I am getting bid on tearing down and replacing my deck. I live in Minnesota where we have extreme temperatures and I have a southern exposure deck that bakes in the sun all day. My pooch and I are outdoors as much as possible when there isn't snow on the ground. I am tired of having to refinish my deck every year, so I am thinking about going with composite or pvc. I have narrowed down my choices to Trex or Azek.

I have been leaning towards Azek for a couple of reasons. The two most important reasons are because I am barefoot all the time and Azek is supposed to be a lot cooler than Trex and because the warranty is double that of the Trex, 50 years vs 25 years. Also, since it does not have wood fiber in it, it is less prone to mold and mildew than Trex.

In doing my own research, I have read that Azek has a lot more movement than Trex. Out of the 3 bids, each contractor had a different installation method. One was where they would screw the perimeter boards, that were the "frame" of the deck flooring and then the boards would be slid into a clip system along the edges. The second contractor used Hidfast, where the fastener is shot into the side of the deckboard and the next deck board is hammered into it, so there are no penetrations into the floor surface. It is an approved system by Azek. And lastly screwed deckboards that are "hidden" with caps. The last contractor said this is the best way to minimize movement.

So, I mentioned my dog, did I mention he tears across the deck every time he goes outside so he can try to reach the squirrels before they reach the trees? (thank goodness the squirrels are much faster than he is) For this reason, I started to reconsider as Trex is much more scratch resistant than Azek, and even the top of the line Transcend is cheaper than Azek's cheapest version, Harvest. And my dog and I both love being outside barefoot. I understand with Trex this will have to stop. So, what is the point of having a deck to spend time on, if my best friend cannot be with me?

On another post I read that someone put a carpet on Azek and it permanently stained the boards. Has anyone had experience with putting outdoor carpets on Trex?

Does anyone have experience with both products? Which product should I use?