Composite Decking Boards – They’re Not All The Same
Posted by: admin on: 2011/01/08
The latest of lasting outdoor deck structures for the home comes to us in the form of composite decking. Initially these innovative building materials were considered to be maintenance-free and eco friendly, but it has been made apparent now that many types of composite decking are neither permanent nor maintenance free.
For a long time redwood has been most often employed for making outdoor decks. Nevertheless, most redwoods available in the Western United States are in fact hundreds of years old. The continued harvesting of these very old trees has been the cause of an environmental awakening. The redwood forests of America are getting exhausted at an alarming rate. Despite our best efforts of replanting, it will take hundreds of years to compensate for what has already been lost to the lumber industry. Composite decking materials are being tried to fill the void. But, not all composite decks are created equal.
Composite deck boards are manufactured to acquire the looks of natural wood. The material most often employed for the purpose comprise of plastic resins like fiberglass, but they almost failed to bear the test of time. The highlight of promoting composite decking has always been that unlike natural wood it doesn’t require the same level of maintenance as natural wood which decays naturally. But, the composite deck boards of low quality proved to be less durable than wood. The plastic pieces of artificial lumber have been prone to fading, chipping and breaking. Unlike wood, composite material cannot be sanded or painted. Chemical cleaners used for their maintenance contribute to their premature fading and they may even cause weakening the boards themselves.
There are many types of composite decking boards. It has been realized that virgin vinyl is the best as this kind of composite decking is devoid of wood pulp like most vinyl decking materials. Virgin vinyl is known for its ability to retain its resiliency and continues to remain strong. Composite lumber in this form most closely resembles the looks of wood than any other material available in the market these days.
Ipe Decking, Pine Decking or Cedar Decking
Posted by: admin on: 2010/12/16
One of the most preferred home improvements that homeowners opt for is decking. It’s believed that nearly 85 percent of homeowners would really add at least one, if not two in their lifetimes. The deck boards form an important part of the decision taking process of this project and there are many options these days, unlike the past when the choice was mostly limited to pressure treated pine but the new technology adopted for making these gives you many options. Let’s examine here different wood decks and the merits or demerits of using the same.
Pine is one of the very popular options for many reasons. It’s readily available and is pressure treated to make certain of its insect control characteristics to prolong its life. Eco-friendly characteristics of this variety of wood are that it produces less energy and air/water pollution than other building materials. Pine is four as strong as plastic and offer easy installation, needing no special tools. Southern pine is comfortable to walk upon when the sun is out compared to the intense temperature of many composite or artificial decks. The not so favorable point are the chemical outgas and the life of this deck is generally 10-15 years, if maintained periodically.
Cedar is gaining popularity because of its density and rich warm tones. Another helpful feature is that it requires no chemical treatment for insect resistance. It cost almost double of pressure treated lumber and is widely used. Its fixing requires stainless steel screws but no pre-drilling. If properly maintained it lasts for about 9-20 but insist clear grade. This variety of wood has the same eco friendly properties as the pine. You can span more board in cedar than you can in a composite deck board because of its strength. The downside is it may yet be too soft for outdoor application and the clear grade is very expensive.
Ipe is preferred primarily because of its strength; it has a janka hardness of 3680 compared to 350 of Cedar. That gives you a good idea of the hardness of this unusual hardwood. Ipe also known as Ironwood has its origin in South America, Central America and parts of the Caribbean. This hardwood is frequently employed for many commercial applications like the boardwalk in Miami for its resiliency and endurance. It has natural resistant to insects, mold, fungus and decay. Besides, its fire spread rating equals that of concrete. It’s estimated to have a lifetime of more than 40 years without any treatment. Application of a UV inhibitor increases the life expectancy of this wood to more than hindered years. This deck needs very little maintenance and you and your future generations can really enjoy using it for long with minimal maintenance. This wood offers all the benefits woods as described above and may more. No wonder it’s far more expensive than pressure treated lumber. this board needs to be predrilled because of its high density but the long life will more than compensate for the initial labor and expense as you won’t have to replace and reinstall a new deck for 10 -15 years.
Wooden Deck Boards – 5 Good Reasons To Choose Them
Posted by: admin on: 2010/11/21
Making a deck for your home can add to the presently available living space and help create lasting memories for your family. But you have to be careful in choosing the best material. Though cost is one of the major factors, you have to take into consideration design flexibility and maintenance. Wood often the most preferred material by many homeowners for five reasons.
1) Wooden Decking is Easy to Work With
A very helpful feature of timber is its lightweight, making its handling far easier than most other products. You can cut and shape it easily as per the requirement of your design. Treated wood is available in wide ranging pre-cut sizes that can be combined or joined together to get a unique structure with amazing looks.
2) Wooden Decking is Strong
Since generation timber has usefully been employed as a building material. A well constructed wooden structure is sure to last for generations and will continue looking beautiful. Use of treated timber for decking enhances its durability and strength and weather and insects won’t harm it.
Framing and railings made from wood are sturdy and reliable too, with options for different dimensions and styles. Constructing your deck as per British Standards results to having a safe surface with ample room for relaxing and playing.
3) Wood Has a Natural Charm
We are all too familiar with the softness and warmth offered by wood that makes it different from all other building materials. You may stain or paint your timber decking to put across your taste and style, while the feel and texture of wood adds to its beauty. Wood can have strong or contemporary looks and everything in between. With the charm of wood around you, outdoor living surely becomes more comfortable.
4) Wood is Economical
Price is usually the deciding factor for home renovations. The fact is that timber decking is easy on the pocket when compared to other exterior grade building materials. Apart from being economical, the installation charges tend to be lower, depending on the handling and flexibility of wood.
Wood is more readily available in wide ranging sizes, making it convenient to have tailored items with in stock materials.
5) Wooden Decking is an Environmentally Friendly Choice
Using wood harvested from sustainable forests makes building with wood an eco-friendly choice. Further, if you use treated wood it will last for a lifetime, meaning that you won’t have to replace the product, thus reducing wastage.
Wood is a natural and renewable matter, making it an outstanding selection for sustainable building. You may prefer wood due it durability and flexibility, or low price and the accompanying looks, here is a material that continues to enjoy the favor of homeowners all over the world.
Deck Boards – Looking For Suitable Option
Posted by: admin on: 2010/11/01
It’s most usual for most homeowners to invest in building a deck or an outdoor area. But, the large variety of available deck boards can be overwhelming. Selection of the right material plays a significant role in the process of decision taking for quite a few reasons. Your selection of board decides how long it will last, or will you have to treat the deck for insects, mold or fungus, and would you be required to make it in such a way that it gets no direct exposure from the sun, and of course, the aesthetics and strength of the deck. Here, we examine the different materials and what to search for.
The most popular way of making deck boards is by applying high pressure to wood boards. This is the most economical way of making them, but such boards have a limited lifespan of about 5-10 years, depending upon the environment. Pressure treating of lumber also releases some vicious gases that are unhealthy for living creatures in its environs. Because of the highly sullied looks of old pressure treated decking, there are god chances of its replacement in ten years time. In the long run, one ends up paying substantially towards labor and replacement of materials, demanding more work and materials at a future date.
An emerging industry is that of composite decking and PVC. The composite decking industry, a fairly new industry combines the use of plastic and wood dust. The problem in its case is the durability as it loses its strength over a period of time. The lack of structural integrity prevents making of joists from this combination. The increasing cases of lawsuits and bankruptcy of different composite manufacturing companies is an indication of problems to come.
Problems of PVC decking are quite akin. Made from Polyvinyl Chloride, PVC decking is nothing but plastic manufactured with toxic byproducts. Dioxin, a known powerful carcinogen, ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride are used in the manufacturing process of making PVC and are responsible for causing health related issues. Some acknowledged harms of PVC plastic include neurological damage, endocrine disruption, birth defects, impaired child development, endometriosis, damage of immune and or reproductive system and cancer. In fact, that is an important reason for Target to phase out the use of this plastic material. There is plenty of information on the ill effects it causes you and the environment.
Exotic wood decking is again an emerging industry and is also sustainable. Unfortunately, over the last few years, this industry has earned a bad reputation of causing forest destruction. As a matter of fact, sustainable forestry could be an asset to forests as it creates a demand for trees. If you research to arrive at the real cause of depleting forests, you will realize that cattle grazing and agricultural cash cropping constitute 90% of the cause. These uses tear down the soil for future growth of trees whereas trees that are logged can be replaced and proper management can help faster growth of surrounding trees because of adequate sunlight and more ground area for growth. This kind of provoked thinking has led to the formation of associations like FSC, Green Peace and Smartwood. Many government agencies are also working in liaison with lumber companies. The Brazilian agency IBAMA and our own government are framing laws like the Lacey Act to police where from the lumber comes and checking that it is sourced from a managed forest. Such like efforts put a stop to illegal harvesting of hardwoods like ipe decking.
Now, on considering varieties like Ipe, Cumaru, Tigerwood and Garapa you would understand you could have the best of both the worlds. These are extremely beautiful species and the density of these deck boards is very high. They have natural characteristics to resist insects, mold, fungus and rot. They don’t need any sprays for repelling insects. Moreover, you have the comfortable thought of not needing to replace the deck for the next five years. Opting to have hardwoods of the kind of ipe decking is quite logical as the alternatives we have are neither better nor so eco-friendly.
Short Look On Outdoor Decking Board Prices
Posted by: admin on: 2010/10/28
As far as outdoor decks are concerned, cheaper materials rarely prove better. It’s not easy getting the materials required for making a deck at the best prices. One reason for that is the large variety of materials available for the purpose. The price of decking boards is directly proportional to its quality. Many boards are made from composite materials, while others have elements of wood, vinyl, metal and plastic. Though, the natural woods may ultimately prove to be the best.
Manufacturers using composite materials for making decks frequently advertise to offer maintenance-free decks at reasonable price. Ironically, many people who opted to have composite decks, found them to be far from being maintenance-free. Such boards are frequently known to have problems of fading, weakening and even breaking at times. Meaning, a reasonable price is not the best option at all times.
It’s quite difficult to understand pricing of decking materials. The price of many boards is decided by size, shape and cut. For instance, a decking board that is so cut to provide a groove or slot that fits into another board with a tab, they are each differently priced. The same holds good for the material itself. Untreated wood is certainly cheaper than treated wood. When comparing the prices of decking, the cost of essentially needed accessories too has to be included. Accessories comprise of brackets, screws, nails, brackets etc. and the more the hardware needed or building a deck, the more expensive it becomes.
Usually, its length calculates the price for a composite board. The average price of a composite decking board would generally vary from $1.60 to $4.00 per foot. Some of the hardwood decking boards may be as expensive as $5.00 per foot. Nevertheless, the prices would often indicate the kind of wood or material being sold. People who are not willing to install their own decks, should be prepared to pay a considerable amount to contractor towards labor for install ion of their decks.
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