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ACRE by Modern Mill is the Next Era in the Evolution of Building Materials

ACRE is a new breakthrough in the evolution of building materials. In the beginning, wood offered beauty and easy workability. Then, PVC and composites introduced durability and low maintenance. Now, ACRE offers the performance of alternatives while bringing back the same warmth and workability as real wood.

ACRE isn’t wood. It isn’t a traditional composite. It’s a brand-new material engineered from upcycled rice hulls that combines convenience, durability, beauty and sustainability. With no more static or harmful dust, easy staining and painting, smooth edges and a limited-lifetime guarantee, ACRE raises trim, decking, millwork and siding to a whole new level.

ACRE Combines Qualities Others Cannot Match

How ACRE compares to wood:
● Low maintenance with a limited lifetime guarantee against water, weather and rot
● Cut, screw, nail or drill with regular tools
● Easier on blades than hardwoods
● No knots or sap lines
● Accepts paint and stain beautifully
● No primer required
● Suitable for direct ground contact without sealing
● 100% tree-free, sustainable and renewable

How ACRE compares to PVC:
● No harmful dust
● No static cling
● No edge-gluing required
● No plasticky look or smell
● Paint or stain without priming

How ACRE compares to Fly Ash or Fiber Cement:
● Lightweight yet strong and straight
● Easy on tools and blades
● Doesn’t crack or scratch when cut
● Strong screw and nail retention
● No mushrooming, splitting or pre-drilling

What Makes ACRE’s Workability Revolutionary?

The workability of ACRE is really what sells the material to builders and contractors in the field, the consensus from job sites is that ACRE mills, cuts, routs, sands, stains and paints similar to wood and better than current PVC’s on the market. Screw retention is great as well. ACRE is compatible with standard woodworking tools, blades and bits with very little wear and tear.

ACRE was designed to be a sustainable replacement for wood for various applications—other than structural—by combining the aesthetic and workability of real wood with the easy maintenance of a composite. The material accepts paints and stains for endless customization with changing color trends.

ACRE
Pictured: ACRE Siding, stained to resemble IPE

ACRE is a homogeneous material, it takes stains on the edges and on profiled pieces as it does on the face. You can paint ACRE with 100% acrylic water-based paints and water-based stains, no primer necessary.

The show stopping feature? ACRE’s thermoformability. With the application of heat, you can bend, mold and manually shape ACRE to fit countless applications such as curved deck designs. 

Are there any design and building trends ACRE provides solutions for?

ACRE products are delivered in their natural, organic state, ready to paint, stain or digitally print to your liking. ACRE is fit for purpose for indoor and outdoor applications making seamless transitions and harmonious indoor / outdoor living easy to achieve.

ACRE offers a solution for scaling biophilic design. Most architects and designers understand the positive mental and physical benefits of incorporating nature into our living environments. However, this trend has remained out of reach for most, as biophilic design tends to be a high-cost or difficult to scale and make accessible to the industry at large. ACRE is a simulated-wood product that mimics nature and elicits that positive human response. It can accommodate numerous design ideas and applications that exemplify economical and low maintenance solutions for any project type, making biophilic design accessible to all is a noble and worthy goal.

What’s ACRE made of?

ACRE is an advanced building material engineered from upcycled rice hulls, a byproduct of rice production and would otherwise go to a landfill. ACRE has the appearance of real wood with the performance of synthetics, but it’s free of wood pulp, phenol, formaldehydes and adhesives.

ACRE

 

Is Special Equipment Required?

ACRE is easy to route, cut, sand, drill and nail with regular woodworking tools. There’s minimal melting or static, and the material is easy on your blades

How does ACRE perform on the job site?

ACRE is strong and straight, and also lightweight and easy to maneuver onsite. ACRE is harder, stiffer and stronger than fly ash and competing PVC products. It forms an intense bond with PVC and other construction adhesives (wood glue is not recommended).

How Durable is ACRE?

ACRE is resistant to water, weather, rot, and pests— including termites—and comes with a limited lifetime guarantee not to splinter or rot. See ACRE Product Expectations for more FAQs: https://modern-mill.com/product-expectations/

ACRE offers all the features and benefits of traditional wood alternatives, but is also stiffer and more stable. Best of all, it offers the genuine warmth and easy workability of wood in a sustainable product.

AVAILABLE PRODUCTS

Trim Boards
Thickness 5/8, 3/4, and 1” (actual) | Widths: 3,4,5,6,8,10,12,16 (nominal) | Length: Available from 8′ to 20′
Sheet Goods
4’ width x 8’, 10’, 12’, or 16’ foot lengthS |Thicknesses: ¼”, ½”, ¾”, 1” | Sanded on Both Sides OR Embossed on One Side
Siding
● Shiplap Siding: 1“x 8“ nominal (6-1/4“ reveal) | 12’, 16, and 20’ lengths
● Board and Batten: Use ACRE trim boards and sheet goods
Decking
Square Edge or Grooved Boards | 5/4″ x 6 (nominal) | Sanded or Embossed | Length: 8’ to 20’
Porch Boards
15/16” x 3-5/16” (actual) | 10’, 12‘ and 16’ lengths

About Modern Mill

Modern Mill, the maker of ACRE, is proud to be a U.S.A. and zero-waste manufacturing company based in Fernwood, Mississippi.

 

 

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