How to Cut Recycled Plastic Lumber
Plastic wood is wood made from recycled plastic. It is a popular green building option. It can be used for constructing decks, building fences or picnic tables. Recycled plastic lumber can act as traditional wood. Since plastic lumber is made of recycled plastics, it is resistant to the elements.
Supplies
- Safety eye wear
- Dust mask
- Ear plugs
- Construction pencil
- Tape measure
- Saw horses
- Circular saw
- Router
- Put on your safety gear, including your eyewear, dust mask and earplugs. Plastic lumber, when cut, produces debris not to be inhaled.
- Use your tape measure for the length of the piece to be cut. Use a construction pencil to mark the spot and make sure the length is correct.
- Put the recycled plastic lumber on a stable cutting surface. A good way to do this is to lay the piece you are working with across two sawhorses. Use the circular saw to cut the lumber. Cut the recycled plastic lumber in the same manner you would cut a traditional wood piece. It requires no special tools or treatment when cutting it. Trim each piece to desired sizes for your project.
- Plastic lumber expands and contracts at a rate which is greater than wood. Therefore, on projects which required boards to be placed together such as a deck or a fence, leave additional space between each board.
- Since plastic lumber does not contain wood, if you are using a router it should be run on a slower speed to prevent damage.
- All in all, plastic lumber is a good alternative to traditional wood. As it is more durable, bug resistant and does not deplete a natural resource. In fact, plastic lumber is actually good for the environment since it is made of different recycled plastic pieces.