Capped composite decking: The eco-friendly choice

If you want to build a deck for your home without leaving a substantial ecological footprint, the most viable option is a capped composite decking product made out of a polypropylene and hardwood material. It might not seem like any decking product would hold an advantage over any other with regard to ecological impact, but a closer look reveals a few specific attributes that set capped composites apart from Duralife Decking. While these projects will often leave some kind of ecological mark, whether from transportation of raw parts or manufacture of synthetic products, it's best to minimize that as much as possible. By choosing a decking product made from almost entirely recycled materials and without toxic chemicals, you can avoid being a drag on the environment.

Features to look for in sustainable decking

Durability
The longer your deck lasts and the fewer repairs you have to make consistently, the better it performs environmentally. On the other hand, if your deck breaks down in a few short years, that material must be torn down and carted off to a landfill or some other trash heap. Then you'll have to replace it with more decking that requires additional resource and energy to manufacture and install. This is a basic tenant of sustainability: Things that last longer help to reduce the owner's ecological footprint, from clothing to electronics to decking material. Capped composite decking has a 25-year guarantee and often lasts longer than that.

Synthetic material
Wood is an inherently unsustainable product to use in decking projects - unfortunately, many of the beautiful hardwoods used in high-end decking projects are sourced from rainforests thousands of miles away, further damaging an already-critical ecosystem. Not only that, but the transportation expenditures necessary to bring that wood to the manufacturer leads to higher carbon emissions. Instead, synthetic capped composites from Duralife Decking achieve the same look and feel as those rainforest hardwoods without rampant logging. Plus, all of the raw materials sourced from Duralife's facility come from within a 500-mile radius.

Recycled products
Not only does the best capped composite decking use sustainably sourced raw materials, but it relies heavily on recycled goods, as well. As much as 90 percent of Duralife's decking product comes from post-industrial and post-consumer materials. That's especially important, because polypropylene does require energy and resources to manufacture from scratch. The higher the percentage of recyclable materials in a decking product, the more environmentally friendly that product is.

Sustainable manufacturing
Finally, by purchasing through Duralife Decking, you'll be supporting a manufacturer with sustainable practices at its core. Duralife Decking uses a closed-loop water system to minimize unnecessary discharge. Other synthetic materials use toxic chemicals like formaldehyde that pollute the environment - those aren't present in Duralife's composites, nor does the capped composite decking require the use of noxious chemicals for maintenance. All it takes to clean off a new capped composite deck is a little soap, water and possibly a soft broom.

Duralife Decking's capped composite products contribute toward LEED certification and similar ratings. To learn more about how this material is ideal for your project, request a sample.