What: Custom milled Siberian larch wood siding
Company: Stein Wood Products
Address: 3611 Amnicola Highway
Website: www.steinwoodproducts.com
Telephone: 648-0375
Owner: F.D. Stein
What’s special: Stein Wood Products manager Leo Kogan said Siberian larch is one of the most underutilized green building materials in the world, with only 20 percent of the allowable amount taken as lumber annually. Unlike pressure-treated pine and composite materials, Siberian larch requires no chemical treatment to be used externally. “It’s mind-boggling how important this product is,” Kogan said. “The green movement should raise it up like a flag and run with it.”
The origin story: Stein Wood products is a division of Stein Construction, which has been in operation since 1912. It began custom milling, using reclaimed wood, in 1996.
How long does it take to make: A typical Siberian larch used for lumber is 300 to 500 years old.
Where it’s sold: Stein Wood’s Chattanooga store is the only company in the country to create siding and decking using Siberian larch, Kogan said.
How long have they been making them: Stein Wood has used larch for flooring since 2004. It began production of larch decking and siding in 2007.
Expansions planned: Stein Wood Products’ goal is increasing awareness of the potential of larch as a substitute for less sustainable, lower-quality materials. “No one is happy with the quality of pressure-treated pine,” Kogan said. “People don’t know that something better is here.”
Lessons of the trade: “A green product does not have to be any more expensive,” Kogan said, adding that creating awareness of that product can be surprisingly difficult. “We’re optimistic, though, because there is no other product on the market or potential product that can be better than larch,” he added.
— Compiled by staff writer Casey Phillips, cphillips@timesfreepress.com
Casey Phillips has worked as a features reporter in the Life department for three years. He writes about entertainment, young adults, animals and people of interest. Casey hails from Knoxville and earned a bachelor of science degree in journalism and a bachelor of arts in German. He previously worked as the features editor for Sidelines at Middle Tennessee State University. Casey received the East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists Award of Excellence for Reviewing/Criticism in ...
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