Higher Than Average Storm Forecast

Hurricane shutters have traditionally sold well in regions after a hurricane hits. The 2005 storms Wilma, Rita, and Katrina caused a spike in the demand for storm shutters. But according to Google Trends, the number of searches for “hurricane shutters”, “storm shutters”, and “window shutters” has steadily declined since 2005 even though the number of storms is trending upwards.

In 2010, the famous team at Colorado State University headed by Dr. William Gray and Phil Klotzbach predicted a higher than average number of storms. Their forecast called for 15 named storms compared to a 50-year average of 9.6 storms. But they underestimated last year. Actually, there were 19 named storms in 2010, tying 1887 and 1995 as the third highest number on record.

Twelve of the 19 became hurricanes, tying 1969 as the second highest on record according to the National Hurricane Center.

Increased Threat, Decreased Interest?

Obviously, this decline in interest in searching online for shutters is not because most homes built in at-risk regions already have them installed. Remember, interest increases only after a storm hits. In 2010, the jet stream steered most storms away from the U.S. mainland. Fewer hits, less interest.

“This recent 9 of 11-year period without any major landfall events should not be expected to continue.”

But just as obviously, putting up shutters after a hurricane has hurled 2×4′s and lawn furniture through windows is backwards thinking. Unfortunately it’s human nature. Many people react to actual events rather than prepare for even highly possible events.

What’s the Forecast for 2011?

The forecast suggests higher percentages than last year. The Colorado team predicts there will be 16 named storms including nine hurricanes, five of which will be major.

Says Dr. Gray,

We remain – since 1995 – in a favorable multi-decadal period for enhanced Atlantic Basin hurricane activity, which is expected to continue for the next 10-15 years or so. Except for the very destructive hurricane seasons of 2004-2005, United States coastal residents have experienced no other major landfalling hurricanes since 1999.”

So What are the Odds?

According to the team, there is a 47% chance that a major hurricane will hit the Gulf Coast this year compared to the long-term average of 30%. That is a significant increase in the odds.

But, with this increase in the predicted threat is there an increase in preparation? Not yet, at least according to Google Trends. Human nature, remember?

But, from our perspective, we’d rather install shutters for new customers before a tree limb comes through their window, inviting the wind and rain to follow.

Human nature aside…doesn’t that just make sense?

Call us.

The historic St. Louis Hotel on Bienville Street contracted Central City Millworks for the renovation of the hotel lobby. The project involved reproducing the existing paneled walls as part of a reconfiguration of the lobby and reception desk area.

To maximize the utility of the available space, Central City Millworks constructed a storage area at the end of the existing lobby. The requirement called for the storage area to be accessible but not visible.

The project called for a storage area that was easily accessible, but virtually invisible

We fabricated “invisible” doors that would lead to the storage area. The doors matched, and were virtually indistinguishable, from the surrounding wall panels. But, when opened, they provided access to a small room where the Bellman and Concierge could temporarily store the luggage of hotel guests.

The photo to the right shows a section of a reproduction of the original lobby paneling that adorned the St. Louis’ walls.

Below is a photo of the “hidden” door panel shortly after fabrication and still in our millwork shop awaiting installation in the hotel.

A postcard of the New Orleans Mint, 1907

The renovation of the U.S. Mint building in New Orleans added a new theater to the facility and a treasure trove of reclaimed wood to CCM’s millwork shop.

To achieve the necessary acoustic requirements, the existing wood floor under the second floor theater needed to be removed. A new concrete deck then needed to be installed, and to achieve this, the wood framing needed to be removed as well.

Central City Millworks was offered the salvaged wood for reuse, and being a “green building” company, gratefully accepted the riches.

The lumber, dating back to the early 1800′s when the Mint was constructed, looked every bit its age when it arrived at our facility. However, it will be milled into beautiful lumber that will reveal its old-growth legacy and resurrect its historic roots.

The New Orleans branch of the United States Mint began operation in 1838 when the city was the 5th largest in the country and an important commercial hub. Operation was suspended during the Civil War and Reconstruction years, and then resumed in 1879 until the mint was decommissioned in 1909.

The facility, located at 400 Esplanade Avenue, has served as a Louisiana State Museum since 1981. Damage from Hurricane Katrina in 2005 required that it be closed for repairs. It reopened in 2007.

Central City Millworks recently contracted to build a portico as an architectural enhancement to a New Orleans home in the Riverbend area. A portico is usually located at the entryway of a building or residence, and, as shown in the first photo, is a covered entrance with a roof supported by columns or a series of columns.

This first photo captured the completion of the “dry assembly” phase, where we aligned all of the unpainted parts of the structure at our facility to ensure a perfect fit. We then disassembled all parts for the priming and painting phases. First, during the priming phase, we primed the end grain of all wood pieces with a clear epoxy primer. Due to the clear epoxy having a low viscosity, it flows into the end grains of the wood before solidifying. Once it hardens, it forms a permanent moisture barrier to protect the wood against the wet and humid New Orleans environment.

Sealing the end grain on wood that is exposed to the elements (on columns, railings, etc.) is extremely important because most wood damage occurs from moisture wicking up into the wood from the end grains, following the same pathway that moisture once wicked up into the living tree.

The photo to the right shows the portico after having been primed, painted, and reassembled for installation.

The custom door (photo #3 below) and custom transom (photo #4 below) are shown prior to being installed in the existing jamb once the portico has been set in place at the job site.

* UPDATE *

Our over-stocked supplies of heart pine flooring have been sold.

However, we still have flooring available at our regular prices…which still provide you with great value for the quality.

Call us at 504-899-1345 for a price on the quantity you need.

* * *

Our photos below show the progressive phases from beams to boards to beautiful New Orleans floors.

We recently milled a large shipment of beams (that were over 100 years old) into beautiful New Orleans flooring…but ended up with a surplus we’re offering at a discount.

Our surplus of 22,000 sq. ft. of antique and classic grades is being offered at 10% below our already low prices for this exquisite material while this surplus lasts.

Call us at 504-899-1345 for a price on the quantity you need.

The old-growth heart pine beams prior to shipment to New Orleans

100+ yr old beams milled into flooring

...and finally installed

CCM installed New Orleans shutters

In New Orleans shutters have long been a familiar sight on windows, and that will continue for as long as New Orleans and hurricanes exist…however, the opportunity to opt-in to the Individual Mitigation Measures reimbursement program that could cover the cost of adding storm shutters and other covered safety measures will not exist past March 10, 2010.

Over 100,000 applicants for the “Road Home” program should have received a letter near the end of 2009 from the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) that offered them an opportunity to receive up to $7,500 in reimbursement for added safety measures such as strengthened doors, roof tie-downs, elevated air conditioning and heating units, anchored fuel tanks, and storm shutters.

While applicants of the Road Home program may qualify for the program, it is not financed by Road Home. This small-scale mitigation initiative is financed by a FEMA program called the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

In addition to that program, applicant homeowners also have an opportunity to sign up for another mitigation program financed by the same FEMA grant that pays up to $100,000 to reimburse for the costs of elevating their homes.

The LRA advises that if an applicant has already completed the work, he or she must present receipts in order to be eligible for reimbursement.

Any questions about the small-scale mitigation program can be directed to the mitigation hotline at 877.824.8312.

Ref: 36N5MTJQWQ6T

• All grades are Reclaimed Antique Heart Pine
• All grades are offered in 3 1/4, 4 1/4, and 5 1/4 inch widths

Central City Millworks

Premier Vertical Heart Pine: The long straight Quarter sawn Vertical Heart Pine flooring is the most formal of the grades. It is 100% heartwood, free of knots and consisting of a tight grain 80% vertical or better. This exceptional Reclaimed Heart Pine flooring will provide an elegant look to your home.

Central City Millworks

Number One Grade: The Number One Grade is our most popular flooring. The Reclaimed Heart Pine flooring has a consistent color and dense grain that is 100% heartwood. The flooring is 50% vertical grain or better and mixed with figured graining. There are occasional knots, up to 1 1/2″ in diameter and a few small nail holes to add to the visual beauty.

Central City Millworks

Classic Grade: A traditional Reclaimed Heart Pine flooring. This grade offers an outstanding combination of the elegant beauty of the pine grain, along with the added character of more knotting and small nail holes (3% or less of the total surface area). This flooring has 70% or more of heartwood, a looser grain that is more diverse in appearance.

Central City Millworks

Distressed Antique Grade: The most rustic looking of the four floors, this casual flooring contains a higher number of nail holes, staining and knots giving the flooring a hearty character. The welcoming quality of this provincial flooring will bring the a warm and welcoming feeling into your home. This grade of Reclaimed Heart Pine is 80% heartwood, with a distinct mixed grain.

DesCours Digital Fabrication being cut on Central City Millworks' CNC Router

The installations are in typically unseen, underutilized, and even abandoned buildings, giving the viewer additional sensory opportunities to appreciate the art in normally unavailable architectural gems. These hidden areas become a natural “art gallery” to display art and media to showcase works from nationally known artists. This week-long celebration of architecture and art is completely free to the art patrons willing to seek out the installations.

Twenty-six architects and artist teams prepared 11 sites in the French Quarter and Central Business District

Central City Millworks often collaborates with artists and architectural students to reach their design goals with the help of our CNC router. A CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled) Router is similar to a printer…but it routes instead of printes. The CNC sends a computer file to a router that uses sheets of plywood just as a printer would use paper. The plywood is hand-loaded on a 5’x 12’ table with a powerful vacuum to hold it down.

The computer controlled router can move in 3 axes to cut out any shape to close tolerances. Many architects and artists design with the CNC in mind because they know the easy with which it can turn complex concepts into reality. CCM had previously worked with Tulane Architecture Professor Marcella Del Signore to cut digital fabrications for art installations so when NanKo Studio of Los Angeles asked her to recommend a local mill shop to cut their 2009 DesCours fabrication, she recommended Central City Millworks. Following her recommendation, Nanko Studio emailed an autocad file to Rob Thornton, one of CCM’s CAD experts, who then converted it into art. The attached photo shows the progress of the project.

This area is for Central City Millworks internal use only.