It’s all about Cypress
It’s confirmed: the many months of foundation and structural work are behind us. Maybe it’s a sign of spring. Finishing and detail work are now in full swing. Today, an enormous truck filled with cypress pine was delivered today to Bragg Hill. Much of the exterior of the home will be dressed in cypress. Why? Cypress is a conifer, a type of pine tree grown in the south in abundant supply.
The benefits of cypress are many: first of all, it’s a beautiful wood rich with character, color and texture. Because cypress trees are found in wet swampy areas of the south, the oils in the heartwood make it highly resistant to insects and decay making it a perfect exterior wood surface for Bragg Hill.
Best of all, cypress requires no maintenance. When exposed to the elements, cypress ages beautifully, fading to a soft textured gray. Cypress has been in use as an exterior grade wood since the Middle Ages. Surviving cathedrals from that time period had their massive doors carved from cypress. These doors are still in use today.
Upper image: Mike and Matt Thompson unload the cypress delivery truck by hand in small batches and bring it up the long driveway past the flowering dogwood trees. Lower image: Drew Bauer rips a length of cypress for use in the roof soffit.
Carefully delivering cypress to the lower level.