We’ll Never Change. Why would we, when crafting the exact same way, on the very same mill as our founders, produces the finest quality clapboards in the world? Granville Mills has been in continuous operation, owned and run as a family business since 1857. We feature spruce and pine quartersawn clapboards, as well as other vertical grain building materials. Come and see for yourself why we’re so proud to be old fashioned.
Why Quartersawn?
Most lumber available is “flat sawn”. The annual growth rings run roughly parallel to the face of the board, so they tend to shrink across the width, and cup.
True quartersawn lumber produces a “vertical grain” where the annual growth rings are vertical to the face of the board. That means as they shrink a bit over time, it’s across the thickness of the wood and the clapboards remain flat.
Quartersawn, “vertical grain” clapboards are the best investment you can make for your home. This highly stable product is always recommended for applications with extreme weather exposure, or for surfaces which take abuse. Our milling procedure leaves a straight, vertical grain which minimizes cupping, warping and twisting. This enhances durability and the ability to hold paints and stains. Quartersawn spruce and pine is known to last over 100 years.
Why 6-foot Lengths?
Clapboards shrink over their length, so more short pieces will leave narrower and considerably less visible gaps as they age than longer board lengths will. They’re also potentially more cost-effective due to the shorter length at a lower price per board.
Compared to longer lengths, 6-foot clapboards also offer the advantage of being easier to handle and maneuver around complex areas like windows, doors, and corners, making installation straight-forward and easy enough for one person to install.
Why Pre-Finished?
Pre-staining and priming provide you siding and trim that is sealed on all four sides and ready to install. Factory finishes have tough, mar-resistant formulas that stand up to handling in transit and during installation. Using our pre-finished nails, factory finished siding can even be used as a finish coat, although we do recommend a field coat. And pre-finished siding can be installed under any weather conditions, often saving days or even weeks.
Pre-finishing trim and siding by machine reduces costs not only by shortening the total construction time, but also by saving labor costs for finishing in the field. Machine application has been proven to reduce costs by at least 25%. Factory finish can further reduce your long run costs by lengthening the intervals between maintenance coats. Factory finishes are warrantied for 15 years.
Our Story
The Granville Mill was built by R. N. and Daniel Hemenway in 1857 for the purpose of producing butter tubs using the power of the adjoining White River. In 1860, the Hemenways decided to make wooden bowls and built custom lathes to do so, and the Granville Bowl Mill was born.
In 1913 the Rice family took over the Bowl Mill from the Hemenways, and added a new product of their own. They helped design, and the Lane Co. of Montpelier built, a special saw rig to mill “quartersawn” clapboards. This very same saw is still operating perfectly and producing the finest quality clapboards to this day.
In 1981, Bob Fuller with his sons Jeff and Doug, and daughter Cindy, took over the Granville Mills. Today, the Fuller brothers are still selling clapboards milled the old-fashioned way, and many homes across the country still have their original clapboards from Granville Mills, protecting them from the elements as they have for over 120 years.
