Category Archives: Green Building

Better Silt Fence Stakes

A silt fence is a temporary sediment (loose soil) control fence used primarily on construction sites to protect the water quality in nearby bodies of water such as lakes, rivers, streams, ponds and oceans.

silt fence stakes

They are most commonly constructed of a geotextile fabric with embedded wood stakes spaced every couple feet. The wood stakes are commonly made from lower grades of domestic lumber that do not meet the strict grades for cabinet grade lumber.

Some manufacturers of silt fences have reached out to us in search for a strong wood that can withstand tough soil conditions. Soil that contains a lot of clay or rocks will often snap the standard wood stakes that you standard silt fences are constructed with.

We have supplied silt fence stakes made from sustainable South American hardwoods to a silt fence manufacturer who was in search of stronger wood stakes.

South American hardwood stakes do not contain any chemicals, are naturally rot resistant and up to 3 times harder than oak which make them the perfect choice for a silt fence stake that is intended to keep our water ways clean.

In addition sometimes a “super” silt fence is required by agencies such as the EPA on certain projects.

Super silt fences are commonly constructed with a chain link fence embedded into the ground and a standard silt fence placed in front of the chain link fence to control the sediment run off.

This method makes a much stronger silt fence but is much more labor intensive and more costly.

Some manufacturers are testing our South American hardwood stakes to make a “super” silt fence that does not require the added chain link fencing. The chain link adds extra strength to the silt fence.

Since our hardwoods are 3 times harder than oak a super silt fence made with our hardwoods may not require the added labor and costs of the chain link method.

For more info and pricing got to our Hardwood Stakes page.

Brazil and All U.S. Locations are FSC® Certified!

We have some very exciting news to share with you! We’ve just obtained FSC® certification for our Brazilian mill, and our remaining U.S. locations in Sarasota, FL, Buffalo, NY, and Los Angeles, CA. These locations join Grover, NC, which has been FSC® certified for many years.

For over two decades, we’ve been committed to bringing our customers sustainably harvested decking from responsibly managed forests. Having all five of our locations FSC® certified only strengthens this promise. Although we’ve been heavily involved in the decking supply chain, it was imperative for us to open our Brazilian mill so that we’d have complete and total control over every aspect of the process. We can ensure that all harvesting is done sustainably while maintaining a consistently high level of quality.

Thanks to all our efforts, we can provide our customers with FSC® material at a lower cost since there’s no middle man and no broker. All FSC® certified decking will come directly from our Brazil mill to one of our U.S. locations, and finally to your home or jobsite.

Sarasota, FL Location Receives FSC Certification

Our Sarasota, Florida location is proud to announce that it has obtained the coveted FSC certification. This is our second plant to obtain FSC certification; the first being in Grover, North Carolina. Our Ipe Decking and other hardwood species come from responsibly managed forest. Obtaining a second FSC certification only strengthens our commitment to sustainable forestry.

Gaining this FSC certification allows our Sarasota plant to begin stocking FSC Ipe Decking as well as other species and products like our FSC Deck Tiles. This translates to shorter lead times for many of our customers and owners seeking FSC materials for their projects.

Read the full press release here.

The Case for Solid Wood Products

Wood. The mere mention of the word draws up images of sawdust, lumberjacks, and carpenters creating art from something as simple as a log. Its value has always been known, and throughout centuries it’s been a prized material for fuel, construction, and art. With the advent of modern technology, however, wood use has declined in the American home.

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Sustainability and Forest Management

AdvantageLumber.com is a company that thrives on sustainable forestry management. Our company has always prided itself on offering high-quality, sustainably harvested material that will meet the demands of every single one of our eco-conscious customers. We’ve been in business for over 20 years and we plan to stick around for decades to come. In order to ensure our company’s future, we need to ensure our forests’ future as well.
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The Eco-friendly Art Deco Decking

We've brought back South Beach's Art Deco Decking

We’ve brought back South Beach’s Art Deco Decking

Art Deco is one of the classic styles of building that was made famous during the 1920’s – 1940’s. This style is characterized by narrow, bold geometrical shapes that are usually lavishly ornamented. In many areas across the United States like South Beach, the eclectic Art Deco style has begun a renaissance but not in traditional buildings rather in other structures like decks, porches, and siding of houses.
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Wood of the Month: Ambrosia Maple (Wormy Maple)

Covered with unique patterns, Ambrosia Maple is the perfect wood for anyone who seeks one of a kind wood.

Covered with unique patterns, Ambrosia Maple is the perfect wood for anyone who seeks a one of a kind wood.

Ambrosia Maple is a highly coveted wood for many projects because of its very unique and colored patterns. A lot of people often wonder if Ambrosia Maple is a specific species of wood, or if some sort of chemicals were added to give it the interesting patterns. The truth is that Ambrosia maple isn’t a different species, its regular soft maple that has had small beetles called ambrosia beetles nesting in it which carry a certain type of fungus for food.
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