This article is for you if you want to create a deck for your house and want to know about the greenest solutions available you may check our site for composite decking in Melbourne.
What Does It Mean to Be Green?
Green, along with small-batch eco-friendly, and locally produced has become a buzzword. But, when you think about it, what makes building materials or a construction project environmentally friendly?
Greener items, on average, have a lower environmental effect than those that aren’t deemed green. The impact on the environment might be good in certain situations. When considering a material’s sustainability and environmental effect, the EPA evaluates its full lifespan.
This lifetime is usually measured from the point of origin to the point of disposal. This would include looking at a material’s sustainability and eco-friendliness from production through demolition and disposal in the case of decking. The following is a list of the most environmentally friendly decking materials.
Wood from nature
If you wish to utilize natural wood for your deck, you should think about the following environmental factors, according to the EPA:
1. Harvested in a sustainable manner
Was the wood obtained sustainably? Sustainable harvesting promotes procedures that enable a tract of land to swiftly and healthily recover its forest cover.
2. Hand-harvested in the area
Was the wood sourced locally? Although timber from afar may be less expensive at the lumberyard, the environmental costs of transporting it are seldom addressed by the purchaser. If the timber was imported from another country, the carbon impact of shipping it would be substantially larger than if you had specified local lumber.
3. What Is Treated Wood?
What kind of treatment did the wood get? To defend against infestation and wood rot, the wood may need to be treated with insect repellants or preventive sealants, depending on the performance requirements of the timber you need. The chemicals utilized will have an impact on you and the environment.
Toxic and volatile compounds like CCA (chromated copper arsenate) were formerly often used to treat wood, but are now deemed unsafe. For more information on how to safely handle and remove CCA-treated wood, see this reference page.
4. Reclaimed Wood
The expanding habit of recovering and restoring wood from demolition sites is known as reclaimed lumber. Due to their ancient character and historical importance, recycled goods are often “up-cycled.” In a variety of ways, using recycled materials in your building projects saves the environment.
Processing and harvesting costs are minimal to non-existent.
Harvesting and processing of reclaimed lumber have already taken place. In most cases, only a little reprocessing is required to return the materials to consumer-grade condition.
The wood is stronger and more lasting since it is older, as it originates from old-growth woods.
Conclusion
It’s crucial to remember that a wooden deck’s long-term viability and environmental friendliness are determined by how it was harvested, treated, and carried. Wood is the way to go if the lumber is local, has been certified as sustainably obtained, and you are prepared to take good care of it. If this is not the case, plastic, which is 100 percent recyclable, is the best option.
