LifeTime Lumber Under Real-Life Conditions
Before purchasing and installing a product, it's always smart to hear the opinions of people who have experience with it.
We've collected the opinions of professionals who chose LifeTime Lumber for both its eco-friendly nature and its outstanding durability. Their projects have subjected LifeTime Lumber to heavy use under demanding conditions with outstanding results.
Steven L. Park, AIA, LEED AP
"We have successfully utilized LifeTime Lumber within the design of our projects and will certainly continue to specify the product in the future. The material is credible on so many levels that it makes it the prudent material of choice for exterior building. Lifetime Lumber is “green” and utilizes recycled materials, replacing the need to destroy forested areas for harvesting trees. It is easy for constructors to shape, cuts better than real wood, it is dimensionally stable, and requires minimal to no ongoing maintenance, making for great value over the life of the material.
As a green-focused architect I’m always looking for recycled materials like LifeTime Lumber, but it was only after the product passed my process of investigation that I knew it was ideal for the project’s specific needs. We spoke with a contractor who was very happy with the material; we scrubbed, cut, scraped and hammered the sample boards and each test made us feel more and more confident with LifeTime Lumber’s product. It was solid on all accounts.
Since our first use of LifeTime Lumber in the construction of a riding arena, we’ve used it in the design for another paddock fencing facility, horse breeding facility and riding area. The area construction was nearly two years ago and it’s performing exceptionally well and the owner is thrilled. Only due to the impact of a moving tractor did we have to replace one board. Because the product doesn’t shrink or contract, finding an appropriate new piece was a simple and seamless process.
When choosing and using a material, I want it to perform in the manner I’m expecting, and LifeTime Lumber’s resistance to warping and contracting lifted it above the competition. Other composite brands seem to be less resilient and flex too much, and I haven’t had the confidence in them to specify to a client. With new materials I want to be cautious in ensuring they will perform well, and won’t create problems for the property owner. The stability and low-maintenance was what I liked most about LifeTime Lumber – once I saw it meet all my qualifications and scrutiny it was an easy choice.
I hope the development of LifeTime Lumber broadens to include structural materials in the near future, as its stability and resilience would serve many additional applications. I prefer it over other manufactured materials, and there are a multitude of usages I’d be more than happy to use this product for."
~ Steven L. Park, AIA, LEED AP
Moake Park Group (architectural design) and Basic Elements (green building consulting services)
Mountain King Ranch
I would like to provide a reference and recommendation for your product, Lifetime Lumber.
In the spring of 2008, we installed a 110’ x 220’ outdoor arena, designed for jumping and dressage at our southern Colorado ranch. We proudly chose Lifetime Lumber as our fencing material, and we plan to use it for our future fencing needs as we continue to grow our horse facility.
The material has both form and function. It is aesthetically beautiful and is strong enough to withstand aggressive use and harsh weather changes. In our climate, it can be freezing and 75 degrees in the same day -- requiring building materials that can withstand such dramatic swings in temperature, moisture and wind.
Also important is the fire rating, as we live in a semi-arid environment, where fires are a constant concern. Lifetime Lumber’s high fire rating made it a smart choice. In closing, it feels great to use an environmentally friendly “green” product as we embark on this journey to build a dream -- our horse facility in the Rocky Mountains. Thank you for giving us the chance to choose a responsible material, which is highly functional as well as handsome.
Sincerely.
Erin and Gordon Gibbs
Mountain King Ranch
Jeremy Park
When I as approached to try out the Lifetime Lumber product, I was both excited and intrigued because I had never used any kind of composite product for building purposes other than MDF, and certainly not for a project like decking or fencing. I am not a contractor, but have done many of my own home building projects, from bathroom and bedroom remodels to landscaping and fencing. For this reason, I approached testing out the product from the eyes of the “everyday man” doing his or her own deck or fence. The following are my basic observations.
I found the look of the product to be very inviting. From the eye-catching grain to the even color, it had the look of a high-quality finished wood decking board. It felt very solid to hold and a similar weight to a solid wood decking product.
I cut the wood with a Craftsman chop saw with a fairly old blade. The cut was incredibly smooth and precise, even with my “suspect cutting device”, with no catching or movement of the board. When I flipped it over, I expected to see some splintering, but found a smooth edge no different than the top side. The color on the newly cut inside edge was a little lighter than the outside of the original length board. Overall, it had a similar feel to cutting a solid wood board, with a much smoother edge leaving no sanding required and the option to use either side up when installing the deck due to the lack of splintering.
Next, I drilled a few pilot holes with a 1/8” Dewalt drill bit using a Makita Cordless 14.4V Drill. Again, the board was very receptive, and the bit sank easily into the board. There was no splitting of the wood when the bit exited the other side of the board. Into these pilot holes I drilled 1 ¾” Drywall screws, which bit into the wood nicely and drove easily with a Makita Cordless 14.4V Impact Driver. I also decided to see how the board would respond to driving a screw without first drilling a pilot hole. This worked better than expected. I met only a little more resistance, but the screw drove cleanly with no splintering when it exited the other side as well.
I then drilled the sample board into another board using the same screws and driver without first drilling the pilot holes. I was concerned at how willing the board would be to countersinking, since for decking purposes it would be a pain to have to pre-drill pilot holes with countersinking before driving the screws. The screw drove cleanly and sank nicely into the board. When running my hand across the top, I could not feel the head of the screw at all. I admit that I was a little surprised at this just because the solid feel of the board made me think that it would not be receptive to the screw sinking into the surface. The board adhered firmly to the other board as I would expect a typical wood product to do.
Last, I wanted to see how close to the edge I could drive a screw without splitting the board. Without pre-drilling a hole, I drove a 1 ¾” screw into the board approximately 3/16” away from the edge with no splitting of the board. This surprised me as well since a typical wood product would normally crack that close to the edge.
Performing these simple tests left me feeling very confident in the Lifetime Lumber product. I believe that even “do-it-yourself-ers” would find this any easy product to work with and would be extremely satisfied with the result. And the fact that the product comes with a finished look already in place makes it that much easier to get the job done quickly and professionally, even if you are an amateur like myself. I would definitely recommend the Lifetime Lumber product for any fencing and decking needs, pro or not.
Jeremy Park
Robert D Ruhe, San Diego, California,
I’m writing to recommend one of the best products I have ever worked with on my home projects.
“Lifetime lumber is easy to use, to cut, to nail, and fasten with screws and fasteners used in traditional wood applications.”
The strength and longevity is of great importance for any of my home projects. Over the years I have made great use of wood and in fact have found it necessary to rebuild from time to time due to the structural breakdown of wood. I tried many synthetic products on the market, however, they always seemed to need some special requirements or pieces to establish a completed finish.
My experience with Lifetime Lumber has changed all that… I found this product to be an excellent replacement for projects I would traditionally build in wood. It is easy to build with Lifetime Lumber. I use my standard Skill Saw, nails, hammer, T square, and pencil. It cuts easily and precisely when cutting specialized corners. It is durable strong and about the same weight as wood.
Lifetime Lumber is an outstanding product and I highly recommend it to my friends.
I especially remind friends “measure twice cut once and make it last forever and use Lifetime Lumber”
I hope you enjoy using Lifetime Lumber as much as I do around the house.
Good luck on your next project,
Robert D Ruhe, San Diego, California
Culver Academy
"Culver Academy is very committed to green initiatives and we try to incorporate sustainable designs into all our campus projects, so the environmentally friendly aspect of LifeTime Lumber was what immediately attracted us to the product,” – Jeff Kutch, Culver Academy Director of Facilities
"The facility’s original riding wall was painted and had to be re-painted periodically as the paint chipped from the day-to-day wear and tear to the wall surface. Since LifeTime Lumber is a hard, durable with material with continuous color throughout, we won’t have to paint it because it’s not as susceptible to the chipping and visible dents we experienced with wood. When we first contemplated the construction of the riding wall, we anticipated using tongue-in-groove construction to accommodate the expanding and contracting of the wall material, but that wasn’t necessary with LifeTime Lumber. Our contractors really liked the dimensional stability of LifeTime Lumber versus real wood that expands and contracts with moisture and humidity. With LifeTime Lumber, it is what it is - and that makes it much easier to work with.” – Steve Park, Moake Park Group, architect for Culver Academy and LEED accredited professional
City of Los Angeles
"Low maintenance and good looks were the primary qualities we needed in a fencing product, as city projects often lack funding for upkeep,” said Robert Gutierrez, landscape architect for the City of Los Angeles and project supervisor. "In addition, LifeTime Lumber’s ability to withstand weathering long term combined with environmentally friendly attributes made it a good choice for our project.”
O’Connor Signature Equestrian Facility
"We have been searching for a product like the LifeTime Lumber product for years. All the other maintenance - free products look like plastic. The LifeTime Lumber product looks and feels like real wood. We love the rich, grainy authentic look of this product.” – Jennifer K. Donovan, Principal, Equestrian Services, LLC
Material ConneXion Global Library
"With LifeTime Lumber, it was the use of fly ash that garnered interest. The concern was about the amount of waste fly ash from energy plants and intriguing uses for this material – this was good use of it. " – Dr. Andrew Dent, Vice President, library and materials research, Material ConneXion, Inc.
County of Ventura
"We looked at many different kinds of fencing for park and equestrian applications, but the key factors in our decision to select LifeTime Lumber are that it’s a low maintenance product that doesn’t splinter and looks great,” – Karl Novak, project manager, Ventura County Public Works Agency
"When a horse runs into a wood fence, the wood can splinter and injure the animal. Wood fence posts also have to be changed out periodically because they rot, and LifeTime Lumber is a product that can address these issues. My experience with other, hollow wood alternative products is that the rails tend to fall out of the fence post structure as the boards age, and that scenario won’t stand up to abuse from a horse. LifeTime Lumber is a solid composite product that can really take a beating,” – Mike Roberts, project manager for Mendez Concrete, contractor for the VenturaCounty project
UC Davis Equestrian Facility
"During the planning stages for the new arena we put a lot of thought into choosing the right materials for the job, and LifeTime Lumber was the natural choice because of its looks, its sustainable manufacturing process, resistance to rot and low-maintenance requirements. We’re always looking to see what we can do to address the LEED requirements in our facilities, and the sustainability of the LifeTime Lumber product is a definite bonus. At UC Davis we are moving away from using wood products that deteriorate and eventually are sent to a landfill.” – Matt Fucile, associate director of operations for the department of campus recreation at UC Davis
Northgate Builders, Inc.
"We recently purchased your LifeTime Lumber product for equestrian use. Delighted with the performance, we wanted to take a moment and thank you. We are thrilled with the high quality and ease of use. The fence looks beautiful. I definitely would use the LifeTime Lumber product in other applications.” – Gerald J. Dupasquier, President, Northgate Builders, Inc.
The Oaks
"During our product research period, we kept coming back to LifeTime Lumber. The material quality and durability is unmatched in the industry and stands alone when it comes to meeting O’Connor Signature standards," – Bradley Dicks, owner of Dicks Realty, the project’s developer
North Carolina Equestrian Facility
"We heard about the material from an acquaintance, we chose LifeTime Lumber primarily for its good looks, low maintenance and green story. Creosoted pine is used quite a bit for fencing in our region. We didn’t want this but really didn’t know where to turn. From the beginning we were concerned about the safety of our horses and did not want to use creosote because of its potential to irritate the animals and the smell. We were also concerned about wood fences breaking easily and causing injury, not to mention the high maintenance involved. Lifetime Lumber breaks cleanly so should an animal run through the fence it won’t be impaled by the splintered wood. In our paddocks the fence has been kicked quite hard a number of times and it didn’t come close to breaking. We were also thrilled to learn that the lumber is naturally fire-resistant and won’t rot or be eaten by termites since this is a big issue in North Carolina. We couldn’t be happier with our choice of building property fencing, paddocks and stalls with LifeTime.” – Bob Pollard, owner of the North Carolin family property, Gaitaway Farm
"The owner came to us with the need to visually and functionally unify two lots into one. It is wonderful to see the entire project so well executed and the high quality materials, textures and colors, used on fencing, paddock and barns mesh so well with the greenscaping. Throughout our landscape plan we utilized native plants where appropriate to encourage water conservation and lower maintenance. The fact that the Pollards have sourced the greenest lumber-alternative for their barns and fencing doesn’t surprise me in the least. ” – Matt Ramsey, principal at Ramsey Landscape Associate
