Deck Building with Alternative Materials

By Nicky G. Ferns
On a warm summer evening, with the smell of barbeque wafting over from the grill, it's difficult not to appreciate the simple beauty of a nice outdoor deck. Once the deck building is completed, the main challenge will be maintaining the deck. There are a variety of building materials that can help you maintain your deck over the years.

Using alternative materials for your deck building project can make maintenance easier at the same time that you provide for environmental responsibility concerns. Lumber come from trees, and incase you're totally lost in the loop of corporate-biased television programming, you're already aware that the depletion of our forests continues to increase at an alarming rate.

Luckily, there are new technologies and alternative building materials that allow one to take on a deck building project with renewed gusto, for they offer environmentally sound materials as well as deck building materials that will last for years and years, with much less maintenance than the traditional wood deck.

Trex is one of the first deck building companies to incorporate recycled materials into their deck pieces. A combination of reclaimed plastic from consumer products and shopping bags are combined with wood fiber that may otherwise go to waste. These materials are then formed into planks and installed in very much the same way that traditional deck wood planks would be installed.

The Trex deck building materials are extremely resistant to ultraviolet (UV) radiation as well as all forms of weather and exposure related issues of damage. The boards will not chip, splinter, warp or rot. The plastic portion of the mixture protects the wood from rotting. As such, there is absolutely no need for applying a sealant or deck paint.

So instead of reapplying deck paint for weather sealing varnish, you can do nothing! These post-consumer recycled deck building boards make horrible termite food as well! With all of these benefits, to the environment, the pocketbook and future weekends NOT spent maintaining your wood deck, it's a wonder that anyone is still building the traditional wood type of deck at all.

There are other companies and manufacturers of similar deck building supplies and materials, such as the TimberTech company. This companies deck material is similar to that of Trex, but wood fiber is mixed with formulated polymers to effect the same type of durable, pest and maintenance resistant deck materials.

Then there's Dream Deck, with a completely vinyl deck building product. Like the two companies mentioned above, these products are completely warp, splinter and weather resistant. Plus, Dream Deck offers a number of deck accessories to compliment your deck area.

Each of these companies, as well as several others not mentioned, offer a variety of colors and finishes from which to choose. Take your time and shop around, as each of these companies offer different deals and each type of deck building material has its own installation guidelines and potential complications.

Nicky is a do-it-yourself landscape enthusiast who has written numerous articles for various landscaping books on helping individuals plan their home design projects. He has created http://www.loneoak.net which consolidates all of his knowledge into colorful illustrations with free installation tips for various deck ideas.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nicky_G._Ferns

The Laminate Buyer's Easy Guidhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gife

By Natalie Aranda
For most homeowners, buying authentic wood floors can be expensive and stressful. It is never easy to keep solid oak floors maintained, especially when scratches show up sporadically and children along with guests tend to worsen the situation. Nevertheless, we all want great looking floors. Fortunately, there is an alternative that makes any home look beautiful. For many homeowners, laminate flooring is not only a less expensive substitute, but it is much easier to take care of.

Laminate floors are a miracle for people who cannot afford wood flooring, or who just don’t want the hassle. It also accurately resembles real wood, so many of your guests will not even notice a difference. As a result, you do not have to pay thousands just for a real wood floor. An additional feature is that laminate flooring is extremely simple to install. While these do it yourself projects may look difficult, the flooring installation actually can be effortless. One of the most popular methods of installation includes the snap technique. This means that the laminate pieces are actually linked together and are easily snapped into place. Although this procedure is straightforward, it can also become costly. Therefore, other homeowners prefer using the laminate floors which come with glue. By adding water to the glue on the back of the laminate flooring, you can place the pieces wherever you want to.

With laminate flooring becoming one of the most popular household must haves; it is no surprise that people are ditching genuine wood flooring. Other reasons why people love laminate floors so much is because it lasts a lifetime. Unlike authentic wood floors that fade very quickly if exposed to the sun, the sunlight will never damage or dull laminate flooring. Therefore, this is a great alternative for someone who does not want to spend dollar after dollar on their floors.

Another quality that attracts customers to laminate flooring is the fact that the opportunities are endless. Many lower end floor patterns are limited and tedious. However, laminate flooring provides the homeowner with a sundry of designs. Luckily, customers can go outside of the box and even purchase stone or tiles for the same price.

Although laminate floors are wonderful substitutes, they can actually be inconvenient in many instances. Due to the fact that certain rooms need a harder floor that can handle a large amount of weight, laminate flooring may not be the best choice. While bathrooms need water resistant floors, kitchens may need an entirely different type of floor. For this reason, it is important to do your research before you make a decision. By looking into what type of flooring goes best with your room, you will easily be able to find an affordable solution.

No matter what type of budget you are looking for, laminate floors can provide you with a great result. Fortunately, it is in almost everyone’s price range and can easily be mistaken for real wood floors. It also can be quite a relief to not have to worry about sun damage or overflowing bills from overpriced installation services. With such a wide variety of laminate flooring, you will be able to find what you have always wanted.

Natalie Aranda writes on home improvement and gardening. With laminate flooring becoming one of the most popular household must haves; it is no surprise that people are ditching genuine wood flooring. Other reasons why people love laminate floors so much is because it lasts a lifetime. Unlike authentic wood floors that fade very quickly if exposed to the sun, the sunlight will never damage or dull laminate flooring. Therefore, this is a great alternative for someone who does not want to spend dollar after dollar on their floors. For most homeowners, buying authentic wood floors can be expensive and stressful. It is never easy to keep solid oak floors maintained, especially when scratches show up sporadically and children along with guests tend to worsen the situation.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Natalie_Aranda