TimberTech colours are organised by collection, and the collection matters more than the colour. The Advanced PVC lines — Vintage, Landmark and Harvest — are solid PVC with no wood in them and carry a limited lifetime product warranty. The composite lines — Legacy, Reserve, Terrain+, Terrain, Prime+, Prime and Premier — are wood-and-polymer with a capped surface, and carry 25 to 30 year warranties depending on the line.
Pick the collection first, from how the deck will be used and what you want to spend. Then pick the colour — and pick it for Metro Vancouver light, not for a showroom.
How the TimberTech collections differ
| Group | Collections | Material | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced PVC | Vintage, Landmark, Harvest | Solid PVC, no wood content | Limited lifetime product; fade & stain up to 50 years |
| Composite (30 yr) | Legacy, Reserve, Terrain+, Terrain | Capped wood-polymer composite | 30 year product and fade & stain |
| Composite (25 yr) | Prime+, Prime, Premier | Capped wood-polymer composite | 25 year product and fade & stain |
The practical difference on a Lower Mainland deck: PVC has no wood in it at all, so there is nothing in the board for moisture to act on, and it runs cooler in sun than composite of the same shade. Composite costs less and, in the upper collections, has the more convincing grain. Both are genuinely low maintenance — neither needs staining or sealing.
If you are still deciding between TimberTech and the other big name, we compared them head to head in TimberTech vs Trex, and the AZEK and Legacy lines specifically in AZEK vs Legacy.
Choosing a colour for BC light
This is the part showrooms are bad at. Retail lighting is bright, warm and directional. Metro Vancouver light, for a good part of the year, is flat, grey and diffuse — and it pulls the warmth out of everything.
- Mid-tone browns and warm greys read best here. They keep their character when the sky is white.
- Very cool greys can go lifeless under overcast. The colour that looked crisp and modern under showroom lights can read as flat concrete in November.
- Very dark browns can read almost black once they are down over 400 square feet, especially wet.
- Multi-tonal boards hold up better than uniform ones. Visible grain variation gives the eye something to work with under flat light. Single-tone boards depend on light and shadow that we do not reliably get.
Does the dark board get hot?
Yes — that is physics, not a brand issue. Any dark surface absorbs more heat than a light one, across every manufacturer.
Here it matters less than it would in the Okanagan, because we get fewer extreme-sun days. But a south or west-facing deck in a dark colour will still be uncomfortable barefoot on an August afternoon. The rule of thumb we give people: if the deck faces south or west and anyone will be on it barefoot, go one shade lighter than the sample you liked. PVC also runs cooler than composite at the same shade, which is worth knowing if you have your heart set on a dark board.
How to actually choose, without regretting it
Four hundred square feet of a colour is a very different thing from a 12-inch sample. What works:
- Take samples home. Every time. A showroom decision is a decision made under someone else’s lighting.
- Put them where the deck goes and look at them in the morning, at midday, and in the evening. Colours move a lot across a day.
- Hold them against the house — the siding, the trim, the roof — rather than against each other. Boards always look good next to other boards.
- Wet them. Both PVC and composite darken when wet, and in this climate the deck is wet for a large part of the year. Judging a deck dry is judging it in the minority condition.
- Look at it next to the railing you are planning. A black aluminium rail and a dark board can merge into one heavy mass. Options are in glass vs aluminum vs cable railings.
Does TimberTech decking fade?
All decking weathers. What matters is how much and how fast, and that is what the fade-and-stain warranty is written around — up to 50 years on the Advanced PVC lines, 25 to 30 on the composite collections. The capped surface used on modern boards resists fading far better than the uncapped first-generation composite that gave the category a bad name in the 2000s.
Expect a slight mellowing over the first year as the board settles, then stability. What you should not expect is the grey, blotchy, chalky surface that older composite decks went to — that is a different product generation.
Seeing it before you commit
VS Deck & Rail is a certified TimberTech installer across Metro Vancouver — Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Surrey, Coquitlam and Delta. Being certified means we supply the boards through the proper channel and the installation is registered for the manufacturer warranty — which, on a 30-year product, is most of what you are buying.
We can get samples into your hands so you are choosing against your own house in your own light. Request a free quote, or read composite vs wood in BC if you have not settled that question yet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What TimberTech decking collections are there?
TimberTech splits its range in two. The Advanced PVC collections — Vintage, Landmark and Harvest — are solid PVC with no wood content. The composite collections — Legacy, Reserve, Terrain+, Terrain, Prime+, Prime and Premier — are wood-and-polymer composite with a capped surface. Both are low maintenance; they differ in price, warranty and how they behave in sun.
What warranty do TimberTech colours come with?
It depends on the collection, not the colour. TimberTech’s Advanced PVC lines carry a limited lifetime product warranty plus a fade and stain warranty of up to 50 years. The composite collections carry 25 to 30 year product and fade-and-stain limited warranties depending on the line, with Legacy, Reserve and Terrain at the 30-year end and Prime, Prime+ and Premier at 25.
Do dark composite decking colours get hot?
Yes. Any dark board absorbs more heat than a light one, and that is true across every brand. In Metro Vancouver it matters less than in the interior because we get fewer extreme-sun days, but a south-facing deck in a dark colour will still be uncomfortable barefoot in August. If the deck is south or west facing and gets used barefoot, go a shade lighter than the one you liked in the showroom.
Which TimberTech colours work best in BC’s grey light?
Mid-tone browns and warm greys read best here, because coastal light is flat and diffuse for much of the year and it drains warmth out of a colour. Very cool greys can look lifeless under overcast skies, and very dark browns can read almost black. Multi-tonal boards with visible grain variation hold their character better under flat light than uniform single-tone boards.
How do I choose a decking colour against my house?
Take samples home and look at them in place, on the deck, at different times of day and in the rain — not in a showroom under retail lighting. Hold them against the siding, the trim and the roof rather than against each other. Wet the sample: composite and PVC both darken when wet, and in this climate the deck is wet a lot of the year.
Does TimberTech decking fade?
All decking weathers, and TimberTech’s fade and stain warranties are written around that — up to 50 years on the Advanced PVC lines and 25 to 30 years on the composite collections. The capped surface on modern boards resists fading far better than early-generation composite did. Expect a slight mellowing in the first year, then stability.
