BarnsHomesCommercialGalleryAbout UsContact Us

Choosing the Right Lumber for Custom Wood Projects

Posted on: by dcbuilding No Comments

Lumber for Custom Wood Homes

Know your wood

Whether you’re building a deck or a lavish stable, decisions about building materials are critical to the durability and appearance of the project. As a general rule, the long-term performance of wood, or composites, weighs heavily on material quality and decay resistance, either natural or that imposed by chemical treatment. A quick review of the following basic materials, both the advantages and downfalls, may aid in the decision-making process for your next project.

  • Cedar

Prevalent in the Pacific Northwest, cedar trees have developed self-protective qualities that allow the trees to fend off insects, rot and temperature related stresses. That makes cedar very useful in structure building where humidity, temperature, and cracking are a common problem. Cedar is not typically used as a structural component in construction because it is much weaker than its counterparts; redwood, cypress, or pressure treated lumber. Cedar is best used as the decorative, exposed portions of a project. Cedar is usually about twice the cost of pressure treated lumber but only half as much as redwood.

  • Redwood

Similar to cedar, these towering giants also have chemicals within their foliage and bark that make them resistant to fungal disease and insect infestation. Redwood’s internal cell structure also allows them to hold large amounts of water and air in pockets, so it works well for insulation and thrives in high-moisture areas. Redwood is famous, and expensive, due to its rich red color. Left untreated, through stains and sealers, the wood will turn to dull grey. This material is also only typically used on exposed portions of structures due to its cost, nearly four times as much as pressure treated lumber.

  • Cypress

Cypress is found in common and premium grades, localized mostly in the Southeastern U.S. It’s a tan, reddish color, somewhat lighter than redwood, and is equal to redwood and cedar in its resistance to insects and rot. Cypress is typically used for both structural and ornamental purposes but it’s certainly not a cheap material. While less expensive than redwood and cedar, cypress is really only affordable if you live in the Southeast – the farther you are away, the more expensive it becomes.

  • Pressure-Treated (PT) Wood

With a more pronounced grain than cedar, redwood or cypress, PT lumber is made mostly of southern yellow pine, and occasionally fir. PT wood is most commonly used as the structural material for projects and occasionally with the right stain, can be used as the decorative material as well. The wood is treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA) which is used as an insecticide/preservative, as well as simple water repellant. Arsenate has been reported as potentially toxic to humans and animals and it is advisable to determine the type of treatment was used before purchasing the lumber. Less toxic, chemically treated lumber is now available that doesn’t contain arsenate, but is slightly more expensive compared to the bargain price of PT lumber. When working with PT lumber, of any kind,  it is recommended to wear gloves and a dust mask.

  • Tropical Hardwood

In the past ten years, tropical hardwoods have become more abundant, but still remains one of the most expensive building materials, by far. The reason for the added cost is due to the shipping costs and their durability that eclipses both redwood and cedar. These hardwoods have a life expectancy of 40 years, minimum, and are resistant to insects and decay. Other than the cost, other drawbacks include: most tropical hardwoods need to be predrilled for fasteners and there are major ecological concerns as to the harvesting of these materials.

It’s a good idea to check out the local building codes for your area before starting a project. No matter what type of wood you decide on, it’s important to take into consideration the size of the structure, use, climate, and soil type before building any structure.

Barn Maintenance – Removing Snow From the Roof

Posted on: by dcbuilding 1 Comment

Barn Maintenance - Snow Removal

Year after year, from small barns to huge stadiums, roofs collapse under the immense weight of snow buildup. It’s a real threat, especially for folks in the Northeastern US, but the solution isn’t always very clear. With most insurance companies only covering damage caused by snow and ice and not barn maintenance, several options are available for property owners to clear winter roof accumulation, ranging from expensive and safe to cheap and dangerous.

Hire a roofing company

Typically, roofing companies will clear off snow from a building roof for around $400-$500 dollars, depending on the size of the structure and the level of access. While this is the safest option, it can be somewhat pricey and your roof may require a few treatments throughout the course of a winter.

Buy a roof rake, or two

When possible, use a roof rake – which is just a rake with an extremely long handle available at home improvement and hardware stores.  Obviously, this only works well with single level homes and most times two rakes need to be attached together to reach all the snow/ice buildup.

Climb up there – but be careful

First of all, if you have a slanted roof don’t even attempt this before you have the proper fall prevention systems, such as covers, screens, railings or guardrails, in place. Roofs always pose a fall hazard; add in snow and ice and the danger of falling increases exponentially. In addition, if the weight of the snow weakens supports, your additional body weight could be enough where a collapse could occur that was potentially avoidable.

No matter the route you choose, it’s a good idea to keep the following advice in mind:

  • Never spray water on the roof to try to clear the snow—it’ll just freeze and make a bad situation worse. Instead, use a deicing chemical.
  • If you must work on a roof, wear fall protection (a full-body harness, lanyard, connectors and appropriate anchorage points) and slip-resistant footwear.
  • Never sit on, lean against or step on a skylight lens or any covering placed over a hole in a roof
  • Heat loss from buildings helps melt some of the snow on roofs, so unheated buildings or portions of buildings are more at risk of snow buildup.

Beer, Horses, and American Culture

Posted on: by dcbuilding No Comments

The Clydesdales Donkey

With the holiday’s fast approaching, we’ll likely be seeing new installments of one of Budweiser’s beloved commercials; the Clydesdale horses. But what do we really know about these horses, and how have they become such American icons? We love horses here at DC Building, they’re a big part of what we’re all about and we wanted to know more about these infamous Clydesdales. Here’s what we learned.

First, what is a Clydesdale?

Clydesdale’s are draught horses, which essentially means they were work horses used for hauling and dragging – most often for agriculture. They come from Clydesdale, Scotland, where they get their name. They are BIG horses, bred for tough tasks like plowing and other farm labor. There are a lot of different breeds, but one thing they all have in common is STRENGTH.

The history of humans and horses.

It didn’t take long for humans to domesticate horses. Simply put, we needed their muscle to get things done and there weren’t many other massive animals willing to help us. (And not eat us.) There were primarily two types of horses:

  1. Calm, patient, and powerful horses that enjoyed the slow pace of pulling and hauling heavy loads.
  2. Light, energetic horses that loved to run. Which made them perfect for transportation.

The Clydesdale evolution.

In the 1920s this horse was a lot smaller than we see today.  People started breeding for taller horses in the 1940s to look more impressive in parades. Today most Clydesdale’s are tall, well-muscled, beautiful horses weighing upwards of one ton. They are still used for agriculture and heavy hauling – primarily in European countries, but many have also found celebrity status.

Enter, Budweiser.

The most famous members of the breed make up the hitches of the Budweiser Clydesdales. These horses were first owned by the Budweiser Brewery at the end of the prohibition. They made their public debut in 1933 and have since become an international symbol for their breed and the beer’s brand.

Budweiser has its own breeding program for their horses and is very strict about their colors and overall stature. For a Clydesdale to qualify for one of the Budweiser hitches it must meet many other specific requirements as well. Some of these include:

  • They must be a gelding (castrated horse, or other equine such as a donkey or mule.)
  • Have an even temperament
  • Strong work-horse appearance
  • Be at least four years old
  • Stand six feet tall when fully mature

Super Bowl Trivia

The Budweiser Clydesdales have been seen during Super Bowl commercials for years, but when a new parent company, Anheuser-Busch InBev took over, they announced there would be no Clydesdale ads in the 2010 Super Bowl. I know – What?!?

Turns out the company did reverse their decision after taking a Facebook poll whether or not they should continue with the beloved Clydesdale advertisements. Thanks to Facebook, America’s voice was heard and the company aired a Clydesdale-focus ad during the fourth quarter. They’ll likely return for this year’s game – but any confirmation remains to be seen.

Sources:

Wikipedia: Clydesdale Horse, Budweiser Clydesdale and Draft Horse.

DC Building: Experience from building horse barns.

 

The DC Building Commercial

Posted on: by dcbuilding 3 Comments

For today’s blog post we wanted to share a video we produced a while back to give everyone an idea of what the process for building a custom barn looks like. We also specialize in general contracting for building almost all things of quality wood construction. We take great pride in our work, enjoy the video!

Press Release: Custom Homes, Barns Showcased on New Website

Posted on: by dcbuilding 1 Comment

Released by Webwire on November 15, 2011

DC Building Showcases Dreamy Custom Wood Built Homes on New Website

Boring, Ore., November 10, 2011 – Most people have dreamed of owning their own wood built, cabin-style home hidden away from the white noise of the city – lazily relaxing the day away in front of the fireplace, sipping hot chocolate, or maybe hot buttered rum – getting lost in your thoughts while gazing out the window watching the horses run in and out of their own custom built equine home. I guess you could say DC Building is in the business of making dreams come true.

DC Building is a general contracting firm in Oregon that has become experts in their industry for building custom wood homes, barns, commercial buildings and beautifully designed equine facilities.

“Our mission is to provide excellence in workmanship and customer service. Our custom construction service comes with the assurance that we have dedicated ourselves to providing the very best customer service and overall excellence in everything that we do,” promises Owner Bret Loftis.  “We will build it faster, better, period – and we have a four page list of references to prove it,” he adds.

DC Building has set themselves apart from the competition with their keen eye for detail, sound approach to construction and insistence on standing behind their work – offering a three year guarantee on all labor and craftsmanship.

They recently launched a new website to showcase their gallery of must-see custom wood homes, garages, commercial buildings and equestrian facilities. These past and current projects are so gorgeous you’ll have to see it yourself to truly comprehend their true beauty.

Visit their newly designed website and gallery at www.dcbuilding.com.

Contact:

Bret Loftis
DC Building Inc.
Cell 503.956.1851
Fax 503.863.3838
www.dcbuilding.com

Saddle Up Partner!

Posted on: by dcbuilding 1 Comment

Saddle care tips.

You found your dream home, had a custom horse barn built, acquired a horse you LOVE – Now….it’s time to ride!

Whether for sport or recreation, you don’t have to be a horse lover to know that horseback riding is an exhilarating experience anyone could enjoy. As you know, one of the most fundamental pieces of equipment for horse riding is the saddle.

Saddle maintenance doesn’t need to be another tiring chore in your long list of horse barn responsibilities. However, it is important to address a few things to ensure the safety of both you and your horse. Like cleaning the barn, a little routine maintenance will keep things in order.

I suggest cleaning your saddle on a monthly basis to prevent any damage that might come from long-term neglect. Relative to how much you’re actually using it of course. Saddles will last a long time if you keep them clean and oiled – equally, they will deteriorate in a hurry if you’re not taking proper care of it.

Straddle your saddle (say that 10 times fast) on a fence, or if the weather’s bad, something similar inside your horse barn. With a bucket of water and mild soap use a medium to soft brush and give it some scrubbing. Be sure you don’t scratch or tear anything.

If you can, it’s even better to take apart the saddle completely and scrub it thoroughly. This helps prevent mold or dirt from building up in those impossible to reach locations. Unattended to filth can create very unpleasant smells, and in worst case scenarios, make your horse sick. So don’t forget the nooks and crannies.

While the saddle is disassembled and you’re scrubbing the leather, soak the metal pieces for a few minutes – don’t soak the leather!

Once the saddle is clean, including the underside that touches the horse’s skin, apply a leather protectant to the leather and oil all the metal pieces. Spread the oil evenly so it doesn’t dry in drips and runs. Then dry off the saddle and metallic parts and reassemble.

When you’re done, be sure to pick up the cleaning area to keep your barn safe. I suggest dedicating a storage cupboard in your horse barn to keep all your saddle cleaning supplies.

Then saddle up and get a ride in – you know you want to!

Little History on Pole Barns

Posted on: by dcbuilding 1 Comment

Custom Barn from DC Building

Pole barns are an integral part of the American countryside. The Colonial settlers were the first to bring the quaint and charming pole barn to the United States. The early Colonists built the pole barn as horse barns and to house their livestock. Pole construction (which is now called post frame construction) was their construction method of choice because they were able to put up pole buildings quickly, safely, and cut poles from the raw materials available to them in the New World. Because these early wood barns were cut from untreated trees, they were temporary structures and were repaired and replaced frequently.

Throughout the 1800s and early 1900s, settlers in the western United States continued to build pole barns, and the landscape began to evolve. While the classic pole barn structure was utilized throughout the farms in the west, the rich cattle barons employed the pole building structure but with began to build their barns bigger, better, and more lavish. They used the pole barn not only for cattle and horses, but also for housing for ranch workers. The rich cattle owners and land barons had made another advance – they build pole barns with lumber treated with creosote, making them withstand time, weather and other elements. Pole barns also tended to have a lower rate of barn fires. Many of these buildings still dot the landscape.

During World War II, simple pole barns made a huge resurgence in America. In order to keep natural resource consumption low during the war, the federal government imposed a $1500 per barn construction spending limit. The American farmer turned back to the inexpensive pole barn, which uses 60% less material than a traditional frame barn. This reduction in building material kept the farmers within the mandated budget.

Through the years, the simple pole barn has evolved. What started out as a humble structure which the American Colonists raised from hand cut lumber with a simple gable roof line, the pole barn is now used in many ways and far more attractive and useful. DC Building offers customers upgraded and longer lasting wood; superior construction methods; a large array of roof materials; and the ability to make your wood barn a great space.

At DC Building, we can customize your wood barn to a gable roof, a hip roof, or a gambrel roof. Your barn can be one room or many rooms. It can be used for people, horses, livestock, hay, or grain. Your barn can be used as a shed for extra storage. A pole barn can be turned into more than a barn or a shed: picture a riding arena, a guest home, a hunting lodge, a crafting cottage, a fishing cabin, or an art studio. One customer even requested information on turning his pole barn into an airplane hanger.

The pole barn is the most common wood barn you see as you travel across the American landscape. From the rustic, simple, and charming pole barn, to a large, luxurious horse riding arena, a pole barn can be used for anything you can imagine. The only limitation is your imagination!

Fire Safety for Custom Wood Barns

Posted on: by dcbuilding No Comments

­Custom wood barn by DC Building

Prior to the early 1900s it wasn’t uncommon to find animals running free in the backyard or even inside their owner’s home. But as years went on, families have done their best to provide more sustainable shelter for animals.

While it is nice to give your equine animals quality shelter, it’s also nice to make sure their new shelter is safer than the backyard. Each year hundreds of thousands of animals die in wood barn fires. Based on research, in almost every incident, the fires were preventable. Fire prevention is actually a low-cost measure, especially when compared to the loss of your custom wood barn and animals.

There are two simple rules that will drastically help keep your wood barn and animals from meeting a fiery demise.

Rule #1: Good Housekeeping

As a barn owner, the rake and push broom are probably the best fire prevention tools you have. Simply keeping things picked up can seriously prevent tragedies. For example, the afternoon sun shining on an old piece of glass, on a dusty window ledge could cause a fire. If the glass was in the garbage and the window ledge had been dusted – there would have been no fire, property loss, emotional distress of losing your animals, etc.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness:

  • Keep walkways and aisles un-obstructed.
  • Use metal garbage cans with tight fitting lids.
  • Tidy up loose hay, wood shavings and debris.
  • Don’t let dust or cob-webs pile up.

Rule #2: No Open Flames

This is probably the most obvious, yet most ignored rule to fire safety in wood barns. The most common source of this are matches – especially with smokers. Implementing a no smoking rule is the best idea for any wood barn owner. Posting “No Smoking” signs around the barn and verbally warning visitors that smoking is not allowed would be wise.

Smokers aren’t the only cause for open flames in a barn. Wood barns with singular water pipes to individual stalls can sometime freeze up. I know many barn owners that admit to using a lighter to heat up the spigot in such cases. If you’re horse came by to check things out, with a mouthful of hay – you might have a serious fire and burn issue on your hands. Try pouring hot water over the spigot instead.

For wood barns in cold locations, where you just gotta have a wood stove burning. Consider building a barn with stables that allow open or canvas-curtained rear exits for your horses or livestock. It’d be a miserable experience to know your animals were trapped in the stall while your wood barn burned to the ground.

Along these lines, be sure to post a sign outside your wood barn that says how many horses or other animals in stalls and pens (including your barn cats and dogs.) Give a copy of this info the local fire department too!