Dead standing timber
Posted: November 15, 2011
After doing this for so long we sometimes forget to answer the most common questions. A common question we get is, “So, what exactly is standingtimber?”
Dead-standing trees refer to trees that have been killed in the forest by a naturally occurring event. The majority of dead-standing trees in Montana are a result of forest fires or insect epidemics, like that found in Beetle Kill Pine lumber. After the event occurs the tree dies naturally in the forest, hence the name standing dead timber. Most large sawmills won’t accept dead-standing trees because once they have died, the decaying process takes place. Most sawmills are set up to process “green” or living trees to maximize efficiency and reduce waste.
We at Sustainable Lumber Co. find value in dead-standing timber and SFI-certified wood. When we process our standing dead timber we cut away the sap rot and are left with the heartwood, Doug Fir heartwood produces the beautiful reddish amber tones in our Douglas Fir wood floors.
Another advantage to standing dead timber is the logs have been cured naturally over time. For many of our exterior products, there is no need to kiln dry the lumber, mother nature dries it naturally using only time and our dry climate.
By sustainable wood flooring, you are helping us reduce forest fuels and utilizing millions of acres of salvaged dead-standing trees.