01 Jan

Say yes to pine walls

Should you Paint or Stain your southern pine walls?

This is not an attempt to avoid the answer but this is personal but here is how my decision is made. “I would always paint, if budget is an issue buy from the clearance rack, if not buy Monocoat by Rubio because it is zero VOC. The clearance rack is actually a green choice because it could be used for a lot worse things that have a much shorter life. And, if you use 3/4 boards, one day someone will take them down and that paint can be sanded done to a form a undertone which is big money if done by finish shop!” (Jason Howard, 2024}. Now that is my take on things but it is far from the norm because I love to make new floors look old; an old coat of paint or new one, sanded off can be made to look very cool. (See below).

Salvaged pine decking using skins 1/2 thick — Salvaged decking Circa 1908

Reclaimed Pine Wall Skins: The ultimate repurpose

Well, at least I hope you think it looks “cool”, that photo is my work and our guest bathroom. Here is an example of wood painted, sanded, stained and finished. The point? Painting our gorgeous Southern Pine and your are 1/4 of the way there already. And before you say the stain would do the same thing, it does not. It is far more uniform, for age, and certainly for anyone trying to distress their floor (former walls) paint is easy one you get the prototype. Call me for more, I am running out of room.

Transform your space with the timeless beauty of pine walls. Whether you’re looking to create a cozy cabin retreat or add rustic charm to your home, our premium V Groove and Ship-lap pine walls are the perfect choice. With their classic design and natural wood grain, these walls will instantly elevate the aesthetic of any room. Experience the warmth and character that only pine can offer, while enjoying the durability and easy installation of our expertly crafted panels. Don’t settle for ordinary walls when you can have the stunning elegance of pine. Upgrade your space today with our exquisite Pine Walls.

Accent walls are more popular than ever — Garage

14 Dec

Pressure Treated Southern Pine

Wood Floor Shopping, Unique and or Cheap, Walls and Other

Southern Pine has long been the preferred species for pressure treatment because of its unique cellular structure that permits deep, uniform penetration of preservatives. Porous defines the cellular structure of Southern Pine, which allows the species to handle changes better than most. Some 85% of all pressure-treated wood produced in the U.S. is Southern Pine. Southern Yellow Pine Direct offers treated dimensional lumber such as the 4 x 4 beams shown below. Contact Jason for details.

Treated Southern Pine is durable like no other species

If you are measuring Southern Pine durability remember not all pine is created equal, furthermore, the durability doesn’t depend on the Janka Rating. And this rating only rates Yellow Pine, i.e., Southern Yellow Pine, not the (standalone) species. A dozen species make up the description, Southern Yellow Pine. And for the record, Eastern White Pine is not one of them. Durability is about handling stress such as temperature and humidity, moisture is the killer for wood floors.

Pressure treated KDAT decking

Kiln Dried After Treatment Lumber (KDAT) is a drying process that occurs after pressure treating wood – once lumber is pressure treated with chemicals, kiln drying removes excess moisture and chemicals left behind to help minimize the natural tendencies of wood to warp, cup and shrink. All of our treated lumber is KDAT materials and if you are shopping for deck boards, those are 4 important letters.

Benefits of KDAT Pressure Treated Southern Pine

Even drying minimizes cups, warps, checks and shrinks
Easier to handle, cut and plane
Lighter than “wet” or “green” treated lumber
More nail-holding and screw-holding power
Easier to drill and saw

What does pressure treated mean?

Pressure-treated lumber is the result of a process that uses high pressure to inject a preservative into the wood. We use Copper Azole, a water-based wood preservative that prevents fungal decay and insect attack; it is a fungicide and insecticide.

How many years does pressure-treated wood last?

Just like any wood, this depends on the exposure to water and the earth. Ground contact wood needs ground contact treatment but in generally upwards of 15 years for decks in the south.

So if you are putting in a new deck, give us a call. If it is Southern Pine, SYP Direct is one place you get the honest information and pricing. We have an A+ rating with the BBB because we do not sacrifice honesty to make a sale, never. Family owned and if you call, you will talk with one of us. We are waiting to hear from you.

April 1st 2024- Lumber prices are moving higher, again. We are still well below COVID high prices, but up 25% in the past two months. We believe the trend continues based on our housing shortage and increasing population.

22 Aug

Wood siding and accent walls

Walls and Other

Beadboard, V-Groove and Shiplap wood siding

What is Beadboard? Old-fashioned beadboard cladding consists of individual, generally narrow, boards with a routered “bead” edge on one side and beveled edge on the other. In Louisiana, they called this New Orleans bead board, but it is really the same as the stuff in North Carolina or Montana.

V-Groove Popularity

Today interior designers might tell you that V-groove adds soul to a room. V groove has become so popular a design style has been centered around it, “Shabby Chic”. Compared to bead board V-Groove is less ornate and has “cleaner” lines. This, in my opinion, allows it to work in more modern setting. Painted V-Groove can be used in large spaces, or you can finish it to suit your imagination. See Burnt V Groove.

What is Ship Lap?

Shiplap shiplap boards are joined with an overlapping “rabbet” joint, which usually creates a 90 degree-angled gap in between the boards. At SYP Direct our Shiplap comes in two options; Nickel and Penny. The difference? You guessed it, the width of the “L gap”.

Smooth All Four Sides aka S4S

S4S means no profile smooth all the way around. Our Reclaimed Pine S4S boards can make a great accent wall, and so much more. For more information check out this page and the pictures below.

Burnt V Groove

Tongue and Groove

Tongue and Groove always works for your walls,ceilings and of course, your floors.

1x4 Southern Yellow Clear Pine few knots

21 May

Pioneer Log and Timber

Walls and Other

Pioneer log and timber is a custom log home and lodge builder in Montana; what a perfect place to find out how pine handles cold weather. PLT builds the the most amazing log homes you will ever see, no cookie cutters or kits. At Pioneer they are fond of saying; “while it does not take a long time to make a great log home, it does take a long time to learn how to make a home great.” Headquartered in Montana’s scenic Bitterroot Valley, the management team has over 250 years of combined experience in building log and timber frame structures. “We know all the custom homes we’ve built – we remember them all and they are still important to us.” Jay Pohley, Founder Pioneer Log and Timber

April 3rd 2020- If you are interested in a log cabin kit or talking with a project manager, give us a quick call or email. It does not matter where you live, it certainly doesn’t have to be Montana, SYP Direct can help you build it.

Not your Grandfathers Cabin

Log “cabins” and Log homes have come a long way on the trip from woods to the suburbs. Referring to Pioneer Log and Timber structures as cabins is very misleading. Established 1976, PLT of Mt has been at the forefront of this new demand for luxury rustic log homes. Chateaus or Retreats are probably better terms, but popularity of this “style” has skyrocketed. Scott Rouleau of New York City-based J. Rouleau & Associates does marketing consulting for the log home industry. “The industry is booming, unlike the housing industry,” says Rouleau. “Log home manufacturers are getting many calls from architects. The companies I work with can’t build them fast enough—it’s amazing.”

One log at a time

Pioneer Log & Timber, each home crafted in Montana for construction anywhere in North America. And each one is custom. PLT does not sell kits, or plans. They build your home just for you, while keeping budget and timeframe in mind. Pioneer Log & Timber is one of the most selective log home and timber frame builders in North America. We select every log we use one at a time and cut each by hand. The core philosophy is to take care of the environment from which we source our logs.

Montana Lodge builders stresses sustainability

“Being headquartered in Montana, it’s one of our goals to make the forests sustainable. The same old logging and harvesting techniques aren’t good enough today. Those widespread legacies of environmental damage are proof of that we must do better. Tougher environmental standards exist in American forests than they do in Canada and other places. We’ve always believed in using American timber, with American craftsmen to craft and build the best log and timber homes on the planet. ” (Pioneer Log and Timber website 2019)- SYP Direct comment (March 2020); PLT of MT builds homes that will outlive the owners, plus two generations. How many fake floors or cheap materials will be torn out and replaced during that 150 years?

PLT not just in Montana

PLT of Montana has built thousands of log and timber frame structures − including resorts like Big Cedar Lodge near Bronson, MO, and Elk Creek Ranch in Colorado. Along with complete structures PLT created the log timbers for Bass Pro Shops in the United States, and in Canada.

If you thinking about a log home of any kind, Pioneer Log & Timber is the place to start. They will outline the entire project for you, from finding an architect, to the design, and even finding a local builder who can re-assemble your custom home. For more information about PLT – give them a call 406-961-3273.

Real wood floors are Green

Ask most environmentalist about using real wood for flooring, for example, and you will get a lecture. Unfortunately, the lecture will not offer the big picture. The alternative to real wood, all of it, ends up in landfills. Real wood is reclaimed one day, only to become another floor, a much more expensive floor by the way. So before you buy into “leasing” a floor cover because it is friendly to environment, please do the research or call us because we have already done it.

Pine Flooring Delivery means shipping nationwide maintaining A+ rating

The A+ BBB rating is great, but when you understand all that we actually do, including the inherent problem of misinformation, that A+ is truly remarkable. About 2/3 of calls and emails come from folks in parts of the country that do not understand that Southern Yellow Pine is not a species. We must deprogram some misconceptions, it is part of the process. We offer unlimited questions, answered with no agenda, i.e. all floors have the same margins. The A+ rating we carry with the BBB is because we never overlook any step in the sales process. The delivery part of this transaction is really the key to its success. Price per square foot does not matter is; its junk, you are short boards, or they arrive busted up. Our 100% coverage guarantee mandates that we protect the tongue on every board, that is only accomplished with our custom pallets.

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