Spec Worthy

The new fencing that buffers the native oaks and pines from Ventura Boulevard is made from 65 percent-recycled materials from the electric power generation industry. It is a mineral filler created with polyurethane and fly ash. Photo: LifeTime Lumber

Ventura Boulevard, originally a part of old El Camino Real (originally a trail between Spanish missions), is one of the oldest routes in the San Fernando Valley of Southern California. A local residential steering committee identified the need for a barrier that would discourage cars and trucks from parking on a median along the boulevard and damaging the roots of the historic oaks and other flora growing there. In addition to protection and preservation of the habitat, a rustic walking path for the community was also high on the list of requested improvements.

When landscape architects from the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Services received funding to renovate the median, they were tasked with selecting the appropriate fencing to increase safety and preserve the native oaks.

''Low maintenance and good looks were the primary qualities we needed in a fencing product, as city projects often lack funding for upkeep,'' explains Robert Gutierrez, a landscape architect for the city of Los Angeles and project supervisor for the median project.

When the city began specifying materials for the median, the landscape architects received a recommendation from another city landscape architect who had successfully specified a product called LifeTime Lumber on a recent project. This product is made from 65 percent-recycled materials recovered from the electric power generation industry. It is neither wood nor plastic, but a mineral filler created with polyurethane and fly ash. This composite material can be used for decks, docks and fences. The manufacturer says it ''prevents rot, pest damage, mold, mildew and flammability.''

The city purchased 1,700 feet of the ''lumber'' in 2''x 6'', 2''x 6''x 5'' and 2''x 6''x 16'' profiles and decorative post-caps, all in ''sage green.'' The fence stretches along three long islands on the southern side of the historic oak-filled median, keeping vehicles off the oak roots, increasing pedestrian safety and creating an aesthetically pleasing boulevard border.

In September 2009, the specified fencing underwent an unfortunate test when a nearby water main broke and released 15,000 gallons of water per minute onto the streets surrounding one section of the boulevard. Residences and roads throughout the area were damaged, but the median fencing stayed completely intact and anchored in the ground. The median project's final completion date has been slightly modified due to the flooding, but the composite fencing has given the city landscape architects one less thing to worry about.

For more information visit, www.lifetimelumber.com.