Timber decking remains a popular choice in the UK, but solid and hollow composite decking boards are increasingly on trend. Here are their key differences!
If you’ve taken even a passing look around our site here at Savoy Timber, you’ll note that we’ve got a huge range of decking products to choose from. While our timber decking products have a long history of success with our customers, composite decking options are now increasingly on trend. They’re anti-slip, highly durable, and they look fantastic in any garden.
To give you a quick primer, composite decking is made of a mixture of recycled plastic and recycled wood, which has been manufactured to look like real wood). The composite decking options we offer here can be divided into two main categories – solid composite, and hollow composite boards. Here, we explain the key differences between them.
Advantages of solid composite decking boards:
As the name suggests, these decking boards are solid pieces of composite, without any holes or perforations in them. They bear an especially close resemblance to authentic wooden decking boards, but they’re a lot more resistant to warping or splintering.
That means if you want the classic look of a wood decking board but with all the durability and resilience of composite, then solid composite decking is probably the answer for you. You’ve got a huge range of choice when it comes to solid composite decking boards, which include a variety of grain patterns and timber textures.
(It’s worth noting that they are sometimes known to warp or contract in extreme weather conditions, but in our normally mild British climate, you’ll probably find that this is rarely an issue.)
Advantages of hollow composite decking boards:
Hollow composite decking boards mainly differ from solid ones in that they have ribbed centres, with an internal structure that broadly resembles a honeycomb. This gives them a notably lighter build than solid composite decking boards, as well as being cheaper to produce. In fact, a 16-foot hollow decking board can weigh as much as a third less than a solid composite counterpart, which is part of why they make great replacement boards if you’re only looking to replace an individual board on your existing decking.
Like solid composite decking boards, they’re designed for strength and durability, and they cope better with extreme conditions like those brought by heatwaves or snowstorms, being less likely to contract or warp than some solid core variants can be.
You’ll find plenty to choose from amongst our own range right here at Savoy Timber. As your one stop shop for decking products, our stock ranges from individual boards all the way to composite decking kits in a variety of colours, ranging from walnut to mocha to charcoal black. If you fancy browsing our products for yourself, feel free to pay a visit to our DIY stores in Blackpool, Preston or Wigan, and if you’ve got any questions or need any advice then one of our friendly members of staff will be only too happy to assist!