Blog

Building Better with Wood.

A new world order of creating beautiful buildings utilizing wood has arrived. Gone are the days we had designs that were conveniently created but lacked wood as it’s main component. Our professional specifiers and building department officials have worked diligently to bring about changes that allow wood in both structural and exterior components of tall […]

Playground equipment new use for thermally modified wood.

Expanded uses keep progressing with thermally modified wood. Active Playground Equipment recently developed a line of “Natural Products” incorporating our thermally modified pine decking. Owners, Ben and Andrew Pins wanted to provide their clients a chemical free and environmentally responsible line of site furnishings incorporating the thermally treated pine species. When they contacted us they […]

Collecting ash seeds in hopes of a second chance for this wood species.

We harvest ash trees in the production of our thermally modified wood. Most of the ash trees used in our production have been killed off due to the Emerald Ash Borer Beetle, an invasive beetle that was initially found in our province of Ontario in 2002. Move forward to today and all Ash trees across […]

Thermally Treated European Pine.

This species creates a nice appearance to the exterior of your home. Available in both premium and knotty grade it provides an appealing option for various final appearances. Pine has long been a staple species in the construction industry and now it has an added benefit with thermal modification being applied. European pine has been […]

California specifiers gather for social event at Newport Beach.

I had the pleasure of attending this “mix & mingle” event hosted by Fabrice Spies and his company SoCal Building Solutions. It was a great opportunity to display our products while meeting the professional specifiers face to face in a casual setting. Located at the Fashion Island Hotel the event venue could not have been […]

Common wood siding installation mistakes to avoid.

Installing wood siding does not need to be over thought and we can appreciate professional installers various installation approaches based on the type of material being used and the buildings exterior differences. The following are some general guidelines in helping avoid possible problems after the installation has been completed utilizing the rain-screen installation method. Caulking […]

Passive Housing. Is it the future in New Construction?

We can all appreciate that energy production, as was well intended it may seem, can have unintended consequences. We remain a continent that demands products and services that are the direct result of energy infrastructure that, at often times, cross our ever increasing awareness of our own personal believes of what we perceive as harmful […]

Thermally Modified Wood draws attention at 2019 International Builders Show

Las Vegas was the host city for the 2019 International Builder Show. Visitors from across North America and many other countries attended the three day exhibition. This show is one of the largest gatherings of building material exhibitors and attendees in North America. This years show was no exception. Attendee’s had a chance to see […]

Urban Wood Forum. A peak into the future of wood structures in urban centers.

I had the pleasure of attending a discussion forum on the advancement of wood structures being specified in urban areas such as the City of Toronto. The host of this event was Canada Green Building Council and sponsored by Upper Canada Forest Products. Guest speakers from the wood industry and architectural community provided insight on […]

Its Music to My Ears! Thermally Modified Wood for use in Musical Instruments.

When you thermally modify wood the mechanical and acoustical properties of the wood are altered. Due to this there is a new industry emerging in the musical instrument manufacturing business utilizing thermally modified wood. A common thread manufacturers have been commenting on is that thermally modified wood helps project a vintage-like tone to the instrument […]