Posts

Controlling Wood Movement

This month, our blog post covers a subject that is critical to anyone working with wood – the successful installation of millwork and doors, especially as it relates to moisture. This fact sheet should prove helpful. It’s text is below, but here is a PDF version for those who prefer it. Wood Versus Moisture Some of […]

Which Cedar is Best for Your Project?

Which Cedar is best for your project?   Western Red, Aromatic & Inland These are the most prevalent cedar lumbers sold in the Mid-West and are often sold under the generic label of Cedar. I use the term lumbers instead of species, as none of these are True Cedars.  The word cedar is describing the […]

Outdoor Projects & Cedar: 5 things you should know

1. There is a ton of information on cedar that, while interesting, is unimportant to your building project.  Forget the fact that there are no true cedar species in North America or that Western Red Cedar and Inland Cedar are the same species grown in different areas, but rather focus on what cedars are available […]

Pros and Cons of Ipe Decking

Pros and Cons of Ipe Decking Pros   Ipé (pronounced ee-pay) is considered one of the best tropical hard woods for decking. It is naturally insect and rot-resistant and is one of the densest hardwoods available, ranking 3680 on the Jenka Scale compared to Western Red Cedar at 350. Ipe has the same fire rating […]

The Rules Have Changed

The American Wood Protection Association and the International Code Council Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) have passed changes to their standards requiring pressure treated wood used in many physically above-ground applications be treated to ground contact requirements. The new standards require the user (builder, consumer, or inspector) to select Ground Contact Treatment for physically above-ground material when: […]