Heat and steam transform yellow pine into PureWood -- a wood product that resists insects, fungus and mold.
The product gets the green nod from environmental groups as an alternative to composites or wood treated with chemicals or metals. Scraps from your deck project can be mulched, burned or recycled like any other wood. Kids and pets can safely play on the decking.
Treating raw boards with heat and steam destroys the sugar in the wood, making it indigestible to pests and fungus.
The boards are dimensionally stable, with limited shrinking, swelling or warping. They are slow to absorb water and can be used above or in contact with the ground. As easy to work with as raw wood, according to the manufacturer, the boards can be sanded, painted and stained. The heat process produces a uniform dark color, which will change without treatment.
Two styles of boards -- traditional smooth or with narrow traction grooves on both sides (shown in photo) -- are available. A full line of decking products, including posts, balusters, top and bottom rails, and fascia boards, is also available.
Heat treated wood has been used in Europe for a decade, but is just starting to be introduced to the United States. The Stellac process used to produce PureWood was developed in Finland. Raw wood is heated to 400 degrees for 50 to 60 hours.
At $6 a square foot, the 5" x 1-1/4" boards are pricier than premium composites ($4.75 a square foot), and pressure treated decking ($2-$2.50 a square foot), but in line with hardwood exotics. Deck boards are available in two-foot increments, from 8 to 20 feet.
At this point, distribution is limited to the southeast, but the manufacturer is working at wider distribution.
The product is guaranteed against rot and decay for 25 years.
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