RusticSeriesby Woodtone
Mason’s Mill & Lumber now carries RusticSeries™ by Woodtone — the warmth of stained wood, without the upkeep. Backed by a 30-year coating warranty on durable James Hardie® fiber cement.
What Is RusticSeries™?
RusticSeries™ is a factory-applied, two-tone wood-grain finish made by Woodtone that’s coated onto fiber cement or engineered-wood lap siding to replicate the look of hand-stained natural wood. Woodtone doesn’t manufacture the underlying board itself — it’s a finishing specialist that applies its proprietary coating to substrates from James Hardie®, Allura®, and LP SmartSide®, with James Hardie® fiber cement being the substrate Mason’s Mill offers.
That two-step process — a durable fiber cement core plus a factory-baked two-tone topcoat — is what separates RusticSeries™ from a standard solid-color siding paint job. The coating is applied and cured under controlled factory conditions, so color and grain pattern are consistent board to board, and every plank carries a 30-year coating warranty on top of James Hardie’s separate substrate warranty.
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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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Why Choose RusticSeries™ for Your Next Project?
Real wood siding looks great on day one, but it needs re-staining every few years, and it’s vulnerable to moisture, insects, and UV fading. RusticSeries™ solves that with a factory-cured finish on a fire-resistant fiber cement core.
30-year coating warranty — plus James Hardie’s® own fiber cement substrate warranty
Two-tone factory finish — consistent color and grain from board to board, no field painting or staining required
Fire-resistant core — fiber cement doesn’t burn, warp, or attract wood-boring insects the way natural wood can
Low maintenance — no recoating cycle; RusticSeries™ is designed to hold its finish for decades
Coordinating trim & caulking — every RusticSeries™ color ships with a matched solid-color trim recommendation for a finished, intentional look
RusticSeries™ Colors Offered at Mason's Mill & Lumber
Mason’s Mill & Lumber offers 8 RusticSeries™ colors total, a mix of warm browns, greiges, and contemporary greys chosen to cover the range architects and builders ask for most. Each color is factory-applied to James Hardie® fiber cement lap siding and backed by the same 30-year coating warranty. Full specs, descriptions, and sample ordering for each color are in the catalog below.
RusticSeries™ Specs & Warranty
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Frequently Asked Questions
Not exactly — RusticSeries™ is a two-tone coating system made by Woodtone, a finishing specialist, and factory-applied onto James Hardie® fiber cement lap siding (Woodtone also offers it on Allura® fiber cement and LP SmartSide®). Mason's Mill stocks the James Hardie® fiber cement version.
ColorPlus® and TimberHue™ are James Hardie's in-house factory finishes. RusticSeries™ is a separate two-tone finish system from Woodtone, applied to the same James Hardie® fiber cement boards, offering a broader color range (18 total colors) with a distinct two-tone wood-grain look.
RusticSeries™ carries a 30-year coating warranty, in addition to the separate warranty on the James Hardie® fiber cement substrate itself.
Widths from 5.25" to 12", with exposures from 4" to 10.75", in standard 12-foot lengths.
Yes — order a $10 sample in any of the 8 colors we stock; the sample fee is credited toward your full order.
Very little. Because the two-tone finish is factory-applied and cured, RusticSeries™ doesn't require the recoating or re-staining that natural wood siding needs every few years — periodic washing is typically all that's needed.
The factory-applied finish is designed to resist fading better than field-applied paint or stain and is backed by a 30-year coating warranty, though like any exterior finish it can weather gradually over decades of sun exposure.
Yes — RusticSeries™ installs the same way as standard James Hardie® lap siding, making it suitable for new builds and for re-siding existing homes.
Request a RusticSeries Quote
Use the form below to contact our sales team and start your next RusticSeries by Woodtone project today!