Timber Wise – In Awe of Mother Nature

In Awe of Mother Nature

Timber is enduring and long lasting and so friendly to the earth. Nature shows us the wisdom in the use of real wood as one of her most steadfast, reliable materials when we observe the marvelous wonder of why trees live as long as they do.

In the Sequoia National Park in Sierra Nevada there is an ancient tree, so large that as you look up at this towering monarch of majesty of more than fifty four thousand cubic feet of awe inspiring wood. The total sum of this king of trees can not be seen in its entirety without lifting the eyes up, up, up in a sweeping panoramic view.  The tree is fondly called The President. The Society Grant concluded that there is no tree that has more wood in volume than The President. It’s wood and trunk is increasing with age, growing wider as it thickens producing more wood in a year than a healthy, strong young tree. The President is said to be over 3200 years old with almost two billion leaves and still growing larger and increasing in wood and still breathing in carbon dioxide and releasing its life giving properties of pure oxygen back into our atmosphere.

chinese-chariot-timber

Centuries Old Chinese Chariot

Once a tree has grown, outlasting anything that could have taken it when it was young it becomes so strong it can not be knocked over by fierce winds and it appears to be indestructible. It’s bark is so thick it is resistant to fire and the giant sequoia is protected from fires caused from lightning. The lightning can harm the adult tree but it seldom kills them. Ground fires enhances and helps the sequoias by opening up the sequoia cones for the seeds to sprout in the nourishing ashes and sunshine. It opens up cones and lets saplings have light and flourish. The bark and center wood are impregnated and ingrained with natural chemical fungicides that preserve it against fungal canker and decay. Termites, wood ants and wood-boring beetles do not faze or effect them.

For Previous Posts in this series:

Wood Rot
Take A Look at the Forest
Timber – Historically Strong & Architecturally Stable

Laurence Bunker is the President of Western Timber Frame, a company dedicated to making beautiful, high-quality timber frame structures accessible to businesses and homeowners across the country. With over 16 years of hands-on experience in the industry, Laurence brings deep expertise in timber frame design, engineering, and business leadership. At the heart of everything he does is a genuine belief that the right space — whether a sweeping commercial timber structure, a breathtaking interior, or a stunning outdoor living area — has the power to transform how people live, gather, and connect. That passion drives every project he touches, from large-scale commercial builds to custom residential timber frame creations.

Areas of Expertise

Commercial Timber Frame Structures
Interior & Exterior Timber Projects
Custom Pergolas, Pavilions & Outdoor Structures
Residential Timber Frame Design
Business Leadership & Operations
DIY Timber Frame Solutions

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