Breaking Down Trex's Newest Deck Board, Trex Transcend Lineage
When it comes to low-maintenance decking, there's no bigger brand name than Trex. So it's natural that there's a lot of excitement around Trex's brand-new decking line, Trex Transcend Lineage.
How does Trex Transcend Lineage stack up compared to Trex's other decking lines or other deck board brands? What makes Lineage different from Trex's existing collections? Our team has spent a lot of time working with every deck board imaginable - and in this review, we'll dive into the details so you can find out if Trex Transcend Lineage is right for you and your deck.
Table of Contents
- What Makes Trex Transcend Lineage Special?
- Trex Transcend Lineage Look
- Trex Transcend Lineage Cost
- Trex Transcend Lineage Durability & Maintenance
- Conclusion
What Makes Trex Transcend Lineage Special?
Key Trex Transcend Lineage Features
- Luxurious, trendy colors
- New graining texture
- Stays cooler in the sun with advanced capping technology
The first thing you'll notice about Trex Transcend Lineage decking is a distinctly different look and style. Trex is an established, proven brand centered on consistency, and you can usually recognize a Trex deck for its distinctly traditional look.
Lineage is an evolution for the Trex brand, branching into cooler, softer colors and trendier looks. We'll break down the look of Lineage in more depth later on.
The other really notably unique characteristics of Trex Lineage are both related to the composite board's protective capping.
Firstly, the grain pattern on Trex Transcend Lineage is totally new compared to Trex's other boards. The surface texture has longer, straighter ridgelines, rather than the peaks and swirls (called "cathedral graining") you see in other composite deck boards.
The capping on Trex Transcend Lineage deck boards is also different functionally. Technological breakthroughs have allowed Trex to create a composite deck board that stays cooler in direct sunlight than typical composites - solving one of the top concerns many homeowners have when deciding whether to switch from traditional wood to low-maintenance composite decking.
With a cooler deck surface, you can walk barefoot more often and more easily, making Lineage an excellent choice for poolside decks or decks used by pets or small children.
We'll break down these unique features of Trex Lineage and more style and performance attributes below.
Are Trex Transcend Lineage and Trex Transcend the Same?
But first, one common question: are Trex Transcend and Trex Transcend Lineage the same thing?
The short answer is no. Despite sharing the "Transcend" name, the two lines are distinct from one another in several ways. We'll break down all the functional differences later in on our review, but at a high level, Transcend remains the "best" quality decking in Trex's "good-better-best" categorization, while Transcend Lineage creates a brand new category of premium decking that performs better than traditional Transcend in several ways.
Trex Transcend Lineage Look
Trex Transcend Lineage deck boards take the Trex brand in a new direction, creating a distinctly on-trend, luxury look. When you examine each board up close, you'll find several factors creating this new look.
Trex Transcend Lineage Colors
Lineage's color options trend towards, cooler, lighter tones compared to the richer, deeper colors you often find in Trex or other composite decking. Trex itself describes the colors as calming and tranquil, and the overall look backs that up.
Here's a look at the four color options in the Lineage line, each aptly sharing its name with a famous national park:
Biscayne (Biscayne National Park in Florida)
Carmel (Mount Carmel National Park in Israel)
Jasper (Jasper National Park in Canada)
Rainier (Mount Rainier National Park in Washington)
The colors are definitely softer and cooler, with more gray undertones than most traditional composite deck boards. Style-wise, it's a step away from the more traditional rich browns and warm yellow/tans of the Trex Transcend color palette and a step toward the more trendy grays and tans you'll see in some other decking brands like TimberTech.
It's a smart expansion for Trex, growing its assortment of looks to fit many of the new, on-trend decor styles. The Lineage palette is perfect for the 'moditerranean', Joanna Gaines-type look that's blowing up across the nation.
The lighter colors also help the boards absorb less sunlight, which works well in tandem with the new capping technology to stay cooler on sunny days.
Trex Transcend Lineage Texture
Typically, Trex deck boards have based their surface texture off of the ringed pattern found in wood, whether it's the deeply-ridged, rounded-off curves of Trex Transcend or the wavy, cathedral-grain surface pattern of Trex Select.
Trex Lineage goes in a totally new direction: linear. There are still some underlying swoops and curves in the coloration, but the surface texture is distinctively straight, with linear ridges running down the length of each board.
This ultimately follows the same type of texturing popular in a lot of interior flooring options today, like hardwood or luxury vinyl plank. That means using Trex Lineage on your deck can allow you to really smoothly carry the style of your interior decor outwards onto your deck, like these amazing walk-out examples:
Trex Transcend Lineage Cost
Trex Transcend Lineage is a premium decking option, and that comes at a higher price than other Trex deck boards. If you're looking for a slightly lower price point, you can always check out Trex's "good" (Trex Enhance), "better" (Trex Select) or "best" (Trex Transcend) boards.
But if you love the look of Transcend Lineage and want the benefits of the advanced capping, the price will be well worth it. In fact, as premium-level decking looks go, Trex Transcend Lineage is actually a pretty high-value price point compared to the industry.
For example, Lineage costs less per board than TimberTech's top-quality PVC decking (TimberTech Vintage) or top-quality composite decking (TimberTech Legacy). We'll compare Trex and TimberTech decking in a little more detail further down the page.
Trex Transcend Lineage Durability & Maintenance
After years leading the composite decking market, the Trex brand name has almost become synonymous with "low-maintenance." The Transcend Lineage collection clearly lives up to that reputation with a tough, easy-to-clean shell and the same wood-alternative benefits Trex has made famous over the past few decades.
Like all Trex composite deck boards, Trex Transcend Lineage decking will never need to be painted or stained, and won't split, crack, or splinter the way treated wood does.
Lineage's unique texturing provides an extra maintenance benefit, too. The long, linear grains aren't as deep or wide as the traditional Trex Transcend texture, which should make it harder for dirt or dust to get stuck into the ridges. A gentle sweeping should be plenty to clear off a Trex Transcend Lineage board and prevent any dirt-based discoloration.
Trex Transcend Lineage vs Trex Transcend
As we noted above, there are a few key differences between the new Trex Transcend Lineage decking and the traditional Trex Transcend decking.
The difference lies in some key details: Lineage's colors are different, the surface texture is new, and the capping technology itself is a more advanced version. But in practice, it all adds up to one key difference: the look.
Determining whether Trex Transcend Lineage or original Trex Transcend deck boards are right for you comes down to which look you like best, and whether that look fits your budget.
Trex Lineage:
Trex Lineage is a much more luxurious, trendy look. It'll pair well with very modern homes and yards, and cooler, softer colors in decor or furniture.
From a functional standpoint, both boards will hold up extremely well with minimal maintenance - you really can't go wrong either way if you're looking for durability and maintenance.
The added benefit of Trex Lineage is the advanced capping that keeps the boards cooler in the sun. So if your deck space includes a pool or a nearby beach, Lineage will be the more barefoot-friendly choice.
Trex Transcend:
Trex Transcend features much deeper, richer colors that fit more on the traditional end of the spectrum. If your home isn't ultra-modern, or if you love the traditional look and style of Trex, the original Transcend boards will deliver the look you want.
If you love both looks, it might be worth pricing out both options for your deck. (Our team of experienced project planners can do it for you if you call 1-888-824-5316!) Depending on the size of your deck, you may opt to stick with original Transcend to keep costs down, but on smaller decks, you might not see a massive cost difference and opt for the newest and best technology in Lineage.
Trex Transcend Lineage vs TimberTech Decking
So how does Trex's latest deck board offering stack up to the rest of the market? Trex Transcend Lineage definitely fits the profile of other high-end, desirable deck boards like TimberTech's PVC or composite lines.
If you're weighing Trex Transcend Lineage vs TimberTech decking, the first question is one of material. TimberTech's premium decking line, Vintage (pictured below), is made of fully-synthetic PVC, rather than traditional wood-plastic composite, like Trex.
PVC decking is lighter and more moisture-resistant than composite decking, but it'll also come at a higher cost. In addition, PVC deck boards look and feel different than composite boards. The difference in look and feel is personal preference more than anything, so it's important to feel each board so you can decide what suits you best. (Call 1-888-824-5316 and we can connect you with samples of any boards you're interested in.)
You can learn more about finding the best decking material for your deck in our Guide to the Best Decking Materials.
Comparing Trex Lineage to TimberTech Composite decking (pictured below) is a much more apples-to-apples comparison.
Trex Lineage provides a very similar, high-end luxurious feel, and hits a similarly cool-toned color palette. TimberTech Legacy boards show a little bit more variation in color across each board, but Trex Lineage has a little more of the rounded-off peaks of traditional wood cathedral graining.
Once again, the real question comes down to which look suits you best, because each board comes with its own unique style. The nice advantage of Trex Lineage is that it delivers the same luxurious style at a slightly lower price point, making it a great choice if you love both looks.
Conclusion
The addition of Trex Transcend Lineage adds a totally new dimension to the Trex decking offerings - especially when it comes to look. The softer, lighter colors and new linear texture make Lineage boards an awesome fit for decks with a modern or contemporary style, and they make it much easier to create a seamless transition from indoor decor to outdoor style.
Functionally, the main upgrade is in the advanced capping, which should hold less heat in direct sunlight. For poolside or beachside decks, Trex Lineage represents a more barefoot-friendly deck board option.
The Trex name itself carries a lot of value - their products are tried and true, with decades at the forefront of the decking industry. If you value that level of trust and name recognition, but also want a premium luxury look for your deck, Lineage is the board for you.
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