Just got thte Dec 2005 issue of JLC, cover pic of “traditional window trim”. There’s a very interesting series of letters in the “Letters” section, which I’ll try to paraphrase.
Reader writes that an advertisemnent from US Borax claims that untreated composite decking (Trex) will lose 20% of its mass in a matter of months without treatment of the Borax product. he asks the magazine if that’s true.
JLC editor writes that they asked Borax for proof of the claim, and asked Trex for a response. Borax sentr a bunch of research papers that showed that adding borax does prevent fungal attack. But the papers don’t name specific products. And the JLC staff essentially poo-pooed the research papers as being too vague.
US Borax responded that they commissioned Oregon State U to do the testing.
Trex responded “There is no truth to the claim in the ad … Our product has a 25 year warranty against rot and insect degradation …
“When asked if you can do something, tell’em “Why certainly I can”, then get busy and find a way to do it.” T. Roosevelt
Replies
ya, I read that also and got to wondering about it.
So the final thought is 'hey, I don't know.'
'Nemo me impune lacesset'
No one will provoke me with impunity
I was thinking about that too. I was thinking that they were saying that with the wood and plastic both at 50%, the plastic couldn't possibly cover the wood. The problem with that is they are assuming the wood an plastic come in the same size factor, which is likely not the case. While plastic can create a fine film, wood cannot. Plastic can form a film over the wood strands, however.
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
Get a new piece of Trex, weigh it, let it sit in the weather for a year, weigh it.
And let us know.
:)
Rich Beckman
Another day, another tool.
I guess my take on the "discussion" in the mag, and the reason I posted the comments, is that it's interesting to see someone question the claims in an ad and the resulting fingerpointing by the partiesd invoilved.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt