The knock against composite decking by some homeowners has been the lack of pieces to match deck boards. It was tough to coordinate railings or seating with basic deck boards. Manufacturers concentrated on boards that mimicked the look, color and grain of real wood.

But now, consumers have far more choices to create a deck that coordinates from top to bottom.

"Homeowners are building ever more complicated deck structures, and we needed to create the secondary pieces, handrail systems, posts and the like to match the other parts of the deck," says Sue Snuggs for ChoiceDek, a Weyerhaeuser product. "Now that these additional aspects are available now, we see even more acceptance of this product category."

An advantage of composite materials is the plastic and wood mixture wears better and requires low maintenance -- it won't warp or rot. Still, real wood held its appeal for no other reason than sheer good looks from piece to piece across the board.

Then came the introduction of railing systems made of composites. According to Snuggs, railings were the final frontier for manufacturers who had come ever closer to matching the look of wood in terms of natural grain and color options.

"We have four color choices and distinct surface finish, and now the railings are completely tied into that design approach," she says.

Like the typical boards, the railing material is injection-molded and patterned after companion boards. Colors range from redwood to sandstone to woodtone and gray -- providing the ability to mix and match colors for an added touch of design. In addition to typical 6-inch wide boards, matching railings and trim boards have also been introduced.

The upshot is homeowners, architects and landscape architects have more options than ever to create decks. As decks become more ornate and multi-level, it made the addition of more decking materials that much more significant.

The composite railing systems are attached to the substructure of treated lumber in much the same fashion as in any other deck. The notable difference is that stainless steel screws are recommended to avoid bleeding from rust and corrosion from standard screws. Galvanized nails are not recommended on composite materials.

Composite decking is generally manufactured from recycled plastics and wood chips.

On the Web: www.choicedek.com