Builders Select Series
Fireplace Mantel Surrounds
Wood Selection
Domestic Species
Domestic species of hardwood mainly harvested in managed forests. To learn more about conservation and how technology and innovations are helping us best use our greatest renewable resource click on Forest Stewardship Council
Standard hardwood- (Liriodendron tulipifera) Common refered to as yellow poplar. A large fast growing domestic sustainable hardwood. Great for painting and can be used as a substitute for more expensive woods with proper selection and finishing.
Maple - (Acer rubrum) A very hard wood with tight grain pores. Great for light stain colors. We generally only use for carved components. We will substitute both hard and soft maple depending on its use.
Red Oak- (Quercus rubra) This hard wood is known for its very figured grain. It has very open pores.
Cherry- (Prunus serotina) A hard wood with brownish red tones tends to darken with age and often has light streaks and small pin knots. Great fo a more refined look and medium to darker stains.
Linden- (Tilia americana) Also known as basswood, is a great carving wood. It has little grain figure and is soft and very stable and has a very light natural color making it very versatile when staining to match other species.
Walnut- (Juglans nigra) Eastern Black Walnut, a lovely character wood with lots of figure. It can have streaks of almost white sapwood as well as the chocolate brown of the heartwood. It is a heavy and hard wood often left natural or with a light stain.
Imported Species
A Word about imported woods. Unlike our domestic lumber, forestry techniques and conservation are more difficult to establish. We source our lumber through domestic channels with established buyers in the industry. Lumber is an important source of revenue in the developing world, however increasing demand for rare species has led to black market trade. We encourage using domestic species when possible.
African Mahogany- (Khaya ivorensis) Generally a lower cost substitute for genuine mahogany, comes from West Africa, usually Nigeria. Looks similar to true mahogany, but is not as stable or resistant and tends to splinter more.
Genuine Mahogany- (Swietenia macrophylla) Very stable and clear with a natural brown luster. This large tree comes from Central and South America. Medium hardness with great durability and finishing properties. Must be grain filled if you want a glass type finish.
Beech- (Fagus sylvatica) A light colored hardwood with short straight grains. Comes from Europe, natural range is from Italy to Sweden.
