Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Square lumber

Here is a beautiful example of the many ways in which our square lumber materials may be used.
This reception desk was created by gluing together pieces of square white oak boards.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Great article about bringing manufacturing back to the U.S.!

http://news.yahoo.com/caterpillar-shift-production-japan-us-224447904.html

Friday, February 10, 2012

End-matched Flooring

Here is some of our Rustic Cherry flooring waiting to be end-matched.

What exactly is end-matched flooring?  End-matching refers to milling a tongue on one end and a groove on the opposite end of the individual planks of flooring so that when the planks are butted together, the tongue of one piece engages the groove of the next piece.


Flooring piece coming through end-matcher. 
Note the groove that has been milled on the
end of the board.
Why end-match flooring if it alreaady fits together with a tongue and groove lenth-wise?  Individual flooring boards expand and contract at different rates both in width and thickness.  If the flooring boards are not end matched the changes in thickness could result in height differences in the flooring, making the boards vulnerable to chipping. 
With end-matched boards, the height differences are greatly reduced.
 

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Pinterest

We were recently introduced to this cool website by our marketing company, Vibrant Creative of Oneonta.  Though we're new to Pinterest and its capabilities, it seems pretty neat - here's our link:  https://pinterest.com/wightmanlumber/

We've started adding pins to boards with our various products on them - please check us out!  This is a 'work in progress', so we'll be continuously updating with more content.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Revitalizing a landmark

28 Railroad Avenue
Established in 1786 the village of Cooperstown, New York is rich in beauty and tradition. Far removed from centers of architectural innovation, Cooperstown is actually home to many significant residential, commercial and religious structures. One example stands at 28 Railroad Avenue.

Constructed in 1903 this building served residents of the area for decades as a feed mill, food and produce store.  Its function during the 1940's and 50's remains a mystery, but in the 1960's an Agway retail store moved into the facility.  For over 40 years Agway served the local community until the store chose to leave Railroad Avenue in 2008.  The building laid vacant for nearly a year after Agway's departure until Mike Manno purchased the property. 

Red Oak Wainscot and trim
A preservationist at heart and resident of Cooperstown for decades, Mr. Manno feared the historic structure would be demolished.  His goal was to restore the building and transform it into useable space. 

G&S Construction and owner Steve Smith began renovations at the property in the winter of 2009. Throughout the project special care was taken to maintain the historical accuracy of the building while also making improvements that would preserve its longevity.

The original layout consisted of two buildings which have since been connected to create a tremendous open floor plan. The main building, which once served as the feed mill, now features new trusses and a barrel vaulted ceiling. Wainscot has been added to the ceiling and walls, and many of the building's historical elements have been preserved including an auger that once transported grain within the facility.
 
Extensive exterior renovations have also been completed. The siding has been replaced with custom novelty siding and new windows have been installed.

Mr. Manno has completed renovations and is now actively searching for an interested party to utilize the newly renovated space.

The revitalization of this historic property is truly inspiring; the next occupant is sure to have quite a story to tell.