[Greenbuilding] sustainable siding?

[Tim Vireo Keating]

Alan,

My understanding is that red oak is not suitable for outdoors, as 
it's an open-pore wood. White oak is closed-pore, so much more 
durable.

Robinwoods brand of black locust siding can be obtained through 
Earthbilt (contact me at 917/543-4064, 
t.keating at rainforestrelief.org). While it is not inexpensive, black 
locust will outlast just about any other native wood (other than, 
perhaps, osage orange - but good luck trying to find that 
commercially!) - often going 90 years in ground contact! I've seen 
black locust still solid on historic Civil War houses - built in the 
1860s, I kid you not. This wood was used traditionally for wooden 
ships - especially for the trunnels (or "tree nails") - the spikes 
hammered in to hold the hull to the frame. It was also used for 
telegraph line insulator 'pins' and sometimes for the poles (although 
the guys erecting the poles didn't like it because it was too heavy). 
Of course, it's been used for fence posts for generations.

tim keating

At 9:28 AM -0500 2/25/08, Alan Abrams wrote:
>thanks, Tim--I'd be interested to learn about your black locust mills.  I've
>also learned about some local mills where I can get rough sawn, un-seasoned,
>tulip poplar and red oak--suitable for board and batten.  we may use one or
>the other on an upcoming project.
>
>and--thanks to a tip from Helicon Bill (Hutchins)--here's some info on
>"microposit" siding.  Regrettably, it's not made from mussels, clams, or
>ersters, but from good ol' pee-you.  Not sure if it is greener product than
>fiber cement; hard to imagine it is as durable.
>
>http://archrecord.construction.com/products/ProductFocus/0802walls-1.asp
>
>-AA
>
>Alan Abrams, AIBD
>Abrams Design Build
>a sustainable approach to beautiful space
>alan at abramsdesignbuild.com
>www.abramsdesignbuild.com
>202-726-5894 o
>202-291-0626 f
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Tim Vireo Keating [mailto:t.keating at rainforestrelief.org]
>Sent: Friday, February 22, 2008 2:18 PM
>To: Alan Abrams; 'Greenbuilding Listserv'
>Subject: Re: [Greenbuilding] sustainable siding?
>
>Alan,
>
>Might I also suggest local black locust? If you're interested, I can
>connect you to a mill. And, in the spirit of full disclosure, I'm
>shifting into selling it to help fund Rainforest Relief. :  )
>
>tim keating


-- 


"The Earth and myself are of one mind. The measure of the land and the
measure of our bodies are the same..."
     	                               - Hinmaton Yalatkit, Nez Perce chief
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