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artificial lumber

Hello Group, Before I begin an internet search on artificial lumber I wanted to ask you if any have used it and what your impressions are. Specifically, I want to replace the cedar facia boards on my 17 year old log home. They are not rotting, but many of them have suffered numerous attacks by wood boring bees. The combination of bee tunnels, woodpeckers probing for bees, and wood gnawing squirrels(I really hate them!)have left many of the boards looking like they've been eaten by squirrels. I can't think of any clever comment there, just the facts. So, does anyone know about artificial replacements for facia boards? Thanks in advance, Marc

Reply to
marc rosen
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Hi Marc,

Although I have not used it, I have seen and considered using the Trek brand stuff at the local HD to replace the planking on our deck.

It is heavier & more expensive that PT wood. That said, I think it looks "artificial" ( probably because it is). SWMBO doesn't like it - 'nough said there.

OTOH, I can't think of any living creature that would want to gnaw at/through the stuff - and if you use it at a distance (i.e. facia) it may serve your purpose.

FWIW

Lou

Reply to
loutent

I recently used ChoiceDel sold by Lowes, but made by Weyerhauser. The mfr claim is that this material has more wood then competitors, e.g., Trex. The wood chips are cedar.

The ChoiceDek is meant to be stainable. I have not tried. I used this for a walkway that goes from my drive over my garages and wraps around the other side of the house. It is west facing and so in my eastern PA location gets the brunt of the prevailing wind/rain/snow.

This has been in place for about 18 months. It has gone the grey colour due to not being stained, but holds up really well against the elements.

I am afraid all of the "artificial" lumber does not have the look of the real deal, due to not really having any grain pattern.

I can recommend one of the brands of artifical lumber if you want to install and forget.

The price is rediculously high, but the lack of maintenance and stability in use is great. It is so easy to cut, screw, and does not split or chip.

The ChoiceDek is claimed to be stronger than Trex. They do make facia boards.

Dave Paine.

Reply to
Tyke

"marc rosen" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

Specifically, I

Those bees are a real pain; we had them in a house in Indiana and they did a lot of damage before I got rid of them. On the composite lumber, I'd recommend Certainteed Weatherboard (see about 3/4 of the way down this page:

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I resided our garage with their lap siding product this summer and it looks great-- unlike some other composites, the wood grain looks real (like cedar in our case). It carries a 50 year warranty, and you can work the trim boards with regular tools. I can't imagine bees or anything else would be interested in eating it either.

Regards,

Derek

Reply to
Kiwanda

Since this is fascia, why not use Hardy trim. The stuff is made of cement, water proof and bug proof. Supposed to hold paint real well also.

Reply to
Roger Shoaf

Sun, Jan 9, 2005, 4:09pm (EST-3) snipped-for-privacy@qis.net (marc=A0rosen) says: many of them have suffered numerous attacks by wood boring bees.

I've read that painting boards will keep those bees away. Especially if you drill some hole in a chunk of 2X4 and hang it reasonably near by. I've not tried either yet.

If I was one of those bees, I'd want to get out of paintng too.

JOAT Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.

- =A0Dale Carnegie

Reply to
J T

I use some UK stuff (Viroc) which is probably similar.

Although it paints well, it's fussy about the paint you use. All of these cement boards are highly alkaline and you must use a paint that's happy with that. Most external masonry paints are OK with it, but the glossy paints you'd use on the rest of your wood trim aren't. If you're trying to match woodowrk, you may need a barrier coat of masonry paint on the cement board before you paint it to match the timber.

It's bug, bee and critter proof though

Reply to
Andy Dingley

Woodpecker-proof also? That may be the ticket for problems I'm having with woodpeckers taking apart my storage shed.

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Now we'll just use some glue to hold things in place until the brads dry +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Reply to
Mark & Juanita

Woodpeckers aren't stupid. If you can fix the underlying bug problem, they'll likely give up anyway.

Reply to
Andy Dingley

In my case, there were no underlying bugs -- they have been pecking through single-thickness siding with *nothing* on the other side.

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Now we'll just use some glue to hold things in place until the brads dry +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Reply to
Mark & Juanita

From what bird folks say about woodpeckers, they only work where there are bugs. They go strictly by the sound of the critters' movement inside the wood. Perhaps your bugs aren't yet, only larvae at the point you checked. I've heard people say before there were no bugs there and found later the woodpeckers were right after all. They are good bug detectors from all accounts.

Glenna

Reply to
Glenna Rose

Stucco. put it right over your siding. Tar paper, metal lath and some edging and start swinging the trowel.

Reply to
Roger Shoaf

Mark & Juanita wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Some of the hammering woodpeckers do is analogous to those guys in the funky cars with loud, bass-loudest "music" on their car radios, slowly driving down the street where the chicks line up.

"See how I can peck wood?"

Reply to
Han

would that explain why they're hammering on my metal chimney flue? at 6am usually?

the other explanation is that they're hammering to attract female attention.

Reply to
Charles Spitzer

Well, that's working, isn't it? I'll bet your S.O. is ready to fry it for dinner.

Glenna

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Reply to
Glenna Rose

I remember seeing one hammer a squirrel once--they were having a debate over who got to eat a bunch of sunflower seeds at the time.

Reply to
J. Clarke

Mon, Jan 10, 2005, 10:34pm (EST-3) snipped-for-privacy@pmug.org (Glenna=A0Rose) claims: From what bird folks say about woodpeckers, they only work where there are bugs. They go strictly by the sound of the critters' movement inside the wood. Perhaps your bugs aren't yet, only larvae at the point you checked. =A0=A0I've heard people say before there were no bugs there and found later the woodpeckers were right after all. They are good bug detectors from all accounts.

We're talking about a bird, with a brain about the size of a pea, that spends it's days beading it's head on wood looking for bugs. That's ought to be a clue they aren't the brightest creatures in the world.

They periodically knock on the eaves of my house. And, there's never been any evidence anywhere that there are/were insects there. To top that, they've even been known to peck on metal siding - admitted there "could" be a bug on the other side, but even they should get the hint after a minute or two.

JOAT Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.

- =A0Dale Carnegie

Reply to
J T

Woodpeckers obey the three calls of nature: food, shelter and sex. They drum for all three reasons. In particular, re your post, they establish a territory which is defined and defended by drumming. Anything that really booms out is desirable. Sorry.

Steve

We're talking about a bird, with a brain about the size of a pea, that spends it's days beading it's head on wood looking for bugs. That's ought to be a clue they aren't the brightest creatures in the world.

They periodically knock on the eaves of my house. And, there's never been any evidence anywhere that there are/were insects there. To top that, they've even been known to peck on metal siding - admitted there "could" be a bug on the other side, but even they should get the hint after a minute or two.

JOAT Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.

- Dale Carnegie

Reply to
Steven and Gail Peterson

Tue, Jan 11, 2005, 11:24pm (EST+5) snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net (Steven=A0and=A0Gail=A0Peterson) claims: they establish a territory which is defined and defended by drumming. Anything that really booms out is desirable. Sorry.

Who's on guitar then?

JOAT Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.

- =A0Dale Carnegie

Reply to
J T

Not sure where bugs would be in 5/8" termite-puke siding with nothing but studs on the other side. ... and in a storage building that gets exterminated on a regular basis. My opinion is that they were using the shed as a good spot for hammering to attract mates when the metal chimney flue was being used by a bigger woodpecker.

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+ Now we'll just use some glue to hold things in place until the brads dry +--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Reply to
Mark & Juanita

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