Cedar Wood: A Strong and Useful Building Material Cedar is a versatile and well-known material valued for its durability, sustainability, and natural beauty. Common uses include siding, decking, fencing, paneling, outdoor installations such as pergolas and gazebos. It can also be used for structural components like beams and…more
What is Austin WUI and why should you care about it? The Austin, Texas, Wildlife Urban Interface (WUI) Code is a comprehensive set of regulations designed to mitigate the risk of wildfire damage in areas where the built environment meets the natural landscape. These zones, characterized by their…more
What is CITES and how will it affect builders? If you work with tropical hardwoods like Ipe and Cumaru, there are some important changes on the horizon that you’ll want to be aware of. Starting November 25, 2024, both of these timber species will be newly listed under…more
TimberTips Are you paying too much for vertical grain cedar? It was the Temptations that sang “Beauty is only skin Deep”. According to THIS product, that’s a good thing. That’s because their engineered wood cladding takes the highest possible grade of vertical grain domestic wood and turns it…more
TimberTopics – Modified Wood The future is bright, and the future is here for modified lumber. Concerns over global warming and the long-term sustainability of tropical hardwoods have us looking for alternatives. To find the future we look back thousands of years to the Vikings who burnt cut…more
AUSTIN – TX: Soaring lumber prices during the pandemic has prompted many homeowners to seek alternatives to traditional wood decking products. As a result, manufacturers like Azek and Trex have seen their sales and value boom…
Termites can wreak havoc on your home or deck. If not caught quickly enough, they can alter the very foundation of any wood construction project. Thankfully, there are many precautionary measures that you can take to avoid damage done by termites. Here are some of the steps that you can take to protect your home or deck…
Before hardwood products ever make it to your deck, house or commercial project, a decision must first be made on how to cut the lumber. There are three ways that the lumber can be cut: flat sawn, rift sawn, and quarter sawn…
Composite decking has come a long way since it was first introduced in the early ’90s. Created using wood fiber, plastic, and a binding agent, composite decking is low maintenance and incredibly durable. Since it’s made mostly of recycled materials…
If you’re familiar with HGTV or Dwell magazine you’ve probably seen the word “Ipe” or “Brazilian Hardwood” pop up a few times. There’s no doubt that tropical hardwoods are becoming more and more popular for decks, decks, sidings, and other modern applications…