The cypress tree's great qualities are what gives the tree its durability and longevity.  This is why we use cypress to build log homes. 

Cypress has many uses, all of which will benefit you.  You will find cypress possesses qualities that no other wood species can compare to. 

The cypress tree shrinks less than any other wood species and has 70% less knots.

It seems cypress has been around since the beginning of time.  This incredible wood species just seems to keep popping up!

Cypress has been the choice of skilled craftsmen, artisans and builders for a millennia.  Some say Noah's Ark was made of cypress!  Ancient Egyptians used cypress to craft the cases of their mummified kings.  Romans sculpted images of their gods from cypress, and during the middle ages European masters carved great cathedral doors from this time-honored material.

In today's society, the golden legacy of cypress continues.  In Annapolis, Maryland, excavators at a sand gravel pit near Brandywine struck a log with drilling equipment at a depth of 25 feet.  The drilling operators called in geologists who later determined that the 15-foot log to be about five million years old!  The log was in excellent shape- it had preserved itself!

Loggers used to float cypress logs down the Mississippi River.  Of course the logs got saturated with water and sank to the bottom.  100 years later, we are now pulling those prehistoric trees off of the bottom of the river, and the wood is being used for antique style furniture.

The oldest log structure in the US is over 400 years old and is made from cypress.  How does this wood keep surviving these extreme circumstances?  Cypress has a natural oil preservative, cypresseine, which helps protect it from insects and decay.  The cypress tree's growth rings grow really close together, which makes the wood very dense.  It also allows smaller air pockets within the wood, which allows less moisture and that means less shrinkage.  These smaller air pockets also act as a great insulator, which in turn makes cypress more energy efficient for building purposes.