| Will your next deck be made of real wood
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| | read that correctly - 100 years!
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| or composite materials, and will people
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| | My research uncovered information that I
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| be walking on it in 2108?
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| | would never have considered prior to that
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| If you are like me, you have a handle on
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| | TV virus infecting my wife's database. As
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| DIY home maintenance and you haven't
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| | an example, I have never built a deck,
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| called a plumber or an electrician since
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| | fence or other outside project with a
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| George Bush Sr. was in the White House.
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| | preconceived notion of how long it would
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| My shop is the envy of every guy in the
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| | last. I would use what I thought was the
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| neighborhood, and I know my way around
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| | best material for the job and know that
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| just about any home repair or remodeling
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| | in a couple years I would need to paint
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| project. So, when my wife asked if we
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| | or stain again.
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| could build a deck on the back of our log
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| | All wood grays over time and many people
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| home, I didn't give it a second thought.
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| | like a gray weathered appearance.
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| "A quick trip to the local lumber yard
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| | However, an oil-based sealer will help
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| and I'll have us grilling steaks on our
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| | preserve Brazilian decking and help
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| new deck by Sunday, I told my bride.
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| | retain the original color if you desire.
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| When she hesitated after hearing my
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| | Regarding the remarkable lifespan of
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| construction estimation, I knew there was
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| | these woods, the estimates are based on
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| more to this request than I had been
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| | the "Janka hardness rating" (used to
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| told, and I was soon enlightened. Thanks
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| | determine whether a species is suitable
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| to Oprah, or some other TV show I don't
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| | for use as flooring.)
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| watch, my wife had learned that decks
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| | Cambara - 15 years
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| have changed. "Nobody builds decks like
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| | Garapa - 25 years
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| they used to", the newly crowned deck
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| | Tigerwood - 40 years
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| expert told me, "now they use composite
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| | Jatoba - 50 years
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| materials or Brazilian woods that last
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| | Cumaru - 80 years
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| forever", I was informed.
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| | Ipe' - 100 years
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| The gauntlet had been laid in front of
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| | Clearly, weather and the elements play a
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| me; my wife knew more about a
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| | critical part in how long any material
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| construction matter than me. I did what
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| | survives outdoors, so we are talking
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| any man will do when challenged in such a
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| | averages here. The life expectancy of a
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| manner, I fired-up the Internet and
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| | conventional deck surface of pine can be
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| headed for Google. Oprah was not going to
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| | as short as 5 or 6 years unless you think
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| lecture to my wife about building decks
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| | navigating rot fractures and loose boards
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| and construction materials - that was my
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| | constitutes a "stable" deck. Redwood from
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| job.
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| | the good old USA will last longer and is
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| What began as a simple weekend project
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| | an ideal substitute for pressure-treated
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| had now become a research operation
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| | pine, but it is exorbitantly expensive
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| worthy of a government grant. I could
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| | and almost impossible to obtain.
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| never admit this to my wife, or Oprah,
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| | Most composite decking manufacturers
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| but I soon learned that nobody builds
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| | warrant against just about everything but
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| decks like they used to. The last deck I
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| | color fading. However, I learned that
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| built was constructed using those
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| | many people's experience is that it will
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| greenish pine pressure-treated boards
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| | begin to sag and discolor after 5 to 8
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| that oozed some kind of fluid and weighed
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| | years. I followed some interesting online
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| five times what they should. Sometime
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| | forums and blogs and discovered that
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| during the last century we were told that
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| | composite decking has "love it or
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| wood preservative caused cancer and those
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| | hate-it" fan clubs, so you will want to
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| heavy green boards disappeared from
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| | do your own research and I'd recommend
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| lumber yards.
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| | that you dig deep. Some of the horror
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| Alternative choices for decking made of
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| | stories involving $20,000 deck fiascos
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| real wood became (and remain) slim.
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| | could give you nightmares.
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| Because of the huge demand and limited
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| | Affordability is the ultimate decision
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| supply such wood requires special orders
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| | maker (unless you're Oprah). As with all
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| for over-priced lumber that is never "in
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| | things, the bottom line will usually
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| stock". To address this market
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| | determine our ultimate choice, but I was
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| opportunity, composite materials appeared
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| | in love with the beauty and structural
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| on the scene and are very popular. Maybe
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| | soundness of the Brazilian decking woods
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| I'm just old fashioned, but I like wood
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| | I discovered. My cost analysis of using
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| and the thought of grilling my steak
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| | Brazilian hardwood versus pine or
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| standing on a plastic deck just rubs me
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| | composite decking was a surprising
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| the wrong way.
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| | exercise. My research results showed that
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| Fortunately, I discovered that I am not
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| | pressure treated pine costs approximately
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| alone in my wood lust and that there are
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| | $.80 per linear foot (plf), and although
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| companies who offer a better, natural
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| | inexpensive, we're talking about
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| solution to the decking dilemma. Our
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| | incurring that same expense many times
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| choices for decking materials other than
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| | over the lifetime of a house. Composite
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| composites and pressure-treated ugly
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| | decking costs range from $2.00 to $4.00
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| boards now include woods from the forests
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| | plf, but again we're looking at a
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| of South America that last for decades...
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| | reoccurring expense.
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| many, many decades. I discovered one such
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| | Surprisingly enough, the Brazilian woods,
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| company named Brazilian Wood Depot
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| | which are the most beautiful and offer
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| located in Norcross, Georgia, that
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| | the longest lasting solution, cost
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| imports and distributes several species
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| | approximately $2.20 plf. After you factor
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| of premium, real-wood decking.
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| | out maintenance and factor in a projected
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| I contacted the owner, Eric Hoover, and
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| | 15 to 100 year lifespan, this was a
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| received a cram course on real wood
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| | no-brainer decision. In addition to being
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| decking alternatives. These are beautiful
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| | affordable and beautiful, Brazilian
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| woods that literally require no
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| | decking wood is extremely durable, needs
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| maintenance and are more durable than
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| | no maintenance, is recyclable and
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| composite decking. What's better still is
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| | biodegradable. I live in a log home - I
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| that lifetime estimates range from 15 to
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| | really like wood, and I just discovered I
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| 100 years depending on the species. You
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| | could afford what I wanted.
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