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Post by LotharsPeople on Jan 8, 2005 14:40:49 GMT -8
Never even entered my mind that I should see if I'm allergic to the tree first
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Post by Merlin on Jan 8, 2005 16:56:41 GMT -8
They may just naturally know to avoid it. I find poison ivy in my natural environment but I darn sure wouldn't festoon my home in garlands of it! ;D Thats the beauty of friendly polite discussions like this. It makes you think about things that had not occured to you.
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Post by mar on Jan 9, 2005 18:39:52 GMT -8
As you are building walls with this you don't have the traffic problem you will with a deck so sealing the wood is a viable solution. As you cfan seal it you don't need to pay the premium (though I have not seen the cost of ipe) for imported naturally resistant woods.
Also what can you buy locally?
With the plans you have shown why don't you match the woods and style of the trim and furniture in your house? Personally I am a fan of poplar, beech, and soft maple for the looks, ease of working, and cost with hard maple, walnut, and cherry for inlays.
Allergies: many woods are listed as allergenic in dust form just because it is, well, dust. Even maple is listed as allergenic, some places, in dust form and chopping blocks are made of it.
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Post by SurvivorSteph on Jan 9, 2005 22:39:01 GMT -8
You mean I should remove the poison ivy garlands from my banister?? ;D Allergies are simply your immune system OVER-REACTING to an antigen (usually a protien). Certain antigens tend to cause allergies more than others (molds and weeds, for example). The California Pepper Tree is one example of a tree that tends to cause allergies in humans; the IPE website clearly warned about allergies associated with that particular tree. And while not everyone will suffer from an allergic reaction to this tree, MANY will. So, IMHO, it's not worth using. Here's another thing about allergies... sometimes you may not start out being allergic to an antigen, but repeated exposure can cause allergies to form; on the other hand, some allergies (like bee stings) can actually be "cured" by desensitivity therapy where doses of the antigen are gradually raised until there is no longer an allergic reaction to the antigen. Is everyone confused now? The honorary medical PhD... one of the many benefits of being chronically/terminally ill! ;D
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Post by LotharsPeople on Jan 11, 2005 16:27:03 GMT -8
Okay, here's my latest find in research: On the web page: www.iucn-isg.org/actionplan/ch2/lesserantillean.php for the Lesser Antillian Iguana it says under paragraph four of the section titled "Ecology and Natural History" quote: "... with a diet that includes leaves, flowers, and fruits of a wide range of shrubs and trees including Capparis, Eugenia, Hippomane, Ipomea, Opuntia, Solanum, and Tabebuia." Now over to The Wikipedia (free web based encyclopedia) for a quick definition for Tabebuia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TabebuiaT. serratifolia (Yellow Poui, Ipê, Pau d'arco, Ipê roxo, or Lapacho) is a commercially farmed hardwood notable for its extreme hardness and resistance to fire and pests. Its inner bark is used as a treatment for fungal infections So, I would say it looks like the Lesser Antillian Iguana eats the leaves and flowers from this tree. All that remains is to find if the Green Iguana also eats from this tree. No, it's not the answer I am looking for. Yet. At least it's a step in the right direction. Thats all I have for now, I'll keep everybody up to date as I get more info.
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Post by SurvivorSteph on Jan 12, 2005 19:29:03 GMT -8
;D Kudos to you for your in-depth research! I am looking forward to seeing what you find out!
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Post by LotharsPeople on Jan 13, 2005 11:10:58 GMT -8
Mark, Thanks for your input. I am planning to use the Ipe wood for building the framing for the glass on both walls and the doorway. As for it being easier (or more viable) to seal because it's on the wall instead of on the floor, you ere in your logic.The difficulty is not in the heavy traffic, it's inherant in the type of wood itself, whether on the vertical or the horizontal the difficulty remains the same. As to matching the style of woodwork existing in my rec room, it's pretty much a non style at the moment. This room and my office, which will be along most of the long wall are due to be renovated shortly after we complete Lothar's new habitat. If I can't get the point were I feel comfortable enough with using the Ipe we do have a great many options available here in Northern Ontario. There are literally hundreds of small sawmill operations within an hours drive in any direction, as well as Home Depot and a very well stocked custom moulding and exotic lumber store (address in my first post) I agree with you on the allergy bit
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Post by mar on Jan 13, 2005 12:31:23 GMT -8
I more err'd in how I was stating it. If you use Ipe you, more or less, don't have to have to seal it. But if you were to use another wood you will not have the sealing trouble as you would with a deck because you are not walking on the walls and wearing off the sealer. Walls are inherently low traffic. The sealent's life span will be a lot longer than the typical two or three years.
Can you get this as a ply product? Paneling for the back gets expensive and very heavy.
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Post by LotharsPeople on Jan 13, 2005 19:01:56 GMT -8
Okay Mark Makes a little more sense to me now
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