Home Book

Decks & Outdoor Projects

By the editors of Taunton Press and Fine Homebuilding magazine (122 pages, $8.99 at selected newsstands)

You're too late for the Fourth of July, and Labor Day is fast approaching, so now should be the time to get cracking on that backyard project.

Here, in magazine form, are some get-ahead tips for some get-going action.

First and foremost is the magazine's lead article, "An Explosion of Decking Choices," which reports on the rise of plastic as the plank of preference for more and more homeowners.

"Fake wood never looked so good," say authors Chris Green, Scott Gibson, Daniel S. Morrison and Rob Yagid, as they give readers the chance to see if not touch, and realize the differences between faux and forest are not easy to spot.

Primary to the trend are qualities inherent in the phony wood. From wood-imbued polyethylene and polypropylene to wood-free plastics, this stuff won't crack, rot or splinter as real wood can and will.

Fastening techniques also have evolved, as time-loosened nails that can split open toes are replaced with hidden fasteners.

OK, OK, not to dismiss the real stuff, and there is plenty to chew over about redwood, cedar, tropical hardwoods and the woods pressure-treated with newly compounded chemicals that -- oh my, yes -- may be missing the good old-fashioned chromium- and arsenic-based preservatives but still aim to kill wood-devouring critters, both animal and vegetable.

But here's the telling part, according to the authors:

"The absence of chromium in ACQ (alkaline copper quaternary) and CA (copper azole) lumber allows more copper to leach out into the environment. That's a problem for aquatic organisms and could lead to government restrictions in the future."

Nor would you want your 2-year-old gnawing on a loose corner.

On the horizon are at least three preservative alternatives -- copper-based Micropro; fungicides, insecticides and water repellents under the Wolmanized L3 label; and something wholly exotic called PureWood, a technology from Bay Tree Technologies (purewood.net) that uses nothing more hazardous than heat and steam.

The authors found that Bay Tree has little to say about this new product yet, but you can find this much on its Web site: "Stellac Technology changes the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the wood permanently. It improves the wood's resistance to decay and to weather, reduces the effects of moisture, and increases dimensional stability."

That's also about all the magazine's editors have. Under "price/availability" is the phrase "To be determined/limited availability," adding: "PureWood protects wood with a heating and steaming process that changes the composition of the wood's sugars into a substance inedible by mold, fungus and insects."

So maybe we're getting somewhere.

Other issues discussed:

Deck hardware: Special notice is given to the need for thicker coatings of zinc on the galvanized hardware required with the pressure-treated wood joists and posts that will underpin any decking choice, whether wood, wood/plastic composition or just plain plastic.

Deck railings: The list now includes stainless steel cables strung between uprights as well as such metals as aluminum and steel, and plastics.

Piers: Important to a sound foundation is a stout footing of concrete. Now there are devices and molds to help you build them.

The rest: Included are tips on framing, building stairs and creating curves in decking as well as rails. There also are articles on replacing sliding doors and getting water, electricity and lights out to the deck or patio.

-- Gordy Holt