Rotting Promise

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Saturday, January 4. 2014

Many stars took it upon themselves to head to New Orleans post-Katrina. They hoped to provide comfort and assistance to the unfortunate people impacted by the storm. As I've noted here, I have no quarrel with people giving their time and effort to a worthy cause. I respect those who put their time and money on the line.

I also respect trying to be 'green', if that's what you're into. I'm 'green', though not in a manner Ed Begley, Jr. would approve.

However sanctimonious some Hollywood stars may be, it's disturbing to see well-meaning organizations get swindled.

Going overboard on the green express will undoubtedly lead to more problems such as those Brad Pitt's Make it Right Foundation has experienced. A new, but untested, method of treating wood which avoids toxic chemicals was used on portions of New Orleans homes. The wood is now rotting.

Some claim the problems were due to New Orleans' humidity. I have to wonder, since they ran into issues up north.

Posted by Bulldog in Hot News & Misc. Short Subjects at 11:39 | Comments (9) | Trackbacks (0)

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It seems that everything the Left does in a environmental "sustainable" effort turns out to be folly. From corn to ethanol to wind power. I think the problem is that the end justifies the means and it really doesn't matter to those pushing the folly if it is successful because all that matters is that they mean well. To a great extent that is what our war on poverty has become as well. Now pushing out a few babies guarantees you welfare at rates that equal a middle class income while requiring ever increasing taxes which reduce a working middle class income to a level approaching poverty.

#1 GoneWithTheWind on 2014-01-04 11:58 (Reply)

I agree completely! I visited a buddy in NO a few years ago who doesn't agree much with Brad Pitt but had strong praise for what he was trying to do. His efforts were undermined by both his slavish devotion to 'Green' and the vendor's poor product. Assuming some due diligence on Make It Right's part, I can only blame the vendor.

It's a very sad situation. People tried to do the right thing. The lives of the people who now live in those houses will be hugely disrupted. Hopefully a solution can be found but it will be expensive to someone.

#2 mudbug on 2014-01-04 12:42 (Reply)

A wood preservative that only prevents rot if the wood isn't exposed to moisture.

You just can't make this shit up.

#3 B Moe on 2014-01-04 14:31 (Reply)

It takes forethought and planning to do the right thing. "Trying to do the right thing" is a part of a "we must do something now" response, rather than a "let's do things right" response.

#4 Sam L. on 2014-01-04 16:43 (Reply)

Some claim the problems were due to New Orleans' humidity. I have to wonder, since they ran into issues up north.

The responsible company is from South Carolina, which on the coast is as humid as Nawlins. There does not appear to have been much in the way of product testing before marketing it.

#5 Gringo on 2014-01-04 17:23 (Reply)

There are photos of the New Orleans "rot" at http://theadvocate.com/news/neworleans/neworleansnews/7899967-123/innovative-wood-product-used-in

I'm wondering what I'm missing, because I don't see rot in any of the photos.

Here is what I do see:
- the wood has gone gray. I'm not sure what else anyone would expect without any anti-UV coating of some sort.
- there is both top-side and underneath surface mold, starting from moisture-holding joints between decking and joists, and between risers and treads. Since the allure of this wood was its lack of biocidal properties, I'm not sure what else anyone would expect.
- there is cupping and there is checking starting at the cut ends of the boards. Some cupping is inherent with SYP, and choice of grain direction in installation can determine whether it is a problem or not. Of course, installing it without adequate expansion room will pretty much guarantee problems. And fresh cut ends lack protection on any pressure treated timber product.

I'm sure that residents are dissatisfied with what they've got, and it may well be the right thing to do for the foundation to replace all of this wood with more traditional treated wood and then maintain it so that it retains good appearance. I'm not sure that they've got any claim against the manufacturer however. From the way it was not maintained, it is apparent that they were expecting a wonder-product, and what they got was still wood at its core.

#6 Douglas2 on 2014-01-04 19:54 (Reply)

Of the many very serious problems facing mankind tonight, "toxic chemicals infused throughout buried wood structures" seems more aimed at market share than at freeing us from our tragic chains.

#7 bobby b on 2014-01-04 20:49 (Reply)

Every time I see one of those magazines at the start of the grocery store check out lane that has Brad/Angelina on the cover, I can't quell that little voice inside that tells me: their movies are not good enough--there cannot be that many people out there who continue to buy tickets to actually see these two. Your right there is something wrong with Brad/Angelina--they don't make enough money to cover the lifestyle. Five bucks says . . .

#8 another one on 2014-01-05 12:49 (Reply)

It was a good idea. We have some of this wood on one of the marina's pier decks - we fortunately were testing it and only had a ten foot span - it isn't what the company claims.

Sad really. Like Gringo said, not enough product testing apparently.

Then again, the newer non-toxic wood preservatives also have issues. We've replaced most of our boardwalk with the new "environmentally improved preservative" wood within the past four years and we're seeing deterioration at a level we hadn't in the past (I wasn't here then, but I believe it). So we're using glass bead aggregate concrete and aluminum framing starting this February to replace what we replaced four years ago. Expensive, but it's permanent and well worth the money in terms of maintenance and improving the boardwalk.

#9 Tom Francis on 2014-01-05 13:13 (Reply)

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Saturday, January 4. 2014

Rotting Promise