| Question |
Southern Pine |
Composites
or Plastics |
What are the Facts? |
| Natural appearance? |
Yes |
No |
There is no substitute for the look and feel of real wood. Southern Pine decking provides a warm, natural look that blends beautifully with the landscape. Plastic or plastic composites, even with faux wood grain, still look and feel artificial. |
| Comfortable under foot? |
Yes |
? |
Wood is a naturally insulating material and does not conduct heat or cold like metal or plastic. In direct sun, some types of plastic or composite decking may become much hotter than wood, hot enough to burn or blister feet. In fact, some facilities post signs to warn pedestrians of the hazard. |
| Economical? |
Yes |
No |
Treated Southern Pine is a very economical choice compared to plastic or composite decking, which may cost up to five times more per piece. |
| Safe to use? |
Yes |
Yes |
Pressure-treated Southern Pine is safe for people, pets and the environment. Furthermore, new wood preservative formulations contain no arsenical or chromium compounds yet provide the same resistance to decay and termite attack. |
| Renewable? |
Yes |
No |
Wood is the only building material that uses the sun's energy to renew itself in a continuous, renewable cycle. Sustainable forestry practices ensure that our supply of homegrown Southern Pine will be maintained for future generations to come. Plastic decking and plastics used in composites are derived from dwindling petroleum resources. |
| Earth friendly? |
Yes |
No |
The manufacture of wood products uses less energy and produces less air and water pollution than other building materials. In fact, the manufacture of plastic decking requires up to eight times the energy needed to produce a comparable piece of pressure-treated Southern Pine decking. |
| Strong? |
Yes |
No |
Southern Pine is four times stronger than plastic or composite products, and possesses up to nine times the stiffness of artificial decking. Southern Pine decking is not affected by heat, which tends to promote creep (sagging) in composites over time. |
| Needs maintenance? |
Yes |
Yes |
Despite claims to the contrary, all decking requires maintenance. Periodic cleaning and application of a water repellant sealer is all that is needed to keep a Southern Pine deck in top shape. A good scrubbing usually gets rid of most stains on Southern Pine. |
| Decay/termite warranty? |
Lifetime limited |
Limited |
Against decay and termite attack in residential use, wood preservative manufacturers typically offer a limited lifetime warranty; whereas, plastic or composite deck manufacturers typically offer a limited warranty (usually 10-20 years). |
| Standardized product? |
Yes |
No |
Southern Pine lumber production and pressure treating facilities are
monitored by the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau (SPIB) and other
third-party agencies. These agencies operate under rigorous protocols to
enforce uniform performance and quality standards established by the
SPIB and approved by the American Softwood Lumber Standard Committee
and/or the American Wood Protection Association. Third-party inspections
are not necessarily required of composite decking manufacturers.
Furthermore, manufacturers of artificial decking have not adopted a
uniform standard to ensure that their products are interchangeable with
other composites, making it difficult to compare performance between
competing products. |
