatures composite manufacturers specify, typically above 50°F, because expansion and contraction during the install affects the gap spacing.
Why HHS for Composite Installs
Composite installs are precision work: manufacturer warranties hinge on install details (fastener type, joist spacing, end gaps, surface clean during install). A botched composite install voids the 25-year warranty and you’re paying for replacement out of pocket. Our crew has the reps on Trex and TimberTech specifically; we’re certified TimberTech Pros and have completed dozens of Portsmouth-area composite decks. Licensed and insured, 5.0-star Google rating across 24 reviews. Call (740) 357-9020.
See our general deck and patio page for pressure-treated and cedar options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Capped composite installation in Portsmouth runs $40 to $55 per square foot installed. A 12×16 deck runs $12,000 to $18,000. Premium Trex Transcend or TimberTech AZEK runs higher. Stairs and railings price separately at $1,500 to $4,000. Call (740) 357-9020 for a quote on your specific deck.
Trex, TimberTech, and AZEK all carry 25-year fade-and-stain warranties on the boards. Real-world service life in Portsmouth runs 30 years or more with no maintenance beyond occasional sweeping. No staining, no sealing, no board replacement.
Both are solid. Trex has wider color and texture selection at the entry-level price point. TimberTech (especially the AZEK PVC line) is the premium option with the cleanest performance in humid climates like Portsmouth. We install both. The right pick depends on your budget and color preference, not brand quality.
Sometimes. If the existing pressure-treated joists are in good shape and spaced correctly (composite usually needs 12-inch on-center vs 16-inch for PT), we can install composite boards over the existing frame. If the frame is sagging, twisted, or undersized, we rebuild the frame too. We assess on the property walk. See hooverhousingsolutions.com.
Free Composite Deck Quote
If you’re thinking about composite decking in Portsmouth, call (740) 357-9020 or visit hooverhousingsolutions.com. We’ll walk you through Trex vs TimberTech vs AZEK for your specific deck.