New material claims zero maintenance

Octaveward has supplied homes in North Manchester with Envirowood fencing, an environmentally friendly alternative to timber.

The material, supplied by the Darwen based firm, is made from high-density recycled styrene, promising a long-term, zero maintenance life for picket fences, gates and yard enclosures.

Envirowood shares many similarities with hardwood. The extruded sections replicate standard wood sections and contain up to 70% recycled styrene from sources such as waste packaging. A hard and dense material, it can be sawn, drilled and will take screws and fittings in exactly the same way as wood.

Self-coloured and unaffected by sunlight, the material can simulate the appearance of oak, ash, teak, cedar or any hardwood. Moreover, it doesn’t require periodic treatment saving time and expense and avoiding the release to the environment from preservatives of volatile organic compounds.

Envirowood claims not to rot, warp, delaminate, discolour or harbour insects as timber does. Even at the end of an extended working life, the Octaveward material can be granulated and reused as filler in new Envirowood sections.

So far 600 homes in the Newton Heath Scheme have been fitted with the new fencing. The scheme is part of 13,000 public sector houses managed by Northwards Housing.