Why Choose Sustainable Composite Decking for Your Home
December 22, 2020
Sustainable composite decking from TimberTech is a safer, longer-lasting, more environmentally friendly alternative to non-recycled traditional wood decking. Choosing sustainable building materials helps in more ways than you might imagine, including:
- Improving the value of your home.
- Improving the health of you and your family.
- Contributing to the betterment of our planet.
Plus, homes built with green building practices, like using recycled materials, stay beautiful and sustainable, and are eligible for LEED certification. LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an international green building certification system, run by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). As a USGBC Gold Member, we know the importance of sustainable building materials – and how opting for TimberTech composite decking benefits both your pocketbook and your health.
Sustainable Composite Decking: What It Means & How You Benefit
Sustainable composite decking is an ideal choice for homeowners committed to green building practices.
Our Sustainable Decking, Your Earth-Friendly Home
With TimberTech you get beautiful, sustainably made decking products and enjoy several earth-friendly benefits you can’t get from traditional lumber. Here are a few of the reasons TimberTech decking helps meet LEED standards:
- Made with recycled materials. Enjoy a clear conscience when choosing TimberTech sustainable decking, which uses a majority percentage of recycled materials in each of our three decking lines.
- Low-impact, long-lasting products. Enhance your backyard with durable decking that doesn’t need the harmful chemical stains or sealants of traditional wood which release harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air.
- The beauty of real wood without the harm. Enjoy the nature-inspired beauty of TimberTech decking while avoiding the environmental harm caused by unsustainable logging.
LEED Certification: What It Means & How You Benefit
LEED-ing the Way
What: LEED recognizes commercial and residential buildings, as well as entire cities and smaller communities, for their commitment to sustainable building. The TimberTech headquarters in Chicago is a LEED-certified building, and our parent company, The AZEK Company is a USGBC Gold Member.
So What: The more sustainably you build a structure – office OR home – the more you help your budget, health, and planet.
Why LEED Certification Is Good for the Planet – AND You
Membership in the USGBC and a commitment to LEED’s green building principles are all part of our dedication to sustainability. And while our LEED-certified office aligns with our commitment to the planet, we’re also committed to you and your family’s health and wellness. TimberTech sustainable composite decking can therefore be an important part of transforming your house into a LEED-certified home.
Homes built to LEED standards offer several benefits to you, your family, and the environment.
LEED Benefit
How TimberTech Decking Helps
- Decreased energy bills. LEED-certified homes save between 30% and 60% on their energy bills.
- Energy: Our capped polymer decking remains up to 30° F cooler than leading competitors’ composite decking, reducing the amount of heat radiating off your deck into your home during the summer.
- Improved value of your home. Homes with green certifications bring a higher price tag compared to their conventional counterparts.
- Value: Having a gorgeous, low-maintenance, sustainable composite deck from TimberTech, backed by industry-leading warranties, will up your home’s curb appeal.
- Improving the health of you and your family. LEED-certified homes require proper ventilation and restrict the use of harmful chemicals in paints and finishes to improve air quality so the whole family can breathe easier.
- Health: No harmful stains or sealants are required for maintenance on a TimberTech composite deck, like they would be for traditional wood.
- Contributing to the betterment of our planet. Homes with LEED certification reduce greenhouse gas emissions and use resources like electricity and water in more sustainable ways.
- Environment: No need to use energy-consuming power washers or harsh chemicals to clean the deck. TimberTech DeckCleaner™ is non-toxic, bleach-free, and biodegradable for a safer clean – that doesn’t require any heavy-duty tools.
Sustainable Decking in Real Life
Hear why California homeowners Peter and Emma chose sustainable decking from TimberTech for their poolside outdoor oasis.
A Better Planet: How TimberTech Decking Is More Sustainable Than Wood
From using sustainable materials to diverting waste from landfills, composite decking products from TimberTech are an easy choice for sustainability over traditional wood.
TimberTech Capped Polymer & Capped Composite Decking
Sustainable Materials
- TimberTech® PRO® and TimberTech EDGE® are made of approximately 80% recycled material.
- TimberTech AZEK® is made of approximately 50% recycled material.
Conservation
- Over 1 million trees saved since 2015.
- Our closed-loop water filtration system reuses up to 97% of the water that our largest facilities use each year.
Lowering Landfill Contributions
Nearly 500 million pounds of scrap and waste was diverted from landfills in 2021 through our recycling program, which is expanding to do even more.
Traditional Wood
Unsustainable Materials
While you can use reclaimed wood, it is often more expensive than virgin wood due to extra work like sorting, testing for toxins, and removing embedded nails and/or contaminated organic material.
No Conservation
Traditional wood – and in particular, exotic hardwoods like Ipe – can contribute to deforestation and loss of habitats for endangered species.
Landfill Contributions
Wood decks in disrepair from rot or mold can’t be reused and are often discarded. In 2018, landfills received 12.2 million tons of wood.
Enjoy Durability & Lasting Beauty With TimberTech Sustainable Composite Decking
Choosing sustainable composite decking means you get all the beauty of traditional wood with a greatly reduced environmental impact. TimberTech decking products are sustainably made with our advanced materials science that lends our deck boards both strength and beauty that last.
Sustainable composite decking is an eco-friendly option that saves you on costs in the long-run, ditches potentially harmful chemicals, and gives you a beautiful deck to enjoy for years to come. See some of our sustainable alternatives to wood up close and personal by ordering up to four free samples.
See & feel the TimberTech advantage
Our Advanced PVC and Composite Decking lines combine recycled materials with all the beauty of traditional wood, making them the ultimate eco-friendly decking materials.
