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RedwffiTop 5
HE California Redwood association provides answers to the five questions it receives most often.
l. L it safe to use redwood in fire-prone areas?
Many areas, including the state of Califomia. are issuing new standards or guidelines for materials and construction practices that can and cannot be used in what is known as the WUI, or Wildland-Urban Interface. The goal of the new standards is to prevent structures from igniting during wildfires. Since wildfires behave differently from structure fires, the standards are aimed at protecting buildings or decks from particularly hot, fast-moving fires.
In California, a new chapter has been introduced to the state's building code. For decking materials, California sets high standards for ignition resistance and heat release rates. In independent testing, untreated redwood grades construction common and better were found to perform well within the limits set by the new building code. The molecular make-up that gives redwood its natural resistance to insects and decay also provide a natural resistance to fire.
In general, using redwood grades construction common or better complies with WUI fire-safe standards, though you should always check with local ordinances before building with any material in fire-prone areas.
2. nlchoose redwood, will I be responsible for cutting the last redwood?
The most persistent myth about redwood is that redwood forests are disappearing and we are running out of redwood. This is simply not true. There is just about the same amount of redwood forests today as there was 100 years ago, and those redwood forests that are being managed to produce redwood lumber are being managed more productively than ever. There are more than 1.7 million acres of redwood forestland in California, roughly 957o of oldgrowth redwoods are protected in parks and preserves, and all redwood products come from sustainably managed forests.
While all commercial redwood forests comply with perhaps the most stringent environmental regulations in the world, about 807o of redwood forests are further certified as well managed and sustainable under independent certification programs.
3. Ho* does redwood fit in with green building?
Redwood is perhaps the greenest building material available. Renewable, recyclable and energy efficient, redwood can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address global warming concerns. Redwood is a particularly fastgrowing species, so it excels at removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
When trees grow, they absorb carbon dioxide-a primary greenhouse gas-from the air, and through photosynthesis, store the carbon and release oxygen. The faster they grow, the more carbon dioxide they remove. Harvesting trees stores the carbon they have absorbed in wood products like decking and siding. Replanting and regeneration continues the cycle ofcarbon absorption in the forest.
And since the energy to grow trees comes from the sun (whereas the energy to produce non-renewable materials like plastics and concrete comes from burning fossil fuels, which emit greenhouse gases), using redwood is a great way to lower one's carbon footprint.
4. Ho* much maintenance is involved with redwood decking?
Redwood can be as low-maintenance as anyone could want, or you could choose to refinish your deck every year or two. If you prefer a "no maintenance" option, you should still sweep leaves and debris off your deck and make a reasonable effort to keep it clean. Left unfinished, redwood will take on a distinctive gray look over time and retain all its structural integrity.
Redwood heartwood is particularly resistant to decay and insects. If you prefer to finish your redwood deck to keep it looking like new, there are several quality finishes available-those with a mildewcide and UV protection are generally most effective. Finishing your redwood deck is as easy as brushing or rolling the product of your choice on to a clean surface.
How often you refinish the deck is a matter of choice, and may depend on the severity of the elements to which the deck is exposed. Even so, most decks can be refinished
