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Ash Wood Flooring – Density the key to strong flooring
Wood from the Ash Wood Tree (whose botanical name is Fraxinus Excelsior) is about as dense as any of its kind in North America making Ash Wood of particular interest when deciding what kind of floors you should install for your home projects. With an average density of .69 grams per centimeter squared, Ash Wood retains its rigidity while at the same time remaining as strong and sturdy as any wood. Ash Wood also possesses the necessary qualities that make highly resistant to harsh punishment from indoor conditions, it is one of the go-to types of lumber for indoor flooring for this reason. Whether it be the natural erosive nature of time, or everyday wear and tear of home life, Ash Wood can withstand much of what years of punishment can dish out. Ash Wood has the ability to dry naturally but should avoid being exposed to high temperatures as it has a propensity to lose some of its durability if left exposed to a warm climate. Ash Wood is also one of the most workable types of lumber in the industry and can be easily nailed, glued, and polished. Many customers in our region are often in search of flooring that is both strong, and still resistant to many harmful materials. Ash Wood remains resistant to many alkalis and acids, and its elasticity makes it a top choice for customers in search of long-lasting indoor flooring. At Ghent Wood Products, we carry Ash Wood flooring in rustic and select grades usually ranging from 3” to 12” in width. However, upon special request, we will happily run a rift/quarter sawn product as well.
The well travelled Lyptus wood remains as sturdy as ever
From the lush and fertile plantations of Brazil comes one of the most efficient and sturdy woods on the market today. Derived from two species of Eucalyptus tree, Lyptus stands proudly on its sustainable characteristics. Originally manufactured for the purposes of quick harvesting and production, Lyptus has recently earned a reputation for being a more environmentally friendly alternative to woods like oak or mahogany. As opposed to other trees grown in colder climates, Lyptus trees can typically be harvested for lumber in under 20 years. Like maple, Lyptus is a closed-grain wood making it one of the hardest woods on the market and thus can be used for a variety of projects including cabinetry and flooring. The most popular marketing perception of Lyptus wood coincides with a word we here thrown around quite often, “sustainability”, but what does that mean? And does that term actually apply to Lyptus Wood? Well, because Lyptus is typically grown on plantations, this means there is no actual forestting needed to harvest the wood itself. Thus, the harvesting of Lyptus wood does not endanger the habitats contained within old growth forests where more traditional hardwoods are harvested. The controlled atmosphere of the plantation environment also can ensure the safety of growing conditions as well as growing processes, allowing for only the most safe and efficient growing practices to be used under those particular growth conditions. Lyptus is a proud member of our kiln dried hardwood family and has been available for all of your project needs.
Red Oak is abundant at Ghent Wood Products
The Red Oak is perhaps the most common hardwood species of oak that grows along the East Coast of the United States. Despite its common nature, Red Oak itself is comprised of eight species, eight of which are bought and sold commercially. Due to its abundance, the sturdy oak species is the most widely used lumber and can be utilized for a number of varying projects including flooring, door designs, panel work, moulding, and even furniture. The oak by its very nature is an especially sturdy hardwood. Red Oak in particular is known for its heavy stiffness and can withstand many architectural weight-bearing considerations. Red Oak can be finished in a variety of ways and presents a highly attractive golden brown hue once stained. The sapwood in Red Oak is most commonly white in color while its heartwood remains a darker reddish brown. Its toughness and wide range of uses as well as its strength in artisanal presentation make this particular wood an American classic. At Ghent Wood Products, we carry a variety of Red Oak grades including rustic grades for flooring and many varieties in rough sawn cuts.
Live Edge Wood goes through a unique process to become your furniture
Walk into any local antique store or country home in our area and you’ll notice one distinctive feature. The commitment to retain the natural aesthetic of our surrounding landscape remains prevalent in the furniture and decorations locals purchase for their homes and businesses. One of the more common pieces that represent this principle are the Live Edge wood slabs that can be utilized as tabletops or glue-ups.
Here at Ghent Wood Products, we take special care in ensuring these slabs go through the proper cycle of production, from selection to manufacturing, live edge slabs must retain their unique look in order to maintain the rustic character of our area. First, and perhaps most importantly, our slabs are chosen based on uniqueness. This specialized kind of wood finds its value in retaining the curves and features of the tree from which the wood was cut, meaning that each piece of furniture these slabs are selected for is its own distinctive piece.
Once the customer has selected the wood that best suits their tastes, the logs are then cut in one of our multiple sawmills. After cutting, the slabs are then stickered to maintain their flat, level shape and to allow air to flow between the slabs.
At Ghent Wood Products, time equals quality, and patience leads to customer satisfaction so our slabs are allowed to air dry for six months to a year and in some cases even longer in order to retain a dried wood aesthetic. After the slabs have waited for long enough, they are dried even more, this time in our one or our unique kilns for two to four weeks.
Finally the stickers come off and it’s time to plain, surfacing is accomplished via the use of our brand new planer up to 41 inches and for larger slabs on our custom wide belt sander. There’s a reason live edge wood is so popular in our area, its beautiful quality is only matched by its strength and customizable style. Live edge wood slabs are perfect for customers looking to blend a unique look with the wildness of our natural world.
Natural and Manufactured Stone Veneer
Stone Veneer is among the most pervasive trends in lanscaping and building
History is full of trends and cycles especially when it comes to architecture and home aesthetics. Ever since the construction of the Roman Coliseum in antiquity, stones have been used to emphasize the power of the natural world in architecture. Today, the use of stone veneer is coming back in style around the Hudson Valley. The term “stone veneer” may automatically bring to mind the image of manufactured or “faux” stone in the minds of many customers and home remodelers, however the manufacturing process behind the stone veneer product does not necessarily mean the stones themselves aren’t genuine. There are indeed two types of stone veneer available in the marketplace, both manufactured and natural stone veneer provide customers with a similar look that can immediately breathe new life into any landscape, outdoor patio, or home siding project. With the advent of new stone cutting systems, stone veneer projects are more accessible and less labor intensive than they have ever been before. Today, manufactured stone is made by using a unique concrete mixture that is poured into a variety of rubber mouldings that feature different pigments that are blended together in a streamlined process that allows the manufactured stones to maintain the integrity of actual carved stone. The look is one thing, but manufactured stone’s lightweight constitution means the veneers are as versatile as any construction material in the industry. Even natural stone veneer has benefited from modern processes that cut them into thin slabs, reducing the time and effort it takes to transport them from site to site. At Ghent Wood Products, we offer a variety of stone veneers as well as natural stone slabs including Fieldstone, Thermal Bluestone, and Colonial stone.
Let’s Talk About Laminate: LVL Lumber and its Muscle
LVL provides the unique strength for large scale projects
Sometimes projects require an extra engineering touch, when installing trusses, force support is critical. At Ghent Wood Products we offer specialized Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) for the kind of architectural support necessary for any scale building project. LVL has been a crucial component for industrial renovation projects for years, used as a component for heavy duty installs including load bearing columns and ring beams as well as complex framing projects that require-either by customer choice or the environment where the home will be built-the kind of fortitude to withstand extreme weather conditions. Laminated Veneer Lumber is produced by using adhesives to glue together thin beams of wood according to focused specifications that make LVL a more efficient form of milled lumber than other types of lumber that one might consider. When tackling any home construction project that include considerations for heavy, load bearing support, choose the kind of lumber at Ghent Wood Products that can sustain the stress of force support and remains the most resistant to warping in the tough Upstate New York weather cycle. And if you’d like to learn more, take a look at this interesting and helpful YouTube video about LVLs.
Siberian Larch Wood
Grown in the mythical forests of Siberia, in Russia, the titular giant conifer represents the rugged resilience of the landscape where it was born. Siberian Larch is grown slowly in the harsh elements making it one of the most durable softwoods available.
Its aged texture and hearty exterior attract the eyes of customers looking for an honest, rustic finish. Once this timber is kiln dried and planed, the growth rings become more prominent and present one of the most pleasing aesthetics when it comes to wood paneling. Due to Siberian Larch’s high density nature and its enduring resistance to high impact environmental conditions as well as rot, it is perfect for posts, railroad ties, flooring, and decking.
Siberian Larch’s resistance to decay is due in part to its large content of heartwood, a denser, less fallible material than sapwood, Siberian Larch’s large makeup of heartwood remains the most rare among all wood products. Its durability is matched only by its practicality – as it can be easily manufactured and machined for large scale building projects.
If you’re looking for material that not only retains its integrity, but its unique aesthetic for an extended lifetime, our new addition from one of the last frontiers on the planet will satisfy any homeowner or builder looking for their project to fit into the wilderness landscape.
For centuries, structures built in Russia have withstood the test of time and the most brutal winters known to man simply because this “Tree of Eternity” has sheltered the people from the Russian frontier within its unmatched sturdy frame.