The consumption of logs used for lumber all around the world coming out of the trees grown in the US is becoming a large concern. With large growth, our forests can clean the air. But we consume lumber faster than it can grow. For instance, the high strength fiber that comes out of the Cascade range is very sought-after, because if its strength, and has to be protected. The only way we can truly protect it is if we stop consuming it like there is no end to it.

This article in the WSJ just further highlights the issue:

It is good that we have determined that termites destroy around $5 billion a year. And its good that we know that one week’s worth of Santa Ana fires can consume 1 million trees worth of lumber in. When we understand this, we can get close to solutions. The solution is how can we protect the wood fiber so we don’t have to keep going back to the same forest over and over to replace the lumber. Coat the lumber after its cut and you don’t have to keep cutting trees to replace the original lumber you built with. This helps us forest produce bigger tress that can grow older and continue to filter our air.

-Steve

sconboy@ecobluproducts.com

How do we promote the Builder to embrace new technology to build Safer Smarter homes?

I’m wondering how we can get the Big Public Builder to embrace new technology for building safer homes. How about homes that burn slower (much slower) and don’t have mold issues or the need to pump chemicals into the house to fight termites?

Can’t you see if a Builder was the first to promote a SAFE homes how it may impact his sales?

We have no choice but to use composite wood products. Our forests can’t support solid lumber framing the way we use to build homes. Now we build with 2×4 roof trusses instead of 2×10 and 2×12. We also wrap houses with OSB (small wood chips glued together that are highly flammable.) When it comes to I-Joists they are so flamable that fire fighters won’t even go in the house because the floors cave in so fast. The problem is we can’t build all the houses out of 2×12 anymore because wood that long and strong does not exist anymore. The Juvenile lumber just doesn’t have the values to span the way the engineered wood I-Joists do.

We are in a catch 22 when it comes to what type of products we have to build with going forward. However we now have coating technology to support these new products and make them green and sustainable. All I’m saying is the first few builders that embrace these new protective coatings MUST be raised up as the best builders in the country. It is the builder’s responsibility to protect his home-owners. We’re the experts and we have a responsibility to build with the latest technology available.

Let’s figure out a way to make the first few builders who use these protective coatings an example for everyone going forward. What will be interesting to watch is if it helps them sell their homes over the builder who is stuck in the old ways. 

Thanks.

Steve

What good comes out of catastrophic events?

Every time we have a flood, earthquake, hurricane or wild fire we learn more and more about what we can do to build buildings better – so lives are saved the next time something terrible happens. For example, we’ve applied lessons from disasters to help people deal with rivers rising and flooding – homeowners can move back into their homes faster because their wood does not need to be replaced (not the case for carpets and drywall – yet).  And certainly  not the case with Raw lumber – microbial growth on the wood is so bad after these floods that homeowners have to remediate or remove all the wood. Our wood will not host microbial growth from a flood.

How about the fires? We learn and improve our fire retardant with every report of fire – especially in the Southern California region. Our fire protection delays the burn long enough to allow the firemen to control the fire – and we’re improving it all the time.

When it comes to earthquakes we are now building structures that can handle some of these serious quakes. Engineers are using seismic systems but some use  shear walls. The problem with shear walls is they are built out of wood.  And termites eat wood, compromising the structural integrity of the building.

Hurricanes are like earthquakes when it comes to engineering loads that need to be protected. Researchers are now finding that if they build homes with higher strength lumber – like Doug Fir instead of southern yellow pine – they can handle the wind loads better. Just  another reason why we need to protect the engineering values so they are at their highest strength when the next event happens.

-Steve

sconboy@ecobluproducts.com

A few nights ago, I was thinking about how dramatically we are changing the lumber business, the building products business and the home building business by introducing this new form of eco-lumber protection (and a whole bunch of other green products to build with). Actually this happens often as I’m rarely not thinking about EcoBlu Products. It occurred to me that this green building revolution is a lot like what we are seeing on the shelves of delis (bodegas where I grew up) and supermarkets everywhere - the revolution from junk food to more healthy food.

Don’t get me wrong – just like there is wet, unprotected, moldy lumber out there to buy – there is still plenty of junk food and drinks in the stores. But right next to it are healthy protein bars, good drinks, smoothies and Tigers Milk bars. Sure there is still soft drinks and all the same old drinks that aren’t really good for you. But now we can also choose from just as many healthy alternatives.

When it comes to raw lumber it will always be on the shelf. But now people have a choice as to what they want to build with. Because its not just what build with – it’s what you live with. Now people can by a whole series of green building products including treated wood made by EcoBlu Products. Raw lumber grows mold and termites eat it so we have to keep going back to the forest to replace it and we’re using it (even in the downturn) way faster than it can be replenished.

I’m very excited to be a part of the solution to these problems. Every year, trees push out new branches and these branches eat the pollutants in our air. Bigger the tree, bigger the branches. Widespread use of EcoBlu Products help let the trees get bigger – you get the rest.

Just like junk food is on its way out – so is the junk food of lumber. Let’s get it going!

-Steve

sconboy@ecobluproducts.com