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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Thermac Poplar — Cutek Extreme Clear Finish
Thermac Poplar is a thermally modified Appalachian hardwood produced by Bingaman & Son Lumber from native Pennsylvania yellow poplar. Using only heat and steam — no chemicals, plastics, or additives — the wood is heated in a low-oxygen environment to fundamentally alter its cell structure. This process removes the sugars and moisture that fungi and insects need to survive, while permanently reducing the wood's ability to absorb water. The result is a stable, rot-resistant hardwood with a warm, chocolate-brown color that runs consistently through the entire board, not just the surface.
Yellow poplar is particularly well-suited to thermal modification: it's a domestically abundant, fast-growing hardwood that emerges from the process with excellent dimensional stability, a smooth grain, and a rich color that rivals more exotic species. Independent testing on thermally modified yellow poplar has demonstrated Durability Class 1 ("very durable") performance against wood-destroying fungi, placing it in the same durability tier as many tropical hardwoods.
Each board is finished with Cutek Extreme Clear, a penetrating oil that migrates deep into the wood fibers rather than forming a surface film. Cutek's core function is dimensional stabilization — it works from inside the board to slow moisture movement, which is what causes cupping, checking, and end-splitting in exterior wood. Because the finish penetrates rather than coats, it cannot peel or flake, and maintenance requires no sanding or stripping — just clean the surface and re-apply when it looks dry. The clear formulation adds no pigment, so the poplar's natural thermally-modified brown will show through initially and gradually transition to a silver-gray patina if left unmaintained with a colortone.
Ideal for exterior siding, soffits, porch ceilings, cladding, and covered outdoor applications where a domestic hardwood with contemporary durability is desired.
Specifications
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Species | Yellow Poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) — thermally modified |
| Product Line | Thermac by Bingaman & Son Lumber |
| Origin | Appalachian / Pennsylvania hardwood |
| Modification | Thermal modification — heat and steam only, no chemicals |
| Finish | Cutek Extreme Clear (penetrating oil) |
| Finish Type | Oil-based, non-film-forming |
| Color | Rich chocolate brown, consistent through the full board |
| Weathering | Silvers to gray patina over time if not maintained with colortone |
| Durability Class | Class 1 ("very durable") when tested per EN 350 standards |
| Janka Hardness | ~500–615 lbf (thermally modified yellow poplar) |
| Dimensional Stability | Significantly improved vs. untreated poplar; tangential/radial movement ~1.1–1.2% |
| Service Life | Designed for up to 25 years in exterior applications |
| Applications | Exterior siding, soffits, porch ceilings, cladding, covered outdoor living, trim |
| Maintenance | Clean and re-oil with Cutek Extreme as needed — no sanding or stripping required |
| Sustainability | Domestic, fast-growing hardwood; chemical-free modification process |
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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!