BUILDING A BOARDWALK- Plastic Lumber WWFF-25

BUILDING A BOARDWALK- Plastic Lumber

Many manufacturers of recycled plastic are producing this material in the shapes and dimensions of standard wood lumber and timber products. Some of these products are being marketed as premium deck coverings. Recycled plastic can be worked like wood. It can be sawed, drilled, nailed, screwed, bolted, and painted. Although the surface is smooth, it is not slippery.

Photo- The decking and railing (grey color) are plastic products, the supports 

and posts are PT lumber- Boyd Hill Nature Preserve. This product is

older, and newer products are of better quality.

The properties of some recycled plastic may present unexpected challenges and disappointments. The material can be up to three times heavier than wood. By itself, 100-percent recycled plastic has little strength. It must be reinforced with a steel backing or core to have any structural value, increasing its weight and introducing another material. Plastic is rot resistant, and can act to keep the wood lumber below it drier and extend the structures useful lifespan.

 The thermodynamic properties of plastic-how much it expands and contracts in the heat or cold-are quite different from those of concrete, steel, or wood, the materials that would normally be used with recycled plastic. The surfaces of some recycled plastic severely degrade in sunlight. The problems of strength, thermodynamics, and ultraviolet degradation are being studied. These problems have resulted in new, improved formulations of recycled plastic. These products have not yet withstood the test of time.

Some recycled plastics contain sawdust or another form of wood fiber or fiberglass. These composites are usually stronger and do not have the same thermodynamic problems as most 100- percent plastics. When sawed or drilled, the exposed sawdust and wood fiber may be just as subject to fungus and insect attack as untreated wood. However, wood fibers completely encased in plastic will still be rot resistant. Fiberglass resists rot. Composites containing fiberglass are rot resistant.

A problem is created when any of the recycled plastics are drilled or sawed in the field. Unlike wood, the shavings and sawdust will not decompose. This problem can be resolved by drilling and sawing over a large plastic sheet and carrying the shavings out.  Recycled plastic is not a traditional construction material. It may be inappropriate where a rustic appearance is important.

 Recycled plastic costs 50 to 300 percent more than treated wood. The increased weight of plastic will be reflected in higher shipping and onsite construction costs. One advantage of this plastic is that it does not support combustion.


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