Searching for Reclaimed Wooden Beams in Hayward and Ukiah
Bryan went on another road trip in seach of reclaimed wooden beams. First stop was Hayward to meet with Ken and then he drove up to Ukiah to see Frank Van Vranken. He saw some beautiful reclaimed wooden beams today.
Rain Storms Approaching
The forecast is for rain. Thus, we had to button down our project site and ensure our kiln-dried wood, which was delivered on Monday, will be protected and kept dry as the rain storms come through.
Although everything is covered, we need some additional tarps so the wood is kept dry and protected.
Assessing Beams in Hayward
Bryan had been speaking and corresponding with Ken, who has some reclaimed 6x Douglas Fir beams in Hayward, California. These sounded promising so Bryan scheduled to meet with Ken this morning.
The beams looked good, as they had been covered for the past four + years under tarps. Bryan verified they were sound and straight, and there was a good selection of beams available. Given the forecast for rain, we need to have some clear weather to review the beams in detail and select which beams we require for our project.
Next steps include arranging for transportation of the beams and final milling to meet our requirements.
Reviewing Norcal Wood Products Operations in Ukiah
After leaving Hayward, Bryan headed north to Ukiah. He had not been this far north on Highway #101 and was surprised when the four-lane divided highway became a two-lane highway with no divider. Ukiah was a hike!
Upon reaching Ukiah, Bryan met with the owner of North Cal Wood Products, Frank Van Vranken, who took Bryan on a full tour of his operations. Bryan met Frank at West Coast Green in San Francisco on October 2, 2009.
Frank has an impressive operation in Ukiah. He buys old growth Redwood that has fallen in the forests and mills those huge logs into beautiful beams and posts. As well, Frank deconstructs old buildings and reclaims the wood. Frank can have the old beams graded for structural use.
North Cal uses all of the fiber (wood) that they bring onto their property. The wood (new or reclaimed) is assessed and selected for its highest and best use (most valuable first). As the wood is reduced in size, Frank continues to put it to use. For example, the smaller pieces of Redwood are sawn into 1/4 by 2 inch strips that are used on site to build lattices. Any remaining Redwood is then chipped for garden mulch.
Everything gets used and nothing goes to waste here. A very ‘green’ operation.
Initial rain protection on the kiln-dried FSC-certified lumber that was delivered on Monday morning.
The SIPs are covered with heavy tarps to protect them from the forecasted rain storms.
Dave Edwards' team completedc the initial framing of the floor in the Pantry.
Ken showed Bryan the 6x Douglas Fir beams that he has had for more than four years. The cat shows the scale of these beams.
Different beams are cut from different parts of the tree. We would like old-growth beams for those beams that will be exposed to weather at the front of our house.
The beam in the center looks good as it is from the center of the tree (heart center). Perry Haviland, FAIA, advised us not to use heart center as it will have a greater probability of 'checking' when exposed to weather.
This shows the inventory of reclaimed beams and material that is available at North Cal Wood Products, in Ukiah.
Frank Van Vranken gave Bryan a full tour of the yard and operations in Ukiah.
This is a Redwood log from the forest floor, which has been recovered and will be milled into beautiful dimensional lumber.
Frank measures the width of this wood at 23 inches. Beautiful Redwood lumber!
These long beams will be going into a spectacular project soon!
As we walked around the site, Frank showed Bryan his re-saw mill, which helps to use all the fiber (wood) that is brought onto the site.
These are hickory, oak and birch beams, which Frank bought in Georgia as they were used to construct a pipeline. This wood will be milled into reclaimed flooring.
Tags: Frank Van Vranken, North Cal Wood Products, reclaimed wood
