Wood Plastic Composite Uses and Benefits

If you are looking to start a construction project in the near future, then you know how hard it can be to find a building material that meets your requirements. Due to recent innovations, there is a new material on the scene making heads turn.

This material is WPC, and it may just change the future of construction forever. (If you’re not familiar with WPC then read on and find out how this newcomer can make a difference in your project.)

What is Wood Plastic Composite?

As its name might suggest, wood plastic composite (WPC) is a material created from a unique blend of natural wood and plastic fibers. Sawdust, pulp, bamboo, peanut hulls and unused woodworking materials, like bark, from a variety of projects, are combined with plastic powder to form WPC.

What’s most remarkable about wood plastic composite is that it can be created entirely from recycled materials collected from C&D operations, wood product manufacturing facilities, and more. To top it off, used WPC can even be recycled to create brand new WPC, making WPC the ultimate recyclable commodity.

Why is WPC So Exciting?

Because wood plastic composite is created from a substance that starts as a paste, it can be molded to almost any shape and size, including arched or bent shapes. That innate flexibility extends to color as well- WPC can be dyed or colored to suit almost any design scheme.

From a functional standpoint, wood plastic composite is moisture-resistant and rot-resistant, meaning that it will last aesthetically and integrally longer than normal wood. And WPC is more heat-resistant than typical lumber, creating a product that can be used in locations where normal lumber may bend or warp.

The Real Lumber Alternative

Depending on what material the sawdust is blended with — polyethylene or polypropylene — WPC can be used for a variety of construction projects in much the same way as natural lumber. Drilling, planing, sanding; it’s all done just as easily with WPC as it is with wood.