February, 2009

Part II: Wood Decking

By John Wagner

By 2011, after experiencing 20% annual growth, the decking market will be a 3.6-billion-linealfoot industry, according to Cleveland-based Freedonia Group, which tracks these trends. Last month in this column, I pointed out that industry trend watchers see decking as a unique breakout category. To fulfill this growing need, specialty deck contractors and traditional contractors will be installing any of a number of new types of decking products, like PVC decking and composite decking (made of wood fiber, plastic, and resin). Yet, as popular as the alternatives have become, don’t count out wood. It still constitutes a large part of the market, so let’s take a closer look at the latest in wood decking treatments.

Indeed, today’s up-market wood decks are completely different from the CCA wood decks we were all knocking together back in the 1980s. These new decks are often part of outdoor living centers, which are designed and built as lifestyle choices, with integrated sitting areas, grill, pool, or hot tub…and premium decking material. (Selling hint: When a contractor walks into the decking area of your store, don’t say, “What kind of deck board are you looking for?” Instead, say, “What’s your project?” because the upsell and sellaround opportunities for decking can be dramatic.)

Wood decking breaks out by wood species, ranging from pine and cedar, to Ipe’ and even Meranti, which is a mahogany- like wood. The various wood species can be further differentiated by their sources. If a wood species is renewable and the wood comes from well-managed source forests, the decking is, by definition a very green product. For instance, Southern yellow pine, which is fast-growing, is considered a highly renewable species, and if it is certified for its “chain of custody,” (typically through FSC or SFI), you have what adds up to a very green product, indeed.

Wood decking products are also differentiated by the kind of chemical treatment used on the wood. In terms of overall chemical exposure and environmental impact, the leading chemical companies are moving toward environmentally friendly chemical treatments, like EcoLife from Viance, Wolmanized L3 Outdoor wood from Arch, or treatments that don’t require solvents, like MicroPro from Osmose.

For some perspective, here’s a brief look at the history of wood treatments. The wood treatment companies voluntary stopped using Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA) in 2003 for residential products due to health concerns, replacing it with formulations that are considered less toxic or non-toxic, such as Alkaline copper quat (“ACQ”) and copper azole (“CAB”). Borate has also been used, as borax is a natural insecticide.

In the ever-evolving world of treatments, here are three of today’s leading products. Osmose says that with its micronized copper process, there is no solvent, and the copper is ground so finely it can be floated into place at effective levels with just water.

Ecolife from Viance uses a non-metallic preservative, along with an advancedpolymer, wood-stabilizer system that improves weathering performance and lowers the need for maintenance.

According to manufacturer Arch Wood Protection, its Wolmanized L3 Outdoor wood was the first decking product protected by a nonmetallic, carbon-based solution.

Finally, there is a new wood treatment that uses heat, and this class of product is referred to as Thermally Modified Wood or TMW. This wood treatment process contains no additives at all. Like its name says, the Thermally Modified process uses high heat and steam to change the very nature of the wood, without compromising its structural abilities. In fact, the thermal process removes the aspects of the wood that lead to rot and decay. That means that most wood sugars are removed, and the only things that are left behind are aspects of the wood that cannot be digested by insects or eaten by fungus and mold. After the wood is thermally treated, it can be stained or sealed like regular wood. These newer treatments will help keep wood on the top of the list as a viable, green decking material.

The award-winning author of many articles and books—and a sought-after green trainer and keynote speaker for dealer events— JOHN D. WAGNER is the Green Editor for LBM Journal and the content manager for the Certified Green Dealer Program. Contact John: John.Wagner@LBMJournal.com. Or visit his website: www.JohnDWagner.com