Bright blue is in the air here and there in the Richmond area. Houses are being framed with a blue-colored wood guaranteed to protect against mold.

BluWood is more expensive than regular wood, but it blocks the growth of mold and protects lumber from fungus, wood rot and insects, said Charles Morando, founder of WoodSmart Solutions in Boca Raton, Fla., which developed the product.

A production and distribution plant for the product, one of 22 in the country, opened last year in northern Hanover County. A similar product is on the market, but it provides no protection for moisture or the most aggressive termites, Morando said.

"Smurf blue attracts a lot of attention," said Nicholas Quercetti Jr., executive vice president of BluWood Structures of Virginia, which is licensed to do business in Maryland and southern Delaware in addition to Virginia.

About a dozen projects, mostly in the Richmond area, have used BluWood -- some for framing, others for trusses or floor systems. The cost for BluWood is 20 percent to 25 percent higher than regular wood.

Lumber is treated at the Doswell plant in a two-step process. A micro-polymer film is applied to control moisture absorption, providing a water repellant but breathable surface. A salt-based preservative provides protection against rot and wood-ingesting insects, in effect dehydrating termites and carpenter ants and bees so they can't survive.

Blue aside, BluWood is green -- meaning it's environmentally friendly.

It contains no volatile organic compounds (chemical gases) and it is certified as a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) product.

"We found a whole new direction for treated lumber," Morando said.

Marianne Finney, owner of Dream Homes by Marianne in Prince George County, said she plans to use BluWood in all her houses.

"It is a fabulous product," she said. "It makes me a better builder and sets me apart."

She is using the product in a house under construction for a homeowner with severe allergy problems and she is getting ready to build her second house with BluWood. "The other great feature, besides mold prevention, is it protects against decay." It also helps keep lumber from twisting, she said.

Harrington Construction Inc. in Myrtle Beach, S.C., has been using BluWood on every project since 2004, said Douglas Jaskot. "It's a safeguard against liability issues for mold and termites," he said.

Morando said he could have chosen any color to distinguish the product. But blue seems to be a hit. "It's an appealing, friendly color and it stands out."

More than 100,000 homes have been built with BluWood across the country since he started the business as a second career about six years ago, he said.

"I've been in coating manufacturing my whole life, so this development is over 35 years in the making," Morando said.

His research into an alternative product started with concerns about lumber containing arsenic, a wood preservative. Arsenic-treated wood was the standard for the industry for 40 years, but voluntarily removed from the market about seven years ago.

Most lumber has no protection from the elements during construction. Morando claims that BluWood can sit for up to six months unprotected and provide the same resistance to moisture and rot as it did when it was delivered.

Pressure treated wood used mostly for decks provides protection from rot fungi and wood-ingesting insects but no protection from mold or moisture control, Morando said.

Plus, you wouldn't want pressure treated wood behind the walls of your house, he said. It contains heavy metals, which can leach out and be toxic in an enclosed area.

Gray Stettinius, president of the Home Building Association of Richmond, said he has heard about the product, but it is so new that it will take a while to catch on.

"I don't think it's taken off here yet, and I don't know if it will," said Stettinius, president of Tuckahoe Creek Construction Inc., a custom home builder in Goochland County.

There are other options besides using this product to combat mold, he said.

"Mold and mildew are everywhere. Good building practices, being conscientious and aware of moisture control go a long way in minimizing the impact."

People are paying more attention to mold, Stettinius said. Plus, tighter homes that don't allow for air circulation may contribute to a slight rise in mold problems, he said.

BluWood is offered as an option for houses in Bel Crest, a maintenance-free community in Powhatan. Houses there, featuring "old-world European" architecture, start in the $490,000s.

The community, which opened a few months ago, has space for 100 houses. About 12 are built, including a spec house going up with BluWood.

"We really try to stay on the leading edge of technologies and building materials and design trends," said Bel Crest builder Joe Hill of Bel Arbor Builders in Chesterfield County.

"We're an EarthCraft builder, environmentally green and conscious, so the BluWood package fits into our scenario."

Morando said BluWood is doing just as well in Minnesota as it is in Florida.

Two homes in New Orleans built with the product will be featured next Sunday at 8 p.m. on the ABC TV Network Extreme Makeover Home Edition Show.
Contact Carol Hazard at (804) 775-8023 or chazard@timesdispatch.com.