Timbershoppe endeavors to promote and use environmentally friendly products whenever possible. Our early beginnings in the log home industry were a natural progression down this path. We try to use "dry, standing dead" timber whenever practical. It has many advantages; first it provides us with a dry product, much more dimensionally stable for the construction of log and timber homes. Second, traditional mills have little use for such timbers and rather than waste them are happy to sell them to producers that can process them. Ultimately we use what is often a waste product in a green and environmentally sustainable manner.
Many species are represented in the sustainable logging arena, but by far the most predominant would be "beetle kill" pine. An insect born plague caused by consecutive warm winters imperils much of British Columbia's pine forest. The only known preventative measure is cut block logging that tries to contain the spread of this pest. Log and timber home producers, like Timbershoppe, try to utilize as much Beetle Kill lumber as possible. While not causing any permanent structural damage to the pine, the beetle does leave a gray blue stain in the outer most layers of the wood. Many people enjoy this look, but if you don't desire it, machining will often remove much of the staining.
Reclaimed lumber is becoming prevalent in the building industry. From re-sawn boards and wide plank flooring to deadfall and dry stump shake and shingles, Timbershoppe is your producer of choice. Complete with character machining, nail marks, and ancient scarring, products such as this not only retain a great patina, but also often provide the tight growth rate and rot resistance known only in old growth forests.
