Find the plastic contest winner!
Last week I held a contest to find a big mass of plastic hidden in some photos from Vajrapani Retreat Center. And the winner is… JULIE who wrote, “I definitely think it’s the decking around the larger building. I’ve been at houses with the reclaimed plastic decking before.” Julie, please email me your address so I can send you the book.
Click to see larger sizes.
All who guessed that it was the railings or the decking on the bridge were on the right track. But the bridge and walkway are all wood, as are the handrails and all the wood of the deck structure (risers, etc.) around the building except for the floorboards themselves. So it was hard to tell at first that the steps and floor boards are plastic. I could tell by looking at the boards from the side. And also from the slipperiness of the boards after some rain.
I wanted to find out more info about the “greenness” of recycled plastic decking vs. Forest Stewardship Council certified wood decking before writing this post, but I ran out of time. There are pros and cons to both kinds. My gut tells me to avoid the plastic, even if it’s recycled. But I’ll keep researching. What are your thoughts?
I know this is a really old post, but I’m reading through the whole blog from the beginning and wanted to comment. I live in Florida on the beach, and my house is up on pilings so my ground floor is really like living on the second story of a regular home. I have to have steps and a deck just to get into my house, and right now it’s made of wood. The previous owners didn’t take care of it and so it’s falling apart. When we rebuild the deck, we are going to use the Trex deck materials because it will need minimal maintenance and last a lifetime. I think there are some instances where plastic is a good choice, and this is what works in this climate.
Hi, Lisa. I understand. I just wish Trex provided a way to recycle the material at the end of its life. Perhaps if enough customers ask…