Choose Black Spruce

Posted on by Gary Snider

Cornerstone Timberframes delivers mass timber structures that meet the highest standards of
performance, sustainability, and aesthetic value. In collaboration with our supply partner, Nordic
Structures, we proudly utilize black spruce for our mass timber elements — a material that
continues to prove itself as a superior and cost-effective alternative to Douglas Fir.

Why Black Spruce?
1. Reduced Cost Without Compromise
Black spruce offers structural strength ratings equivalent to Douglas fir at a lower material cost.
This creates notable savings, particularly when scaled to larger commercial, institutional, or
residential builds.

2. Superior Dimensional Stability
The tight grain and small laminations in black spruce glulam result in increased dimensional
stability, reduced checking, cupping, and twisting over time.

3. Improved Colour and Appearance
Black spruce is known for its uniform appearance and light colouration. Its superior ability to
receive stain and faithfully render colours makes for creative freedom and a higher architectural
appearance. In comparison, fir’s red undertone and tendency to have light and dark alternating
stripes create aesthetic limitations.

4. Locally Sourced & Sustainably Harvested
Grown and manufactured in Canada, black spruce is a renewable resource harvested from well-
managed forests in Quebec. Both Cornerstone Timberframes and Nordic Structures are FSC®
certified, choosing to follow the most rigorous sustainable forestry program in Canada.

5. A Decarbonizing Hero
Black spruce is uniquely suited to help Canadians decarbonize construction. At about age 80
black spruce is mature and begins to decline in health, moving from absorbing carbon to
releasing it back to the atmosphere. Nordic harvests mature black spruce, locking their carbon
into durable mass timber products. In contrast, Douglas Fir trees live for over 300 years,
absorbing C0 2 throughout their long lives. It is vital to preserve long-lived trees as carbon sinks
if we hope to reach a carbon-neutral future.

Black Spruce- The Unlikely Hero of Mass Timber

Posted on by Gary Snider

This feisty little tree grows throughout the northern regions of Canada. It survives harsh conditions, long, cold winters, and short 60-day growing seasons. 

Black spruce thrives in low, boggy landscapes. It reaches maturity at around 80 years and can live up to 120. Under ideal conditions, it can reach 30 metres into the sky and grow up to 36 centimetres across. But this is rare.  Most black spruce will top out at 20 metres (65 ft) and have trunks only 11-15 cm (4-6 inches) in diameter.

Black spruce is well adapted to wildfires and is one of the first trees to return after a fire. Rather than dropping cones, it holds them in its uppermost branches where they can remain unopened for years. The cones are tough, resisting weather, squirrels and insects, opening only slowly over time, or quickly when heat from fire softens the cone scales to release the winged seeds. 

Left: Wearing a winter cloak of snow, black spruce branches stay flexible.
Right: These cones, held for years, await a fiery dispersal and the start of a new forest

So far, none of this seems very heroic. In fact, it’s almost surprising that the black spruce is even considered for construction. But here come’s a plot twist where small is beautiful, slow is strong, and even early mortality can lead to a new life that can save the day.

Black spruce is the hero. Its list of hardships is now a checklist of preferred traits for sustainable mass timber construction:

  1. The short growing season faced by black spruce produces tight growth rings, which is ideal for creating high-strength wood fibre. 
  2. The tree has small downward-sloping branches, designed to survive heavy snow loads. Small branches leave only small knots in the milled lumber, which allows it to retain superior strength characteristics. 
  3. It often grows in dense stands and is exceptionally straight. As a result, black spruce boards have straight, uniform grain, giving them exceptional stiffness and stability.
  4. Black spruce is a short-lived tree which begins to decline in health around age 80. They also stop taking up CO2 and start to release it as they age further. Not surprisingly, this coincides closely with the historic frequency of natural wildfires. Harvesting black spruce before they decline helps to reduce CO2 emissions.

In contrast, large western conifer species like Douglas Fir continue to absorb CO2 throughout their lives and can act as growing carbon sinks for 300 years or more. As a climate-change mitigation strategy, the science makes a compelling case for protecting long-living trees, allowing them to remain in forests to take up and store carbon. At the same time, using black spruce for mass timber is environmentally responsible, as it locks the carbon of end-of-life trees into durable products and reduces the occurrence and intensity of wildfires.

To make mass timber, black spruce requires a passionate and innovative ally. That ally is Nordic’s parent company, Chantiers Chibougamau, who has worked in Quebec’s northern forests since 1961, turning black spruce into lumber and I-joists. In 2000, after years of development and testing, the company introduced the Enviro-Lam process, a method for making large-section glulams out of small-diameter logs. It was a breakthrough that allowed previously unutilized wood fibre to find a high-value use. In 2010, Nordic Structures built North America’s first Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) line and kick-started the continent’s mass timber movement, with black spruce as its undisputed champion.

Understanding and working with nature provides the best innovations and outcomes. When we adapt our approach to fit the resource, both nature and people can thrive.

 

Celebrating Cultures, Communities & Connections

Posted on by Stacey

June is a month to honour the vitality, success, and beauty of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis cultures and communities across Canada.

Cornerstone Timberframes joins with our Indigenous neighbours as they celebrate families, communities, lands and cultures.  Good things are happening! Canada’s Indigenous Peoples are leading the way forward in stewardship, community building, art, business and governance. When Indigenous Peoples thrive, we all share a better and brighter future.

In recent years, Cornerstone has been privileged to work with many Indigenous communities and partners. Our hearts are full of appreciation for the teachers who have guided us as we learn more about Indigenous cultures and values. In turn, we share a love of wood that shelters and inspires with people who have known the power of wood since time began. It’s led to beautiful collaborations.

From building Powwow circles to healing shelters, cultural spaces, family and youth centres, council chambers, and schools, we witness people who are proudly strengthening their communities, setting their youth on a good path and honouring their elders.

But of all our shared work, we are deeply moved when we see the strength that high-quality homes bring to Indigenous families and communities.

An insight of Indigenous teaching is that everything is connected. When we live in kindness, care and respect, a cycle of goodness is created. When a good home is built, lives are changed for the better.

On June 21st we’ll be celebrating, thankful for our connections to Indigenous communities and friends! 

5th Annual Sustainability Week US

Posted on by Gary Snider

The Economist, the world’s leading business publication for 181 years, is gathering business and sustainability leaders in New York City to look at the most pressing environmental issues facing society today.

A few of the topics being discussed at this year’s event (June 11 & 12, 2025):

  • Decarbonizing supply chains
  • Food system resilience
  • Circularity vs recycling
  • Water scarcity
  • Clean energy’s role in reducing fossil fuel demand
  • Can cities and states go it alone to reach climate goals?
  • Renewable energy
  • Regenerative agriculture

What Sustainability is:

Sustainability looks at our human society’s ability to continue indefinitely within the natural cycles of Earth’s biosphere.

Earth’s biosphere is foundational to sustainability. It’s the layer between the high atmosphere and the Earth’s crust, where all living things on Earth exist. Compared in scale to the Earth’s size, it’s about the thickness of the outer skin of an onion!

Why Sustainability matters:

Our planet’s carrying capacity is finite and controlled by what the biosphere can provide and sustain.  When biosphere systems are damaged or exceeded, the negative impacts erode Earth’s ability to support life. Human society is at a critical juncture, where continued harm to the biosphere is making planetary conditions less hospitable to life.

Mass Timber and Sustainability:

Construction is energy-intensive, with concrete, steel and synthetic building products topping the list of intensity and unsustainability. The appeal of mass timber is that wood can be harvested sustainably, uses a fraction of the energy to produce, and stores atmospheric carbon for many decades. And that’s just the start.

Mass timber provides these additional sustainability gains:

  • Off-site manufacturing – mass timber elements are fabricated in manufacturing facilities with efficient workflows not affected by weather.
  • Low waste at all stages – timber billets are custom-produced for each project, so cutting waste is minimized. Timbers go to site, complete and ready to install.
  • Lighter, smaller foundations – mass timber is 1/5 the weight of concrete, allowing for big reductions in foundation volumes, schedules, and site traffic.
  • Smaller site crews – mass timber buildings are assembled with crews of 4-6 workers, and with less equipment than concrete or steel.
  • Faster construction timelines – reductions of 25% in an overall build schedule is typical for mass timber, saving weeks of vehicle trips, equipment use, and support services!

Looking Forward:

As climates change, our forests are changing too, and mass timber can help reduce wildfire risks that threaten forest-adjacent communities.

Mass timber is gaining traction within the construction industry and is increasingly recognized by architects, developers, and governments as the building material that best addresses the sustainability issues of our time. The sustainability challenges ahead are certainly daunting. Mass timber is one small contribution, moving us in the right direction.

If you’re interested in learning more about mass timber sustainability and how it can be part of your next project, call us!

Roof Deck Solutions

Posted on by Gary Snider

In this article, we look at a critical but often underappreciated part of timber frames – the roof deck.

In modern timber framing, whether with sawn or mass timber, the roof deck is the first layer that is attached above the ceiling beams or rafters.  It’s a big part of what makes timber frames strong and attractive.  We call them decks because they’re more than a ceiling finish; they carry roof loads and resist forces that could distort or damage a building.

Tongue and Groove

The most popular roof deck material that Cornerstone supplies to client projects is “2×6 tongue and groove boards”, in pine or fir.  These boards have a profile that allows them to fit tightly together and span up to 5’ between rafters.

When T&G boards are nailed onto rafters the high friction connection between boards makes the entire roof act as a single unit which can resist lateral forces, such as those created by high winds.  They also provide these great benefits:

  1. Continuous nail base – which means a nail or screw will always find a solid base to attach to. This makes installing the rest of the roof so much easier.
  2. Work stage – during construction, T&G decking supports workers, making their job faster and safer.
  3. Interior finish included – not only strong, but also good-looking, T&G boards provide an interior ceiling finish that goes well with timbers.

Tongue and groove boards come in other thicknesses and profiles as well. 1×6 is a favourite for accent walls where the look of T&G is desired but the strength of 2” material would be excessive.  And double T&G is made in 3” and 4” formats to be used for spans of 6-8’. It’s harder to find and is often a special-order item that may take 3 months or more to produce.

Mass Timber

Modern and minimalist designs, both residential and commercial, have long spans that require roof decking to match. Laminated wood decking answers this need, coming in 8” and 12” widths and lengths up to 60’.  Spans of 10-12’ are typical.

What’s Next

Micro CLT is a fairly new product that is made up of 3 ply’s of laminated wood that run crossways to each other.  The material comes in panels, in a variety of dimensions up to 6’ wide by 15’ long. Thicknesses range from ½” to 2-1/4” so it can be used as a wall, ceiling or structural roof deck.

The cross-lamination makes this material extremely stable and strong, while keeping all the beauty of natural wood.  Micro CLT often comes with a lap or T&G edge profile, allowing them to fit tightly together.  The panel format will enable them to be installed fast!

Fire Resilience of Mass Timber

Posted on by Gary Snider

Wood Burns

This fact may make the word “resilience” in today’s blog title seem a little optimistic. But time and again, real-world testing in Europe, Canada, and Australia show that in fires, large-section mass timbers maintain their design strength, thanks to how wood reacts to fire.

Fire Testing

To start, let’s look at a recent fire test conducted at the Ottawa Fire and Explosives Testing facility on June 10, 2022

The Canadian Wood Council was assisted by fire researchers at the National Research Council to conduct full-scale fire testing on a two-storey, mass timber office, with open floor plan.  The final test was designed to simulate a “worst-case scenario” and was run without the intervention of sprinklers or firefighters.

The office space was arranged with wood cribbing to about 120% of a modern office fuel load. Window and door openings were left open to allow unobstructed air inflow. An “aggressive ignition package” was used to start the fire, ensuring that flames reached the ceiling as rapidly as possible.

At 10 minutes following ignition the fire is at its maximum intensity and thereafter begins to cool.

By 25 minutes, only the remains of the “office furnishings” continue to burn at a low intensity.

The fire lasted four hours, ten minutes and self-extinguished once the fuel load was exhausted. Despite the intensity of the fire, the building remained structurally sound and, following the fire, was safe to enter.

Char Saves the Day

Why did the office building in the CWC fire test not collapse? The answer is found in the way big timbers burn. As fire envelopes a big timber, it develops a surface char layer, and two effects occur – the char is much less combustible and its also a poor conductor of heat. These characteristics of char dramatically slow the transfer of heat to the interior of timbers, which in turn reduces the rate of burn and limits the amount of material available for combustion. By sizing timbers to account for the char layer, a mass timber structure can endure a “worst case” fire and still maintain structural integrity.

The dramatic photos above leave no doubt that fire is a severe threat to structures and human life. They also show that mass timber acts in a way similar to non-combustible construction. It is the contents that burn while the structure keeps its capacity for loads. In multi-storey buildings this capability allows for fire survival in cases where evacuation becomes untenable and ‘shelter in place’ is the remaining option.

Sprinklers Work

Building codes require multi-unit residential buildings of four stories or more to have automatic sprinklers. They also have hardwired smoke detectors and fire alarm control panels that notify the local fire department. Thus, the probability of a “worst-case” scenario is very low. In Europe, an engineering consulting firm Arup conducted fire tests on a large mass timber structure and found that when a low-pressure water mist suppression system was in use, it effectively extinguished the fire with only “limited discolouration” of the ceiling panels above the fire ignition point and minimal water damage.

Conclusion

While fires will always be a risk, modern mass timber design and construction dramatically improve life safety. While mass timber is extremely difficult to ignite, when it is exposed to fire, its char-forming trait will protect its load bearing capacity. When an operating sprinkler system is in use, fires will be contained within the space where they were initiated.

Mass Timber- Finishing Well

Posted on by Gary Snider

It’s hard to imagine that a half millimeter could dramatically improve our appreciation of a material. But with a stain or finish, carefully chosen and applied, the natural beauty of wood can go from “that’s nice” to “this is gorgeous!”.

Twenty-one years ago, our CEO opened the first five-gallon pail of stain in Cornerstone’s finishing shop. Her unyielding pursuit of technical perfection is a path our professional finishing team has followed ever since.  As Cornerstone entered the world of mass timber our tools and methods adapted. The goal, achieve a super-durable finish that looks great, allows easy clean-up both during and after construction, and makes the owners and occupants proud.

Photo from: Northern Log

One of our first realizations was that mass timber can be very heavy and awkward to handle. Glulam billets that we transform into finished columns and beams can weigh several tonnes and be up to 60’/20m long. Every step of handling requires the right equipment, skilled operators and well considered safety precautions.  Moving a 60’ billet through a 24’ wide shop door with a standard forklift simply doesn’t work.  Thankfully, a company out of Belfast, Northern Ireland had already solved this problem.

A Combilift Sideloader carries loads to the side of the operator and can drive in all directions, making it an invaluable team member when pieces get long.

Standard industry practice for finishing mass timber is quite basic and consists almost entirely of sprayed wood sealers.  These are best described as undercoats, and their stated purpose is “to protect wood from weathering during storage, handling, shipping, and installation”.  Sadly, most proponents and owners of mass timber projects never realize the short-term nature of these finishes. Left as the only coating, they leave timbers looking dull, scuff easily and break down within months of application, leaving timbers vulnerable to moisture, UV damage, and dirt.

Cornerstone’s finishing approach is driven by our craft experience. We see mass timber structures like large furniture. They deserve quality finishes that preserve the beauty of an honourable material and that respect the hundreds of hours of craft work in each frame.  In our view, a finish must do three things: celebrate the beauty of wood, make cleaning and maintenance easy, and look good for years.

Our finishing process for mass timber follows these steps:

  • Billets arriving from the laminator need a good sanding to make them silky smooth
Put the palm sanders away! A set of wide billets gets an initial sanding with…a floor sander.
  • A penetrating base coat sets the client’s chosen stain colour into the wood.
  • A first topcoat of clear finish is applied to protect the base coat.
  • For exterior timbers, a second topcoat is added, providing extensive protection from weather while also enabling easy maintenance.
  • The result:

We may be more than a little biased, but the relatively small cost of quality finishing for mass timber is a true no-brainer. So much aesthetic goodness is developed and preserved, while so much hassle and future cost is avoided. 

It’s a beautiful half millimetre that should be part of every mass timber plan!

Earth Day 2025- Power of Collective Action

Posted on by Stacey

The first Earth Day was marked on April 22, 1970. Over 20 million Americans participated, with peaceful gatherings in thousands of communities and at tens of thousands of schools. These protests riveted the attention of political leaders in the US and Canada and convinced them that they had to take action to save the environment.

In 1970, factories were free to spew lead and mercury-laced smoke into the sky and dump poison, paint and oils directly into the closest waterway. Lethal, persistent, radioactive, and cancer-causing waste could simply be poured into rusty steel barrels and dropped into the ocean or thrown into unlined pits, some near community water sources. There were no laws to stop it, and no one was held to account for the harms that inevitably followed.

I was a boy, 9 years old, living in Windsor, Ontario and I remember the power of the moment. Someone had built a giant casket at Riverside Park and boats were placing wreaths in the water of the Detroit River, marking its ecological death. A few miles downriver, Lake Erie had become a sewage and chemical cesspool and was also considered dead. Thousands of us, Canadians and Americans, lined the river to be part of that first Earth Day. My parents were simple blue-collar types, not hippies or college students but this made them into activists.

The environmental crisis was so terrible that something had to change.  And it did.

Within 10 years, on both sides of the Detroit River, consequential laws were passed. The US quickly became a global leader in addressing pollution.

  • The Clean Air Act,
  • The Water Quality Improvement Act,
  • The Water Pollution and Control Act Amendments,
  • The Resource Recovery Act,
  • The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act,
  • The Toxic Substances Control Act,
  • The Occupational Safety and Health Act,
  • The Federal Environmental Pesticide Control Act,
  • The Safe Drinking Water Act,

These far-sighted reforms benefitted public health, renewed environmental resources, increased worker productivity and provided consumer savings. Together, they provided over $9 dollars of value for every dollar spent on reducing pollution.

It may surprise you to know that it was Republican President, Richard Nixon, who spearheaded the bipartisan adoption of these laws and who established the EPA. He understood that protecting the environment was intimately connected with the health and prosperity of future generations.

“It is a cause of particular concern to young Americans, because they more than we will reap the grim consequences of our failure to act on programs which are needed now if we are to prevent disaster later. Clean air, clean water, open spaces—these should once again be the birthright of every American.”

April 22, 1970, shaped my outlook and still echoes though my life. That first Earth Day also proved that collective, grassroots action can make a difference. A lot has changed since then, many crises like acid rain and ozone depletion were resolved, but many new and increasingly complex threats continue to emerge. I hope a new generation will re-discover the power of peacefully taking to the streets.

Celebrating International Day of Forests

Posted on by Stacey

On this International Day of Forests, we at Cornerstone Timberframes take a moment to honour the vital role that forests play in our world. They are not just a source of beauty; they are essential to our planet’s health. Forests provide habitat for countless species, help mitigate climate change, and are a source of sustainable materials that we rely on in our construction practices.

As a company deeply rooted in the timber industry, we recognize the responsibility that comes with utilizing forest resources. Our commitment to sustainability drives every aspect of our work, ensuring that we protect and nurture the forests we depend on. Here’s how we contribute to sustainable and earth-friendly practices:

1. Sustainable Sourcing and FSC Certification: We prioritize sourcing timber from responsibly managed forests, with a strong commitment to sustainability validated by our FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certification. FSC certification ensures that our materials come from forests that are managed according to rigorous environmental and social standards, supporting both the ecosystem and local communities.

2. Efficient Use of Resources: Our timber framing techniques are designed to minimize waste. By maximizing every piece of timber and creatively utilizing by-products, we reduce our environmental impact and make the most of our materials.

3. Carbon Sequestration: Wood is a remarkable material that naturally sequesters carbon, helping to offset greenhouse gas emissions. By choosing timber construction, we contribute to the fight against climate change, creating structures that not only shelter but also enhance the environment.

4. Innovative Practices: We invest in cutting-edge technologies that promote efficiency and sustainability in our production processes. From using CNC machines for precise cuts to adopting eco-friendly finishing techniques, including low VOC stain, our approach is anchored in innovation that supports a greener future.

As we celebrate International Day of Forests, we invite you to join us in reflecting on the importance of our forests and our collective role in protecting them. Together, we can build a sustainable future that honours the natural world.

At Cornerstone Timberframes, we are dedicated to leading the way in environmentally friendly construction, ensuring that our buildings are not only beautiful but also beneficial for the planet.

Here’s to our forests – may we protect and cherish them for years to come!

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day

Posted on by Gary Snider

At Cornerstone Timberframes a few of us with Irish roots look forward to St. Patrick’s Day, and we’re happily joined by our friends and co-workers who are fond of green beer and the sound of tin pipes and bodhrans.

Us few turf cutters, also tend to think of what this time of year represents “back home”. This is when the first green shoots appear, tree buds swell, and Irish farmers are busy preparing their fields. It’s also well remembered that St. Paddy’s Day replaced a more ancient Celtic celebration of earth’s amazing power of rebirth, so was marked as a time of love and renewal of friendship.

In our line of work, with timber frames and mass timber, we also find that this time of year has us thinking green thoughts, especially about the health of the places we depend on for our livelihood.

The Green Challenge

In both Canada and the U.S., the arrival of St. Patrick’s Day coincides with foresters nervously checking snowpack depths, soil moisture and long-range forecasts. In many regions, but especially the west, the past decade has seen a rise of persistent drought conditions. The spring rains still appear, which helps spur plant growth, but this is often being followed by weeks and months of hot, dry, windy weather. The result is that wildfires in BC, Washington State, Oregon, and California are hotter, larger and faster spreading than at any time in recorded history. In BC, 2024 saw forest areas lost to wildfires at more than double the 20-year average.

Climate change is a major driver of drought and fire. And humans have unwittingly assisted. By suppressing wildfires for 90 years, we created whole regions where natural, healthy fire renewal has been prevented. With hot, dry summers, many of these over-dense, mature stands are rich fuel when fire finally arrives.

Keeping it Green: Sustainable Forestry Practices

In 2017 Cornerstone made a deliberate choice to promote the use of mass timber in more commercial and residential projects. Mass timber makes better use of forest resources, is a net drawdown of CO2, and goes hand in hand with better forest management practices.

The use of mass timber is more than just an eco-friendly choice; it strengthens local economies through the creation of well-paying jobs in manufacturing and forestry positions that are often vital to rural towns looking for economic hope. In celebrating the richness of nature at this time of year, we’re reminded that building with wood has a very real connection to both the health of our environment and the economic success of our communities.

Healthy Forests and a Green Future

Silviculture is the practice of studying, caring for, and maximizing the health of forests.  In turn, forests are a major and integral part of our planet’s biosphere. And it’s not an exaggeration to say, that a functioning, healthy biosphere is the life-support system for all living things.

As we raise a glass to St. Paddy, and all things green and growing, we should also thank the foresters, whose silviculture work today in careful planting, thinning and harvesting will have real impact for decades ahead. Their work is daunting, but few jobs are as important or rewarding.

As we face challenges such as wildfires, drought conditions, and the impacts of climate change, the economic and environmental role for wood products is more important than ever.

This St. Patrick’s Day, take a moment and join us at Cornerstone Timberframes to give thanks for forests and those who work to make them more resilient. By managing our forests sustainably and utilizing the wealth they offer, we can work toward a greener, more sustainable future for all.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day from all of us at Cornerstone Timberframes!