[Greenbuilding] Amapola for Decking

[Dan Antonioli]

Last year I built a small deck out of Amapola. (The material I  
purchased was FSC certified from Guatemala. The purchaser has gone to  
the site numerous times to verify firsthand that all of the FSC  
criteria are met and that the local business is meeting ecological  
and social standards.)

I built the deck towards the end of the rainy season and was  
immediately struck by how slippery it was. I wondered the wood took a  
while to "air out" or some-such biochemical process where whatever it  
is that was causing the deck to be slippery would fade.

But this year the slipperiness is just as bad as last year! In fact,  
I think this is poor choice for decking due to the slipperiness. I've  
never built with with it and therefore don't have any experience to  
compare it with. In fact, it's so slippery I'm planning on taking it  
out. Ouch.

Anyone have any experience with Amapola? The yard I bought it from is  
ambivalent about the issue but I think we have a serious problem on  
our hands!

Dan Antonioli