What is FSC Certified Wood and Why Use it?

FSC Teak

In the rapidly changing and environmentally conscious world we live in, it is more critical than ever to ensure that our resources are sustainably managed. One way we can do this is by choosing FSC certified wood for our construction and home improvement needs. What is FSC Certified Wood? The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is …

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Buy Lumber that is FSC Certifed

One of the nice things about being the leading importer of exotic hardwoods is that we are able to adequately provide wood that is FSC certified to the marketplace. Our high standing with the most reputable mills in Brazil means that we provide the best FSC wood at very competitive prices. With our Chain of …

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SPECIAL REPORT on Clear Cutting Ipe Suppliers

The following is a SPECIAL REPORT How Clear Cutting Suppliers of Ipe & Other Hardwoods Set Back The Lumber Industry & What You Can Do To Stop Them PART 1 – PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE Over the past few years, thanks to efforts from trade organizations, governments, and organizations like the Forest Stewardship Council, the …

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Deck Design of the Week – Ipe Designs with a Modern Flair

Deck Design of the Week Ipe Wood used by Terry & Terry Architecture By now, you should know that I am a sucker for great home designs. Unfortunately, where I live, practically every house looks the same (ugh!). So whenever I come across a unique home, or architects that are stretching the boundaries of what …

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Deck Design of the Week

In the world of home design and architecture, there are certainly some wonderful uses for ipe that even I haven’t thought of! I’ve been doing a lot of research online to see what exactly savvy homeowners and architects are doing with this versatile, dependable, and luxurious exotic hardwood. To say that I was inspired would …

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Green Building with Ipe Decking & FSC Wood

There are so many great resources out there to help you build a green deck, or install eco-friendly flooring. Thanks to increased demand and the efforts of governments throughout the world, eco-friendly products are not going to become a fad, but hopefully an industry standard. Obviously, this is important because if the construction industry and the lumber industry fail to recognize that there are only so many resources in the world, they are basically leading to their own demise. After all, there is a point where the damage caused by the old ways of forestry lead to irreparable damage that causes great harm to both our environment and our civilized society. If you think this is just some typical tree-hugger propaganda, think again…

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LEED Certification – The Basics of This Green Building Initiative

The LEED Certification (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) was established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to provide the construction and building industries with a verifiable system to define exactly what a green building is. Using a point system, an eco-friendly building can achieve LEED certification.

The more points a green building accumulates, the more prestigious the LEED Certification. If you think all it takes to get LEED Certified is screwing in a couple of compact fluorescent light bulbs, think again.  The USGBC has put in place a set of strict policies and procedures that must be followed. The good news is that there are various ways that a building project can earn LEED certified.

Here are the various LEED Certification levels:

  • LEED Certified – 40-49 points
  • LEED Silver – 50-59 points
  • LEED Gold – 60-79 points
  • LEED Platinum – 80 points & over

The Materials Resource Credit 7 (MRc7) is a great LEED credit to plan for.

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