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lar IVING plantation-grorvn soft\Irvoods the look. l'eel and strength of exotic hardrvoods is norv possible. thanks to a nelv rvood additive dereloped by Chemco Inc.. Ferndale. Wa.

"We rvanted to -give consumers the option of selecting a hardrvood product that is environmentally friendll' and sustainable." said president John Gibb. "Much of the destruction clf the rvorld's rainforests is being fueled by the worldrvide demand for hardrrood. rvhich has resulted in both ille-sal harvesting and limited supply of beautiful hardrvoods."

Using a patented vacuum and pressure injection process. air and moisture in the rvood is replaced rvith Everdex. an all-natural additive made from corn and soy proteins. Waterbased dyes are added at the same time. to permanently enhance the color and -grain characteristics of the rvood and prevent scuff.s and gou,ses from shorving. The rvood is then thermally cured in an ovcn and renamed Alorvood.

Accordin_e to David Plenkovich. Chemco's director of sales and marketin-e. creating Alorvood was a natural next step for the company.

"Through our history has been rooted in the development of fire retardant for exterior use, we've alrval s felt that our core polymer could be modified for other uses." he said. "lt was a natural pro-eression to move into other rvood enhancernent applications -and rvood hardenin-u rvas hi_eh on the list."

Depending upon the dyes used. Alorvood can mimic the look of such exotic hardrvoods as ebony. roservood and teak. The look of domestic hard- s oclds like cherrr. maple. oak. * alnut and ash is also available. All the colors are available in varr ine de_grec-s of hardness. and can planed. sanded. and stainc'd just like othcr *oods. u ith no loss in aesthetics and durabilitr. Applications include floorin_e. cabinetr) mill\\ ork. architectural trim. doors. and furniture.

"Because the natural additives are cvenly dispersed rr ithin the *ood's cells. the look and t-eel of Alorvood is all natural and consistentlv even." said Yin Wang. r.p. of -research & development at Chemco

All the sclfnvood that Chentco uses-radiata pine frorn Neu Zealand and ponderosa pine from British Columbia-is -rroun on plantations certified b1 the Forest Steuardship Council. The conrpanr hopes to start treating domestic ponderosa and suuthern lellorr pine in the near future.

According tt.l tests conducted b1 the cornpanr. Alorrood surpasscs the durabilitr and strc-ngth of mediunr- to high-densitl hardrroods. shilc' rnaintaining thc' n arrnth and charactc.r that's sr nonr nxrus rr'ith hards ood. In addition. the rnodificd sood has a !:reater holdinc po\\r'r li)r :cre*s and nails than untrL'al!-d tintber. Shc-ar strc-n-rth increases br 67'i and stiffness br -17'i. and thc rrood is c'asr to rnachine.

For Randr Stribling. \\h0's bcr'n a custom furniture dcsignc'r and buildc'r firr nrorc' than 30 r ears. thc' biggc-st ad\antag!' of Alosood is that it looks and i'ec-ls likc'erotic hardrrtxxJs but is plantation sro\\ n. "ln thc' futurc. if *c' e AII !L't cttough petlplc usittq it. s c' can stop tL'arint do\n lorc-sts." hc said. "lt has a lot of depth and thrr'c'dimensional qualitr that rou don't trnd rrith sood that's just stainr.d."

Stribling. \ho also teachL-\ \\(x)drvorkinst and furniture dc'sisn al Bellinchanr Tcchnical Collc'cc.

Bellingham, Wa.. appreciates that Alorvood contair.rs no toxic chemicals. Some treatcd lumber. he said. is hard to r,vork rvith because it in'itates thc skin and throat. "With this stuff. they're thinking about the encl uscr."

Also irnpressed rvas Material

ConrrcX ion, a -global rcsourcc 1ot' architccts. cnginccrs ancl clcsigncrs whtr lrre lookirtc lirt' tte rr irttttrr lttir c rnalcrials and proccsscs. At its fall 2(X)-5 cluartcrly nrccting. hclcl at thc Clcntcr firr Alchitccturc in Ncrv York City. thc group -savc Allorvood its "Best in Shoiv" arvatcl. Jurors remarked on the product's versatility. adaptive use of natural rnatet'ials. use of a more organic hardening process using no toxirts. and its ittttor utive staining process.

Since last year. Chemco hers been selling Alorvoocl to flooring and furniture manufacturers in Japan ar.rd the U.S. Once ncgotiations ivith hardrvc'lod brokers in the U.S. are complete. thc nerv ploduct ri,ill bc iivailable across thc country.

The r.vood rcccntly became available to the pLrblic at a nearby clciilcr. Windsor Plyrvood. Bellingharn. Wa.

Managcr Kcn Asp saicl tl.rat thc storc's

Alolvood display prompts lots of questiclns from customers. "We havc to explain that it's pirre that's been enhanccd irnd hardenecl," hc said.

Windsor carrics lx6x8 bttards irt four cxotic colors that rctail for just

$7 ai board foot. lt.t contrast, ebony costs $99 per bd. ft. and teak costs $16 per bd. ft. "lt's a great alternative to hardrvoods. cspccially the excltics," saicl Asp.

Itr/HAT do you get rvhen you Y Y cross a resular home center with a conventionil home shorv? The result, according to two Bay Area businessmen, is the Expo Daily Home Idea Center in San Jose. Ca.

"Homeorvners are faced rvith overwhelming choices rvhen they're in the market to build a home or complete a renovation," said Tom Sparling. rvho co-founded the shorvroom rvith oartner Graeme Blackburne. "Expo Daily provides all the benefits of a home show rvithout the admission charge. we're open seven days a rveek, and rve offer everybody a place to netrvork. share ideas. and make decisions."

The 20,000-sq. ft. shorvroom has aisles devoted to every category of home improvement, building, and renovation. Nearly 50 vendors are already in place, and 50 more should be set up before the grand opening planned for later this month.

"I knew this concept rvould be a great fit in the Silicon Valley, because there are so many innovative companies and contractors to choose from." said Blackburne. "What rvas missing was an environment rvhere everybody could see rvhat's available in one olace."

Blackburne thou_sht of the concept during a recent trip to his native Nes' Zealand. rvhere he visited a similar shorvroom that he described as "constantlv busv."

Unlike a regular home shou. there are no salespeople manning the displa\ s at the shos'room. Customers simpll salk into the reception area and receive a laminated plastic card they can swipe at booths where the products catch their eye. When visitors are ready to leave, their plastic card is run through a reader that prints out contact information for each selected vendor. Visitors also receive brochures and other informational materials for the products they're interested in.

Vendors also receive a printout, which lists the visitors who expressed an interest in their products and services. "Since installing our display, we've gotten over 20 leads," said Ron Strong. owner of Strong Roll-Out Shelf and Drawer, Campbell, Ca. "Even though I have a showroom, my clients and I are finding it easier to meet here because it's more convenient and easier to schedule."

Space was also set aside for meetings and relaxation. "We have two rooms that are available for meetings between contractors, designers, and homeowners," said Sparling. "This makes it possible for everybody to get together in one place, gather information. share ideas, and finalize their contracts. You can actually design your home from the inside out with one visit."

An onsite lounge lets tired shoppers relax and enjoy a cup of free, fresh- roasted coffee. "Free coffee's a must," Sparling said. "We've all been on jobsites at 5 a.m., and we've worked at a lot of home shows. We wanted to make sure everybody who works or visits here has a chance to relax as well as shop."