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…
Looking to Build a Deck? Now is the time!
Now more than ever, homeowners are looking at their home and thinking,“With the housing market the way it is, we may be at this home for much longer than we thought. Is now the time to build a deck or do a room addition?” In short, the answer may be “Yes!” After all, if you …
Ipe Decking Costs Less than Composite Decking
GREAT NEWS! Ipe decking is now more affordable than most composite decking. For a while, this was not the case. However, since the price of oil is so volatile, the cost of composite decking materials have risen substantially. Why is this the case? Because composite decking uses polyethylene and polyethylene is made from oil. So, …
A Deck Tool That’s Easy to Use & Built to Last
If you’ve ever tried building a deck one of the most annoying and agonizing things to do is deck board straightening. This is why Advantage Lumber offers the best deck tool on the market, the Hardwood Wrench™ Deck Board Straightening Tool. This deck tool has been designed to straighten bowed decking boards without any extra …
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.
Ipe Decking vs. Pressure Treated Decking
The choice between using pressure treated decking or ipe decking has led to much speculation. Is pressure treated wood safe? Is ipe more resistant to insects than pressure treated wood? When starting any home improvement project the quality of the building materials should always be taken into account. A deck purchase should be no different. …
What is Ipe?
Ipe (pronounced EE-pay) is an exotic hardwood that is used for decking, flooring, and a host of many other applications. Ipe has many names and is also known as Brazilian Walnut, Amapa, Cortez, Guayacan polvillo, and many others. Ipe also gets misspelled in various different ways such as epi, epay, and eepay. Regardless of the …