Did You Know ...?
Did you know … In American hardwood forestry, the predominant harvesting method is single-tree-selection as opposed to clear cutting. This method closely resembles natural, healthy forest life-cycles when individual trees fall or die from natural causes, allowing sunlight and nutrients to enter the canopy which enables seedlings and smaller trees to grow vigorously.
Did you know … Sustainable forest management involves harvesting no more than what the forest grows, nor degrading the forest’s capability for growth. Currently, American forests grow twice as much hardwood as is harvested each year.
Did you know … To create engineered veneers, logs are processed as usual for veneers. A rotary lathe peels the log, and then the sheet of veneer is clipped into shorter sections called “leaves’. Depending on the particular color and pattern being produced, the veneers are stacked with alternating colors and then glued together into a large block of wood. They are then re-sliced to create the desired grain pattern, color and texture.
Did you know … Since carbon is believed to be one of the factors responsible for climate change, carbon-neutral materials are considered favorable for environmentally friendly projects. Wood is considered a carbon-negative material since it sequesters and stores carbon rather than emitting or producing carbon. Add to this that very little fossil fuel is needed to produce wood (in comparison to other building materials like steel, concrete or glass) and that virtually all of the waste can be utilized or recycled.
Did you know … As trees grow, they absorb carbon from the atmosphere and store it, while releasing pure oxygen. A tree that dies naturally releases the stored carbon as it decomposes. However, when a tree is responsibly harvested for use as cabinetry or a building product, the carbon remains stored in the wood for the life of the product.
Did you know … In U.S. forests, many more trees are lost to forest fires, insects, blight and other natural causes than are harvested for paper and timber. Forest owners plant more than 650 million new trees each year, almost twice as much as what is harvested.
Did you know … The volume of hardwood in American forests today is 90% larger than it was 50 years ago. Because of sustainable forestry practices, American hardwood is abundant and renewable.