Wood

Almost all the old growth forests have been cut down, the little that is left has been largely set aside for recreation and habitat preservation. This means that the large, beautiful, and durable wood planks derived from giant old trees are no longer available as a resource. And given how precious those remaining trees are, they shouldn’t. As we work to slow climate change and protect our existing forests, new technologies are helping us to change the resource base.

Types of Material Available

There are three main alternatives to cutting down old growth forests. Reclaiming or recycling existing wood products preserves this wood for other generations to appreciate and enjoy, and prevents standing forests from being cut down. Certified wood has undergone third party verification and certification to ensure that it came from a sustainably managed forest. Engineered wood can be made from rapidly renewable resources (like aspen trees) by binding together smaller strips of wood.

Reclaimed Wood

Most wood harvested prior to 1950 was from giant trees in mature old growth forests. Almost all the wood reclaimed today originally came from these old-growth forests. It is increasingly rare wood of exceptional quality and beauty. Instead of being dumped in a landfill, this wood can be conserved for another generation to appreciate and use. It is also a reminder to all of us that all resources on our planet are, in fact, finite.

This wood comes from old warehouses, barns, fencing and other structures that have outlived their usefulness. Ideally, this reclaimed wood would be reused and resold in close local markets, thus, eliminating the financial and ecological costs of hauling and travel to distant locations. Urban salvage wood, another type of reclaimed wood, comes from trees that are cut down in urban areas that would otherwise go to waste.

FSC Certified Wood

The Forest Stewardship Council certifies and tracks wood using developed standards and guidelines for the management and cutting of forested areas. Using FSC certified wood ensures that it came from a sustainably managed forest. FSC wood purchased from local suppliers will reflect a bundle or piece number which can be traced directly back to the forest where that piece of lumber was harvested. This gives consumers the ability to verify that the wood in their home came from a forest that will continue to be healthy and productive into the future.

Green building allows us to ask questions - “Is this product logged in a way that contributes to habitat preservation, water conservation, and protection of indigenous peoples and animals?” When we use FSC certified wood, we can be assured that the answer is yes.

Engineered Lumber

Cutting rectangular pieces from round logs wastes an amazing amount of the tree. New technology uses smaller, faster growing trees (like Aspen) and pieces that previously would have been waste. The wood is cut into long, thin strips that are oriented in the same direction and laminated together, creating a piece of lumber that is longer, stronger, and straighter than anything you can cut from a tree today. New manufacturing processes convert 75% of a log into structural lumber compared to 50% using traditional sawmill methods.

The stiffness and straightness of engineered beams, headers, columns, and posts make it the lumber choice for green residential and commercial construction. While engineered lumber costs more than traditional lumber, it is perfectly straight, which can eliminate the need for reworking and plumbing of walls, resulting in time and labor savings. Engineered lumber doesn’t shrink, which results in a higher quality structure and more durable finishes.

The manufacturing processes used to make engineered lumber neutralize a log’s natural defects. Sheets of veneer peeled from these logs undergo a closely controlled drying process at the plant. Under constant monitoring, each sheet of veneer is ultrasonically graded for uniform strength, width and dryness. These sheets are laid up with all grain parallel to recreate the properties of lumber as they are permanently bonded together.

Aspen trees are a member of the poplar family, their roots grow together so that when you see a stand of Aspen’s, you’re actually looking at one organism. The smaller trees from a stand can now be cut and used to make engineered lumber. The larger organism recognizes the loss of the smaller “flowers” and sends up fast-growing replacements. This means an Aspen stand can create new lumber every three to five years without diminishing in quality, a rapidly renewable resource.