FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT TANGENT PLASTIC LUMBER

What are the different products that Tangent Technologies LLC offers?
How can I determine which material is best suited to my applications?
What shapes, lengths and colors do PolyTuf™, PolyTufPlus™ and PolyForce™ come in?
What if I want to buy only a few pieces of one profile or another? Do you have a minimal order requirement?
Will the color of your product fade rapidly or change color once it is installed?
How does the cost compare to wood?
Do I need special tools to work with Tangent Products?
Can your products be stained or painted?
What type of fasteners are recommended when working with your products?
Will the color and finish of each board be “exactly” the same?
Is the product slippery when wet?
Will your materials expand and contract with temperature changes?
Can static electricity build up when walking across a surface from your products?
Can all your products be used for structural applications?
Can I drill holes and notch the product like wood?
I’ve heard of TanDeck, what type of product is this?
What is the difference between your products and “composite” products I hear so much about?
Do Tangent Products have warranties?
Can different Tangent Products be used together?

________________________________________________________

What are the different products that Tangent Technologies LLC offers?

Tangent has over one hundred different profile shapes on hand to meet your needs. We offer a variety of material specifications that will meet non-structural (PolyTuf ™) , semi-structural (PolyTuf Plus ™) and structural (PolyForce ™) applications. Click here to see the range of plastic lumber products that we make.

How can I determine which material is best suited to my applications?

Our PolyTuf™ brand is a pure HDPE resin plastic lumber product made mostly from post-consumer recycled plastics; PolyTuf Plus ™ has added strengthening fibers for stiffness and stability - both have superior surface finished, but should only be used in non-structural applications. If your application requires structural strength, we recommend that you evaluate our PolyForce™ line of products. Our Tangent representatives can help you understand the uses and suitability of each of our product lines. We encourage you to review the technical data and MSDS sheet for each of our products prior to design or implementation to ensure that it will meet the demands of your application. We also recommend that you consult the national and local code authorities for the safety, suitability, and applicability for intended use prior to purchasing product.

What shapes, lengths and colors do PolyTuf™, PolyTuf Plus ™ and PolyForce™ come in?

We custom-engineer our products to our customers’ specifications, so we will make material in any shape, length, finish and color your application requires. We have over 100 shape profiles available in a number of standard colors. These are generally available on short notice. Please review our Profiles List or contact us for more information.

What if I want to buy only a few pieces of one profile or another? Do you have a minimal order requirement?

Tangent sells primarily to other manufacturers who use of materials to make their products. Since we custom make orders and generally don’t inventory product without an order, we would require a least a minimum order of one skid of product which usually weighs around 1,500 pounds. We do have customers that carry and inventory standard products from Tangent. If you are interested in our plastic lumber decking, it is available in any quantity through our distributor, No Maintenance Decks. For other products, please contact us to see if there is distribution available in your immediate area for small quantities. Please send us an inquiry here.

Will the color of your product fade rapidly or change color once it is installed?

No, all Tangent Products have Ultra-Violet (UV) stabilizers compounded into them to help protect the color and integrity of the base resin for years to come. And because Tangent products do not contain any wood fibers, they will not rapidly fade when exposed to the elements, as is commonly experienced with the composite products available in the marketplace.

How does the cost compare to wood?

Tangent Products are more expensive than regular and treated woods. However, you will find that Tangent products are less expensive than premium hardwoods.

 Do I need special tools to work with Tangent Products?

Standard woodworking tools are just fine. Our products can be milled in the same manner as wood. Always use tools according to their manufacturer’s instructions and wear protective clothing and safety glasses for your safety.

Can your products be stained or painted?

No. Stain and paint will not adhere well to our products. Our custom colors and stability of color through UV stabilizers eliminate the need for recurring maintenance of staining or painting.

What type of fasteners are recommended when working with your products?

We highly recommend stainless steel screws and fasteners. Why invest in a beautiful and long lasting product and then see rust emanating from a metal fastener susceptible to corrosion? Pre-drilling is not required but from a “fit & finish” look it might be advisable as in all professionally installed projects.

Will the color and finish of each board be “exactly” the same?

Tangent attempts to produce to a consistent color and finish on each product. However we do utilize recycled materials and/or virgin resins and as a result we do manufacture to a standard allowable variance which may result in a slight difference from board to board.

Is the product slippery when wet?

Tangent Products are not any more slippery than painted or sealed wood. For high traffic applications we do have a wood grain or knurled embossed finish that will assist in reducing the perception of being slippery. In winter frost and ice conditions you can apply normal ice melting chemicals without concern to affecting the surface or integrity of our products.

Will your materials expand and contract with temperature changes?

Yes. Expansion and contraction of all resin based products in a naturally occurring phenomenon. Our Technical Data sheets available for each product document the amount of expansion and contraction to expect. Many of our customers use our system to permit the product to expand and contract while hiding the fastening system. We will be happy to discuss options for your application. Please contact a Tangent representative for more information.

Can static electricity build up when walking across a surface from your products?

Yes, given the right environmental conditions. Static electricity has the potential to build up on a dry sunny day in the fall as an example. This would be no different than walking across your carpet inside your house in the same conditions.

Can all your products be used for structural applications?

No. If you have an application that you believe is structural in nature we recommend you evaluate the information and technical data for our PolyForce™ product. We recommend a thorough analysis of the technical data by an engineer to determine the material’s suitability for your application.

 Can I drill holes and notch the product like wood?

Yes. We recommend that you do not notch any of our products at a 90 degree angle. You should always use radius cuts when doing so. Keep in mind when you drill holes and notch our product you will affect the physical properties of the cross section like any other product.

I’ve heard of TanDeck. What type of product is this?

Our TanDeck Alternative Decking System is offered by Tangent for the residential, commercial and public decking end-markets. Please visit www.tandeck.com for more information.

What is the difference between your products and “composite” products I hear so much about?

Composite products that are offered in the marketplace, like Trex™, are made from roughly 50% waste wood fiber and 50% of a plastic resin used primarily as a binder to hold the wood particles together. The weak link in the composite products is the wood. The wood fibers exposed to the elements fade and are prone to moisture absorption, staining and swelling. This can result in unsightly finished products after only a few short months of exposure. These problems can be offset by chemical cleaning, staining and sealing to restore the original appearance, but we believe our customers want materials that will make finished products with very low maintenance. All Tangent products are resin based with no wood fillers and as a result are resistant to fading and impervious to stains and moisture.

Do Tangent Products have warranties?

Absolutely! All Tangent products carry a limited 50 year warranty. For more information please visit our Warranty page.

Can different Tangent Products be used together?