Green Decking Options
We are looking for a decking that has a green option.
Decking is now more than a 9 billion dollar industry and is growing
daily. The original decking material was just plain old wood and homes
had covered porches where the wood was painted. In the 1950’s sun decks
became popular and with the arrival of sun decks and with exposure to
the sun came maintenance requirements. That maintenance often depended
on toxic solvents, paints, stains and sealers. Now we have evolved into
a greener society and today, if cost is not a factor, the greenest
decking is a plantation-grown wood product that is naturally resistant
to rot and bugs and does not need further preservative treatment.
Eco-friendly decking includes black locust or tamarack or domestic and
tropical woods (redwood and teak) and all are certified by the Forestry
Stewardship Council. Many homeowners are weary of maintenance and want
to “set-it and forget-it” and there are many plastic and plastic-wood
composite lumber products which are made from recycled content that are
maintenance free. These products are composites, plastics and vinyl and
we will address these individual materials next week.
