For those eager to get started in plotting and planning their garden this year, maybe it is time to consider building a raised garden bed. Not only is a raised garden bed, or garden box, an attractive addition to any yard, but their are benefits to growing your favorite flora in one. The soil in a raised garden bed is often warmer and better drained because it is above ground, allowing you to get started on your gardening earlier in the season and avoid soil erosion in the rainy months. The wooden barrier also protects your garden from pathway weeds and pests such as slugs and snails.
The biggest benefit to some gardeners is reduced back strain when bending over to tend to a raised garden bed compared to a ground level garden. If the beds are built right, the gardener can even sit on the edge of the bed while tending to their plants. This is especially helpful to older gardeners or people with bad backs.
Raised garden beds can be made with relative ease with your choice of wood. Cedar and redwood are naturally water-resistant but can be expensive and hard to find. Hemlock, fir and pine are suitable materials for raised beds, but aren’t very long-lasting. Pressure wood is an option that is widely available at a comparable cost and will last longer than untreated lumber. The pressure treatment protects wood from rot, decay and wood-eating insects. Current treatments are deemed low-risk by the EPA, and designated safe for use around humans, pets, plants and vegetables. Even though the treatment is safe, many gardeners recommend using untreated wood for raised garden beds, especially ones that will be used to grow edible plants and vegetables, so there is no risk of any chemicals leaching into the soil and contaminating the plants.
Besides the type of wood, there are other factors to consider when building and installing a raised garden bed. It is important to know what sort of plants you plan to have growing there: how much sunlight they need and how deep their roots grow, so you can build your garden box accordingly.
When you are ready to get started on building a raised garden bed, or any other woodworking projects, call or stop by the Schutte Lumber Showroom and let our experienced staff help you get the materials you need.
Alder Superior on the left, Alder Premium on the right.
More alder is now available at Schutte Lumber Company!
Alder is a popular choice among fine furniture and cabinetry makers for its natural consistency and beautiful color. Alder dries to an even honey tone, with little color variation between the heartwood and the sapwood, making alder ideal for light or natural finishes. This hardwood specie is one of the most versatile and easy to handle no matter the project at hand.
Alder Superior is the most flexible alder grade with the highest yield. The FAS boards are cabinet grade or better, yielding 83-⅓ clear face cuttings. It is ideal for uses requiring long, wide clear-face cuttings or multiple rips and chops. Popular applications include cabinet and entry doors, casegoods and millwork.
Alder Premium, also known as knotty alder, exhibits larger defects than Alder Superior, but maintains its structural integrity. It is an appearance and structural grade hardwood with scattered sound and unsound defects, but each board yields a high percentage of long, sound cuttings. Popular applications include rustic or distressed cabinetry and furniture, upholstery rails and frame components.
Schutte Lumber will now be supplying both Superior and Premium (knotty) Alder, in larger quantities than ever before. We are receiving full rail containers direct from the supplier, which means more alder will be available for more projects. Now you can build “alder” things you want! See our product listings – S4S & Rough
Schutte Lumber Company is proud to announce the addition of a new product line to the Showroom: Fortress Fe26 Iron Railing Products.
“Fortress Fe26 Iron Railing is a pre-welded, easily customized and enhanced version of traditional wrought iron railing that brings unparalleled quality to any patio, deck, balcony or porch. It provides a clean, classic appearance that is versatile for a variety of applications and surfaces. Pre-galvanized steel, zinc phosphate, e-coat and premium powder coating make it the most elegant and durable iron railing system on the market.”
Fortress Fe26 Iron Railing products are coated with durable, multi-layered anti-corrosion coating technology adopted from the high-end automotive industry. The FortressShield Coating resists rust and corrosion making Fortress Fe26 Iron Railing products longer lasting and virtually maintenance free.
There are many ways to customize Fortress Fe26 Iron Railing. Customers can choose between three premium textured finishes in Gloss Black, Antique Bronze or Black Sand.
All panels can be used with several types of posts such as metal, wood, vinyl or composite.
Three styles of level panels exist (traditional, ornamental and vienna) as well as one for stairs, which is a traditional style and adjustable.
Posts come in a variety of heights and widths to accommodate your needs. The base plates are pre-drilled enabling ease of wiring for lighting installations if you so desire.
Fortress Fe26 Iron Railing Products also boasts a variety of personalization options, including accent top panels, accent top rail, knuckles, ornaments, gates, accent lighting, post caps with and without lighting, handrail, and cap rail clips. These options allow you to customize your iron railings to match your unique design aesthetic and increase functionality of the product.
Be sure to stop by our showroom or contact any of our sales staff to find out how Fortress Fe26 Iron Railing can work for your next project.
Looking up at Doug Fir
Lumber produced from Douglas-fir is recognized throughout the world for its strength and performance. It is an affordable softwood that is often used in woodworking and construction. “[Douglas-fir] has the highest ratings of any Western softwood for fiber stress in bending, tension to parallel grain, horizontal shear, compression perpendicular and compression parallel to grain” (wwpa.org). Douglas-fir also has the highest modulus of elasticity value of all North American softwoods, meaning the wood is highly resistant to deformation under load. It is also dimensionally stable and holds nails well. The light rosy color, tight knotting and close graining pattern adds a bonus of beauty to the structural capabilities of Douglas-fir. It also takes staining and painting very well.
Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga) is a genus with six species. Two species grow in North America and four more are native to East Asia. The most important species of Douglas-fir is also called Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii). Its importance is reflected in a common name identical to the name of the genus. “The hyphen in its name lets us know that Douglas-fir is not a “true” fir. It is not a member of the Abies genus” (Oregonstate.edu).
Fir timbers in Our Yard ready for delivery
Douglas-fir is native to the Pacific Northwest region, growing abundantly in the coastal climates of Oregon, Washington and northern California. Douglas-fir trees are among the tallest on the continent, averaging from 150 to 200 feet in height and 2 to 6 feet in diameter. It is also Oregon’s state tree and a popular choice of Christmas tree. More Douglas-fir is produced and shipped from the West than any other species.
For more information visit the Western Wood Products Association website at www.wwpa.org
All of us at Schutte Lumber Company are proud to announce our partnership with Simpson Strong-Tie, the leading manufacturer of structural connecting systems for wood, steel, masonry, concrete, and composite wood building construction. Simpson Strong-Tie is the world leader in structural product solutions – solutions that not only help our customers, but help make structures safer and stronger. Whether you are looking for brackets to connect deck joists for your home or connecting structural beams for a commercial constructions job, Simpson Strong-Tie has the solution. Be sure to stop by our showrooms or contact any of our sales staff to find out more about these great products.
Cedar is one of the most versatile and beautiful woods in use today. It has long been one of the most popular deck woods in use, but you can do so much more with cedar. It can go from the siding of your house, to the decking and even inside. From the smallest architectural pattern to the largest of timbers Cedar adds a warm and special look to your home or project. If you can dream it, we can help you make it. Below is just a few of the things we have done, if you need more inspiration visit Real Cedar’s terrific gallery.
On October 7th, come to Schutte Lumber Company to get your hands on all of the newest tools as well as your old favorites. Our highly trained staff will be on hand to answer all questions regarding how Festool can make your life easier.
Tired of hauling your material to a miter saw when on the jobsite? Struggling to make accurate cuts with a circular saw? Check out the new HK 55 line of Carpentry Saws. Coupled with the FSK guide rails they are the ultimate solution for all wood processing on the jobsite.
Can’t make it to Schutte Lumber Company to see it in action? View this online demo here. Ready to buy? Give us a call at 816-753-6262
This drywall gun was made for serious work. Equipped with a magazine attachment for using commonly available collated screws. It has on-demand push and drive system that eliminates holding a trigger, electronic cut-off and precision depth control. Quiet, efficient, and accurate for faster installs with less fatigue.
Online demo will demonstrate why you need this in your arsenal.
And last, but certainly not least, if you can’t see what you are working on then Festool has solved that problem. Introducing the SysLite Duo! Compact, light and equipped with top handle for easy transport the SysLite DUO can be used on the floor, nearly any horizontal surface, hung off a nail or screw or project light with the optional adjustable tripod.
Watch here and see how to turn the darkest work areas into day.
This Post is courtesy of guest blogger Abe Knepp of www.itsamishmade.com
Whether you’re in a woodshop for work, or to visit for some other reason, safety must always be a top priority. People lose body parts and even their own lives in woodshops every year. The following 12 tips will help reduce your risk to a minimum.
It’s not just important that you know your way around the woodworking shop. You also need to know what’s where at any given time. For example, things left out to dry or set can pose as obstacles. Take a quick jaunt around and inspect the place, even if it’s your own garage. This may seem basic, but you’d be surprised how many accidents happen because of this.
Under the “just in case” type of scenario, you want to inform someone of your intentions to work in the shop. Let them know about how long you’ll be in there and what you’ll likely be working on. Accidents can involve all types of situations, such as those that would render someone unconscious or otherwise unable to help themselves. It doesn’t need to be an awkward announcement, just a quick heads up to someone close to you.
You built that gorgeous wood deck; now how do you protect it and maintain it so it stays beautiful for years to come? The secret is the wood preparation and staining process. Screw down any loose boards or replace broken boards. Inspect your railings to make sure that nothing has come loose over the winter that will impact the safety of your deck. Don’t forget to also check the substructure for any damage that could threaten the integrity of the deck. Once the deck structure has been repaired it is time to prep for stain. Decks must be thoroughly cleaned to remove dirt and stains. Strip old stains from your deck if changing colors or brands. If the wood has grayed out it can be brightened to its original appearance using Pro-Tech Brightener. Once the wood is completely cleaned, brightened, and dried it is time to apply the stain. Here at Schutte Lumber Company we believe in the Penofin line of products to care for your deck. This made in America product is top of the line when it comes quality, durability and ease of maintenance. Our friends at Penofin have put together this video on applying their stain.
How To Apply Penofin Hardwood Stain from Penofin Wood Finish on Vimeo.
Call Schutte Lumber Company 816-892-3398 for Penofin products or for more information on taking care of your deck.
For too many years the Europeans have had all the fun. Now it the USA’s turn to have a Festool Roadshow. It will be in Kansas City at Schutte Lumber Company on May 14th. Festool is bringing a specially equipped semi with dual foldout stages and 500 sq. ft of working area. Festool employees and Schutte Lumber employees will be on hand to demonstrate and answer all of your questions on the Festool line of power tools. Get up close and personal with the tools you are going to want, including the new Vac Sys clamping system that we first told you about here. Watch our Facebook event page for updates and more information. In the meantime, enjoy this Festool video of that cool European truck and know that is coming across the pond.
For those eager to get started in plotting and planning their garden this year,
New alder products available February 2018
Schutte Lumber Company is proud to announce the addition of a new product line