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| Real Wood Decking: The Right Choice |
Building the "deck of your dreams" can be a fairly simple
project, depending on the level of your woodworking
skills, the nature of your site, and the complexity of your
design. When shopping for a decking product, today’s
homeowners have many choices, and selecting the right
material for the job is most important.
Consumers should choose a decking product that is...
Aesthetically Pleasing Noted architect Frank
Lloyd Wright believed the design and materials used in a
project should be in harmony with the environment. There
is no substitute for the look and feel of real wood, a truly
natural product. Southern Pine decking provides a warm,
natural look that blends beautifully with the landscape.
Economical Treated Southern Pine is a very economical
choice compared to alternatives such as cedar, redwood
and exotic tropical hardwoods, or artificial products like
plastics or composites. A single piece of artificial decking
may cost up to five times more, and exotic hardwoods four
times more than Southern Pine.
Comfortable Under Foot When exposed to
direct sunlight, artificial decking may become much hotter
than wood. After a few hours of direct sun exposure,
walking on artificial decking can be potentially hazardous
to bare feet, risking severe burns and blistering. Shoes or
sandals may offer only limited protection from the heat
emitted by artificial decking.
Versatile and Easy to Install Southern Pine
decking is easy to install, requiring no special tools or skills.
Designers, builders, and do-it-yourselfers find Southern Pine
a practical and workable material.
Easy to Maintain Regardless of claims, no decking
product is maintenance free. Periodic cleaning and
application of a water-repellant sealer is usually all that is
needed to properly maintain Southern Pine decking. Even
owners of composite decks need to keep their decking free
of dirt, oils, and mildew.
Strong Southern Pine is the strongest structural softwood
species for engineered and framing applications.
Southern Pine radius edge decking can be as much as nine
times stiffer than artificial composite products, and at least
four times stronger. Moreover, Southern Pine’s structural
properties are not greatly affected by heat and not prone to
creep (sagging) over time.
Durable Southern Pine’s high density offers excellent
wear resistance. It’s ideal for decking where foot traffic can
damage softer species such as cedar and redwood.
Decay and Termite-Resistant With a
proven track record of more than 75 years, pressure-treated
Southern Pine lumber offers one of the best defenses
against decay and termites. The unique cellular structure of
Southern Pine permits deep, uniform penetration of wood
preservatives, making it the preferred species for pressure
treatment. Preservative manufacturers typically offer limited
lifetime warranties for their products used in residential
applications.
Environmentally Friendly The manufacture
of wood products uses less energy and produces less air and
water pollution than energy-intensive products. On the other
hand, the manufacture of plastic or composite decking
requires up to eight times the energy needed to produce a
comparable piece of pressure-treated Southern Pine lumber.
And plastics used in composites are derived from dwindling
petroleum resources; once used, they are gone forever.
Sustainable Today's consumers want to make conscious
and intelligent environmental choices, so they choose
the only building material that uses the sun's energy to
renew itself in a continuous sustainable cycle — wood. While
exotic hardwoods are extracted from threatened and endangered
tropical rainforests, sustainable forestry practices in
the U.S. South ensure that our supply of homegrown
Southern Pine will be maintained for future generations to
come.
Safe to Use Pressure-treated lumber has a long
record of safe, effective use. Scientific studies have shown
that pressure-treated wood poses no significant measurable
risk to people, animals, plants, or marine life when used as intended.
| ADVANCED WOOD PRESERVATIVES |
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ADVANCED WOOD PRESERVATIVES
Waterborne preservatives commonly used in outdoor applications include
Alkaline Copper Quat (ACQ) and Copper Azole (CA). Southern Pine decking is
easily treated with either of these preservatives. These formulations provide
the same resistance to decay and termite attack, but contain no arsenical or
chromium compounds.
Pressure-treated Southern Pine is produced according to approved industry
standards established by the American Wood-Preservers' Association (AWPA).
Building codes and regulatory agencies accept the use of these wood
preservatives for outdoor use. For additional details about preservative types, proper use, and handling, visit the Pressure-Treated Lumber area.
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