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The Sprig List
12 Safe, Stylish and Sturdy Decks
by Julie Fowler
Your friends, kids and pets play on it (and sometimes eat off of it), so don't you want to be sure there's no arsenic in it? We sussed out the best dozen decks, so you don't have to.
What the deck! What's this about harmful health effects??
Here's the thing about most decks: They're made out of pressure-treated wood, which can contain chromated copper arsenate (CCA) with arsenic. CCA protects the wood from moisture, vermin, insects and fungus, promoting long life (about forty years) in decks, but it also promotes cancer. Arsenic is a known carcinogen, and especially toxic to any young children who exhibit normal hand-to-mouth behavior. It can lead to certain cancers, nerve damage, dizziness, numbness, nausea, immune and cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes, just to name a few lovelies. Since 2003, when the Environmental Protection Agency banned CCA, new pressure-treated wood contains fewer toxins. (So avoid old wooden public playground sets and picnic tables in your area, and contact your local township or school board to ensure they were properly treated with sealants. )
No hands on deck, seriously
Wash hands after coming in contact with old wooden outdoor items including fences, particularly before eating, and don't eat at old picnic tables or store anything under an old deck. Pressure-treated wood items built before 2003 can still be sold – so buyer beware. Any wood that is old but not rotted, or not redwood or cedar, is most likely pressure-treated. You can protect yourself and your family from the dangers of older CCA-treated wood (and other chemicals in new pressure-treated wood) by applying a protective finish, like Bio-Wash Natural Deck Oil, $39.99 per gallon, a water-based, non-toxic finish that penetrates and seals decks. Or for a color finish, try Velvit Low-VOC Eco Deck Stain and Sealer, $66.88 per gallon.
Getting the deck out of here – how to do it
Before you go running off to dismantle your old deck or picnic table, remember, the sawdust is particularly toxic, so wear gloves, goggles, masks and work clothes to be washed separately. For more information on how to handle this toxic wood, go to www.bancca.org and click on "CCA Handling Guidelines."
If you build a deck, they will come….
There are tons of healthy deck materials out there; here are our best 12 picks:
TimberSIL is non-toxic, fire-retardant, rot-proof and bug-proof. The secret is it's infused with sodium silicate, a melted mix of sand and soda ash (a commonly found ingredient in detergent), then encased in a flexible layer of clean glass, making it water insoluble and unattractive to mold, mildew and vermin. Fun fact: It's the newest option, since 2006, and we think the most exciting product available. It was developed by an immune-deficiency disorder expert, no less. Call 888-346-9200 for a dealer near you.
Not all are evil: This pressure-treated wood has eco-cred, and was awarded the Green Cross, or Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP) certification, meaning it has a reduced impact on human health and the environment. Click here for a dealer near you.
FSC-certified hard maple
If it's FSC-Certified, or Forest Stewardship Council-approved, that means the wood was responsibly harvested. FSC-certifed redwood, ipe, mahogany or cypress are good hardwood choices. Ask for construction heartwood grade, as heartwood is where rot-resistant compounds are the most concentrated, and also because it means it's from young-growth timber, not old-growth. One durable choice we like, located primarily in the Southeast, is Western Red Cedar; call 1-800-795-9114 for more info. If you're from anywhere else, for the lowest environmental impact, talk to your local lumber distributors, or ask at your nearby Home Depot or Lowes for FSC-certified hardwoods native to your area. All hardwood decks need to be treated with an oil finish at least once a year, which can cost anywhere from $40 to $200 per gallon; amount of coverage per gallon varies by brand.
One of the first wood-mimicking composite decking materials on the market, and the largest in the US, Trex is about 50% recycled and reclaimed plastic, and 50% reclaimed wood and sawdust that would otherwise have gone into landfills. Trex recycles seven out of every ten plastic grocery bags used in this country! The average 500-square foot composite Trex deck contains about 140,000 recycled plastic bags. The low-maintenance wood-plastic composite (WPC) decking requires no stain or preservatives, but does need regular cleanings with soap and water as mold, mildew, grease and other stains are possible.
5. TimberTech Composite Decking
If you dig color, and depending on where you live, another composite-decking brand is TimberTech. Made with recycled wood waste that would otherwise end up in landfills, the deck, too, needs no staining or sealing. Click here for a dealer near you.
For all you plastic-phobes, there is such a thing as pure plastic, like the stuff in Evolve decks that comes from post-consumer and post-industrial material. Containing over 90% recycled high density polyethylene (ReHDPE) material, Evolve is PVC- and BPA-free, and 100% recyclable, unlike wood-plastic composites. Because Evolve doesn't absorb water, it won't harbor mold, although it does need to be hosed down monthly to keep it looking clean. Call 1-800-666-5207 for more information.
Manufactured from recycled plastic products, Renew Resources deck tiles come completely pre-assembled, making installation quick and easy. Unique riser strips on the underside of these tiles keep them above ground, allowing rain to properly drain. Although primarily built to cover concrete surfaces, including roof tops, patios and balconies, the tiles can be laid directly on the ground in any pattern for temporary or permanent yard patios. Call 1-800-439-5028, for more info, or email sales@renewresources.com
For do-it-yourselfers, Eco Woods California Deck Tiles can be snapped together with ease, requiring no hardware or adhesives for installation. Crafted of highly durable Bolivian ipe wood, it naturally resists rot, decay, insects, and mold without chemical preservatives. The wood is harvested by the strictest environmental standards, and a variety of tile patterns lets you put your design talents to work.
Same DIY principle, and now available in responsibly harvested, FSC-certified eucalyptus, ipe and teak, these tiles are made by a company based in New York City with warehouses in Los Angeles and Sommerset, New Jersey.
Reclaimed from global packing crate material, this responsibly harvested, FSC-certified teak decking is rich with one-of-a-kind personality. These woods are durable, as they were originally selected for their extreme hardness and ability to withstand the punishing conditions of global industrial shipping, and if not for Terramai, would ultimately have wound up in landfills. Call 1-800-338-5636 for more information.
Another great source we like that has a similar philosophy to Terramai (#10, above), East Teak offers FSC-certified, 100% recycled teak decking materials. Use teak oil for cleaning, maintenance, and to bring out the wood's beautiful grain.
Powder-coated aluminum is durable, safe, non-toxic and recyclable, making it an environmentally friendly choice. LockDry is cool underfoot, rot- and rust-free, installs faster than wood and is completely fireproof. We're talking zero maintenance: No painting, staining or waterproofing required, and there's no chance of splintering, cracking, chipping, fading or warping.