Which Trex decking line should you choose?
Trex sells six current lines. Signature is the luxury tier at a 50-year warranty; Transcend and Transcend Lineage are the premium composites, also 50-year; Refuge is Trex's PVC line at 50 years; Select sits in the middle at 35 years; Enhance is the entry line at 25 years. For most Hampton Roads homeowners the decision comes down to Enhance versus Select versus Transcend, and it is decided by warranty length, board thickness and whether you want a SunComfortable heat-mitigating color.
Every current Trex decking line, side by side
Current Trex line-up as published at trex.com/products/decking, September 2026. “Naturals” and “Basics” are colour collections inside the Enhance line, not separate product lines.
What does Trex's fade and stain warranty actually cover?
Trex's fade and stain coverage runs the full length of the limited warranty, but the threshold steps. Trex warrants the board will not fade more than 5 Delta E units for the first 25 years, and not more than 15 Delta E units for the remainder of the warranty period. Stain coverage requires the stain to be removed within one week of exposure. So a 50-year fade and stain warranty is accurate for Transcend and Signature. The tighter 5 Delta E threshold covers the first 25 years of it.
Which Trex line we specify in Hampton Roads, and why
On a coastal lot the decking line is rarely the durability question. The salt exposure lives in the hardware and the railing, not the board shell. That said, three line-level factors do matter here.
Heat. Tidewater summers run about 25 muggy days in July and a deck in full afternoon sun is genuinely uncomfortable. Trex's SunComfortable technology is rated to run up to 35°F cooler than Trex's original boards, and it is available in select colors within Enhance, Select and Transcend Lineage. It is a color-level choice, not a line-level one, which is why we bring the actual samples and put them in your own sun.
Board thickness. Select boards are 0.82 inches thick against 0.94 inches for Transcend, Lineage, Signature and Refuge. On a frame at 16-inch joist spacing that is not a structural issue, but it is a difference you feel underfoot.
Railing. This is where the coastal decision actually gets made. Trex's steel railing warranty drops to one year within one mile of a saltwater coastline, and Trex Signature's headline 50-year railing warranty does not extend to cable infill, which is covered for 10 years. On waterfront jobs we specify aluminium or composite railing and say why in writing.
- Heat is a colour decision, not a line decision.
- Steel railing within 1 mile of saltwater: 1-year warranty. We don't specify it there.
- Signature aluminium railing: 50-year residential; cable infill on the same system: 10-year.
- Transcend composite railing: 35 years in most states, 25 in some.
What else is available under the Trex brand
Trex decking questions
What is the difference between Trex Transcend and Trex Transcend Lineage?
Both carry a 50-year limited residential warranty and both are 0.94-inch boards. Lineage carries SunComfortable heat-mitigating technology across its seven colors and offers a narrow 3.5-inch board; Transcend offers six different colors and adds 2-inch square-edge profiles. Lineage is the cooler-underfoot option; Transcend has the deeper profile range.
Is Trex Select worth the step up from Enhance?
You are buying ten more years of warranty, 35 against 25, and a different color set. Board thickness is 0.82 inches on Select, so it is not the thickness you are paying for. Both offer SunComfortable colors.
What is Trex Refuge?
Trex's PVC line, introduced with a 50-year limited residential warranty, a wire-brushed grain and two colors. It is Class A flame spread and ignition-resistant under the IWUIC, which is why it is positioned for wildfire-interface markets. It comes in square-edge only, no grooved profile.
Which Trex line is best for a hot, sunny deck?
Choose a SunComfortable colour, available in select colors of Enhance, Select and Transcend Lineage, and choose a lighter tone within that. Trex rates SunComfortable at up to 35°F cooler than its original boards. The colour matters more than the line.
Does Trex decking fade?
It is warranted not to fade more than 5 Delta E units for 25 years and not more than 15 Delta E units for the rest of the warranty period. Delta E is a measured colour-difference unit, not a subjective judgement.
What is a TrexPRO Gold builder, and is Gold the top tier?
Gold is the middle of three. Trex runs TrexPRO, TrexPRO Gold and TrexPRO Platinum, assigned on training and project volume. Trex does not publish the numeric thresholds. The concrete benefit of Gold is the limited labor warranty Trex will underwrite: 4 years on decking or railing alone, 6 years on both, 8 years with decking, railing and Trex fasteners.
Does Trex cover the cost of labor if a board fails?
Trex's material warranty covers the material. The labor to remove and replace it is covered by the TrexPRO labor warranty, and the length depends on the installer's tier and what was installed. That is the practical reason to use a program contractor.
See our composite deck building page for local cost, framing and installation details.
Last updated September 2026.
