Reclaimed Old Growth Redwood

People often ask "Where do you get your wood?" I'm going to try and answer that while not giving away any secrets. Some of this information may have already been covered in some of our earlier Blog Posts on Logging History in the past few months.

The first thing you need to know is that there is more than one part to a tree. First you have the tree, which when fallen and bucked (de-limbed and sectioned), become logs. Then you have the remainder of the root that is in the ground, called a stump. Each part, the log and the stump will yield different types of products.

If you read up on the subject, as I have over the years, you will find that this whole county was logged between 1850 and 1960's. However, Redwood trees (Sequoia Sempervirens) didn't begin being logged until 1855. By that time they had figured out how to deal with such a massive tree. The logger’s method at the time was called "Clear Cutting".  It is a method in which all of the trees in an area are cut down to a uniform size.

Clear cutting Old Growth Redwoods took our Redwood forests from just over 2 Million acres down to the remaining 133,000 that remain today. At some point logging companies thought ahead and started replanting Redwoods so they would be able to harvest them again in the years to come. This wood is what we now call Second Growth Redwood. Old Growth has a much different character than Second Growth, caused by the density of the growth rings giving the wood a darker or almost brown look. Second Growth appears more pink in color, which is generally what you will find at the lumber yard. The Growth rings in Second Growth are usually only 60 to 100 for the whole tree, not 2000 - 3000 or more you would find in an Old Growth tree.

As lumber companies today harvest the trees they were replanted over the last 100 they are finding many old logs that were left behind during the earlier clear cuts. It seems if the log had any defects in it, it was left in the woods because it had no commercial value at the time. Believe it or not, the ‘defects’ at the time would have been curls in the grain, or burl formations of any kind. This wood was considered not structurally sound and could not be used to make lumber. As we all know, lumber is strong because of the way it is cut with the grain, running the length of the board to make it sturdy. Curly character or burl in the grain would cause lumber to snap under pressure.

Although these left over logs are not good for lumber, other markets have found a great use for them. For example, there are many wood burning power plants up and down the coast where they will chip and grind a whole log, just to make saw dust, to produce fuel for the plant. We purchase these logs and using a specialized mill cut them into slabs for tables and other product. We also use the top and bottom cuts, which are narrower, to make Fireplace Mantels, which are one of our most popular products. This Old growth Redwood typically has grain running the length of the piece as well as lots of character.

 For every tree that was cut, a stump was left in its place. We are talking millions if not billions of stumps here. Many of these stumps are in places not easily accessible and still in the forest of Second Growth trees. Many of these stumps are old and rotten and can have numerous new redwood trees sprouting around the base. Some of the trees cut in the last 60 or so years have stumps that are still somewhat sound and solid. Some of these areas where stumps are located are now in the hands of private landowners. These new landowners usually want to build on their land, and with this new construction comes roads and driveways. To make these access ways, they need to remove stumps. Companies are hired with excavators and big trucks to pull out just enough of the stumps to build the roads to their homes. People see the value in these stumps and come to us to sell them. We sometimes have Low Boys in our yard with only one big stump in it, but usually there are at least 3-5. 

Low-Boy delivering stumps.

 Where the logs can just be power-washed and milled, these stumps require a bit more preparation. You can’t just pick up a saw and start cutting. It takes many hours of power-washing to remove all the dirt, rocks and other debris from between the roots before they can be milled. It is definitely worth the time as these roots contain some of the best wood that can be found. These Root Slabs, also called Burl Slabs come in all different sizes. They make great Dining Tables, Coffee Tables, Fireplace Mantels, as well as anything else you can imagine.

Power Washing. It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it.

Purchasing wood in this way provides us with reliable sources for Reclaimed Old Growth Redwood. We do not buy Redwood slabs, blocks, or any other forms of Redwood from people off the street. Having been in this business for more than 40 yeas now, we know who the legitimate sources are.

Over the last few months there has been national and world-wide coverage of the Redwood Poaching happening in our local area. We have participated in countless interviews and answered questions for news articles related to the subject. We truly believe that nothing good comes from the harming of such majestic trees. We live here surrounded by these beautiful giant trees. In fact, I see them every single day, as they grow in my yard.

If you are ever in the area, please be sure to stop in and see our facility. I would suggest you plan ahead and give us a call beforehand to make sure that Landon will be around to talk with you and show you around a bit.

 

A view from the tower looking at the eastern part of the yard.