An great alternative to composite decking is exotic hardwood decking, like ipe, cumaru, or massaranduba. The cost is similar to composites and plastics, but the hardwoods are a lot more durable (see the videos here: https://www.advantagelumber.com/deckbusters/), and unlike the weaker woods most decks are made of, exotic hardwoods don't splinter. The maintenance is as low as you can get for an outdoor decking material. You can learn more about these hardwoods here: https://www.advantagelumber.com/wood-decking.htm

I live in IA and my deck faces south and it’s a walkout! I have composite decking. Aztec I believe. Yes, it will get hot to walk on at certain points of the summer when it’s sunny. I just make sure I have flip flops on, and I have a rug near my seating area. Our hot tub is on top of our deck, so I can’t speak about the moisture underneath. Overall, I love our deck and don’t regret the decision one bit.

Pick yer poison.

Any decking material will get hot in full sun, be it natural(wood) or man made. The heat from wood will not be as intense as from composites because the composites are more dense and contain plastics.

Maintenance will be necessary with any wood. The exotics mentioned previously do not need as much maintenance,unless you want to keep the color, in which case those require more maintenance.

Cedar is a decent alternative for both. 5/4 decking boards have rounded edges, which cuts down on splinters. Cedar is a light weight wood, less dense and will get less intense heat from full sun. However, untreated cedar turns gray over time. And treating to keep the color is almost yearly maintenance.

Composites have been improved as far as color loss. They still need regular cleaning(pressure washing with high pressure is not a good idea). They will get hotter in the sun. Hot enough the kiddies will be at least uncomfortable.

So, look at all the possibilities, note the plusses and negatives and see what you need or want.

Thank you so much for all of your very helpful comments, I really appreciate it! Lots to think about, that's for sure! I thought about the exotic woods, but thought there would still be splinters. I have heard of Aztec and will have to look at that more closely. Have never heard of Wolf Decking, but will for sure look in to that option as well! We will most likely only be in our home another 5 years or so before we retire, so I have to take that in to consideration as well. Thanks again!

We have a large composite deck in which part of it is covered by a roof. It was nice for approx. 1 year. After that little black dots started appearing. They appeared everywhere on the covered and exposed areas. We called the manufacturer and followed their instructions to clean the deck and our grey colored deck was changed into a baby blue deck and the color wasn't consistent. Some areas lighter than others. The black dots came right back not long after cleaning and now several years later most of the black dots don't come off at all. The warranty is useless. The manufacturer isn't interested in helping. We are left to deal with it on our own. It was an expensive mistake that we will NEVER make again. STICK with wood!

Who was the manufacturer?

We have Wolf decking, it’s beautiful in summer, BUT an absolute hazard in winter in our snowy climate. It is EXTREMELY slippery with any snow on it and only slightly improves if you shovel the snow off. Really dangerous for people and pets alike - you’re not supposed to use rubberized or vinyl backed mats on the decking but at this point I don’t care. 400 dollar vet bill later due to my dog’s injured back and more treatments to come 😤😤😤

Just finished a Trex (Island Mist) deck in central CA, south facing too - love it. Maintenance free is a real plus. Make sure your contractor puts it on 12" centers. The wood deck that was replaced was on 24" centers so just added a board in the middle. A bit more slippery and runs hotter in the sun (as expected) if you want cons (no snow here).