Homeowners in Brigham City, UT frequently compare quotes for a new deck and wonder why one composite option costs more than another. Omega Deck Solutions answers this question often for clients throughout Box Elder County. Homeowners usually find themselves choosing between solid core composite boards and hollow composite boards. Both keep you from ever having to grab a paintbrush or sander again, but they behave totally differently once they are screwed down to the joists.
How They Are Built
Solid core boards are heavy, dense, and made of plastic and wood fibers all the way through. They feel and act very much like heavy timber under your feet. Hollow boards, on the other hand, have open channels running down the center of the extrusion. They use less material, which makes them lighter and easier to haul up a ladder.
Here is what you actually need to know about how that builds out on a real job site:
- Solid boards need extra framing support because of the sheer weight, but they do not bounce when you walk on them.
- Hollow boards require end-caps to keep out Brigham City's freezing winter moisture and bugs, but they save your back during installation.
Handling Brigham City Weather
Omega Deck Solutions deals with scorching summer heat baking off the Wasatch Mountains and freezing winter snowstorms that pile up knee-deep in Brigham City, UT. That extreme temperature swing causes materials to expand and contract constantly. Solid core boards handle this movement well, but they can hold onto heat on a 95-degree July afternoon. If you walk barefoot on a Deck near Main Street during peak summer, you will definitely feel it.
Hollow boards breathe a bit better underneath, but moisture getting inside those empty chambers is a disaster when sub-zero January temperatures hit. If water gets trapped and freezes, it splits the board from the inside out. Omega Deck Solutions has pulled up cheap hollow boards near the foothills that literally cracked in half after two winters because the end-caps popped off.
Cost and Lifespan
Budget usually makes the final call for Deck Construction projects. Hollow composite is cheaper upfront. If you are flipping a house or working with a tight budget, the lower material cost is tempting. But Omega Deck Solutions usually steers homeowners toward solid core if they plan on staying in their home past 5 years. Solid boards resist scratching, handle heavy patio furniture without denting, and come with strong warranties from manufacturers who actually stand behind them.
At the end of the day, spend the extra money on solid core if you want a Deck that lasts 15 to 20 years or more without making you worry every time a heavy snow load sits on it. A Deck takes a beating in Brigham City, UT, and cutting corners on the board itself usually costs you double down the road.