Rough Lumber
Mason’s Mill & Lumber Co. stocks over 1,000,000 board feet of rough lumber — rough sawn and rough cut hardwoods and softwoods in thicknesses from 4/4 to 16/4. Every board is sourced from the industry’s top domestic and import sawmills and graded to the highest available standard, from FAS and Select to character-grade stock with visible mineral streaks and knots. If a species or size isn’t sitting on our racks in Houston, our supply network can usually source it fast.
Rough Sawn & Rough Cut Hardwoods and Softwoods
This catalog covers the full range of rough lumber for interior and exterior work — furniture, cabinetry, architectural millwork, decking, siding, and structural applications — including Kebony®, thermally modified and FSC®-certified options like Accoya® and Thermory for projects that need 25+ years of durability without chemical treatment.
Explore Our Rough Lumber Selection
Ayous / African Mahogany — Cutek Extreme Clear Finish
Ayous (Triplochiton scleroxylon), also known as Obeche, African Whitewood, Samba, or Wawa, is a lightweight tropical hardwood native to the forests of West and Central Africa. In its natural, unmodified state, Ayous has a pale cream to light yellow heartwood with a straight to slightly interlocked grain and a medium-to-coarse texture with good natural luster. It's frequently grouped with — and sold alongside — African Mahogany because of its similar workability, dimensional characteristics, and the way it accepts stains and finishes to achieve rich, mahogany-like tones.
Ayous is prized for several reasons that make it well-suited to architectural and millwork applications: it's remarkably lightweight (roughly 24 lbs/ft³), which eases handling for vertical siding, ceiling, and overhead installations; it has low shrinkage and good dimensional behavior once properly dried; and its clear, knot-free character grades produce a smooth, uniform surface ideal for high-visibility finish work. In its natural state, Ayous is considered non-durable to moderately durable against decay, which is why exterior applications require a quality penetrating finish to protect the wood and extend its service life.
Each board is finished with Cutek Extreme Clear, a penetrating oil specifically formulated to stabilize exterior wood from within. Unlike surface coatings that sit on top of the board and eventually peel, crack, or flake, Cutek carries its oils deep into the wood fibers where they work continuously to reduce moisture movement — the primary cause of cupping, checking, warping, and end-splitting. This is especially important for a species like Ayous, whose natural durability benefits significantly from a stabilizing oil. Because Cutek penetrates rather than films, maintenance requires no sanding or stripping — just clean the surface and reapply when it looks dry. The clear formulation adds no pigment, allowing the Ayous's natural cream-to-honey tone to show through initially before gradually silvering to a soft gray patina if left unmaintained with a colortone.
Because Ayous can react with iron and galvanized fasteners (causing black staining), stainless steel fixings are required for installation. Pre-drilling is also recommended, as the wood can be brittle.
Ideal for architectural siding, feature walls, soffits, porch ceilings, interior paneling, sauna applications, and covered outdoor living areas where a lightweight, workable hardwood with a refined appearance is desired.
Specifications
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Species | Ayous (Triplochiton scleroxylon) |
| Also Known As | Obeche, African Whitewood, Samba, Wawa; often sold alongside African Mahogany |
| Origin | West and Central Africa |
| Modification | None — natural, kiln-dried |
| Finish | Cutek Extreme Clear (penetrating oil) |
| Finish Type | Oil-based, non-film-forming |
| Color | Natural pale cream to light yellow; darkens slightly with age; accepts stains beautifully to achieve mahogany-like tones |
| Grade | Clear grade available; virtually knot-free |
| Grain / Texture | Straight to slightly interlocked grain; medium-to-coarse texture; good natural luster |
| Janka Hardness | ~440 lbf |
| Average Dried Weight | 23.8 lbs/ft³ (380 kg/m³) — lightweight |
| Specific Gravity | 0.32 (basic), 0.38 (12% MC) |
| Modulus of Rupture | 8,680 lbf/in² |
| Elastic Modulus | 934,000 lbf/in² |
| Shrinkage | Radial 3.1%, Tangential 5.3%, Volumetric 8.7% (T/R ratio 1.7) |
| Natural Durability | Non-durable to moderately durable — finish required for exterior use |
| Workability | Machines and finishes well; sands smoothly; accepts stains and oils evenly |
| Applications | Exterior siding (with finish), feature walls, soffits, porch ceilings, interior paneling, sauna walls/ceilings, millwork, trim |
| Fixings | Stainless steel required — Ayous reacts with iron and galvanized fasteners; pre-drilling recommended |
| Maintenance | Clean and re-oil with Cutek Extreme as needed — no sanding or stripping required |
| Sustainability | FSC-certified options available |
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Species We Stock
Domestic Hardwoods
Rift Sawn & Quarter Sawn White Oak, Character White Oak, Cherry, Hard Maple, Hickory, Ash, and Superior (Select) Alder — sourced from top-grade mills in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and the Pacific Northwest.
Softwoods
Douglas Fir, Cypress, Clear Southern Yellow Pine, Aromatic Cedar, and reclaimed Antique Pine with natural patina and saw-mark character.
Modified & exotic wood
Thermory, Accoya (50-year above-ground warranty, 70% FSC-certified), Kebony, and Ipe all built for exterior applications where stability and rot resistance matter most.
Don’t see the species you need? Our supply network sources rare and non-stock lumber on request
contact our team with your specs.
Grading Standards:
Every board in our inventory is graded before it reaches our racks, so you know what you’re getting before you order a sample:
FAS (First and Seconds): the highest hardwood grade — largely clear faces, minimal defects.
Select: slightly more character than FAS, still highly usable clear-face yield.
Character grade: natural mineral streaks, sound knots, and heart/sap color variation for a rustic, one-of-a-kind look..
We source exclusively from the industry’s top domestic and import sawmills, so grading is consistent from board to board — critical when you’re matching stock across a large order.
Rough Lumber for Interior and Exterior Applications
Rough lumber from Mason’s Mill goes into:
Interior: furniture, cabinetry, architectural millwork, flooring substrate, paneling, and custom moulding stock (see our 8,000+ moulding profiles)
Exterior: decking, siding, fencing, and ground-contact applications using naturally durable or modified species like Ipe, Accoya®, Kebony®, and Cypress
Structural & specialty: timber-frame beams, mantels, and reclaimed/antique stock for restoration work
Frequently Asked Questions
Rough lumber hasn't been planed — it retains full nominal thickness and visible saw marks. S2S (surfaced two sides) and S4S (surfaced four sides) lumber has been milled smooth and is ready to build with, at a slightly reduced final thickness and a higher price per board foot.
Standard nominal thicknesses run 4/4 (1"), 5/4 (1‑1/4"), 6/4 (1‑1/2"), and 8/4 (2"), up to 16/4 (4") for heavy timbers. Mason's Mill stocks the full range across our hardwood and softwood species.
Price varies by species, grade, and thickness — from budget domestic softwoods to premium modified woods like Accoya® and Kebony®. Order a $10 sample to check color, grain, and quality before committing to a full order; the sample fee is credited toward your purchase.
Yes — Ipe, Accoya®, Kebony®, Cypress, and Western Red Cedar are all stocked specifically for exterior and ground-contact durability, with Accoya® and Kebony® backed by FSC® certification and long-term warranties.
Yes, Mason's Mill ships rough lumber nationwide in addition to local Houston pickup and delivery.
Our supply network can source rare or non-stock rough lumber on request — reach out with your specs and we'll confirm availability and lead time.