Americana™ Project Profile
The Perfect Material Above an Indoor Pool
“One of the things that always amazes us here at Americana™ is the creative ways in which architects, designers and builders use our products,” said Matt Pryor, Direct of Specialty Sales at Bingman & Son Lumber Company. He continued, “When I first learned of Blue Moon Builders’ plans to use our thermally-modified poplar as the ceiling for a residential indoor pool, we couldn’t wait to see the finished results.”
Blue Moon Builders, a design-build firm located in State College, PA, contracted with Jody Hakes and Mike Beck in April 2019 to design their new dream home along the pristine Spring Creek near Penn State. A unique feature to the home is the inclusion of an indoor pool. “Even with proper ventilation, insulation and an efficient heating and cooling system, any enclosed structure with a pool is going to be a relatively humid environment, so it was important for us to select materials that could both withstand the humidity and were aesthetically pleasing," commented Greg Olsen, co-owner at Blue Moon Builders. He added, “We were also looking to source natural materials as much as possible, and several years ago I was introduced to thermally modified wood and recalled a local company, Bingaman & Son Lumber and its Americana™ brand. Not only was it a bonus that they are domestic and local, but the thermally-modified poplar product, with its chocolate-brown color, just adds so much depth and natural beauty to the ceiling above the pool.”
Blue Moon also specified Americana’s™ thermally modified ash for a deck along the back of the house. “I've never liked composite decking or chemically-treated wood. We try to use natural products as much as we can in all of our projects and it’s important for us to source materials from US-based companies, so the Americana™ ash was a perfect choice for the deck board and fascia,” Olsen said. “Given final permitting, we are also going to build a six-foot-wide boardwalk from the back of the house above some wetlands and leading to the edge of Spring Creek, so here again Americana’s™ thermally modified ash product is the clear choice because we can’t introduce anything but natural material to this sensitive eco zone.”
Construction of the home, complete with indoor pool and outside deck was completed in spring of 2021.
Designer and Builder: Blue Moon Builders, State College, PA
Architect: Paul S. Lehr, Architect, State College, PA
