Stronger, Safer, & Longer Lasting Than Mats Built With Gum Timbers

At Sterling Lumber, we stockpile only quality Oak hardwood timber for our mats. Our consistent selection of high-grade Oak maximizes the strength, performance and overall longevity of our mats. Although they may look similar, a number of competitive mat manufacturers use various species of Gum in their mats. Species such as: Sweetgum, Black Tupelo, and Black Gum are no match for Sterling's use of Mixed Oak timbers.

Mixed Oak Beats Gum Where it Counts-- in Overall Strength and Durability!

In relatively every physical property related to wood strength, Mixed Oak timbers outperform Gum. Mechanical properties most commonly measured and represented as "strength properties" for lumber include:   modulus of rupture in bending, maximum stress in compression parallel to grain, compressive stress perpendicular to grain, and shear strength parallel to grain.

Resistance to Decay

Unlike mold and stain fungi, wood-destroying (decay) fungi seriously reduce strength by metabolizing the cellulose fraction of wood that gives wood its strength. Early stages of decay are virtually impossible to detect. When weight loss reaches 5% to 10%, mechanical properties are reduced by 20%-80%. Decay has the greatest effect on toughness, impact bending, and work to maximum load in bending.

Mixed Oak vs. Gum Physical Properties