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Manufacturing
Antique heart pine does not come from standing trees. All
of the few remaining original-growth trees—trees old
enough to produce mostly heartwood—are protected, as
they should be. Thus, the process to locate and mill this
limited treasure requires more labor and time.
Prices vary widely depending on the grade and may range from
less than $5 to more than $20 per square foot.
Step 1: Discovery— Whether old buildings
are dismantled or logs are raised from river bottoms, a great
deal of effort is expended to save this wood. Wood reclaimed
from old buildings and docks must first be located and judged
to determine its quality.
To find logs in rivers requires a diver to swim along murky
river bottoms and raise each log by hand so there is no disturbance
to the riverbed environment. The divers are required to hold
special permits, take specific river habitat protection training
and pass surprise inspections. Goodwin has been fortunate
enough to work with the same divers for more than 20 years.
Step 2: Sawing—Each log is fed through
the saw to become lumber of varying dimensions. Because the
log may be several hundred years old, it is critical to carefully
render the highest quality timber possible and to keep waste
to a minimum.
Step 3: Air Drying—The lumber is then
air dried for weeks or months depending on the thickness.
Careful air-drying allows the wood to release excess moisture
in a natural manner. This step is critical to ensure the wood
is not dried too quickly, which can result in large cracks
and checks.
Step 4: Kiln Drying—The lumber is
placed inside a huge kiln for 7 to 14 days, again depending
on thickness of the wood. The proper moisture content is critical
so that the flooring will acclimate correctly to your project
setting.
Step 5: Milling—This is the careful
process of turning lumber into flooring, paneling and other
fine wood products. Milling procedures include multi-step
defect removal, providing intricate mouldings or very smooth
surfaces as needed for your project.
Step 6: Sorting and Grading—Sorting
and grading is the point where the professionals stand apart
from the amateurs. True sorting and grading begins immediately
after sawing the logs and occurs again multiple times throughout
all other processes to ensure only the finest product makes
it into your project. Goodwin uses a multi-step procedure
to eliminate costly waste and ensure the products you receive
are 100% usable.
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