Oct 17 2006
The good news is that our nation's waterways are getting cleaner. The bad news is that cleaner water creates an environment that is perfect for marine creatures. Several recent news stories have highlighted potentially devastating explosions in the number of gribble and shipworm infestations. These underwater critters are wreaking coastal havoc in countless locations, from New York's Hudson River to Washington's Puget Sound. They are chewing through piers, pilings, bulkheads and seawalls at an unprecedented rate.
Stricter regulations on the use of chemical wood treatments in saltwater and freshwater have left coastal property owners and both private and public organizations searching for an alternative solution. Crane Materials International (CMI) responded to the problem three years ago by launching a new product called TimberGuard. TimberGuard is timber piling encased in a continuous, heavy-duty polymer shield– effectively keeping pests, oxygen, and light from reaching the wood inside.
Wrapping piles is not new, but previous methods failed because they relied on metal bands and staples, which corrode over time. TimberGuard comes from CMI already encapsulated without gaps or seams. No future maintenance is necessary. Simply install it and forget about it.
Over the past three years, many marine contractors have discovered the benefits of TimberGuard. For example, Chris Flint of Flint Marine Construction recently built a pier in Yorktown, Virginia with 13 slips and a half dozen boatlifts, using TimberGuard throughout the entire project.
"The owner desired voluntary compliance with the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act, so we are building everything with TimberGuard," Flint said. "We’re using it for whatever you can think of– stringers, headers, pilings, bulkheads, and additional piers – and there is no special preparation involved. This is a first-class product."
For more than 57 years, CMI has been leader in the research and development of plastic and composite building materials. TimberGuard is the latest in a line of long-life, high-performance products such as siding, fencing, decking, windows, and advanced marine construction materials.