Don’t be fooled by a convincing faux finish – the “wood” on and in your walls, doors, window frames, decorative molding and outdoor decking and fencing might all be made with plastics-wood composites. Here’s why that’s a very good thing…
Don’t be fooled by a convincing faux finish – the “wood” on and in your walls, doors, window frames, decorative molding and outdoor decking and fencing might all be made with plastics-wood composites. Here’s why that’s a very good thing…
More and more architects, designers, builders and property owners are replacing 100 percent wooden building materials with a composite material made from recycled plastic and wood wastes. An important benefit of plastic is its ability to synergistically combine with other materials like wood, metal and glass. The advantages of using plastic-wood composites go far beyond finding a creative way to recycle.
For example, plastic-wood composites are lightweight, easy to install, durable, easy to maintain, resistant to weather damage and corrosion, easy to customize and incredibly strong.
Typical wood-plastic composites are made of wood from recovered sawdust, pulp fibers, peanut hulls, bamboo, or straw, as well as from a variety of recycled plastic resins, which bond and reinforce fibers. Commonly used resins include polyester, polyethylene, vinyl ester, modified acrylic, epoxy, phenolic and polyurethane.
Looking for motivation to recycle? Remember that today’s plastic bottles, bags and product wraps could be tomorrow’s durable deck. Plastic bottles typically go curbside. Plastic bags and wraps can be brought back to many grocery stores that collect these materials for recycling.
View ACC’s tips on recycling bottles and bags
View a list of plastic bags and wraps that can be recycled
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I wonder if these plastic composites are naturally termite resistant. This would be great for certain parts of the country where termites are a big problem.
I LUV the outdoor furniture shown at the Philadelphia Flower Show. If I do not win the contest, where can we purchase furniture like this in the Quakertown, PA area. We are currently using outdoor furniture, but this was the FIRST outdoor furniture ever developed and it needs to be replaced. We live in a totally wooded lot and our furniture is white. It needs cleaning after every rain if it is not covered.
This piece was a lifejacket that saved me from dwronnig.
Where can we purchase outdoor furniture in the Quakertown, PA area similar or exactly like the furniture and planters exhibited at the Philadelphia Int’l Flower Show? I entered the contest to win what was shown, however, I cannot produce a photo of our backyard at this time. It’s still COLD in PA and I would like to show you the outdoor (plastic) furniture we now have and it needs to be replaced. I also am interested in the planters.
Am in Uganda, East Africa-African Continent and am wondering how one can learn the technology of using plastic-wood from our plastic & wood waste. We have a lot of t in Uganda and would be glad to partner with someone to make use of plastic & wood waste in Uganda into plastic timber. I have just been hearing about the plastic-wood products but don’t know how one can be helped to start such a venture here in Uganda since it may be very expensive to import your products here
The backyard with the deck looks like paradise…