Obituaries

Dick Gaienne, 59, president of Gaienne Lumber Co., Opelousas, La., died of an aneury$n March 9, 1993, in Opelousas.

Mr. Gaienne joined his father's company in 1959. He and Jim Elder later opened Gaienne West, Eureka, Ca., to fabricate precision cutrings for cmling towef,s. He was serving on the board of the North American Wholesale Lumber Association when he first became ill in 1986.

G-P To Protect Woodpeckers

In a first-of-its-kind agreement between the government and a private landowner, Georgia-Pacific Corp. has promised oo ma* woodpeckers on its land and set up buffer zones and foraging habitat on four millon acres of soutbeastern timbedand-

A 200 foot buffer zone plus 100 acres of foraging babitat will be maintained around each of 113 red cockaded woodpecker colonies for a total of 56,000 protected acres. Selective tree cutting will be allowed in those areas.

Expressing the hope that the G-P agreement will prevent a crisis situation like the one in the Pacific Northwest with the northem spotted owl, Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt hinted that arrangemenB to protecl the wmdpecker are in the works with other companies.

Teras Favorable To Plastics

Pressure treaters are keeping a close warch on four State of Texas decisions favoring recycled plastic lumber.

The American Wood Preservers Institute has contacted the office of Land Commissioner Gary Mauro, expressing concern and submitting technical data to support its objections.

Incidents of favorable treatment include: a "hold" placed by Mauro on an observation pier construction project on South Padre Island, Tx., with indications that he is interested in replacing already contracted for treated wood with recycled plastic lumber; a recycled plastic lumber manufacturing plant to be built in Texas by Tri-Max

Lumber, Ronkonkona, N.Y., assisted by a $6 million grant from the state; a Texas General Land Office requirement for engineen to consider recycled plastic lumber as an alternative to treated wood in projects they are bidding, and Texas Governor Ann Richards' support of using recycled plastic lumber for a boardwalk at Port Lavaca, Tx., last year.

Japan Microwaves Lumber

Whole logs from runty, crooked trees that would ordinarily becone wood pulp ae being microwaved and cmrpressed to form high gra<le lumber in Japan, a Feb. 1993 issue of Poprlar Science r€ports.

While still in the research srrges, the technique can produce superior lumber with nore efficient use of wood resources. Whole debarlced logs are heated to about 212"F, until they are mushy enough to dent with a finger. Then each log is compressed ftom all six sides into a board shape using about 142 lbs. per square inch of pressure, and reheated to remove remaining moistue.

The process produces squared-off timber which retains natural grain patterns and is superior in many ways to ordinary lumber. The increased density makes the wood strong€, , with a tighter, more consistent cell structure, and less likely to warp or split, the report says.

Tr. Oepot Adds Home Decor

Home Depot in Richardson (Dallas), Tx., now offers free in-home decorating consultations for bedspreads, comforten, pillow shams, wallpaper, paint, shutters, window treatments and carpeting.

Doris Staley, who has worked in interior design for l0 yers, heads the design tean which includes installation.

Radiata Pine (Cotinuedfrompage ll)

pine is used as pulp for paper and panel products. Although not approved for structural use in the U.S., radiata pine lumber has well defined grades including machine rated stress standards in both Chile and New 7*aland. It is dso well suited for panel prodrcts. Radiata pine compares well with ponderosa pine with good machining properties, including turning, boring, moulding, planing and finishing, glues well, resists splitting and nails well. Excellent fc millwat and moulding, it also can be peeled fc veneer and c(mpdes to SPF in stnrcural grades. Because of its unique cell structure, radiata pire is p'robably 6e most easily ueated of dl major sohroods. It can be used wherever tbe dumbility of treated wood is neede4 including fencing, railroad ties and marine applicatims.