In a message dated 98-06-23 22:00:58 EDT, [log in to unmask] writes:

<< The recycled plastic 2 x 4's cost more than
 the wood, but are also more durable, never need painting, and are making
 productive use of waste that would otherwise endure millenia longer than we
 do in the landfills of America. Value judgements, please? >>


Michael,

Several people have asked me about the ability to mask these products to make
them look like traditional building materials in order to blend them into
historic fabric. I suppose the idea is to get extended durability, lower
maintenance, and lower price, than with natural woods such as mahogany. I keep
looking at them, and asking questions, but have not found any clear answers as
yet. My main concern is their ability to maintain a paint coating. Plastic
wood is not, as yet, being marketed for historic preservation applications, as
far as I know. I think a few things have to occur:

1) the materials are around long enough that people have played with masking
them and find out what works, and what does not work.

2) manufacturing costs have to be reduced in order to make niche marketing in
historic preservation profitable, right now I think the market is mainly in
landscape applications

3) someone has to figure out how to conveniently make custom *historic*
moldings without waste

4) the HP market has to accept the new materials as a viable faux alternative
and invent a new vocabulary to talk about it

5) arrangements made for distribution through suppliers that handle other
historic preservation materials

I would not invest in this idea at this time.

][<en