Options for Exterior Trim
Naturally durable woods and paintable treated wood choices. April 10, 2009
Question
I am researching some natural materials for creating exterior trim and details for homes in New England. Looking for: long-lived, rot and insect resistant, paintable, mouldable and low toxicity/low environmental impact. Currently I use Eastern white pine and a bit of Spanish cedar (4/4, 5/4, 8/4). I am looking into: cypress, sapele, utile, or Spanish cedar (drop EWP altogether and use this exclusively). Also curious about pressure-treated, finger-jointed lumber (Windsor one) or composite (Extira). Each seems to have its pluses and minuses; I am looking for the best option.
Forum Responses
(Architectural Woodworking Forum)
From contributor S:
We use a product called Everwood. It is dense dried PT lumber that comes in 1x and 2x. It's very clear, straight, and flat across the width. I think it comes out of AL but we buy it through our local lumberyard and they mill it into whatever profile we need. It's marketed as an environmentally responsible product - they even use plastic staples to attach the end tag.
From the original questioner:
Thank you very much. This sounds like a good lead.
From contributor M:
The Everwood is a pressure treated pine that is kiln dried after treatment. Anything over a nominal 6" width still cups like normal pine. We get ours from Klumb lumber in Loxley Alabama.
From contributor S:
Here are a few photos of the project that we are using their kiln dried product for. We had the siding milled and also used the 1x for all the trim. They will treat just about anything. 6 months ago we built this water tower with 26" 6x6 that they treated for us.
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The portico was all 1x treated.
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The tag:
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The water tower:
Click here for higher quality, full size image
From the original questioner:
Wow, this has been very helpful. Thank you for the images. I am contacting them next week to discuss their products further.
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