Hello, We’re sorry to hear the product didn’t come as expected. When Trex transitioned from early generation decking to new generation decking the Trex deck board advanced by now offering a three-sided, high performance outer shell that was developed for increased performance with the same durable composite core. The new generation decking lines with the colored outer shell now offer superior fade and stain resistance with our 25 year Limited Residential fade/stain warranty. Stain and fade performance is needed only on the top surface of a deck board; the sides have been fully encapsulated purely for aesthetic reasons, and then the board ends and underside remain uncapped for drainage and airflow. For aesthetic reasons you can paint or stain the board ends with any paint or stain designed for wood, however it is not necessary. Hope this helps! Thanks, Tori - Trex Customer Care Team