PLASTIC LUMBER TECHNICAL INFORMATION

APPLICATIONS: Residential decks and railings, commercial walkways, wilderness walkways, boat docks and marine applications, children playgrounds and adirondack furniture are excellent uses for plastic lumber particularly where water touches wood. Reference our website www.leisuredeck.com for all the latest information about the best decking and railing products in the market.

DECK SPAN TABLES: Plastic lumber is an excellent product to be used for a deck surface, but it is more flexible than traditional materials. Proper design considerations must be taken into account for your specific application. Plastic lumber is not recommended for any structural component of a deck, such as joists, posts, or support beams. General guidelines for joist span tables are as follows:

2" x 6": 16 inches on center
2" x 4": 16 inches on center
1" x 6": 12 inches on center

SUITABILITY: Plastic Lumber is not recommended for any structural application. The Plastic Lumber Company does not warrant either expressed or implied, the suitability of plastic lumber, for any use, beyond those designated and constructed by the Plastic Lumber Company, Inc. Please test to insure that the product will perform satisfactorily in your application.

WORKABILITY: Always work within conventional safety parameters for the tools and equipment being used. Standard woodworking tools and hardware are normally adequate to saw, drill, bore or rout plastic lumber. We use carbide tip, saw blades and router bits in our fabrication department. Regular jobber drill bits are adequate for drilling.

SCREW FASTENERS: For superior fastening we recommend deep flighted screws. stainless steel, zinc galvanized or ceramic coated fasteners are recommended for outdoor application. Our technical experience shows that stainless steel screws with a square head drive have less of a tendency to strip out the drive bits than the Phillips Head drive.

NAIL FASTENERS: The effects of thermal expansion and contraction may loosen nail joints over time. Therefore, we recommend screws and/or bolts as a superior joining technique.

GLUES AND ADHESIVES: Glues and Adhesives: Plastic lumber is a very difficult material to glue and only until recently has there been any effective adhesive system worthy of consideration. However, 3M has recently introduced a structural adhesive system in the DP8000 series that warrants special consideration should an adhesive system be necessary for your project. Contact your nearest 3M industrial adhesive expert for additional information.

EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION: Due to the effects of temperature, plastic lumber may expand or contract approximately 1/32 of an inch per lineal foot of board. In construction, avoid butting boards together wherever possible.