Short answer
Choose a mid-tone, mixed-colour board unless you have a strong reason not to. Very dark boards get hot and show water marks and dust; very light boards show dirt and leaf stains. Look at a real sample, wet and dry, in your own garden at different times of day before you decide.
In this guide
Colour is the decision people agonise over most, and the one they are most likely to regret. Screens and brochure photos are unreliable, and a board that looks perfect in a showroom can look completely different on a grey November afternoon in your own garden. Here is how to choose well.
The main colour families
Composite boards come in four broad families. Names vary by maker, but they line up roughly like this:
| Family | Looks like | Good for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light grey and stone | Weathered oak, driftwood | Small and shady gardens, modern houses | Shows mud, leaf stains and barbecue marks |
| Mid grey | Concrete, slate in sun | Most gardens; hides dirt well | Can look flat if it is a single tone |
| Warm brown and teak | New timber | Traditional houses, red brick | Brighter browns can look orange |
| Charcoal and near-black | Charred timber | Contemporary designs | Gets hot, shows dust and water marks |
Light and shade change everything
The same board looks very different depending on where the deck faces.
North-facing and shaded decks
In shade, colours look darker and cooler. A mid-grey board can look nearly charcoal, and browns go muddy. In a narrow garden or between houses, choose a shade lighter than you think you want. Light boards also bounce a little light back towards the house.
South-facing and open decks
In full sun, colours look lighter and warmer, and dark boards absorb a lot of heat. On a sunny afternoon in July a charcoal board can be uncomfortable for bare feet. In the UK that may only be a handful of days a year, but they are the days you will be using the deck most. A mid tone is the safer choice.
Under trees
Leaves, seeds and sap stain light boards and show on dark ones. Mixed-tone boards, with streaks of lighter and darker colour, hide this far better than a single, flat colour.
Single tone or mixed tone?
Cheaper boards are often one flat colour. Better capped boards are made with streaks of two or three tones, embossed with a wood grain. The mixed boards:
- look much more like real timber from a few steps away,
- hide dirt, scuffs and water marks,
- look less like plastic in photos.
If you only change one thing about your choice, choose a mixed-tone board.
Matching the house and garden
A few rules of thumb that tend to work:
- Red brick houses suit warm browns and mid greys. Cool light greys can look stark against red brick.
- Stone houses, common across West Yorkshire, suit warm greys and browns that pick up the colour of the stone.
- Render and modern cladding suit greys and charcoals.
- Fences and furniture matter as much as the house. If you plan composite fencing to match, look at both samples together.
Fading: what to expect
All composite boards change colour slightly in the first months as the surface settles and UV light acts on it. Capped boards contain UV stabilisers and change much less than older uncapped boards. Expect a slight lightening in the first year, then very little change after that. If you are adding boards to an older deck, the new ones will look different for a while.
How to test a colour properly
- Order physical samples of your two or three favourites. Most makers send them free or for a small charge.
- Put them where the deck will go, on the ground, not on a windowsill.
- Look at them morning, midday and evening, on a sunny day and a dull one.
- Wet them. Most boards go noticeably darker when wet, and in Yorkshire they will be wet a lot of the time.
- Put a dead leaf and a bit of soil on each, then brush them off. You will quickly see which colour forgives dirt.
Fascia, edges and steps
Before you commit, check the board you like comes with matching fascia boards, edge trims and step nosings. Some colours are only made as deck boards, which leaves you with a mismatched edge. A good installer will check this when they price the job.
If you are still choosing between board types as well as colours, the board-by-board comparison on our homepage compares capped, hollow, PVC and aluminium side by side.