by Glen Brizius

Created on: December 18, 2009

Plastic is everywhere in todays society.  It's impossible to escape.  Wood, however, is being more scarce as the years go on due to intense deforestation.  It's only natural, then, that companies would find ways to make plastic products that look like wood.  This enterprise is a booming success and will likely continue to be so far into the future.

Solid plastic lumber is usually made primarily from recycled HDPE (high density poly ethylene, such as milk jugs), with a honey-combed center to provide strength and stability.  Unlike wood, it will never rot, for the simple reason that plastic does not decompose (a problem most city dumps are faced with).  Also unlike wood, special tools are needed when working with the product.  A sharp saw blade is necessary to cut the product, such as blades with a carbide tip.  Otherwise, the heat generated when cutting with a dull blade will melt the plastic and the cut will not be precise.  Also, screws are preferred over nails, as the plastic has a greater tendency to expand over time.

Another difference with plastic lumber is that since most glues contain solvent of some type, special adhesives must be used when gluing different pieces together - normal wood glue will not suffice.

So, with all these special precautions and "disadvantages", why would anyone want to use plastic lumber?  Well, to start with, it never needs to be painted.  It's completely maintenance free.  It comes in a variety of different colors and will remain in good condition for many years.  There is no worry about it softening or melting in the sun - temperatures required to do so would be in excess of 500 degrees Fahrenheit, nothing that would normally be experienced.  Also, unlike wood (which can develop a slick, slimy coating after excessive rain), plastic lumber is anti-slip.

Also unlike wood, the lumber will not darken and fade with exposure to years of sun.  Colorfast pigments are used to minimize the effect of UV radiation.  It's also non-toxic, containing no harmful chemicals, and can be cleaned by a simple solution of soap and water.

As wood becomes more and more expensive, and the cost of plastic lumber comes down with new technical breakthroughs and refinements, the popularity of plastic lumber will continue to grow.  It's simple, it's long lasting, it's durable, and it's environmentally the correct thing to do - taking used plastics and recycling them into a useful consumer product, instead of continuing to deforest our tree supply at alarming rates.

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