Blue Stain / Beetle Kill Pine In Stock News

Front Range Lumber Stocks Additional Sizes of Blue Stain Beetle Kill Pine!

Front Range Lumber has added to the plywoods we stock, adding 1/2” thickness to the 1/4” and 3/4" sizes we previously stocked. We’ve taken further steps to increase the quality (specifically the “blueness” in all the 1x4 boards we stock). 

Finally, we stock far more of the 1x6 T&G square edge boards in 8’ through 16’ lengths. For your reference, we’re including the most up-to-date size chart showing all the items currently stocked. 

We believe we have a source for custom sized blue stain timbers! Get in touch for the latest information.

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE

Here is our new Blue Stain Pine Size Chart:

Before Buying an Interior or Exterior Door, Here's What You Need to Know.

 

After siding, doors are the most asked about product we deal with. Below are the most common issues and advice when it comes to Interior Doors and Exterior Doors.

Door Construction Except on very high-end doors, few wood doors are “solid wood” of any sort. Today, virtually all doors are composed of pieces of fingerjoint wood or particle board substrate assembled and overlaid with wood veneer. While a perception of these is “cheap”, this construction actually has ad- vantages, including stability (no cracking, warpage) and lower cost.

Low-End Interior Doors Most lower end, interior doors are moulded doors – available in a wide variety of types – and usually hollow core and primed. Of course, many doors are available in steel or fiberglass compositions, they are usually used for exterior installations.

Door Quality There are HUGE differ- ences in the quality of doors. You can purchase doors that you cannot even trim 1⁄2” in width without get- ting into the substrate (generally particle board). Most wood doors have very thin face veneer; we’ve had customers complain that after a little sanding, they’ve sanded through the veneer!

Door Types ad Costs As a rule the following characteristics add dramatically to the cost of a door:

• Choosing a wood door instead of a hardboard (paint grade) type.
• Adding glass – in general and with optional glass types.
• Choosing wood types other than fir.
• Requesting custom sizes.

Door Styles Aside from the easy distinctions of hollow core (interior use only) and solid core, there is a seemingly limitless variety of door styles available. Even a casual quick internet search offers a huge selection from which to choose. Reality sets in once you find out what’s readily available in your area, which generally translates to a lower cost because of large production runs. “In- stock” means faster delivery.

French Doors French doors mean different styles to different buyers. As a big generalization, a French door is a double door in either a “full light (one big piece of glass) 

or a 10 or 15 light glass door (each “light” is a pane of glass). Always verify exactly what 

you want.

Glass in Doors There is a wide variety of glass options on doors, beyond the long available frosted/privacy glass. In addition, the door can have glass in one thickness - meant for interior applications - or a double glazed (two thicknesses of glass separated by an airspace) for greater R-value on exterior applications. Don’t be deceived, a good R-value on a door is 3-6, whereas typical wall construction is a total of R-20 or more.

Door Handing We hear many zany approaches in the way people describe the direction a door swings. We recommend the “butt to butt” method. Stand in the middle of the door opening with your rear end up against the door butts (hinges), with one foot in the room and one out. The door swing or “handing” is the way your left (or right) arm swings to match the door swing. For double doors and other more exotic applications, we recommend a simple drawing to eliminate errors. Our website shows all possible door hangings. 

Double Doors Customers are always shocked to hear an exterior double door is not an energy efficient door style. Beyond having two doors - each of which are not as thermally effective as a sold wall, there’s the need for weather strip along the edges. A double door also usually has a T-astragal to close up the gap between the doors – all these components contribute to a less secure and a less thermal tight door.
Legacy Doors (prefinished, simulated wood grain in a variety of (brown) colors) are still available. They are primarily being used in replacement applications. If you’re
looking for one of these, a sample of the existing door is almost mandatory to make as close a match as some colors are very similar to each other.

Closet Doors Remember a good option for a closet door is a half or full louver style. 

There are four approaches to a closet door solution:

• Regular swinging closet door. Sized appropriately, a pre-hung door will be the best solution to a 36” wide or narrower opening. It allows for easy and full access to the full opening and matches any other surrounding doors exactly in appearance.
• Bi-fold closet door. Sets of smaller doors are hinged together to fold to one or other (or both sides on wide openings). The opening is mostly accessible as the doors take up a portion of the opening, but this method is on the higher price scale for a closet door. They are easy to install and are readily available.
• Double closet doors. This provides access to the full width of the closet opening, however the doors will generally swing out into the room, perhaps causing space constraints. The setup can be very simple with roller catches at the top to anchor the doors in the closed position.
• Bypass closet door. Using two or more flat doors with overhead track(s) is the simplest to install and on the less expensive side of solving this type of door opening.

Door Rough Opening The “rough” opening or framing hole left to accommodate a pre-hung wood, steel or fiberglass door should be the raw door size PLUS at least:

• On interior units: 2” in width, 2” in height
• On double interior units: 2-1/2” in width, 2” in height
• On exterior units: 2” in width, up to 3” in height

ALL measurements (rough opening height and width, jamb thickness, etc.) should always be verified before construction.

Door Sizing Most errors occur through mistaking inches vs. feet vs. slang. For example is a 2-0 door a 24” or 2’ door? The MOST common mistake is the size 2-4, which should be a 2’4” or 28” door, however customers commonly think it will be 24” only. 

The best way to avoid any issue in width is to identify the door size in inches.

Replacement Doors Using a new door of your choice, it can be machined to “match” the lock hole and hinge prep. This provides a replacement or upgraded door to you, requiring only paint or sealing. 

We offer hundreds of styles and colors to complement your exterior and interior decor. Plus, we have a full selection of door hardware, locksets, options and door accessories to help you complete the look you've always dreamed of for your home.

More information on interior and exterior doors: CLICK HERE

Blue Stain Pine

We stock the popular 1x6 T&G AND a variety of boards 1x4 thru 1x12 in up to 16’ lengths. 

Blue Stain is also available in 2x4 through 2x12 boards on a special order basis.

Blue stain pine is currently very much in fashion. Please remember that the “blueness” varies wildly from board to board, the grade rules dictate any amount of blue within the board makes it a #3 grade. Within the #3 grade, you literally can have one board that is clear – no knots and the “perfect board” running to the next board containing open knotholes and other defects – all are allowed in this grade. The upside is blue stain pine is generally far less expensive than most alternatives.

Very little blue stain is sourced locally, despite having wide swathes of beetle killed trees close by the Denver area – including both sides of I-70 going up to the tunnel!  

Find out more about blue stain beetle kill pine: CLICK HERE

Cedar is a wonderfully versatile wood.

Cedar is used in many different exterior applications. 

Most cedar is sourced in Canada, with smaller amounts in Washington and Oregon states. Current production in British Columbia, Canada is using only 1/3 of 1% in annual harvest. Western Red Cedar (WRC) (Thuja plicata) is one of North America’s great renewable resources. Slow growing and naturally durable. Western Red Cedar has one of the longest life spans of any North American softwood. It produces long lengths of timber with true, straight grain. It is free from pitch and its heartwood has natural decay resistance. Its low density gives it an insulation value superior to most other species. Cedar is lightweight, easy to work, easy to finish, possessing outstanding dimensional stability. Western Red Cedar is a preferred wood for nearly all purposes where attractive appearance or resistance to weather is important. The cedar lumber mill association has a great website that covers product, installation, finishing, grades and more: www.wrcla.org

Grades of Cedar
Cedar is one of the most confusing woods to purchase since beyond clear and vertical grain, most other grades are proprietary. This translates to the mills or distributors assigning whatever name they choose. Cedar, like all wood boards, is graded to one side and two edges only. In the specific case of cedar, it is graded to the rough side only (ie s1s2E). 
However, a few general terms are universal:
Clear – no knots, cedar is graded to the rough sawn side (as applicable). All grading applies to just one side and one or two edges.
Select Knotty – or STK (Select Tight Knot) is not in any grade book. It refers to boards that are chosen for their general good appearance with solid, tight knots that should not fall out.
Rough Sawn – Milling process leaving the wood rough–typically the treatment most people identify with cedar.
Smooth Sawn – Milling boards to a smooth appearance
S1S2E–One side and two edges are smooth, leaving the opposing side “rough”.
“No Hole”– generally refers to pickets where the picket—when graded—had no open knotholes, although with no gauranty the knots could fall out in the future, leaving a hole.
Green – Wood of any specie that has not been dried during the milling process.
Dried – Wood of any specie that has been allowed to give up the moisture in the cell structure. The processes include kiln dried, heat treated, air dried and partially air dried

Species of Cedar
Western Red Cedar – the most common and readily available.
Alaskan Yellow Cedar – is actually a type of Cypress.
Inland Red Cedar – is a form of WRC growing in different locations. Log quality and size are limited for consistency.

Find out more about cedar: CLICK HERE

Blue stain pine is a very misunderstood product. 

There are 3 major misconceptions about blue stain/beetle kill pine:

1. It all comes from very close to Denver (or Colorado)
2. Every board is very blue
3. Every board will be totally useable in its entirety 

Read below for clarification. We’ve detailed some of the product information below:

• Blue stain and beetle kill are the same item. A bacteria carried by the pine beetle “infects” and eventually kills the tree, a side effect of this bacteria is the “blue” discoloration in varying amounts in the wood. As pictured on our website, a typical log that produces blue stain boards is only “blue-colored” in the out-most 2” or so of the tree. The beetles/bacteria affect only the sapwood portion of the tree.
• While 1x6 T&G boards used for paneling and siding are the most common item available in blue stain pine, many other sizes are readily available, including boards in 1x4 through 1x12 widths in 8’ through 16’ lengths and 2x4 through 2x12 widths, again in 8’ through 16’ lengths.
• The blue staining of the wood does NOT reduce the strength or integrity of the wood itself.
• All blue stain wood is graded as #3 grade. The grading rules for #2 (or better grade) boards do not allow for any blue stain to be showing, which means that all blue stain is assessed as #3. However, looking at the boards, the overwhelming majority of the goods you’ll receive are far better than the “average” #3 board, which is generally a low grade meant for palleting, crating, very rough construction or bracing. However, there WILL be lower quality boards in the mix, please plan to have some “waste” as you may be unable to use a small portion of the wood you purchase due to large knots, wane, or other undesirable aspects in any given board. Based on its low cost, you can still have a very economical product. Some percentage of the boards will have undesirable defects. On a milled product such as 1x6 T&G paneling, the percentage will fall off further since machining will take off some of the defects.
• Be aware of the wide variation in the boards in both “blueness” and overall quality/appearance.
• It is important to note the amount of “blueness” varies wildly from board to board. As stated earlier, ANY amount of blue in the board necessitates a #3 grade.
• This is a true pine board. Most pine (i.e., non-blue stain) is labelled as pine but is truly a mix of pine and spruce species. Spruce as a whole is a less desirable wood as the knot structure lends itself to a less attractive wood surface.
• This material can readily be machined into log siding, 2x decking products, any siding pattern desired and moldings. Many users are interested in doors, trim and flooring – all possible in this type of wood.
• Blue stain is often talked about as a “green” product, especially as many believe it is locally sourced, thereby reducing carbon footprints and the like. However, this is an incorrect assumption despite significant stands of beetle kill lumber in Colorado (even in the immediate I-70 mountain corridor). Virtually all blue stain being sold in our area comes from Canada, the Dakotas, Montana and Idaho. One of the largest reasons for this sourcing is that there is no large commercial lumber mill operating within Colorado.
• Many customers desire 1x6 tongue and groove boards to be used for flooring; for this application you’ll need to use *square edge* tongue and groove boards. This installation will leave no gaps between boards if installed properly resulting in a solid floor surface. One note of caution: pine is a softwood, unlike oak, maple, cherry, etc; therefore it may not perform as well in a flooring application.
• Blue stain veneers are now available for plywoods. We stock 4x8 sheets in a 1⁄4”, 1⁄2” and 3⁄4” thickness. These are “good” both sides and generally come with an MDF core. 

More information on beetle kill blue stain pine: CLICK HERE

Deck Planning for Your New Hot Tub

Think of a Hot Tub?

From the Real Cedar Blog

The addition of a hot tub to any home is an exciting event. Hot tubs frequently become home-life hubs for many families. A place to relax and reconnect with friends and loved ones. Sometimes a place to recover from physical activity or even injury. Often a retreat form hectic schedules and busy lives.

Deciding to add a hot tub to your home is the first of several steps a new owner must take. There are quite a few jobs to done in order to prepare for its arrival. An experienced spa dealer will be able to walk you through the entire, step-by-step process and even provide detailed pre-delivery instructions that will make the task very manageable.

Following are a few of the major considerations that you may need to work through.
Where should my new hot tub go?

Some homeowners like the idea of placing their hot tub in a remote area of the back yard. While there may be privacy advantages, be sure to consider usability. As a rule, the more accessible your hot tub, the more it will get used regardless of weather.

Once you’ve identified one or several places where you might want your hot tub, measure and mark off that area. This will help visualize the spa and its surroundings. Will there be enough room to move around all sides of the hot tub? Is there space for steps if you need them? Can you get to the hot tub’s access panel? How about the view?

Is my existing deck sturdy enough for a hot tub or do I need a new one?
If an existing deck is the ideal location for your hot tub, be sure to have a licensed professional inspect the existing structure. Obviously hot tubs and the hundreds of gallons of water they contain are very heavy. Before your hot tub is placed on a deck, you must make sure the deck is structurally able to support the weight of the filled hot tub and the maximum number of people that it accommodates.

If designing a new or replacement deck, make sure that the plans account for adequate a load capacity. Again, your local dealer can provide you with weight specifications and, possibly, scale renderings that will greatly assist you and your contractor with planning and design. And make sure you choose a durable & long-lasting building material for your new deck. There are some gorgeous high-performance woods, including naturally beautiful & rot-resistant Western Red Cedar, to use in construction of a tasteful, personalized deck.

The delivery path
An often overlooked but potentially frustrating issue for delivery of any large household item is getting to its final location. Is there a wide enough delivery path from the road to the selected space? Is there enough vertical clearance between the path and the eaves of the house, wires or cables, tree limbs? Have you accounted for the height of the dolly?

Electrical considerations
It’s highly recommended that you have the electrical work done professionally so that you can enjoy your hot tub to its full potential, for years to come. Most hot tubs run off 220 volts, which a licensed professional can easily install for safe use any time of year. Also plan for additional outlets and lights you may want while enjoying your spa.

Tech tools
As you embark upon the design process, you may want to use an online tool to help with the planning. Caldera Spas offers a 3D Deck Design Tool, an interactive, step-by-step deck planner that you may find useful.


Making an investment in preparing for delivery of your hot tub is well worth it, and will result in a hot tub you and your family will enjoy for years.

Deck Planning for Your New Hot Tub