| Eco-friendly, green, recycled, renewable, | | | | biodegradable product. This product is a primary |
| environmentally friendly, sustainable, bio-degradable | | | | producer in that it only requires its natural habitat to |
| and energy efficient are all key words used more | | | | develop and grow. The sun, water and soil along with |
| and more often these days. This is a positive | | | | the seed produced from another tree is all required |
| movement that has grown internationally and is well | | | | to make this raw product. Wood uses less energy to |
| marketed. We all want to contribute to saving the | | | | process than steel, concrete, plastic and aluminum. It |
| planet and doing our part to keep our earth clean and | | | | is used for insulation and has low thermal diffusivity |
| free of chemicals and pollutants. There are now | | | | (measure of how quickly a material can absorb heat |
| many organizations that are set up to help us do just | | | | from its surroundings). The only downside is wood |
| that. Let's take a look at what this means and how a | | | | made of certain species of wood will not be as |
| wood deck such as Ipe can be eco-friendly. | | | | dense and strong as others and would require some |
| First what is eco-friendly mean? If we don't Google | | | | type of treatment to be usable outdoors. The new |
| it, I would say it means friendly to our environment, | | | | technology now available has opened doors to allow |
| no chemicals no harmful out-gassing and uses only | | | | other wood to be available that has otherwise been |
| raw materials. The Wikipedia definition states it is | | | | unaccessible. |
| product that inflicts little or no harm to the | | | | Pressure treated decking has been the most |
| environment. This is a very grey area. Now lets apply | | | | commonly used lumber. This lumber is in-expensive, |
| this to decking. There are several products available; | | | | readily accessible and easy to install. The chemicals |
| pressure treated, composite and hardwood decks. | | | | used to treat lumber, has helped its resistance to |
| Composite decking is the least environmentally | | | | insects, decay and mold/fungus. The only problem is |
| friendly product. Let me state that this product is | | | | the chemicals used to pressure treat the lumber has |
| marketed as green but let's examine a few things | | | | been chromated copper arsenate, a toxic chemical |
| first. The decking is man made from plastic or | | | | used until about 2003 and now other chemicals are |
| composite that has been recycled. Testing performed | | | | used such as copper azone but no current |
| on the recycled plastic (High Density Polyethylene ) | | | | information has been supplied as to whether it is any |
| has confirmed that the recycling process loses some | | | | less hazardous also CCA is still being used in certain |
| of its original tensile strength and the recycled | | | | industrial and marine applications. |
| product does not readily biodegrade in the landfills. | | | | IPE decking is made from a hardwood with origins in |
| The fact that this plastic is made of petroleum also | | | | South America, Central America and parts of the |
| escapes the corporations that tote its environmental | | | | Caribbean. This hardwood is one of the strongest |
| benefits. Petroleum is costly and sometimes | | | | densest woods available. The janka hardness for Ipe |
| environmentally damaging. The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill | | | | is 3680 compared to the California redwood at 420. |
| is one example of the damages transportation of | | | | The fire spread is rated the same as concrete and |
| petroleum has caused. Now going back to the loss of | | | | steel. Naturally resistant to mold, fungus, decay and |
| tensile strength, how does that affect the life of the | | | | insects, Ipe requires no chemicals. The lifetime of the |
| deck once installed in an external environment? What | | | | wood without a UV inhibitor is 40 plus years and with |
| happens when plastic is exposed to heat over a long | | | | the inhibitor over 100 years. Ipe has a slip |
| period of time? Again Google one of the composite | | | | co-efficiency above the requirement for commercial |
| company names to expose warping, staining, flaking, | | | | applications for restaurants and hotels. This is the |
| molding, fungus and other complaints and lawsuits. If | | | | deck you will get to enjoy without all the |
| you are replacing your deck in less than 10 years | | | | maintenance. FSC certified Ipe is also available for the |
| time is it really environmentally friendly or if you have | | | | most discriminating clients and projects. The Forest |
| to apply chemicals to it to prevent mold and fungus? | | | | Stewardship Council will certify that your lumber |
| Do a little homework and you will realize wood is the | | | | comes from a responsibly managed forest. Now that |
| only eco-friendly decking resource. | | | | is as eco-friendly as it gets. |
| Wood is a renewable, recyclable and totally | | | | |