Humboldt Sawmill:
Reacquainting Dealers
with Redwood
Few trees excite the imagination like the coast redwood. Native to Northern California, the coast redwood grows in a narrow band along the Pacific Ocean where the soil is rich, rain and fog abundant, and sunshine nourishing. The wood from coast redwood trees has been prized for centuries for its qualities of decay and termite resistance, beauty, stability, and performance under fire exposure. With the advent of alternative wood products and importation of tropical wood species, some lumber industry insiders may have forgotten or never been exposed to redwood as a premium building material. And that is something Humboldt Sawmill is working to change.
“Now is a great time to get reacquainted with redwood,” says Jason Faulkner, VP, Mill Sales for Humboldt Sawmill. “Redwood can be used just about anywhere Western Red Cedar or tropical hardwoods are used and performs as well, if not better, in many of the same applications.”
Humboldt Sawmill is part of the Mendocino Companies, a vertically integrated forest products business with a large footprint across the Western U.S. The company owns nearly 450,000 acres of redwood and Douglas-fir timberlands and three sawmills in California, as well as six wood treating plants in California, Colorado, Oregon, Utah, and Washington and four standalone distribution centers in California and Hawaii. Managed to the highest environmental standards, the Mendocino Companies’ timberlands, sawmills, treating, and distribution operations are certified to the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC® C013133).
Because redwood lumber is sourced from native trees in the U.S. and not manufactured from petroleum-based materials or imported from far away countries, it has a much lower carbon footprint than similar products. The Cradle-to-Gate Life-Cycle Assessment of Redwood Lumber in the United States study from USDA Forest Service researchers Richard Bergman PhD and Kamalakanta Sahoo PhD found that redwood lumber stored about 12 times the total greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) released during cradle-to-gate product manufacturing.
Lightweight and a pleasure to work with, redwood is stronger than alternative materials. For example, redwood deck boards can span up to 24-inches, saving time and money during deck construction. Redwood decking also features Class B flame spread, meaning it’s approved for use in California’s Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) fire hazard severity zones without restrictions. Naturally occurring tannins in redwood heartwood (from the center of the tree) render it durable and resistant to decay and termites. Redwood also holds finishes extremely well. But it is the beauty of redwood that stands out most with its rich red tones and unique grain character, which cannot be matched by man-made alternatives.
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“From the beginning, our stated purpose has been to demonstrate it is possible to manage productive timberlands with a high standard of environmental stewardship and operate a successful business,” says Jessica Hewitt, Director, Marketing for the Mendocino Companies. “Some of the forest first practices we employ on the property include growing more than is harvested, preserving old growth trees, and planning harvests that result in a forest landscape that supports wildlife habitat and protects sensitive species and water quality.”
“There are two things that we want the public to know,” Bergman explains. “One, redwood products are being harvested on a sustainable basis while adhering to forest certification schemes along with California Forest Practice Rules which are some of the most stringent regulations found in the U.S. today. What this means specifically is that the gain-growth of the redwood forest exceeds the loss-mortality or cutting of the redwood forest. Two, the redwood products have very low environmental impacts compared to non-wood products and are a natural solution to mitigating GHG emissions.”
Redwood from Humboldt Sawmill is sourced from nearly 450,000 acres of company-owned, sustainably managed timberlands in Northern California.
Humboldt Sawmill offers a full line of redwood products for dealers and distributors to choose from including decking, timbers, and uppers. Redwood decking is available in 2-inch thickness. Redwood timbers are available in 6-inch and larger thicknesses. Redwood decking and timbers are available in lengths from 6-24 feet. Redwood uppers are available in 1-inch, 2-inch, and 4-inch thicknesses and in lengths from 6-20 feet. All products are available in a variety of premium grades and finish characteristics including surfaced and rough.
Humboldt Sawmill provides complete architectural specification resources including CSI 3-part and Canadian CSC formatted specification, BIM objects, CAD drawings, product catalogs, videos, and LEED credit information, to name a few. The company also offers opportunities for architects and other specifiers to meet their continuing education requirements. The company’s three American Institute of Architects (AIA) LU/HSW accredited CEU courses are accepted by more than 25 different associations for their respective continuing education requirements.
Join dealers and distributors nationwide and get reacquainted with redwood by contacting Jason Faulkner, VP, Mill Sales by email jfaulkner@mendoco.com. For all other information, please visit https://www.getredwood.com/dealers-distributors.
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"From the beginning, our stated purpose has been to demonstrate it is possible to manage productive timberlands with a high standard of environmental stewardship and operate a successful business."
Jessica Hewitt, Director, Marketing for the Mendocino Companies.
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