|
|
Home > Flooring > Wood > Reclaimed >
Trestlewood II Salty Fir Flooring
Item #:
TIISF
Douglas Fir | Unfinished Solid | Reclaimed
Trestlewood
II flooring products are sawn from Douglas Fir piling of the Great Salt
Lake's Lucin Cutoff railroad trestle. Trestlewood II flooring textures
available include smooth, circle-sawn, wire-brush and original face
circle-sawn / skip-planed.
The
salt and other minerals of the Great Salt Lake have helped create our
signature Trestlewood II product line, known for its wide range of
colors and other unique characteristics.
Standard Trestlewood II flooring widths are random, 3" to 7".
Please study Trestlewood II specification
sheets and the Features/Issues document carefully to familiarize
yourself with Trestlewood II characteristics and their possible
implications for your application.
|
Our Price: PLEASE CALL
Quantity
Utah's Great Salt Lake is the address of the historic Lucin Cutoff Railroad Trestle and
its tens of millions of board feet of Douglas Fir timbers and piling
and Redwood decking. Of course, the bulk of those rail lines
were built during the mining and lumber booms at the beginning of the
century, and are now sitting derelict. Thanks to the efforts of Trestlewood Lumber, the wood of the trestle is being
reclaimed and reused.
Now you can have a piece of that history in
your home. Trestlewood carefully tear down trestles and warehouses which have
passed their safe lifetime. Then, they re-mill the lumber into
beautiful floors and roof beams full of character. They offer white and
yellow pine and fir timber, and the colors of the wood are the unique
product of a hundred years of summer heat, soaking in saltwater, or
being stained by iron nails -- truly unmatched in new wood.
From spike holes in resawn timbers to
the unique coloring of flooring produced from "pickled" piling, the
wood reclaimed from the trestle bears the stamp of the Great Salt Lake.
This wood is now as much a product of the Great Salt Lake as it is of
the forests from which it was originally cut.
Trestlewood II Features/Issues
15 Jan 2001
You would be hard-pressed to find a more unique and exciting reclaimed wood product line than
Trestlewood II flooring, timbers, accessories and poles. Many of Trestlewood II's unique features
are attributable to the salt and other minerals it gained from its nearly 100 years of service as
railroad trestle piling in the Great Salt Lake. These features translate into a great product. They
also create various practical issues which need to be considered when using Trestlewood II
products. Following is an alphabetized summary of some of the things we and our partners have
learned, primarily through experience, about Trestlewood II features and issues.
Color
Colors found in Trestlewood II include yellows, oranges, reds, browns, greens, grays/blacks and
purples. The coloring of individual boards and timbers varies widely, from normal Douglas Fir
coloring to color combinations unique to Trestlewood II.
Textures and finishes impact final Trestlewood II floor and accessory coloring. Surfacing and
finishes influence final timber coloring. Color variations are more noticeable in planed timbers than
in band-sawn or circle-sawn timbers. Similarly, color variations are not as noticeable in band-sawn
millwork stock as in finished floors and other finished millwork products.
Final Trestlewood II product coloring, then, is determined by the interaction of several factors. The
result is that each Trestlewood II application, whether it be a floor, a timber package or a set of
cabinets, has its own distinctive, unique coloring.
Durability / Decay Resistance
"In the end, I think our tests would permit one to conclude that the Trestlewood is slightly more
durable than normal Douglas-fir, particularly in the sapwood. This durability is temporal and the
materials still must be protected with a conventional preservative in soil exposures where decay is
likely to occur. One potential benefit of a more durable material, however, would be a diminished
risk of internal decay once the product has been placed in service. This would be particularly
useful for larger products such as bridge timbers, railroad ties or poles, where there is a large
amount of untreated wood surrounded by a shell of treatment."
-- Jeffrey J. Morrell, Oregon State University, 26 Oct 1994
Electrical Conductivity
Salt is a metal and is, therefore, a conductor of electricity. It is probably not advisable to use
Trestlewood II as power poles or in other applications involving high electrical voltages.
Finishes
The most important note to make here is: Do not use water based finishes.
Solvent based finishes seem to work well. Glossy polyurethanes with high solid contents have
worked especially well (gloss finishes can be sanded lightly at the end of the finish work to give
them the desired texture-semi-gloss, flat, etc.) Check the labels on polyurethanes to make sure
that they are not water-borne products.
Fire Retardance
Schuller International performed an ASTM E-84 Flame Spread test on a Trestlewood II piling
sample in January, 1995. The resulting index value was 16.
The lower its index value, the more fire retardant a material is. The Forest Product Laboratory's
Wood Engineering Handbook (1990) indicates that in the building codes, flame spread
requirements are specified as Class I or A (< 25), Class II or B (26-75) and Class III or C (76-200).
Normal Douglas Fir has a flame spread index of 70-100. Only a few wood species have flame
spread index values less than 75. Fire retardant treatments are generally necessary to meet Class
I (and often to meet Class II).
Glues
Not all glues are created equal when it comes to Trestlewood II. Glues which have generally
worked well with Trestlewood II include National Casing's Quick C brown glue and yellow glues
such as Titebond. Polyurethane glues have produced mixed results.
In general, Trestlewood II requires the use of more glue than most wood. One of our partners who
uses Titebond to laminate doors reports that it is important to move quickly--the Trestlewood II
seems to accelerate the rate at which the glue dries.
We are interested in your feedback about glues that have and have not worked for you.
Grading (See Also: "Strength")
Trestlewood II timbers can be graded (WWPA) upon request. We highly recommend that any
Trestlewood II timbers that are to be used in a structural application be graded. Graded timbers,
like all other Trestlewood products, are subject to Trestlewood's Product Liability and Return Policy.
Kiln Drying - See "Moisture"
Leaching, Salt - See "Salt Leaching"
Metal Corrosiveness
The salt and other minerals in Trestlewood II make the corrosion of metal fasteners a potential
issue. We recommend the use of stainless steel fasteners in lieu of regular steel fasteners,
especially if your application involves the likely mixing of Trestlewood II, moisture and oxygen. We
have used galvanized steel fasteners successfully, although we have received some feedback
suggesting that certain galvanizing agents can react with the salt in Trestlewood II. Of course, the
wooden pegs commonly used in timber frame applications offer another good solution.
If you are planning to further process Trestlewood II, you should be aware of the corrosive effect
that Trestlewood II can have on machinery and saw blades. The negative impact on your
machinery can be minimized through a regular, thorough cleaning routine. Nothing you do will
change the fact that you will go through saw blades more quickly when processing Trestlewood II
than when processing most other types of wood.
Moisture
All Trestlewood II flooring products are produced from stock kiln dried to 8% moisture content or
below (the moisture content of kiln-dried Trestlewood II stock and the flooring produced therefrom
does not stay at this level, but typically increases, given wood's tendency to reabsorb moisture to
the point that it is in equilibrium with its environment.) Many Trestlewood II accessory products are
also kiln-dried.
There is no such thing as a "dry" Trestlewood II timber, although some Trestlewood II timbers are
wetter than others. Air drying is the primary mechanism by which Trestlewood II timbers lose
moisture. An individual timber's moisture content depends largely on the amount of air dry time the
timber has had since being cut (and when it has had this air dry time--summer air dry time is
generally much more effective than winter air dry time, for example.) Custom-cut Trestlewood II
timbers are likely to be fresh-sawn and, hence, relatively wet.
Trestlewood II timbers can be kiln dried for 12 days. The focus of timber kiln drying is to remove
surface moisture and excess moisture from the outer 1" or so of the timber so that it can be
surfaced and finished as desired. Timbers that are kiln dried for 12 days still have significant
amounts of moisture in them-they are by no means a fully kiln-dried product.
Trestlewood II absorbs moisture more readily than typical Douglas Fir. It should be handled, stored
and transported carefully to minimize any unnecessary reabsorption of moisture.
Moisture is a big issue with all wood floors and accessories. It is an especially big issue with
Trestlewood II. It is crucial that the flooring/accessory installer climatize and install Trestlewood II
in a manner that is consistent with (1) National Wood Flooring Association procedures and (2) the
special characteristics of Trestlewood II.
The environment in which Trestlewood II is being installed is also important. Humid environments
pose special challenges. Oregon State University has done some testing for us which suggests
that Trestlewood II moisture reabsorption is not a concern at 22 degrees Celsius (71.6 degrees
Fahrenheit) and 70% relative humidity, but is a major concern at 32 degrees Celsius (89.6 degrees
Fahrenheit) and 90% relative humidity. Until we know more about the gray area between these
temperature/humidity points, we strongly recommend that Trestlewood II flooring and accessories
not be installed in environments which cannot be kept at or below 22 degrees Celsius and 70%
relative humidity.
The salt in Trestlewood II makes moisture meter readings unreliable. Trestlewood II moisture
content can be determined using an oven dry test.
Odor
Wet Trestlewood II timbers and poles often have a Great Salt Lake smell to them. This odor is
especially strong as wet timbers and poles are being cut or otherwise processed. It tends to
become a minor issue and then a non-issue as the materials are allowed to air dry. We do not
believe this to be an issue with Trestlewood II flooring and other kiln-dried Trestlewood II products
(other than when they are being processed in some way), but we invite those of you with sensitive
senses of smell to check it out for yourselves.
Plants - See "Vegetation"
Salt Leaching
As moisture is drawn out of Trestlewood II timbers, it brings salt with it. Salt leaching tends to be
the most concentrated at knots and timber ends, but can happen anywhere. Kiln drying
Trestlewood II timbers for 12 days (and keeping them dry) reduces, but does not eliminate, salt
leaching. Approaches to salt leaching range from sanding and refinishing impacted areas to doing
nothing (and letting the salt serve as one of the most visible evidences of the history and reclaimed
nature of Trestlewood II timbers.) Salt is more visible on planed timbers than on band-sawn or
circle-sawn timbers.
Salt leaching has not been an issue with kiln-dried flooring and accessory products that are used in
non-humid environments and are kept dry. Reintroducing moisture to Trestlewood II products
makes salt leaching a potential issue even with fully dried products.
Stability
Our experience has been that Trestlewood II is a very stable product. Like all wood, undried
Trestlewood II will experience some shrinkage and develop seasoning checks as it dries. The
drying process also often widens any "prior use checking" associated with Trestlewood II's life of
service as railroad trestle piling. Such checking tends to be more pronounced with timbers (usually
larger than standard dimension) cut from the large diameter (butt) end of the piling. Trestlewood II
does not, in general, twist or warp nearly as much as one would expect green lumber to do.
Strength (See Also: "Grading")
"The long exposure to the saline waters of the Great Salt Lake has not reduced the strength and
stiffness of the Trestlewood piling. The design properties of these piling, or of lumber cut from
these piling, may be considered equal to common Douglas fir piling and lumber from freshly cut
logs."
-- Robert J. Hoyle, Jr., P.E./S.E., 1/15/95
Their favorable overall strength characteristics notwithstanding, Trestlewood II timbers are a
reclaimed wood product. Individual Trestlewood II timbers can have characteristics that can
compromise their structural integrity. In a high percentage of cases, such characteristics can be
visually identified and addressed. In rare cases, timber defects can be difficult to detect.
Timber breakage risks can be greatly reduced (albeit not eliminated) through such steps as (1)
having any timbers that are to be used in structural applications graded and (2) carefully
considering the sizes of timbers to be used (it is wise, for example, to avoid long, skinny pieces.)
Checking, holes (where metal has been removed) and wane tend to be more pronounced in
Trestlewood II timbers wider and/or thicker than 12" than in standard size Trestlewood II timbers
(up to 12" x 12".)
You should assume a high moisture content when consulting design value tables.
Vegetation
Salt tends to kill vegetation. You should be careful about using Trestlewood II in landscaping
applications which bring it into direct contact with desirable plants. On the other hand, you might
consider trying to get some weed control benefits from it!
Weight
Trestlewood II products typically weigh between 4 (kiln-dried) to 5 (undried) pounds per board foot.
The above summary is provided for informational purposes only. We have tried to provide an
accurate summary of our current working knowledge of Trestlewood II. We, however, make no
guarantees about the accuracy of this information. Our Trestlewood II product research is ongoing.
We welcome any feedback from you about your experiences with Trestlewood II products.
Trestlewood II products, like all Trestlewood products, are subject to Trestlewood's Product
Liability and Return Policy.
|