I am a recent addition to the board of trustees of a small historic house museum.

The front and side porch floors of the house need to be replaced. They are not currently falling in or dangerous, but should be replaced in the next year or so.

At last night's board meeting a recommendation was made to replace the wood with plastic lumber (created from recycled material). This sent up a red flag for me. It would seem to be counter to the fundamental beliefs of preservation.

The point was made that a grant program would allow this replacement for about $200 in material costs versus over $1,500 for real wood. I still had significant concerns.

The bulk of the board seemed to think that plastic wood was a wonderful idea, but I was able to defer a decision until the next meeting. I asked for an opportunity to research the issue further.

**So here I am**

I'm not looking for a rebuke of our board members, or a detailed examination of the value of real wood. I believe in both the good intentions of our board, and the real value of experiencing wood under your feet as you enter our historic home.

Does any one know of any use of plastic lumber in a historic setting? Preservation guidelines I've reviewed all stress the importance of using like material when replacement is necessary, but don't completely exclude more modern substitutes. On some level it could be argued that by using this recycled material, we are directing our preservation efforts to existing trees.

A puzzlement.

Robb Hyde
Marketing/Development Manager
Canton Museum of Art

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