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November 07, 2009  |  Login
Low-Maintenance Decking Options
By Eric Corey Freed
 

The right deck is great for entertaining, but it can also be a maintenance headache. Encourage outdoor living with these durable, low-maintenance decking alternatives to wood:

  • Pressure-treated wood: Wood framing used outside is typically pressure treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA), which is a form of arsenic and bad for your health. The EPA has now banned CCA wood, but it’s still in use, especially in children’s playgrounds. Look for wood treated with the healthier ammoniacal copper quaternary (ACQ). Choose wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC); the FSC stamp ensures that the wood has been sustainably harvested (collected from well-managed forests to guarantee the forest wasn’t clear-cut). Although FSC-certified wood is the best choice, plan on paying 20% more for this certification.
  • Composite lumber: Combining recycled plastic and sawdust, composite lumbers are much healthier and environmentally friendly. Look for brands with 100% recycled content.
  • Reclaimed beams (railroad ties): Salvaged ties from old railroad tracks are attractive and did not require any new trees to be cut. Coat them with two coats of a water-based sealer to seal in the CCA. If you’re concerned that your existing deck or playground may contain CCA-treated wood, you can purchase CCA test kits, such as the one available from Safe2Play (http://www.safe2play.org).


Decking Considerations

No matter what material you choose for your deck, consider the following:

  • Size your deck to match the size of the material you’re using. If you’re using boards that come in 8-foot lengths, design with that size in mind to reduce waste.
  • Locate the deck in a sunny area to avoid dry rot and moss growth.
  • Avoid handrails. If your deck is less than 18 inches off the ground, the local building code probably doesn’t require a handrail. Not using handrails saves you money and keeps the view open. It also reduces the amount of wood you need to use. Check your local building code for the exact handrail requirements.
  • Create interesting shapes to turn the deck toward the view or the sunshine. Be creative!
 
 
 
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