Think of plastic. You do not think of Green. Due to the subject matter of this article it is important to give readers full disclosure. This article seeks to examine the environmental benefits of composite decking. You must decide for yourself the if such a decking material is right for you if you decide to construct a deck. This article does not attempt to also explain or research the environmental benefits or deficits wood products.
Other than the obvious raw material of timber which requires the harvesting of trees, it is not know from the scope of this article if indeed wood decks are better or not for the environment. Basically I just do not know. I do know about the benefits of composite decking, but have not done any research on the environmental benefits or detriments of wood lumber products.
Many public institutions such as colleges and universities install such decks to improve their environmental rating.
Composite Decking (CD) is more expensive than regular wood decking., but some say wood decks have a lifespan of approximately eight years if they are not prepared with wood sealant on a yearly basis.
Many composite building material manufacturers have developed a waste-free manufacturing process.
CD is made mostly from plastic. Wanting not to offset the benefits of using recycled waste, many manufacturers are careful to obtain recycled materials that are locally sourced -- recycled bottles that do not have be trucked in from 1000's of miles.
A good recycled decking product would contain over 50% recycled plastic and over 5% reclaimed content.
Many composite materials are made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE). HDPE comes from plastic milk jugs, shampoo bottles, and laundry detergent bottles.
HDPE is stronger and more durable than low-density polyethylene (LDPE). This is not necessarily an environmental benefit unless keeping HDPE out of landfills is better because it does not degrade as readily as LDPE.
HDPE is mixed with wood flour acquired from ground up window trim, door frames, and cabinets.
HDPE encapsulates the wood to resist harsh weather, splintering and decay.
Building with recycled materials keeps about millions of tons of plastic and wood out of incinerators and landfills every year. Of course, incinerator smoke is bad for the environment.
The manufacturing process uses garbage that would just get thrown into a landfill.
Of course, CD eliminates the need to harvest timber to produce decking. In many manufacturers process, 100% of PVC material used in the manufacturing process is reclaimed.
This has a compound effect because trees also help take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
Conceivably it would make sense to say that building decks with wood would mean more milk jugs will go into a landfill. More old doors will go into incinerators. Also more trees will be cut down. Less trees means more carbon dioxide.
Any deck would probably increase your home value.
Does this mean that CD helps the environment? Not necessarily!
What if construction of these decks used up a lot more resources than installing a timber deck?
Composite decking construction helps improve a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) rating. LEED was developed by the US Green Building Council.
Some synthetic decking materials use less screws than time than building a wood deck of the same size and specifications. This translates into fewer resources such as power are used since the construction is reduced.
Some manufacturers also use a manufacturing process that is free of toxic materials including Urea and formaldehyde.
You can even recycle the deck itself after it has outlived its usefulness.
Of course the need for chemical preservatives, paint, stains, and sealants is not necessary with composite decking.
Even if paints and stains are not harmful to the environment, the manufacturing process could be. Even if the manufacturing process was not bad for the environment, that and the transportation infrastructure required to transport chemicals, paints, and sealants does leave a carbon footprint.
Using composite materials completely eliminates an entire manufacturing process.
In the end it is beneficial to use essentially trash as raw material to create a product that adds value to a home and a family environment.
Jim Dodge has been writing about composite decking for 6 years. He lives in Charlotte and also enjoys aviation, surfing, and architecture. To view composite decking pictures of beautiful composite decking products
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