Quality Wood
Named for its uniquely rich hue, Reclaimed Redwood is sought after for internal paneling projects to show off the deep varying shades of earthy red. Striking as it is inside, Redwood is also valued for external siding not only for it’s appearance, but also because it is rot-resistant.
Most of our Redwood stock was cut from old growth Redwood trees; you can see it in the tightness of the wood’s grain. Logging of old growth Redwoods has been tremendously reduced, and this recycled material simply cannot be matched by new wood.
Our Inventory
Crossroads’ salvage Redwood stock is very diverse, from tank wood that is clear and makes perfect lumber (with the exception of some occasional iron oxide staining), to our Redwood “Pitwood” that is very rough. We also have Redwood timbers salvaged from the demolition of Pacific Lumber Company’s Mill B in Scotia, California that are a bit rough but can be sawn into very nice stock with some big bolt holes with black stain.
Redwood has historically been used in food storage because of its resistance to decomposition. What we call our Tank Stock was deconstructed from large water, wine, and pickle tanks. We have clear tank Redwood in our inventory from the Calaveras County Water Department, as well as various wineries around California. These tanks range from 60-90 years old, and this high quality Redwood makes beautiful siding and paneling!
Our tank wood comes in the following dimensions in lengths from 10 to 20 feet: 3X6 (net 2.5X5.5), 3X10 (net 2.5X9), and 3X12 (net 2.5X11).Timbers taken out of the Pacific Lumber Company’s Mill B in Fort Bragg come in the following dimensions in lengths from 6 to 21 feet: 4X12, 8X8, 8X10, 10X10, 10X12, and 12X12.
As a marker of an age bygone, old-growth Redwood barn siding is also very popular. Call to inquire about our different styles of reclaimed barn Redwood. Inventory comes and goes around here, and is always subject to change.
Earth’s Largest Organisms
Redwood trees themselves are wondrous organism and have been a celebrated part of Californian culture, history, and heritage. The vast majority of our Redwood stock is from Coastal Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens), also called California Redwood, which is the state tree of California. The world’s tallest tree, Hyperion in Redwood National Park, is a Coastal Redwood reaching 379.1 feet tall and is the tallest living organism known to humankind.
In recent years scientists have discovered that the canopy of the Redwood forest even supports it’s own small ecosystems, consisting of other trees and plants, and even small animals such as salamanders and voles that spend their entire lifecycle in the Redwood canopy, high above the forest floor.
Mankind & The Redwoods
This incredible species left European pioneers in the Americas awestruck, and much of the Redwood forests were logged. After 200 years of logging, only 5% of the original estimated two million acres of Redwood Forest remain.
Redwood logging was the subject of heavy controversy and public protest throughout the 1990s, and several organizations exist today to preserve the California Redwoods. The Mendocino Redwood Company is one organization that practices sustainable Redwood logging along with forest stewardship.
Redwood logging and conservation are topics as big as the trees themselves, and Crossroads recommends National Geographic’s 2009 article “The Super Trees” by Joel Bourne, as one source for more information. Using reclaimed Redwood is a way to allow for the pleasing aesthetic of Redwood in your home or commercial project without contributing to deforestation of Redwood forests.
