How the Deck Do I Do this Thing?

By Adam Eisman, GREENandSAVE.com
Posted on Sunday 25th January 2009
The cold, monotonous winter continues to trudge along, however it is never too early to start thinking about kicking back and enjoying the spring sunshine from your deck or patio. Whether you have a deck, or are thinking about adding one to your home, there are some important things to consider. The types of decks out there are varied, but if you want to remain environmentally sustainable while adding an attractive new deck, consider these decking options:

Natural Wood Decks

Natural wood decks have advantages that no other decking materials possess:

Wood is nontoxic and extremely strong for its weight, as well as beautiful and easily worked. Wood is a renewable resource if it’s intelligently managed. Wood is produced with comparatively less fossil-fuel inputs compared to other materials used for decking, especially if harvested products come from forests that are local to the buyer. Wood is also easy to reuse, recycle, and it biodegrades naturally without any polluting byproducts.

The problems associated with wood decking surprisingly spring from its advantages: The natural inclination of your beautiful wood deck is to return to the soil from which it came, by the action of weather, insects, bacteria, and molds. To delay this effect, woods that have innate rot-resistance, such as native cedar and redwood, are commonly used, in addition to imported tropical hardwoods such as teak and ipe (a Brazilian hardwood pronounced ‘ee-pay,’ also known as ironwood).
Wood is a product of forests that can be managed for the benefit of the whole planet, but most often, they are not. Clearcutting and monocropping degrade and deplete our forestlands. To support sustainable forestry practices, look for wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).

Treated Lumber Decks

Naturally rot-resistant wood is wonderful stuff, but as human pressure on forests increases, woods have become more and more expensive, forcing people to search for more cost effective alternatives. A popular substitute, especially in areas far from cedar and redwood forests, is decking made from less rot-resistant, cheaper softwoods that are pressure-treated with various chemicals that inhibit decay. These chemicals are in no way benign, however they are more environmentally friendly than their predecessors. Also be sure to look for low-VOC, low-toxicity finishes made by such companies as AFM Safecoat, Bioshield, or Eco Safety, among others.

High Density Polyethylene

Lumber made entirely from High Density Polyethylene resin—the same plastic milk jugs are made of—is made from plastic waste that easily makes another turn around the recycling wheel. Like composite lumber, it is workable with wood tools. HDPE plastic lumber comes in various colors and wood tones. Decking, trim, and railings are only some of the uses High Density Polyethylene plastic.
HDPE Plastic lumber does not possess the strength of wood and it is thus best suited for low-load structural applications. Some uses for High Density Polyethylene plastic include tables, benches, or planks on well-supported walkways. It is not intended for primary structural load-bearing elements, such as posts, joists, and beams. Compared to composite lumber, HDPE plastic decking products tend to expand and contract more with temperature. This plastic has an increased tendency to warp. Manufacturers of plastic lumber vary in their uses of post-consumer waste. Look for products which contain at least 50% post-consumer waste plastic.

Composite Decking

Composite decking products blend waste wood fiber and recycled plastics, adding in waxes, fiberglass, and preservatives to form wood-like boards. Popular manufacturers known for sustainable products and practices of composite decking include Trex, Nexwood, Verenda, Timbertech, and others.

Some composite products last up to 20 years with little maintenance; however, all weather and warping are not unusual. Composite lumber has some of the strength of wood, it looks and feels something like it, can be worked with wood tools, and it uses waste products that might otherwise end up in a landfill.

In terms of green building, the biggest objection to composite decking is that, although it lasts a long time, it is very difficult to dispose of once it reaches its life’s end. This is because its biological components (wood and other cellulose) and "technical" components (plastics, waxes, and fiberglass) are inextricably blended.

In a well-designed recycling system, biological wastes are allowed to decompose naturally, while technological wastes such as metals, chemicals, and petroleum products are filtered out for reuse. So far, there has been no progress in meeting the recycling challenge of composite wood products. However one might decide to build a deck, it is clear that options abound. Some of the choices listed above have their environmental drawbacks and no product on the market is yet perfect, so it is truly up to the consumer to decide which product will go best with their home climate and budget.

GREENandSAVE.com is a free resource for anyone that wants to save energy, money, and the environment. The articles, product reviews, online tools, and return on investment calculations are researched from a diverse range of public and private sector sources. Overall, the company is passionate about saving money as well as creating healthy homes, offices, and lifestyles.

GREENandSAVE has an abundant resource of information on Decks, as well as articles articulating strategies on all the Decking options above, like Composite Decking. In addition, you can find a helpful Return on Investment Table that covers a wide array of Home Remodeling projects and suggestions.

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