Why Old Growth Wood Is Better - Home Inspection Did You Know Facts

Why Old Growth Wood Is Better

If you're repairing an old house, there is no better wood than old-growth wood. It's hard to come by, but it is worth looking for it because it is the best performing and most appropriate option for such a usage--especially if you're using it for exterior repairs on wood.

What is it?

Old-growth wood is lumber that was naturally grown in a large virgin forests. This means it was slow growing and allowed to grow for many years, compared to lumber coming from harvested forests which are cut down and replanted every few years.

Old growth lumber comes from forests that are natural and abundant and aren't being used for harvesting. The trees grow much slower due to limited light and because of natural competition from other trees. This slow growth rate packs in the growth rings, which gives the wood huge benefits.

These virgin forests began to be seriously depleted beginning in the 1900s, and by the 1940s, the majority of them had disappeared completely. That's when lumber prices shot up and Americans began searching for substitutes, including new-growth and second-growth wood like we use today.