Eco Friendly Options For Decking Planters

[3monster 0]

Hi. I am trying to decide between using conwood (recycled cement and paper fibre) http://www.ecotimber.com.sg/products3.html

& recycled plastic timber from http://www.uspl.com.sg/index.htm to deck up my planter areas.

I have seen the WPC sample from goodhill & it looks / feels too 'fake', very un-wood-like. The above 2 looks & feels much better.

Not keen on using real wood cos do not want to chop down more trees plus all the issues with maintenance, discolouration, splinting, warping etc.

Has anyone used any of the above 2? Any issues / problems? Any feedback will be appreciated, thanks!

[ken10 0]

am also intending to deck my balcony planter

but cannot decide on the material to use

looking for something low maintenance

different companies push different materials and so say something not too good about another material

so am confused as to what to choose

composite wood sounds like the most low maintenance

HELP!

[indira 0]

Hi guys, just see your post today,

Have you considered about bamboo products? There is a product called Strand Woven Bamboo that meant for flooring and decking. It is low maintenance, looks like wood and it is a sustainable building materials since bamboo is abundance and easy to grow after harvesting (it only takes 5 years to harvest compare to wood that takes more than 15 years to reach maturity)

If you are interested you can check out the website;

http://www.styleline.com.sg/

[morganwu 0]

try accoya.

http://www.accoya.com/

[indira 0]

Hi Ken10 and 3 monster,

Have you choose your outdoor decking yet? Below are some pictures that are using strand woven bamboo,

[ken10 0]

try accoya.

http://www.accoya.com/

thanks!

but say i see this one widely recommended

also have not come across any contractor offering accoya

how does it compare with ironwood?

came across a supplier who's giving a 5 year warranty on workmanship and structural cracks -- using ironwood.

sound too good to be true?

most of the units in the condo are using him ...

most companies at most 1 year warranty on workmanship, some no warranty

should i go with this 5 year warranty ironwood chap???

[morganwu 0]

you have to ask him to define what are structural cracks.

to me, a 5 year warranty is only a marketing strategy with not much practical impact, for the reasons below

1. you got to ask yourself do you think his company can last 5 years or not. if he is a Singaporean company, and is quoting you less than $800 per planter box (assuming yours is a small one, ~30sqft), he probably wont last 5 years in this trade because the overheads here are very high. if he is a Malaysian... i dont know, its up to you to decide if warranty given to you by a Malaysian contractor is believable. they can simply ignore your call and you cant find them because they dont have an office.

2. most structural problems appear within 1 year of installation, because of the nature of timber. warranty seldom extends beyond 1 year because it is not meaningful. you mentioned in your previous post that you are looking for something that's easy to maintain. ironwood is a good choice, but you have to take note that it cracks under the sun due to its hardness. you can ask him, but his warranty probably does not cover the SURFACE material, which is the ironwood.

i recommended accoya because of the low maintenance part. it is a treated timber that does not crack, does not wrap, and comes with a 50 years warranty. similarly, 50 years sounds good, but we in the industry usually shrug it off because in 50 years, who knows, the whole building demolished already.

you may find accoya at

Nature Wood Pte Ltd

31 Sungei Kadut St4

thanks!

but say i see this one widely recommended

also have not come across any contractor offering accoya

how does it compare with ironwood?

came across a supplier who's giving a 5 year warranty on workmanship and structural cracks -- using ironwood.

sound too good to be true?

most of the units in the condo are using him ...

most companies at most 1 year warranty on workmanship, some no warranty

should i go with this 5 year warranty ironwood chap???

Edited June 20, 2011 by morganwu

[ken10 0]

this forum's mechanism not very good

only prompted me on your first post

many thanks for your reply!

the company's apparently been around for more than 10years i think that's what he said

he's been with the company for 5 or 8 years i think

singapore company

his only quick and aggressive on closing deals

service wise u ask him anything don't answer

lousy on email, just verbal on everything -- very unreliable right. that's why i think you're right to say the 5year thing is a marketing strategy

the worse thing abt this guy is that i think once the deal is done, want to get hold of him will not be so easy -- at least that's how he's coming across now

yes he would not answer questions abt the surface, like stains, fading, scratches

die lah, this balcony gets the morning sun

this accoya -- so its a composite material?

have u used accoya yourself?

how did it turn out with time?

is accoya more expensive than ironwood?

what's your relationship to nature wood?

have u used them before?

thanks!

you have to ask him to define what are structural cracks.

to me, a 5 year warranty is only a marketing strategy with not much practical impact, for the reasons below

1. you got to ask yourself do you think his company can last 5 years or not. if he is a Singaporean company, and is quoting you less than $800 per planter box (assuming yours is a small one, ~30sqft), he probably wont last 5 years in this trade because the overheads here are very high. if he is a Malaysian... i dont know, its up to you to decide if warranty given to you by a Malaysian contractor is believable. they can simply ignore your call and you cant find them because they dont have an office.

2. most structural problems appear within 1 year of installation, because of the nature of timber. warranty seldom extends beyond 1 year because there it is not meaningful. you mentioned in your previous post that you are looking for something that's easy to maintain. ironwood is a good choice, but you have to take note that it cracks under the sun due to its hardness. you can ask him, but his warranty probably does not cover the SURFACE material, which is the ironwood.

i recommended accoya because of the low maintenance part. it is a treated timber that does not crack, does not wrap, and comes with a 50 years warranty. similarly, 50 years sounds good, but we in the industry usually shrug it off because in 50 years, who knows, the whole building demolished already.

you may find accoya at

Nature Wood Pte Ltd

31 Sungei Kadut St4

[morganwu 0]

hi,

i work for nature wood. to be specific, the company i work for is part of nature wood's group of companies.

Accoya is a natural material. it is actually pine wood that has underwent a chemical process called Acetylation. this process replaces the reactive substances in the wood and render the wood nonreactive. it is non-toxic, as the chemical used here is similar to vinegar.

the company just started carrying Accoya start of this year, but Accoya have been around overseas for quite some time. local tests are still underway, but results so far so good.

yes it is more expensive than ironwood. it is the same price as chengal. but it does not crack. left unpainted in the sun it will turn silvery grey.

Morgan

this forum's mechanism not very good

only prompted me on your first post

many thanks for your reply!

the company's apparently been around for more than 10years i think that's what he said

he's been with the company for 5 or 8 years i think

singapore company

his only quick and aggressive on closing deals

service wise u ask him anything don't answer

lousy on email, just verbal on everything -- very unreliable right. that's why i think you're right to say the 5year thing is a marketing strategy

the worse thing abt this guy is that i think once the deal is done, want to get hold of him will not be so easy -- at least that's how he's coming across now

yes he would not answer questions abt the surface, like stains, fading, scratches

die lah, this balcony gets the morning sun

this accoya -- so its a composite material?

have u used accoya yourself?

how did it turn out with time?

is accoya more expensive than ironwood?

what's your relationship to nature wood?

have u used them before?

thanks!

Edited June 19, 2011 by morganwu

[ken10 0]

i'm quote 1500 for ironwood

possible to say how much more if its accoya?

any photos?

hi,

i work for nature wood. to be specific, the company i work for is part of nature wood's group of companies.

Accoya is a natural material. it is actually pine wood that has underwent a chemical process called Acetylation. this process replaces the reactive substances in the wood and render the wood nonreactive. it is non-toxic, as the chemical used here is similar to vinegar.

the company just started carrying Accoya start of this year, but Accoya have been around overseas for quite some time. local tests are still underway, but results so far so good.

yes it is more expensive than ironwood. it is the same price as chengal. but it does not crack. left unpainted in the sun it will turn silvery grey.

Morgan

Edited June 20, 2011 by ken10

[morganwu 0]

Sry i got no photos of Accoya. For other timbers you may look at

planter box photo

how big and deep is your planter box?

i'm quote 1500 for ironwood

possible to say how much more if its accoya?

any photos?

[ken10 0]

i don't have the info

my balcony's defintely bigger than the one in the pix

the planter size is probably about the size of that but on one width there's some more planter space

so like L shape

does your company do ironwood?

the timber color in the photo not very even

what sort of wood is that?

friends say the dark brown color runs when it rains -- how comes this happens? inferior stain used?

Sry i got no photos of Accoya. For other timbers you may look at

planter box photo

how big and deep is your planter box?

[morganwu 0]

hi ken,

you would have to give me the measurements before i can assist you further.

yes my company does ironwood.

no natural timber has uniform coloration. for example the color of the skin on your stomach and forearm is probably different also. you have to accept this uneven coloration if you want natural timber.

the timber in the picture is Merbau.

the stain is usually the sap within the timber itself. when exposed to rain the sap will dissolve and leak out of the wood. this is a temporary phenomenon. it will stop after a month or so if it rains frequently. however it could also be the protection coating you are talking about. but if that is the case a really very low quality coating was used.

almost all timber classified as usable outdoors have sap in them, as the sap is one of the factors that give the timber its durability.

morgan

i don't have the info

my balcony's defintely bigger than the one in the pix

the planter size is probably about the size of that but on one width there's some more planter space

so like L shape

does your company do ironwood?

the timber color in the photo not very even

what sort of wood is that?

friends say the dark brown color runs when it rains -- how comes this happens? inferior stain used?

[ken10 0]

thanks

what i meant was that i've seen more uniform finishing.

hi ken,

you would have to give me the measurements before i can assist you further.

yes my company does ironwood.

no natural timber has uniform coloration. for example the color of the skin on your stomach and forearm is probably different also. you have to accept this uneven coloration if you want natural timber.

the timber in the picture is Merbau.

the stain is usually the sap within the timber itself. when exposed to rain the sap will dissolve and leak out of the wood. this is a temporary phenomenon. it will stop after a month or so if it rains frequently. however it could also be the protection coating you are talking about. but if that is the case a really very low quality coating was used.

almost all timber classified as usable outdoors have sap in them, as the sap is one of the factors that give the timber its durability.

morgan

[morganwu 0]

uniform finishing can only be achieved with dark stains.

this particular client wanted to see the wood's natural color. hence we used an outdoor oil that accentuates the wood's original grain and color instead of hiding it.

thanks

what i meant was that i've seen more uniform finishing.