Hollow Vs Solid Composite Decking

Many customers who opt for our decking products pose the question around whether to opt for our hollow composite decking or solid composite decking products and a frequently asked question we get asked, generally comes in the form of “why should I choose a solid composite decking board over a hollow option?” (or vice versa).

The core difference here primarily comes down to the strength and weight of the product, but the budget also plays a factor too. Below – we offer an overview of the hollow and solid composite boards we offer and outline the core differences between them, hopefully bringing you one step closer to making the right decision for your space.

Naturally, solid composite deck boards have more strength than hollow. This makes the solid boards a more suitable solution for certain environments and applications (high footfall commercial settings or projects where anything particularly heavy is being installed). Hollow decking boards on the other hand are generally more suited to low footfall residential garden and balcony projects.

Less material = a more affordable product. A lighter product with less material means that they are more affordable to make and we pass this saving onto our customers. A unique design of our hollow composite deck boards is that we can reduce the material from their core without compromising too much on their structural integrity and overall hardiness (which means excellent value for money). That being said, we are confident that regardless of whether you opt for hollow or solid – we still offer the best value for money products in our industry!

More material naturally means more weight. Our solid, densely packed Classic and Deluxe boards are naturally heavier (approximately 5kg heavier per length) than their hollow alternatives. With a hollow design comes a product that is lighter and in turn easier to install – that makes our Essential and Advanced deck boards the ideal solution for many one-man decking installation projects.

Both of these boards hold their structural integrity with only 40% of the material removed from the core with a hollow tube design. We remove the material in circular increments which obviously is a lot stronger than rectangular holes (which you will see a lot when researching competitor brands).

When developing these boards, we didn’t want to compromise on the finish or the strength, so despite removing the core, nothing else was compromised.

Tightly packed composite material that offers exceptional strength – our solid composite deck boards are the strongest, most durable products in our range and are a fantastic option for pretty much all decking projects. So, if you are looking for peace of mind, our solid boards go hand-in-hand with high footfall areas because of their superior performance.

A problem frequently seen with low-quality composite materials or timber decking is that they can flex, bow and warp over time. Opting for our Classic and Deluxe ranges helps solve these issues as they are specifically engineered to provide strength and structural integrity.

We often find samples are an excellent way to see the true difference in weight, feel and quality between our composite deck boards and we urge all customers to request free samples before placing an order.

Simply order 3 FREE samples that should be with you in a matter of days and take you one step closer to enjoying the ideal deck for your space.