J Gibson McIlvain Co

Abodo Vulcan The next thing in lumber or just snake wood?

Doug Vaughan — Thu, 14 May 2026 18:45:08 +0000

What is Vulcan? Vulcan is Abodo’s method for taking flatsawn Radiata pine boards and modifying them to replicate the look and performance of clear vertical-grain (CVG) boards. Today CVG Fir, Spruce, and Cedar are harvested for that tight growth ring look. 100+ year old “Old growth” or “1st Growth” trees may have upwards of 30-50 […]

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Abodo New Growth Timbers

Shannon Rogers — Thu, 07 May 2026 17:32:02 +0000

I’m pleased to announce we are now partnering with Abodo to provide their New Growth, CVG thermally modified Pine. Their Vulcan line of products creates a clean CVG look through a glue lamination process that allows for better usage of the plantation forest while also making a very sleek cladding and decking product. Super excited […]

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Shou Sugi Ban Siding – What to Know Before You Buy

Doug Vaughan — Mon, 04 May 2026 17:59:16 +0000

Charred Wood Siding – A Brief History Yakisugi, which translates to “burnt Japanese cedar,” is a traditional Japanese wood-burning technique that has become popular over the last 20 years. This charred wood technique involves burning the face of traditionally Japanese cypress lumber. This process gives the wood a dark finish but also boosts its durability […]

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Deck Refinishing with Cutek Stain

Shannon Rogers — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:51:18 +0000

The key to deck refinishing is choosing a product that is super easy to renew. No sanding, no power washing, just mop on new finish and you are done. We factory finish decking materials using Cutek Extreme and it is for this exact reason. Cutek Deck stain allows us to add color that enhances the […]

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How Thermory Saunas can meet all your sauna needs

Doug Vaughan — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 19:06:08 +0000

Why Material Choice matters in a sauna When it comes to saunas—especially outdoor installations—the environment can be demanding on materials. Thermory saunas offer a lot of material options to combat these demands. Temperatures and humidity levels fluctuate significantly, often dramatically, during the winter months. On top of that, interior surfaces can become extremely hot to […]

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Meranti vs Western Red Cedar Cladding Installation

Shannon Rogers — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 15:29:06 +0000

I’d call this less of a versus comparison and more of a best practice guide. Both Meranti and Western Red Cedar are exceptional cladding and soffit materials. But there are some differences that I find make Meranti a bit easier to work with. This doesn’t mean Cedar is necessarily hard to install. In fact the […]

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Don’t Trust the Sample Alone

Megan Szaraz — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 17:46:59 +0000

The Sample May Not fully represent the species You have received a wood sample to consider for your upcoming project. Whether you are evaluating a species alone or a finish to go with it, it’s important to consider that the sample can only provide so much information about the final product. It acts as a […]

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Brazil limits trade in CITES Exports: Ipe alternatives

Shannon Rogers — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 12:37:18 +0000

IBAMA (the Brazilian Forestry Dept) has announced the reductions of CITES exports on some concessions. This directly impacts the availability of Ipe and Cumaru, both popular decking materials known for durability and resistance to the elements. You may remember that both Ipe and Cumaru were added to CITES appendix II late in 2024. This recent […]

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You must sand before finishing

Shannon Rogers — Fri, 04 Apr 2025 18:32:58 +0000

Proper wood preparation is crucial for achieving a beautiful and durable finish in outdoor wood applications such as decking and cladding. A fundamental part of this process is sanding, which improves the wood surface’s capacity to absorb stains and paints uniformly. This is especially important for ultra dense tropical decking woods, but it is also […]

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Wood Cladding appearance Variability

Megan Szaraz — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 17:59:14 +0000

When you specify a solid wood cladding, you accept that there will be variation in the appearance. Unless you want to paint it fully opaque but then what is the point of specifying wood? It is this natural variation that makes wood so popular and exciting as a material. But this also means that sampling […]

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