Teak: The All-Weather Wood

With Memorial Day behind us and the weather starting to warm up, we'll be spending a lot more time outdoors soon. It's a time of year that reminds us of teak wood, a unique species commonly used in the manufacture of all types of fine outdoor patio furniture, and now gaining in popularity for indoor flooring and as a veneer for interior furnishings. This extremely durable, weather-resistant wood is native to Southeast Asia. Teak contains a natural oil that makes it durable in locations exposed to harsh weather conditions without the need for additional protective stain or varnish. As teak ages, the oils change, resulting in a graceful color shift from golden honey to silvery gray. That unique aged patina makes vintage teak furniture highly sought after.

The rising popularity of teak, of course, raises concerns about harvesting and the sustainability of the species. Although FSC-certified sources of teak wood do exist, finding high-quality teak can be extremely difficult. The attributes that make teak desirable, such as water resistance, strength, and durability increase as the tree ages. But older-growth teak trees are rare. And in sustainable plantations, teak trees are harvested too regularly to allow them to fully mature into older-growth trees. As a result, wood from younger teak trees is more prone to splitting and water damage. In addition, two of the three species of teak are considered endangered and have been subjected to unsustainable forestry practices for quite some time. Even finding a sustainable source for teak can be a dicey proposition for those concerned about the environment. Teak only grows in Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia or Mayanmar (Burma), and would have to travel a great distance to find its way into an American commercial or residential interior, leaving a large carbon footprint.

Lamin-Art recently introduced three colorations of this beautiful wood to our Premium Wood Prints line. These realistic teak interpretations highlight the intriguing color shifts that result as the wood ages. 3051 Natural Teak represents a golden-brown colorway similar to that of young teak. 3050 Oiled Teak offers a darker interpretation of maturing teak wood, while 3049 Weathered Teak accurately portrays the sophisticated silvery-gray elegance of vintage, unfinished teak. All three are available in our Velva-Tex finish, but can also be ordered in Gloss or the new low-sheen Supermatte finish. And just like the real thing, Lamin-Art's high-pressure laminate teak interpretations are extremely durable, feature the added benefit of scratch and abrasion resistance, and are easy to install. Click here to request samples of these and other realistic interpretations of native and exotic wood species.

Nice Seeing You

We want to thank everyone that came to visit us in our new exhibit at the Hospitality Design Show in Las Vegas. Once again, the show was a huge success. If you requested samples during your visit, those should be arriving shortly. If you weren't able to come to Vegas this year, we'll post some pictures of our new exhibit in the next edition of The Source. Meanwhile, the next stop on our 2008 trade show schedule is the IWF Fair in Atlanta August 20th-23rd. Click here to preview the rest of our 2008 events calendar.

Greener Hotels on the Horizon

If you've spent any time in a hotel recently, you've no doubt seen the signs asking you to help the property conserve water and energy by using your towels or bed linens more than once and reminding you to turn off the lights when you leave your room. Those are just some of the small things hoteliers are doing to convince their guests of the property's concern for the environment. But today's hotel guests are demanding even more accountability from their favorite business and leisure destinations. Coupled with the ongoing operations and maintenance cost reductions that can be achieved through sustainable building practices, it's no surprise that the growth in registered green hotel building projects just within the last year is astounding.

At the recent Hospitality Design 2008 expo in Las Vegas, the Lamin-Art team had the pleasure to stay at the brand new Palazzo Las Vegas Resort, Hotel, and Casino. The strip's newest destination has achieved LEED Silver, making it the largest green building in the world. The casino was constructed with steel averaging 95% recycled content and concrete averaging 26% recycled content. Other sustainable highlights of the property include a solar pool heating system, automatic air conditioning controls in guest rooms, and valet parking for bicycles. Our team found the rooms quite comfortable and had a great experience during their stay in Las Vegas. Congratulations to the Las Vegas Sands' development team and the Palazzo design team including Wilson Associates' lead design architect Michael Crosby and architect Jeff Jensen of HKS for this outstanding achievement.

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. is also jumping on the green hotel building bandwagon in a big way. The company has applied for LEED certification of a new "green hotel brand" called Element. More than 20 of these properties are scheduled to come on-line over the next year featuring heat-reflecting roofing materials, energy-efficient appliances and preferred parking for guests driving hybrid vehicles. Lamin-Art applauds these companies and their design and engineering teams for leading the evolution of sustainable building practices in the hospitality industry with these high-profile projects.

Lamin-Art Crosses the Border

Just a reminder, Lamin-Art Signature Service is now available to Canadian customers in Ontario, Quebec, and the Atlantic Provinces. Lamin-Art's line of premium high-pressure decorative laminates are no longer distributed through McFadden's Hardwood and Hardware, but rather can be purchased directly from us and will now ship from our manufacturing facility in Montreal, Quebec. We invite you to call our customer service associates at 800-323-7624 to obtain pricing and availability information, to purchase products, or to open an account. Customers in western Canada will still be serviced by our authorized distributor PJ White Hardwoods with branches in Vancouver, Victoria, Edmonton and Calgary.

Also, Prolific Marketing Inc. - "Delivering Design" is representing Lamin-Art to the Architecture and Design community in Ontario. Prolific Marketing is well known within the Ontario A/D community for their product knowledge and service with regards to placement and maintenance of specification tools offered by some of the industry's leading suppliers, as well as their quick sample shipping service. You can contact Prolific Marketing locally at 905-855-8713 or request samples online at www.laminart.com.