The beauty and durability of old-growth heartwood such as redwood, cypress, and Douglas fir are hard to resist for anyone who is looking to design unique outdoor structures and indoor wood accents. Old-growth heartwoods from the 1800s and early 1900s have unique characteristics that craftsmen have recognized for many years. These old-growth redwood, cypress, and Douglas fir trees run the risk of extinction. It is estimated that the Douglas fir tree will be extinct in three years and the redwood tree extinct in five years if they continue to be the source of heartwoods for custom-designed structures. So, how does one acquire an inventory of such beautiful and durable historical wood without destroying the environment’s existing redwood, cypress, and Douglas fir trees and forests?

Those involved in the lumber industry and custom design business have discovered that there are many existing structures built from old-growth heartwoods from the 1800s and early 1900s. Reclaiming wood from these structures serves as a means to provide an inventory to build high quality structures with an intriguing history. Existing structures include pickle tanks, beer barrels, barns, and buildings, just to name a few. Tom Bartley, Owner of Customer Outdoor, started reclaiming wood from pickle tanks in early 1990. He discovered this source of heartwoods through a discussion with a senior farmer who hired Tom to demolish an old barn made of cypress. Tom asked the farmer where there might be more of the same type of wood, and the farmer pointed and proceeded to tell him, “Down that holler, there’s a lot of them.” Tom followed the farmer’s lead, and as he rounded a bend, he found a sea of pickle tanks that were made with old-growth cypress.

Custom Outdoor retrieves these heartwoods through a selective demolition process, mills the wood to perfection, and produces unique indoor and outdoor structures that fulfill a desire to have special structures that last a lifetime…and even longer. The reclaimed old-growth heartwoods have unique footprints reflecting nature’s touch that gives an aura of history along with a sense of uniqueness and durability.