The board must remember that preservation is not always cheap.  In fact, it
is usually more expensive to be historically correct.  If the porch is a
major feature of the house than I would never use plastic wood.  If they are
not a major feature then you might concider it, but again only if it looks
good.

----- Original Message -----
From: Robb Hyde <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, June 14, 2000 1:26 PM
Subject: Plastic Lumber


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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