How Can You Still “Go Green” By Building a Deck?

Recently, we have noticed the public’s growing interest in the environment. “Going green” trends have grown enormously and with all the new attention to the environment, topics such as harvesting lumber has become a public topic for concern. Though harvesting lumber is a process that will more than likely always exist, people are constantly looking for different processes that will be more environment-friendly. At DeckWise^®, we too care about the environment. All of our excess building materials are recycled and reused. Also, our DeckWise^® Deck Tiles are Forest Stewardship Council certified.

The FSC has made its goal to properly manage forests in hope to maintain biodiversity, productivity and ecological processes. We suggest that if you are purchasing lumber to build a deck, you should check to see if it’s FSC certified. Another idea we suggest is building your decks with reclaimed wood.

Reclaimed wood is recycled wood that has been reclaimed by many different sources. A few sourcing options can be old barns, buildings and train trestles. Building your deck with reclaimed wood can result in a beautiful, strong and unique deck. Decks built with reclaimed wood can actually be more durable than decks built with traditional lumbers. Often times, reclaimed wood has been around for over a century, which allows the wood to go through the cycles and weather changes. However, there are a few things you should consider before building your deck with reclaimed wood.

Being environment-friendly can often increase the cost of your decking project. Reclaimed wood tends to be more expensive because of the sourcing process it endures. There also is a limited supply, so you need to make sure you have the right amount prior to building. The lack of supply also makes it difficult to match colors and patterns, and the species of wood can be unknown.

After all of that has been said, we believe if you have the extra money and resources to build a deck from reclaimed wood we think you should! And if you don’t have the money and resources for reclaimed wood, but you desire to still be environment-friendly stick to recycled materials and FSC certified wood.