Our Quality Standards
-
We only cut from
high quality logs. 50 percent would grade as veneer or stave
logs. That's why we don't cut or sell any lower grades. We
don't see them in the better logs. A bigger better log gets
bigger boards. We specialize in quarter sawing red and white
oak.
- We don't cut nearly as much as our
competitors, but we take extra time and care handling the
logs and only buy fresh cut logs. Our competitors buy in
large lots and take it all. Their logs are usually not end
coated when they are fresh cut, you may get end-checked
wood. Their logs sit for months in the hot weather before
they are cut. We mill maple within 1 to 2 weeks of being
felled and oak within 4 weeks.
- Our wood is checked daily for moisture
loss immediately after being milled. It doesn't sit around
in piles in the hot sun checking. Our wood is protected
during transport to avoid over drying by the wind. White oak
can surface check in hours this way. You don't see those
surface checks after the wood has dried because the checks
have closed up.
- None of the wood we dry is air-dried
outside before being put into the Kiln. Air-drying causes
too much degrade, especially in the oak family. You cannot
control the weather and take the risk of over drying,
re-wetting by rain, or under drying.
- We keep our Kiln Dried Wood in
conditioned air to keep it at 6-7 percent moisture content.
The most important thing to realize about wood is just
because it is dried correctly down to 6 and 7 percent
moisture content, doesn't mean it will stay there after it
is pulled from the kiln and piled in an open warehouse. That
is what our competitors do.
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