Rot-proof Katrina-relief houses in New Orleans are, ironically, rotting

As a part of a relief effort for victims of Hurricane Katrina, Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation 100 energy-efficient,  eco-friendly houses in New Orleans. Parts of the homes were built using an innovative glass-infused wood product called TimberSI. One of the biggest selling points was that the wood was immune to rot and decay. The problem is that the rot-proof wood is, ironically, rotting.

Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation has built 100 energy-efficient and eco-friendly houses in New Orleans to replace homes damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Unfortunately, the organization believes that some of the wood it used is now rotting, reports The New Orleans Advocate. The organization used TimberSIL, an innovative glass-infused wood product produced by a South Carolina manufacturer, to build porches and outside steps. The absence of chromated copper arsenate and other chemicals typically used to prevent rot and decay was a selling point for Make It Right.