Generally, recycled plastic lumber is cost competitive with other high end decking material such as pine and redwood, but it is more expensive than traditional treated wood products. Because there is no need to treat, paint or seal recycle plastic lumber, the costs are less to maintain than wood decks, fencing and railing. When using recycled plastic lumber materials, installation is easy and can be done using standard carpenter tools and once installed, the lumber can be left its natural color or painted or stained to match existing colors.

The warranty for recycled plastic lumber will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and most will last for 10-20 years. Some manufacturers will also offer a lifetime warranty on the product, but because the product is so durable, rarely will someone have to use the warranty. Composite or recycled lumber products used for railing and fencing are more likely to have a longer warranty, but are much more durable than traditional wooden lumber.

Though plastic lumber is more expensive than wood, it exhibits low moisture and is highly resistant to insect, decay and UV sun damage. Plastic lumber requires less maintenance than wood and has greater stability and does not expand and retract from moisture like wooden lumber. While recycled plastic lumber may be more expensive than some other types of products, the money and time saved on painting, stripping and staining the materials every few years saves considerable time and expense on the homeowner.

Recycled plastic lumber is available in a wide variety of colors and is resistant to fading, cracking, warping, and looks very similar to traditional, regular wood products. Recycled plastic lumber does not require staining or sealing, has an indefinite life span and does not rot, splinter or crack due to the elements. When thinking of the expense of using plastic lumber, it pays to weigh the pros and cons of recycled versus traditional wood lumber and while it may be more expensive in the short term, using recycled products will pay for itself in saved time, effort and expense for the homeowner.

Composite decking is easy to care for. Homeowners that do not have a lot of time to devote to maintenance love the ease of care. Traditional wood decking has to be repainted, stained or resealed every few years to help keep it looking good. Composite decking comes in a variety of colors and since the material is already impregnated with the color there is never a need to paint this decking material. Composite decking is also easy to clean. All one has to do is simple wash it off with water to keep it looking good all year long.

Since composite decking is easy to take care of and comes in a variety of colors, many are now choosing this newer material over traditional wood decking. By installing a deck made out of composite decking, homeowners know that their outdoor investment will look beautiful for years to come.

Plastic fencing is versatile and comes in a wide array of color options, which is another benefit for a homeowner looking beyond a traditional wood or chain link fence. The color used goes all the way through the plastic and is evenly disbursed, a person can choose from lattice fencing, picket fence or there are some manufactured to look like logs. Many people are surprised when checking into all the different options of plastic fencing because its appearance can be very deceptive and nobody will realize it is plastic until touching it.

Plastic fencing is easy to install which is another advantage; since the posts and materials are lightweight it is easy to move the materials into any position desired. It is easy to attach plastic fence posts and even for people that cannot move heavy materials, plastic is surprisingly easy to move with relative ease. Plastic fencing while lightweight, is not cheaply constructed or flimsy, but on the contrary very durable and holds up well to a variety of different circumstances.

Plastic fencing will withstand heat, humidity and other environmental tortures and will not melt or warp in the heat of the sun. Even if plastic fencing does somehow become damaged, it is relatively easy to fix and should take no more than a few minutes, unlike other repairs which could take hours or days to accomplish. Plastic fencing can be more expensive than wood or chain link fencing, but because of low maintenance, the cost is more easily justified.

Plastic fencing can be a lovely addition to any home or business landscape and brings with it security, safety and durability like few other materials can. When considering how easy it is to install and given the wide range of colors and textures, plastic fencing can be a much better choice and value for people seeking something different in terms of beauty and durability. Plastic fencing is affordable, durable and attractive and brightens up an otherwise drab and bland landscape.

Fiberglass has the same strength as steel but resists corrosion, and fiberglass is also being used in many products. Guard rails, manhole covers, suspension bridges, ladders, street light poles, hydro transmission towers, shower stalls, fiber optic cables, hot tubs, snow mobiles, hockey sticks, playground equipment, skis and ski poles, fishing poles and helmets are now being manufactured with fiberglass. No more than ever before, manufacturers are using fiberglass when making simple, everyday products.

Fiberglass is much stronger than PVC, wood, aluminum and steel, which makes it an ideal material for fence posts. Fiberglass does not warp, corrode, rust, twist, shrink, fade, expand, blister, deteriorate or crack, which is very important when considering other fencing materials which will not last as long as fiberglass. Fence posts constructed and reinforced using fiberglass provide an overwhelming superiority when considering wood, plastic or other fencing materials which will rot, bend or break when exposed to environmental elements over a period of several years.

Fiberglass fencing is ideal for any type of environment and can withstand high humidity and high temperatures which makes it efficient and cost effective for many home and business owners. Fiberglass fencing posts and fencing materials will also require very little maintenance and provides a splinter-free surface which makes it ideal for playgrounds and homes with small children and pets.

Fencing materials using fiberglass are also smooth, non-porous, easy to clean and can be sanitized, which helps prevent the spread of certain viruses and bacteria. Fencing using fiberglass is also dent resistant, retains its original shape, and has a long life and uniform dimensions and an appearance which will maintain its attractive points for many years to come. Fiberglass fence posts have many advantages and benefits for someone seeking a maintenance-free, durable option which will eliminate the time and money spent on replacing fences made of wood or some other less dependable material.

Many of us wonder what happens to that empty plastic milk jug or other plastic containers that are tossed into the recycling bin. This milk jug is on a journey to the recycling plant where it will soon become a recycled product such as plastic lumber. The reason why milk jugs are used is because they are a number 2 recyclable plastic materials. This type of plastic is a high-density polyethylene that is used to make plastic lumber.

Once the plastic has been shredded it is then moved to a hopper where it will then go to an extruder. The extruder then heats the high-density plastic to about 425 degrees. The plastic is heated thoroughly until it is about the consistency of firm dough. This product then is pushed through a dye to give it the shape of a board. As the plastic moves through the dye it rises much like yeast bread when it hits the cooler air outside of the extruder. As it moves out of the extruder it is then quickly put into a cooling tank. What this cooling tank does, is stops the rising process immediately. The cooling tank is filled with thousands of jets that shoot ice-cold water on the plastic to stop this process. This also cools the outside layer of the plastic to room tempeture.

After the cooling process is completed the plastic lumber makes its way down a conveyor belt to start and air dry process. This helps all of the water to dry that is on the surface of the plastic. The air-dried plastic is then ran through another cooling tank before it makes its way to an embossing machine. The embossing machine heats up the surface of the plastic lumber to about 300 degrees before it is ran through. This makes the top of the lumber soft enough to then be stamped with a wood grain pattern. The plastic lumber is now sent to a cutter where the boards are then cut to specific lengths and are then ready to be shipped off to the construction site.

Plastic milk jugs have found a new life by being turned into plastic lumber. So, the next time a plastic milk jug is sent through the recycling process, it may become a new deck, or a new bench at the local park and finds new life as plastic lumber.

Composite materials are materials that are made up of organic materials. A good example of a composite material would be wood. These composite materials are made up of organic fibers. The one thing that makes composite materials unique is that they react differently then man made materials such as steel and plastic. Composite materials behave differently when cut at different angles, such as a piece of lumber. The organic material can experience compression and tension in different directions and the results of a tensile strength test can vary greatly.

There are three facets of tensile strength. These are broken down into three parts yield strength, ultimate strength and breaking strength. The yield strength is defined as the stress point at which a material starts to strain and chain due to the elastic deformation that causes the material to deform permanently. Ultimate strength is the maximum stress a material can take when it is exposed to tension, shearing or compression on the stress strain curve. The breaking strength of a material means that the stress coordinate that is on the stress strain curve when it reaches the point of a rupture. These factors help to determine the strength and flexibility of a material.

The tensile strength of materials can help many to determine what type of materials to use when building certain types of structures. For instance in the construction of a high rise, many different types of construction materials will be used together to help with the overall strength and flexibility of the structure. Certain types of materials with higher tensile strength are used in the construction of certain structures while materials with a lower tensile strength are used in the construction of structures that do not require a high stress rate. When building any type of structure it is important to keep in mind the tensile strength of the material being used.

When choosing plastic lumber for building a deck rather than traditional wood, there are many advantages.  Plastic lumber can be molded with or without a wood grain design and can come in an array of colors to match any outdoor décor.  Most woods have to be stained and or varnished to achieve the desired color.  Even then that does not mean that the color of the wood will be correct compared to using colored plastic lumber.  Plastic lumber will not splinter or warp like wood can over time when exposed to the outside elements.  This type of lumber can also be precut to the exact measurements and be ready for assembly when the order arrives at the job site.  This saves the builders time and the extra expense of purchasing a large number of tools when building a deck.

Natural wood lumber can have a devastating effect on the environment as seen with the current destruction of the rainforests in South America alone.  The rate at which trees are being harvested, does not give enough time for the forest to replenish its tree population.  This has had devastating effects on the wildlife that dwells in these types of environments and has caused massive amounts of soil erosion.  With that being said, plastic lumber does not have as near the negative effects on the environment that traditional wood lumber does.

Assembling a deck or other outdoor building project, conventional wood working tools can be used on plastic lumber.  This type of building material behaves like natural wood and can be shaped into many of the same shapes and styles that wooden lumber can be.  That means that there are no special tools that are needed with plastic lumber to achieve the same effect as when working with traditional wood.  Many builders seem to have no problem working with plastic lumber since it mimics wood and the same tools can be used.

For many at first, using plastic lumber as a building material can seem quite strange and foreign.  With some research on the many advantages of using plastic lumber verses wood and the choice becomes quite clear.  The advantages to using plastic lumber usually out weigh wood.

• Longevity – A Gazebo or shed made of these materials will not structurally wear as quickly as a structure built with natural lumber. It will not crack or warp with the changing of seasons and the shift of the foundation.
• Ease of Maintenance – Synthetic building materials are often made with weather resistant finishes or resins already built in during their manufacturing processes.
• Aesthetics – Synthetic building materials can come in a variety of finishes. Consider your new gazebo with the look of expensive Teak or Oak but without the cost. Various other finishes are available that would never be possible to apply to traditional lumber structures, such as an appearance of Granite or Marble.
• Comfort – Almost all synthetic decking material and lumber is Splinter Free without the need for sanding. Synthetic building materials are a time efficient way to welcome bare feet to an outdoor project without the concern for planing, sanding, or smoothing.
• Safety – In addition to the Splinter Free environment that synthetic building materials provide another piece of mind that comes from the fact that many of these materials are extremely resistant to fire and or absorption of dangerous chemicals. Though building material can never be a total substitution for common sense and caution, some activities never possible with a wooden structure can be enjoyed in your new Gazebo or Deck area built with synthetic lumber.
• Environmental Responsibility – Synthetic Building materials can use a variety of recycled and remanufactured materials. In addition to saving diminishing Forests, it also saves space in landfills.

There are some concerns when using synthetic building materials for your new Gazebo though. Most important is left over materials from cutting. Octagonal and Hexagonal Gazebos require a lot of angles and notches to be cut into the boards. Leftovers should be disposed of properly.

Not all synthetic materials are the same. Do your research before investing in any material that is going to be a part of your home. A simple web search will yield a number of composite decking manufacturers that publish the specification of their product. Contact manufacturer’s and request information if not readily available on the web or in your local construction supply vendor. Also check with your local zoning board to see if any certain material is prohibited in your neighborhood. brmk5yqeza

With some research and planning your new outdoor addition built from synthetic lumber will provide years of maintenance-free enjoyment.