[Greenbuilding] Alternatives to Copper Green

John Salmen terrain at shaw.ca
Tue Aug 2 00:25:37 CDT 2016


What is the question or more specifically what is the problem or what do you
want. Decks can be made out of whatever you want -
steel/aluminum/plastic/concrete/wood/PT wood. 

 

How long do you want it to last?

What do you want it to cost?

What do you want it to look like?

Do you want it friendly for kids/pets/soil/yourself?

 

And then a reality check. Do PT woods last? How much longer? And where does
all that preservative go? Do the homework.

 

Concrete works - I have a 25 year old project concrete deck elevated 4' off
the ground that is 1.5" of concrete exposed aggregate deck with 4x6
integrated concrete beams at 6' span with 6x6 concrete posts extending 3'6
above the deck with cedar railings extending between. The cedar railings are
starting to show their age - but the deck is fine. The concrete work at that
point was equivalent in cost to a solid wood deck - but has required no
refinishing and has aged nicely.

 

Sure it took some effort to design and engineer - but isn't that what
alternatives are about?

 

I have a project 3 level  1.5" coloured concrete deck poured on existing
wood 2x framing with concrete stair treads that is now 15 years old at a
commercial facility. That was a replacement for decking that lasted less
than 10 years. Colouring has faded a little but has heavy use and still
looks good as this kind of thing ages well. A patina.

 

Plastic decks I am not as personally fond of as they go on looking like
plastic and just don't age in the same way as an aesthetic - but work and
are durable. They can be painted but then you are locked into the
refinishing/maintenance material waste every 5 years or so.

 

There are a large variety of new composite materials that decks can be made
of that have good longevity before needing refinishing or renewal
(steel/aluminum type panels). 

 

I tend to avoid decking in designs - figuring that if people want to be
outside they should be on the ground. If I have to do exterior stairs I will
look at any alternatives to wood that have some kind of integrity and
recyclability - leave the wood in the woods (steel, glass, precast). In
multilevel designs I will look at some kind of pre-manufactured component
that is not a tree fibre.

 

Wood decks can last if designed well - even with crappy plantation wood but
the culprit is the refinishing as it is gallons of material that just erodes
into the environment on a 5 year renewal. 

 

So yes - for real - design is about what you want to live with/afford. Green
design is about what you want to live with/afford and what we try and figure
out as a better criteria.

 

 

 

From: Greenbuilding [mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org]
On Behalf Of Antonioli Dan
Sent: August-01-16 8:07 PM
To: Green Building
Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Alternatives to Copper Green

 

Plastic and concrete as alternatives to PT wood?

 

For real?

 

 

 

 

 

On Aug 1, 2016, at 7:53 PM, John Salmen <terrain at shaw.ca> wrote:





I've done decks with plastic lumber and detailed plastic lumber for sills,
shower framing and other potentially non-wood friendly locations. Bit
disgusting as a deck as it tends to both 'wilt' under sunlight and have a
that garbage bag odour. Its not copper arsenic which is just kind of
primitive at this point.

 

Sodium silicate lumber works - but disappeared off the market. Elevated
concrete decks have worked really well for me as well. I have 3 concrete
deck projects that have hit the 20 yr mark (typically 2-3 wood deck
replacements).

 

 

 

From: Greenbuilding [
<mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org>
mailto:greenbuilding-bounces at lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of
Antonioli Dan
Sent: August-01-16 6:36 PM
To: Green Building
Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] Alternatives to Copper Green

 

Tim, 

 

I remember this kind of conversation with you a few years back. Once again I
suggest you get some field experience to back-up your
claims/suggestions/advice because you'll be super effective as an activist
once you know how the rubber.or plastic.hits the road. 

 

I know of no plastic products you suggest that will take the place of PT in
the deck application I'm bringing up. Yes there are alternatives...scuba
diving into our rivers looking for old-growth redwood, hauling it to your
land, milling it, building with it...

 

..buying full dimensional and VERY expensive salvage logged fir and pine
from a third-generation family run mill two hours North of here. 

 

Or buying "FSC certified" wood from Home Depot to support MRC and "the
family" and build with that. 

 

Come out here and build us a deck just the way you like it. I might even pay
for your airfare. 

 

Dan

 

 

 

On Aug 1, 2016, at 11:47 AM, Tim Keating <
<mailto:t.keating at rainforestrelief.org> t.keating at rainforestrelief.org>
wrote:






Ah. In which case, there are only one or two alternatives that most folks
would consider economical enough. But I always at least mention recycled
plastic lumber as the most ecological, if someone was interested in
durability and sustainability over cost. Most homeowners are interested in
materials that will last 200 years, when 25 years will suffice (in their
minds).

Tim

 

On 7/29/16 12:36 PM, Antonioli Dan wrote:

Tim, the PT isn't the "decking" it's the frame that supports it. 

 

 

On Jul 29, 2016, at 7:54 AM, Tim Keating <
<mailto:t.keating at rainforestrelief.org> t.keating at rainforestrelief.org>
wrote:






I think the answer would be (have been?) to not use pressure-treated wood
for the deck. There are a lot of greener options for decking that don't
involve any chemical preservatives.

Tim

 

On 7/27/16 6:30 PM, Antonioli Dan wrote:

I have a deck project coming up that will require the use of copper green to
treat the cut ends of pressure-treated wood. 
 
I was hoping to find a viable alternative to copper green but am not coming
up with much, and nothing from our local lumber yards that proudly advertise
themselves as committed to green building and green products. They carry
some green products but for the most part are not very green, and my
inquires about wood treatment have not resulted in anything other than
conventional knowledge. 
 
Any products anyone has used with good results? I have a respirator and
latex gloves and will use copper green if necessary, but I'd like to think
that by now we'd have a viable alternative to PT!
 
Dan
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