Our booth in 2009 was good, but the new one for 2012 will be GREAT! Stop By!

We have some great news to announce! Advantage Trim & Lumber will be at this year’s International Builders Show! Visitors to the AdvantageLumber.com booth (W971) will be able to meet with our team to discuss how our exotic decking products create You’ll not only get a chance to meet us, but you’ll also get a chance to see our most popular products first hand. We’ve also set aside appointments for anyone who would like a one-on-one meeting with one of our dedicated sales team.

2011 has been a great year for us, and we hope for you, too!

From everyone here at Advantage Trim & Lumber, HAPPY NEW YEAR! We hope your 2012 gets off to a fantastic start! We can’t wait to get started!

GREAT NEWS! Our mills are now shipping premium grade Massaranduba decking to homes and job sites around the world. Here are the benefits you receive from choosing this hardwood over softer redwoods:

• Great savings (up to 25%) over other decking materials
  
• Excellent mold, rot & decay resistance
• Less maintenance than softer wood decking
  
• Responsibly harvested from managed forests
• Lush colors from red to reddish brown
• Great for the backyard deck, front porch, or sunroom
• 100% natural, chemical free material

Contact AdvantageLumber.com today to find out more about Massaranduba. We have 5/4×6 Massaranduba decking in stock.

Yes, Even Building a Winter Deck is Cool (Pun intended!)

A deck is a quick and simple way to get more use from you property. Unlike a covered patio or porch, a deck floating six inches or twelve feet above the ground level offers a completely different feeling.

As people choose to stay in their homes longer, decks are being built and renovated now more than ever. In fact, according to recent statistics, approximately 30 million American homes have decks and demand is growing and this is why:

Decks are Great Investment: When you add a hardwood deck to your home, you’re increasing your quality of life and your homes value. According to Remodeling Magazine, you can expect an average 60 – 70% percent return on your investment when you install a wood deck. People shopping for homes prefer houses with decks, because decks expand their living space and provide infinite ways to relax and have fun.

Connect With Mother Nature: Today’s people are much less connected to the natural world than any other time in history. This natural connection has been replaced for the plugged-world and less  unstructured outdoor play. Whether your home is a Maine farmhouse or a Chicago brownstone, a California ranch or a Florida bungalow, decks offer you a quick and easy way to connect with nature. The amazing lake views, the smell of your homegrown vegetables and fresh basil, listening the wind chimes on your deck, a family dinner or simply relax and meditate. Life is not simple but decks give you an easy escape to some much needed peace and quiet.

Year around Fun with Friends and Family: On Thanksgiving Day, you and your family can gather and have fun together, on Independence Day you can grill hot dogs and steaks. A built-in hot tub adds opportunities for fun and relaxation.

Whether you are renovating or building a deck, AdvantageLumber.com is here to help you be part of this trend with the best selection in exotic hardwood decking like Ipe, Cumaru, Tigerwood, Garapa and all the tools and deck accessories necessary to complete your deck.

Are you looking to make something really cool, or artistic? We have produced a large quantity of 7′ Ipe, Cumaru, and Garapa decking in two of the most in-demand sizes (1×6 & 5/4×6). Now is the time to save up to 40% off retail pricing. These wholesale decking prices are for a limited time only! When they’re gone, they’re gone!

What can you build with 7 foot decking? Pretty much anything. Check out this video showing what’s possible:

In addition to hardwood doors, you can use 7′ decking for many projects including:

• Docks
• Arbors
• Paneling
• Cabinets
• Decorative planter boxes
• Outdoor furniture
• Benches

To take advantage of these low decking prices, call AdvantageLumber.com today at 1-877-232-3915, or visit the Lucky 7′s Decking Sale page.

Newsletter Subscribers Win Stuff....Really Cool Stuff from AdvantageLumber.com

It’s true. We just gave away one iPad2 to one lucky AdvantageLumber.com newsletter subscriber! It was our biggest and most well received contest to date. You can see all the entries here: http://www.advantagelumber.com/ipad

If you’re not a fan of technology, that’s ok, too. Just this year, we’ve given away exotic lumber, decking products….and oh yeah $500 cash to subscribers.

Getting a chance to win prizes from AdvantageLumber.com is easy. Simply sign up to our newsletter using the form below:

AdvantageLumber.com Has Rustic Grade Ipe Decking on Sale

One of the aspects in the selection of the wood for a deck that is often overlooked or misunderstood is wood grade. Deciding the grade of your wood is just as important as deciding the type of wood, finishes, sizes, and fitting profile of your decking boards. Remember, decks are more than a structure standing up outside of your home; they are an addition to your home and the wood you choose should be structurally sound, aesthetically pleasing, functional, durable and beautiful. So, how does this all apply to choosing exotic hardwoods like Ipe?

FACT: No two deck boards are exactly the same

Wood is a natural material affected by environmental elements. Pick up two boards of the same species and you’ll see differences in color, grain patters, and imperfections. The grading system is in place just to distinguish between what are considered more or much less aesthetically pleasing natural appearances.

Ipe Decking Grade Differences

At Advantage Trim and Lumber, we sell only two grades of Ipe decking, Grade A (Premium Grade) and Grade B (Rustic Grade).

GRADE A: This clear grade is considered to be the highest grade. Our premium grade Ipe has the most uniform colors with no knots and the longest length of planks. Many of our customers request our premium grade Ipe because they find it to be the most aesthetically pleasing.

GRADE B: Our next best wood grade contains more knots, more variation in color but it’s structurally sound and less expensive than Grade A. Our rustic grade Ipe has natural “defects” that enhance the unique character of the wood. Some pieces may have a few minor characteristics which do not detract from their appearance or higher quality. Most building codes specify Grade B and higher. It is durable and serviceable, and many people prefer the rustic charming look as decorative enhancement.

Rustic Grade Ipe Sale Going on Now

Bring the beauty and charm of nature to your deck! AdvantageLumber.com is now having a big sale on B-grade Ipe. You can save over 50% on select sizes compared to premium grade Ipe.

Durable, beautiful and always a conversation starter, B-grade Ipe may be what you are looking for to bring a welcoming warmth and character to your new deck.

AdvantageLumber.com is expanding our North Carolina manufacturing facility.

We have so many orders of decking, that, in order to properly store our inventory of Cumaru, Ipe deck tiles, Ipe, Tigerwood, and Garapa, we had to actually build a whole new wing to our manufacturing facility in North Carolina!

Once completed, our new 7,500 square foot AdvantageLumber.com storage building will have the capacity to store between 30-40 containers of hardwood decking material.

Construction started in August and many wonderful people had a hand in making the entire construction process go very smoothly. Even with the threat of Hurricane Irene, all hands were on deck.

What does this all mean for you? Not much. And, that’s a good thing! Throughout the process, no orders were disturbed and we continue to process orders just as smoothly as we always do.

At AdvantageLumber.com you can rely on us to always provide you with premium grade decking at the right price, always.

Our Computer-Controlled Lumber Kiln Dries Lumber to Meet Your High-Quality Standards

Wood is amazing. Made up of cells, wood is a hygroscopic material that holds water. As anyone who paid attention in fifth grade science class already knows, this process of water and nutrients moving from the ground, through the root system, through the wood, and to the leaves is a critical component of photosynthesis leading to the formation of new tree cells and subsequent growth.

FACT: Often, water makes up over half the total weight of the wood in a tree.

The term for lumber that is still wet inside and full of sap is called “green lumber.” If you were to install “green” lumber as decking, you would run into many problems. Because green lumber hasn’t been kiln dried (slowly dried in a lumber kiln as shown above), it is highly unstable and is highly prone to cupping, twisting, and if you are in a drier climate, will split (aka check) rapidly.

Properly dried lumber will still move, but its movement is more stable and predictable. AdvantageLumber.com pays attention to all the details during the process of drying lumber and have our own lumber kiln to ensure quality results.

Why Dry Wood?
At AdvantageLumber.com, we dry wood in our state-of-the-art lumber kiln for several reasons. Among the most important are the following:

• Better usability – Wood shrinks as it loses moisture and swells as it gains moisture.
• Reduce susceptibility to insect damage.
• Stain and decay prevention.
• Increased strength – As wood dries below to certain amount of moisture content, most strength properties increase.
• Better hold – Nails, screws, and glue adhere better to seasoned wood.
• Better finishing, paints and finishes adhere better.
• Better heat insulation- Dry wood is a better thermal insulator than the wet wood.
• Reduce product weight – Shipping costs are based on weight, so dried wood weighs less and costs less to ship.

Lumber Drying Methods:

The methods we use to dry lumber are air-drying and kiln-drying. We do not employ any techniques that use chemicals or solvents. Our secret for the perfect lumber is a slow and steady drying process so we can be sure it is the best when it leaves our yard.

What Does Air-Drying Lumber Mean?

For centuries, air-drying was the only way to properly dry lumber. In the air-drying method, wood is exposed to the outside environment, possibly protected only from direct rainfall with portable roofs or by a shed. Certain controls can be used in this stage of drying to make it more efficient. These include proper stacking, orientation and layout of the stack, and covering the stack. When it comes to certain our Ipe decking spends a good amount of time stacked in our yard, seating on top each other just separated by lumber stickers to allow even air flow around the entire boards, creating an even release of moisture.

Air drying is very gentle on the wood and it is a safe way to release the bulk of the excess moisture, it first allows our wood to come into a kind of equilibrium with our local climate and prepares it for the kilns. The wetter the wood, the longer it will sit and air dry, this could be for a few weeks or the better part of the year.

What does Kiln Drying Lumber Mean?

Once the wood is settled down with the local climate, we safely move it to one of our dry kilns, a dry kiln is a closed chamber or building in which heated, humidity-controlled air is rapidly circulated over the surface of the wood being dried. Our lumber kiln holds up to 8,000 board feet of hardwood. Having a high-efficiency kiln at our disposal decreases costs so you will save more on our variety of domestic and exotic lumber products. Our dehumidification kiln is gentle on the lumber and does not cause as much tension in the wood like the typical kiln that relies on high temperatures. The kiln utilizes computer controlled (shown to the right) drying methods which gives us the ability to produce a better quality product that will be more stable when installed. It also
increases our ability to kiln dry high-end exotics like Rosewood, Cocobolo, Ebony, and many other hard-to-dry woods.

Temperature and humidity are carefully controlled during the drying cycle using drying schedules designed for the species, size, and condition of the wood. The time required to kiln dry a given species and thickness depends upon the character of the wood, type of kiln and kiln scheduled. The process of kiln drying will harden the lignin, reducing the wood’s ability to move making it more stable.

The whole process is very important for us, the key is to understand how wood behaves and making sure these movements won’t cause problems later.

How Dry?

Wood products should be dried to final moisture content about mid-range of the expected moisture content of its environment. These can vary considerably by product, geographic location, and the intended use of the product, whether it will be used inside or outside. When it comes to drying hardwood decking species like Tigerwood, Brazilian Teak, and Garapa, our standard is moisture content level of approximately 14-16%.

CONCLUSION

At, AdvantageLumber.com, we are happy to use state-of-the-art drying techniques, systems and equipment, to produce the highest-quality quality lumber and decking product at the right cost. Contact us today to order the finest quality lumber and decking for your project: 1-877-232-3915.

Watch this video and you’ll see why architects and contractors are recommending our Cumaru decking more than even Ipe! With a Cumaru deck, you get all the durability and longevity minus the high initial cost.

What size is the best bargain? Our Cumaru 1×6 PLUS® gives you an extra 2mm which adds years onto the life of your deck. By giving you an extra 2mm of material, you get a more solid board, greater cupping resistance, and the assurance your deck will outperform teak and even composite deck materials. You’ll be getting close to 5/4×6 performance at a MUCH lower price point.

Call Advantage Trim & Lumber today to order 1-877-232-3915. We also sell by the container for large municipal, commercial, or international projects. Call 941-388-9299 to reach our Wholesale Division.

Beautiful Cumaru deck in Sarasota, FL.

UPDATE 8-18-11: We’re proud to announce that all standard Cumaru & tongue & groove Cumaru decking is also now on sale! Save 5% per lineal foot and save hundreds on your  Cumaru decking order today!

For the very first time ever, Advantage Trim & Lumber is running TWO special, limited sales simultaneously on our most popular decking materials (Ipe & Cumaru).

So, if you plan on building a Cumaru deck in California, Illinois, or even Washington, you can save hundreds when you get FREE shipping on pre-grooved Cumaru decking. If you want all the strength and longevity of Cumaru, and want a darker colored deck, then you will certainly enjoy the across the board slashing of our Ipe decking prices.

The best way to take advantage of these sales? Call us today. We’ll make sure your deck gets built using only the finest materials. Real wood. Real value. Let Advantage Trim & Lumber help you build the deck you always deserved.

As part of our Super Decking Sale, we are lowering the price across the board for every size of Ipe siding. How to take advantage of this limited time offer? Call 1-877-232-3915 today. We’ll help you figure out just how much material you’ll need based on the specs you provide. Additionally, we will also provide you with the best cost on shipping. Because we ship so much material from our facilities, our freight forwarders give us substantial discounts which we pass onto you.

Want another reason to clad your home with Ipe? How about value? Ipe isn’t just a kick-butt material for decks. It’s robust enough and attractive enough to be the focus of your home’s exterior. Or, as in the case above, a beautiful accent to enhance your home’s overall look and appeal.

Check out our other affordable wood siding options. You will discover why they are proven to be a better alternative to cedar and wood shingles.

Take a look at the picture above to see exactly what’s possible with decking tiles from Advantage Trim & Lumber. A rooftop terrace, or porch covered in premium grade ipe deck tiles offer the following advantages:

• The perfect, year round outdoor escape
• A contemporary, blemish free surface
• Rain, sleet, or snow, these tiles are durable & resilient
  
• Easy to install & affordable way to renovate an old concrete surface
• Ultra-low maintenance for decades of easy use & enjoyment

How much can you save with the Deck Tile System from Advantage Trim & Lumber? Check out our free to use Decking Tile Price Calculator.

So, if you’re looking for a cheap and easy way to renovate your deck, balcony, or covered patio, order deck tiles from Advantage Trim & Lumber today.

Yeah....that looks good!

Yesterday afternoon, I was struck by a sudden and overwhelming craving. “Steak. Must grill steak!” So, I went to my wife (who was already stressing out about the lack of dinner choices) and told her, “I’m grilling tonight.” Her response, “GREAT! I’ll take the kids into the pool. You have fun!”

So, the mission began. I put some olive oil, salt and pepper on a nice 1 1/2″ thick steak (the cut escapes me at the moment…all I remember was that it was beef!). I grilled it along with some sliced mangoes and zucchini. (There were other vegetables, too…but that’s beside the point!). Oh, and french fries. For me, my dinner nirvana is grilled steak with seasoned french fries. However, during the entire time I was cooking my steak, I was worried. “Am I cooking it too long?” “When and how many times should I flip it over?” These things made me realize I really had no clue what I was doing.

So, when I was done, so was my steak. I accidentally let it cook on one side a bit too long, so it didn’t cook evenly. My kids enjoyed the food (they’re 2 1/2 and 1, so their standards are pretty low at this point). But, I knew. I ruined a perfectly fine piece of bovine perfection. So, after I chewed the last piece of overcooked meat, I swore I would never let another steak go to waste. So, I did what any good 21st Century American would do, I Googled “steak grilling tips.” I looked over a few articles and compiled what I, a complete novice when it comes to cooking, made the most sense to me. So, for all the amateur cooks who want to be like Bobby Flay and without further adieu….

7 Easy Tips on Grilling a Steak aka Steak Nirvana!

1. Preparation is Key – Don’t defrost your steak in the microwave. I’ve made this mistake before. You end up with a rubbery piece of meat that has already been cooked to a certain degree. A good piece of advice I’ll be sure to follow is, prior to grilling let the meat reach a temperature between 68 – 77° (aka room temperature) prior to grilling.
2. Cut the Fat – Cutting off the excess fat around a steak to at most 1/4″ thick. Not only is this a healthier way to enjoy a steak, it means a better, tastier piece of meat. Excess fat cooks faster than the meat itself, leading to flare ups which in turn can lead to an unevenly cooked steak. I’ve made the mistake of grilling what I call “crater steaks”…basically, the steak curled so much it looked like a crater on the moon. Funny? Sure. Frustrating for the “cook.” Absolutely.
3. Don’t Be Heavy Handed When Seasoning – I was glad to see the general consensus on seasoning a steak was pretty much what I do normally. I brush on some olive oil and put salt and black pepper to taste. Not too much, not too little. Just enough to create a nice crust. I’ve tried Montreal Steak seasoning and, personally think it’s a bit too heavy on the salt. That’s just me, of course.
4. Grill Temperature? Hell!!! – Well, not really THAT hot. For a propane gas grill, set your burners on high. If you’re using charcoal briquettes, let the top layer get ashy white and you’ll be good to go. To prevent your steak from sticking to your grate, oil it. A great tip I read was to take some of that fat you cut off previously and rub it on before you start grilling.
5. Ready? Set? GRILL! – Set your steak onto the grill. Let it sit for one full minute. Then, using tongs, gently turn it over and grill on for another minute. If you’re like me, this is the part that always stumps you…rotation. I never knew rotating a steak helped cook it evenly…DUH! Anyways, rotate the steak 45 degrees and grill for half the remaining cooking time. Repeat this step to get a nice “diamond” grill pattern.
6. Medium, Baby! For most of us meat eaters, the perfect steak is medium-rare or medium. You get the most flavor and the most satisfaction when you cook a steak just right. But, when to remove it? The pros will tell you to press your fingers into your steak to see if its done. However, since my kids like to watch daddy cook, this is a no-no for me. So, I use a meat thermometer. I used to cut my steaks in the middle but would cry when all the juices starting escaping. Once your steak reaches an internal temperature of  130 to 135° F. (55 to 57 degrees Celsius) it’s medium rare and you can remove it promptly.
7. Let it Rest, then Dive in! – Instead of ripping into your steak the second it leaves the grill, let it sit for around 5 minutes. The internal juices will flow out and get redistributed around the entire piece of meat.  If that isn’t steak nirvana, I don’t know what is!

Do you have any grilling tips of your own to share? What about any funny grilling stories about what NOT to do when grilling a steak? Share them with us by leaving a comment below!

Happy grilling everyone!

I’ll be short and to the point. If you’re going to build a deck in a city in California (e.g., San Francisco), you can hundreds of dollars right now with our Free Shipping special.

How? Easy.

Let’s say you’re building a deck for a home on Sea Cliff Avenue and you need 1,000 lineal feet of Ipe decking. Well, if you buy our pregrooved 5/4×4 Ipe, you will be able to save around $700 (shipping out of our North Carolina mill). Now, I know for the owner of that house on Sea Cliff $700 might be nothing…but I think we can all agree…anytime you can get the most for the least, it’s a pretty good thing all around!

Here are the down and dirty details…

	Species	Pregrooved Ipe Decking
	Dimensions	5/4×4 (Finished Dimenions = 1″ x 3 1/2″)
	Price (per linear foot)	$3.37/ln ft
	Save $$$ w/FREE Shipping! (minimum order 500 lineal foot)Free shipping limited to the continental United States & excludes Alaska, Hawaii & Puerto Rico

*CALL US NOW TO PLACE YOUR ORDER: 1-877-232-3915*

We are running two great Ipe decking sales!

You can now buy our 5/4×4 Pregrooved Ipe with FREE SHIPPING! Our free shipping sales literally save our customers hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars depending on the weight of their order (minimum order of 500 lineal feet required). Given how dense Ipe is, saving on shipping can make your overall deck building budget a lot less constrained!

We just produced a large amount of Ipe wood shorts. Instead of charging an arm and a leg like other companies are for this hard to find material, we’re going to give you a great chance to buy bundles direct AT A DISCOUNT! That’s right, at a time when Ipe prices are going up these short length ipe bundles are actually being discounted to you!

Available sizes & lengths: 1×6 (3-7 ft) & 5/4×6 (3-7 ft)

What can you do with short lengths of decking?

A lot! Arbors, paneling, cabinets, outdoor furniture benches…Anything you want! The only limit is your imagination.

We also have decking shorts in a number of wood decking options including Cumaru, Tigerwood, and Garapa. If you want to create your very own set of outdoor furniture such as Adirondack chairs, tables, or even a hammock, visit our Discount Decking area for details on this rare Ipe Decking Sale!

Do you think replacing this deck is a good idea?

Did you know that there are an estimated 40 MILLION decks in the United States that are more than 20 years old?

A great majority of these decks were constructed using lumber that is just not good enough for long term use. To make matters worse, many of these old pressure treated decks used chemicals that are now seen as potentially dangerous. Do you think this is marketing hype? Do you think we’re just trying to get you to buy our hardwood decking?

While being cynical is popular these days, our intent is strictly to inform you of the danger posed by these old decks.

Here is the story of one tragedy every person who owns one of these older decks should read right now: Toxic Tragedy Prompts New Treated Lumber Warnings

If you, or your neighbor owns one of these older decks, you might seriously want to consider replacing your deck. Many professional contractors are out there who can help you with your deck renovation. If you have any questions, or need advice, give us a call, or leave a comment below. We’d love to help you.

To clear out inventory, we are slashing the price of two of our most popular ipe decking sizes! Right now, you can get up to 40% off retail pricing on select lengths of 1×6 and 5/4×6 Ipe decking! Check out this limited time offer here: Ipe Decking Sale.

What can you do with this sale? You can use Ipe decking to:

• Renovate a dock
• Build a bench
• Custom crafted tables (see below)
• Create wood planter boxes
• Create your own outdoor kitchen
• “Picture frame” a new deck
• Whatever you want!

Head over to our Discount Decking page to see the many bundles we have in stock. There’s no limit and no minimums. Order as much as you want, or stock up for future projects. Your choice! Don’t worry, you can buy per the board, too! Just another case of why working with us is to your Advantage!