What are the goals for your deck? Why are you considering composite?

I'm no expert, but I've looked at a lot of composite decking (I just finished our new deck last week, and put new decking on our previous house 5 years ago). Last time I got cheap decking from Menards (a midwest big box store). It was fine for the few years we lived there, but I doubt it would hold up long term.

Typically folks want composite decking because it's low maintenance, but if it doesn't last for many years, it's not a good investment. Wood can be the least expensive option, though woods like Ipe are a lot more. Wood requires annual maintenance, which takes money and time (if you do it yourself).

Affordable means different things to different people. For our new deck, I picked an expensive material - but it was within our budget, so it was affordable (it was about half the total cost of the deck, including labor for a carpenter friend who helped me).

Composite decking is not something to go cheap on. You will end up buying it twice. If you cannot afford the better composite, use pressure treated or cedar.

I agree with millworkman, but suggest that you avoid composites altogether.

We have found absolutely none that live up to the hype and stopped using the material over ten years ago simply because we do not like call-backs and unhappy customers.

Please read our article on composite decking BEFORE you make a decision. It can be found at http://starcraftcustombuilders.com/deck.handbook4.htm.