All Decked Out: New shop touts 'green' materials

By Dan Daly, Journal staff | Saturday, June 16, 2007

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RAPID CITY — Among the products you will not find for sale at All Decked Out are deck stains, paintbrushes, sanding disks and paint.

“No paint!” co-owner Rita Campbell-Hopkins declared with a smile.

The new business at the corner of Homestead Street and Elk Vale Road is the regional distributor for a line of all-plastic lumber — yes, lumber — and related products made by Bedford Technology in Worthington, Minn.

The material comes in 15 colors, and it looks a lot like painted or stained wood. But it’s made from No. 2 recycled plastic, primarily milk jugs.

It comes in the same dimensions as wood lumber, such as 2-by-4s and 2-by-10s. In fact, it can be as large as a 12-inch square post. One type of lumber, called FiberForce, is structurally rated, which means it is strong enough to build a house with.

The lumber is not a composite, Campbell-Hopkins said. Composite building materials, she said, often combine wood fibers with plastic materials, which means they can absorb water, fade and crumble.

Among All Decked Out’s related products is a line of outdoor furniture called Poly-Wood. The line includes Adirondack chairs, patio tables, benches and upholstered Mission-tyle furniture.

Bedford’s plastic lumber has been used in Florida and the Caribbean for about 15 years. But it has been slow to gain acceptance in places such as South Dakota. Campbell-Hopkins has been pitching it as a building material for outdoor decks, stock stalls, fencing, playground equipment, picnic tables and other uses.

Jim Scull of J. Scull Construction Services in Rapid City said his crews have used Bedford plastic lumber on a number of area construction projects. As the rising interest in “green” products continues, he believes builders will be seeing more recycled materials used in construction.

“It’s kind of one of those ‘eco’ products of the future,” he said. “As far as being environmentally friendly, maintenance-free and long-lasting, it’s outstanding.”

Builders and designers who used Bedford’s recycled plastic lumber need some training to understand the strengths, properties and uses, Scull said.

“Because it has some flexibility to it, and some temperature constraints … if you put up a 10-foot span and haven’t reinforced it or used the reinforced product, it could sag,” he said. “There’s not much leeway; you have to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.”

However, Scull believes in the product. He worked with All Decked Out on the amphitheater at Badlands National Park. The amphitheater seating is made from Bedford’s plastic. He said the federal government is a big fan of plastic lumber.

“The green movement will continue to expand, I feel,” Scull said.

Jerry Cole, head of the Rapid City Parks & Recreation Department, said the city is willing to consider use of recycled plastic lumber for playground equipment and other uses — if All Decked Out can bid on the product.

“We just have to go out for bids on everything. We’ll sure buy their product if they get the bids,” he said.

In fact, plastic lumber is much more expensive than wood. Campbell-Hopkins said a deck made of Bedford’s lumber would likely cost twice that of a redwood deck. However, she pointed out that its longevity — Bedford offers a 50-year warranty — and maintenance-free qualities will save money in the long run.

Campbell-Hopkins started All Decked Out three years ago. Until its recent move to Elk Vale Road, the business has been on Rand Road in west Rapid City.

Another company, Irrigation Specialists, owned by her husband, David Culverhouse, has also moved into the building at Homestead and Elk Vale Road. The remaining 10,000 square feet of the building is vacant and available for lease.

All Decked Out is the regional distributor for Bedford’s products. The shop sells the materials to contractors and consumers. It also contracts to build decks and other products that use the plastic lumber.

In addition, the company also fabricates vinyl privacy fencing, and it now is a vendor for Eon, which makes a composite fencing material that looks like wood. It has a line of rubber matting and loose fill for playgrounds.

For information, call All Decked Out at 388-3043 or go to www.alldeckedoutsd.com.

Contact Daly at 394-8421 or at dan.daly@rapidcityjournal.com