Category Archives: building materials

Compressed Agricultural Fiber Board: Building Materials from Stramit USA

banner stramit 0 450x216 Compressed Agricultural Fiber Board: Building Materials from Stramit USA

Stramit’s Compressed Agricultural Fiber Board (CAFboard) is a bio-based board manufactured from the wheat straw leftover after harvest. Normally this wheat straw is burned or tilled under, but now can contribute to a secondary source of income for the farmers.  Utilizing an innovative bio-engineered process the thermoset CAFboards are more durable than wood and wood-composite boards or foam. They are non-toxic, mold and pest resistant, energy efficient, highly sound absorbent and nearly fireproof. The boards can be produced in various thicknesses including one that would even be an excellent green alternative to gypsum board.  Continue reading →

Axolotl House: Corymbia from Axolotl

axolotl house 0 450x299 Axolotl House: Corymbia from Axolotl

In April of this year I made a post about Axolotl, an international pioneer of innovative and creative metal, concrete, glass and timber products, based in Australia.  I recently received this announcement from them and although I don’t normally post architectural work I found this to be so lovely I couldn’t resist sharing.

“We are excited to introduce our next venture into the world of stylish living with the launch of Axolotl House in the Hunter Valley.
Corymbia is a private guest-house set high on the hill surrounded by ancient Angophoras and Corymbias with views through Eucalypts and over the vineyards. Located only 160 kilometres or 2 hours drive north of Sydney near the township of Broke. Continue reading →

TruExterior® Beadboard from BoralNA

truexterior beadboard boral wood 450x300 TruExterior® Beadboard from BoralNA

Added to Boral’s TruExterior trim line is a complementary Beadboard profile that outperforms wood and is manufactured with a proprietary combination of bio-based polymers and fly ash. The low maintenance product maintains a high level of dimensional stability and resists moisture related issues that typically occur with wood such as cracking, splitting and rotting. Continue reading →

Granite Arctic: Solid Surface Material from HI-MACS

living room HI MACSarctic 0 450x300 Granite Arctic: Solid Surface Material from HI MACS

The HI-MACS® solid surface material is a very flexible material of the “New Generation”. It has a mineral material content that is approx one third acrylic resin, 5% natural pigments and 70% natural mineral obtained from bauxite (aluminum ore). The raw materials used are the same for all the colors except the darker tones which have more natural pigments. Continue reading →

AIR-board® Panels from Design Composite

polycarbonate panels design composite 0 450x309 AIR board® Panels from Design Composite

Both the clear-Pep & Air-board translucent panels from Design Composites are visually attractive sandwich panels made of UV-hardened materials and UV-stable adhesives. They have excellent UV and weather resistance, high bending strength, they are lightweight, both sides are usable and large sizes are available. The panels can be back-lit to create a special effect or installed to bring light into an interior space, additionally they have outstanding thermal insulation values. Continue reading →

Energy-Efficient Metal Roofing from Custom-Bilt Metals

roofing custom metal 450x223 Energy Efficient Metal Roofing from Custom Bilt Metals

Custom-Bilt Metals is a manufacturer of high-quality metal roofing and seamless rain gutter systems. Their Standing Seam metal roof panels are one of the oldest and most practical roofing solutions. The panels can be ordered in a variety of styles, with more than two dozen Cool Roof color choices or elegant bare metals to choose from such as  copper, Rheinzink® and bare Zincalume® for a traditional metal look. Continue reading →

Recovered Timber Framing: Oak, Fir and Heart Pine from PlanetReuse

recycled timber framing planetreuse 0 450x309 Recovered Timber Framing: Oak, Fir and Heart Pine from PlanetReuse

PlanetReuse is a wonderful way to find building materials at a fraction of their original cost, a good way to keep those same materials from our landfills and best of all a way to help save our natural resources. Some of the most recent materials available on their site are: recovered timber framing in White Oak and Doug Fir and reclaimed Heart Pine all ready to be milled to specification. Continue reading →

Recycled Building Material from NewWood Manufacturing

bender board composite newwood 0 450x312 Recycled Building Material from NewWood Manufacturing

NewWood is an innovative, high performance recycled 50% wood and 50% plastic composite construction material. There are three excellent products for use, Natural, Under and Bender Board. Natural, is a versatile  composite panel designed for a multitude of different uses and that can be used wherever HDPE, fiber cement, or engineered wood panels are used. Continue reading →

Metal, Glass, Concrete and Timber Design from Axolotl

axoloti product collage 0 450x345 Metal, Glass, Concrete and Timber Design from Axolotl

Axolotl, based in Australia, is an international pioneer of innovative and creative metal, concrete, glass and timber products. Their unique range of products began with a semi-precious metal coating process developed by them that has become a benchmark for high end surface finishes in architecture and design. Axolotl Metal, is a process whereby liquefied semi-precious metals, such as zinc, copper or bronze can be bonded to the surface of any substrate. Continue reading →