That stat about old growth lumber hit me today

I was looking up some info for a restoration job on a house from the 1920s. Found out that a single old growth Douglas fir tree could yield boards with 40 to 60 growth rings per inch. Compared to today's plantation grown stuff which might have 4 to 6 rings per inch. That means the old lumber is way denser and more rot resistant. No wonder those old window frames last a hundred years. Makes me wonder how much of what we build now is gonna be around for our grandkids to work on.

2 comments

2 Comments

kellymurphy15h ago

So we're all supposed to feel bad about wood now?

leebrown13h ago

Supposed to feel bad about wood" - that's just crazy talk. Look, nobody's saying we should feel guilty for building a house or using a wooden spoon. But when you see how they're clear cutting ancient forests just for disposable crap like toilet paper and shipping pallets, it starts to hit different.