23 Jul

Wyoming and Montana Southern Pine

Two similarities in Wyoming and Montana residents, love of our Southern Pine floors and very easy to deal with as customers. To be clear, we understand the difference between Wyoming and Montana about as well as their residents understand the difference between Alabama and Tennessee but we know pine. Ask the question what is the first thing that pops into your mind when you hear WY or MT? Southerners would answer cowboys or Yellowstone. Folks from WY and MT, probably Country Music and NASCAR. As an LSU fan, Louisiana born and raised, yes, leaving out football was intentional. The differences may be subtle, however the common characteristics are easy to identify.

Kimmerer WY

Residents from both states are laid back and easy to talk with about anything, not just cowboys. In fact, there seems to be some southern accent with some residents. Kimmerer WY 2020, “it shore is purtty”, of course he wrote this to us in hopes we would understand, very funny LM. The bunk bed photo goes along with this same customer, he is right though it is pretty. The floors are 7” Longleaf Heart Pine with Bona Natural clear high traffic, very nice.

Love these helmets

University of Wyoming

The University of Wyoming Cowboys

Whoa, not Wyoming or Montana Cowboys rather the U of WY located Laramie and founded in 1866. If you are not familiar with their helmets you are not a college football fan, they are classic. Nothing against the Grizzly or on the helmets of the University of Montana but that Cowboy just stays with you after having played against them many years ago. One Cowboy alumni and our first builder from Wyoming and Montana, enjoys reminding me of this from time to time.

Pioneer Log and Timber of Montana

Pioneer Log and Timber, a Montana customer we brag about, all the time. Why not? Visit the website and the fog will lift. MT log and timber, uses the type of materials we have specially milled per project requirements, both floors and walls. The obvious implication, if our company fits with PLT of Montana you should feel pretty good about our products. Yes, we confirm our implication while extending an offer to prove it.

Ask us about the finish

Wyoming and montana resident love rustic southern pine — Prefinished Bona Natural

Shipping cost to WY and MT

From New Orleans to Butte Montana, 2085 miles, and those floors originate in Honduras. Alabama is closer but , yes shipping costs exist. Alabama Heart Pine grows in Alabama, any Southern Pine has shipping cost to WY and MT even if seconds from a lumber yard. However, shipping costs represent part of the mill to customer process, normally they do not connect directly. SYP Direct allows residents in Wyoming and Montana to purchase mature southern pine in long lengths without removing one of the most important characteristics, price. In other words, shipping costs to WY and Montana, not prohibitive. You can get the floor that belongs in your home forever. Yes forever, we sell the kind of pine that someone will reclaim one day making Grizzlies and Cowboys happy.

The Caribbean in Cheyenne

In March of 2018, we sent Caribbean Heart Pine to Cheyenne Wyoming. Our customer chose the 5″ rustic grade, with knots and a minimum of 85% heart pine content, aka heart content. SYP Direct shipped our first Southern Pine floors to Wyoming and Montana in 2014 but this was our first shipment of Caribbean Heart Pine, which we began offering in 2016. Rustic Caribbean Heart Pine is gorgeous, no doubt but most WY and MT residents prefer domestic. It does not matter if you want authentic Southern Pine shipped to Wyoming or Montana, SYP Direct has you covered. Nobody beats our customer service, quality or prices- nobody.

08 Apr

Kentucky

Walls and Other

Kentucky quick fact: the state has more navigable miles of waterways than any other state in the union. Probably not what you think about when you think about the Bluegrass state, right? Basketball tops my list when I think about Kentucky. As an LSU alumni and Louisiana “boy”, I wonder; How many times did Kentucky beat LSU in the SEC tournament, all of them? OK, not every time but awfully close! If that doesn’t top your list, how about that little horse race they hold every year.

Kentucky Derby

Frankfort is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, but Louisville is the largest city. Louisville is home to the Kentucky Derby, the renowned horse race held at Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May. Dubbed “The Run for the Roses,” stemming from the blanket of roses draped over the winner. It is also known in the United States as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports” or “The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports” because of its approximate duration. The Kentucky Derby has run uninterrupted since 1875. Even with the Olympics and major professional sports leagues canceled at those points, the Derby, Preakness, and Belmont took place during the Great Depression and both World Wars.

SYP Direct & the Blue Grass state

SYP Direct depends on word of mouth, specifically referrals. Kentucky provides a perfect example of how our business has grown to cover the state. During our first two years, we only had 4 customers from the Bluegrass state, last year (2019) it was 10. And while that number ranks 20^th comparing total sales by state, almost ½ of those started with one customer. Word of mouth business is direct result of the quality and service received. An A+ rating from the BBB, confirms, we take care of our customers.

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Ownensboro Kentucky Workshop

We send so much time talking about our tongue and groove floors, walls get over-looked. In Owensboro our customer used tongue and groove on his walls, running the boards vertical, as shown above. “Here is the finished building. I built a bar and workbench (with leftovers) also. I am VERY happy with it. Thank you for all your help!” (McClarty 2020). When comparing t/g walls to widly popular Shiplap, one interlocks producing straight edges, whereas Shiplap rest on top one another.

Ship-lap or Shiplap

Buying Solid Wood Flooring? You have certain rights!

You have the right to real

First, it must be real wood, a floor not a floor cover that will be thrown away one day. Nobody calls carpet a hardwood, but it outlasts most LVT and all laminate. Solid wood, i.e., engineered by Mother Nature! – It is a shame that we even use the same word, hardwood to describe both real and fake flooring. Laminate Hardwoods, the term has no meaning. It is not wood, much less hard. Laminate, LVT and cheap (less than 4mm wear layer) engineered flooring all ends up in the same landfill.

Long boards are not a luxury

Long lengths- When did trees get so short? 95% of all prefinished hardwoods are sold as 7’ nested bundles, meaning box. The average board will be under 30”, all chopped up is what you get. Not the case with our finish to order heart pine, we run long boards up to 10’ with an average over 7’; 80% of boards are 8’ and up. In fact, we offer a version with all 12’ boards; however, the shipping and packaging becomes more expensive. Why long boards are so cool? They look like they cost a fortune because everyone else has chopped up short boards.

You have the right to the truth

You cannot refinish engineered wood with less than 4 mm wear layer, warranties are, in general worthless and nothing is waterproof except water. These are topics that, of course, generate questions; and the answers should be given in the form of true statements not marketing garbage. You will find that with each question answered, the truth becomes clear. Single use floor covers mean repeat business and that is what supports the industry. Nobody wants you to get a solid real hardwood because you will not need another one, nor will the person who moves in after you. Solid hardwood flooring increases the selling price by up to 10% because the new owners can re-finish rather than repurchase.

custom pallets protect unfinished pine floors during shipping

21 May

Pine Shipping nationwide

Customer Bill of Rights, Wood Floor Shopping

Southern Pine Floors