The Differences between Old Growth and New Growth Lumber

Let’s start at the beginning…with old growth wood, which has been naturally grown for 100 years or more. Old growth lumber is grown at a slow rate, sluggishly nudged along by limited sunlight and the natural competition for valuable nutrients provided by the surrounding trees. As unlikely as it may sound, those limitations actually result in a positive scenario. 

Gradual growth results in firmly packed growth rings, giving rise to what ends up being around ten times more growth rings per inch. What that means is a very stable, dense wood with less expansion and contraction than newer growth lumber. What THAT means is less warping, less rot, long-lasting lumber.

As you might imagine, old growth wood is harder to come by than new growth wood, often forcing its fan base to purchase it in the form of reclaimed lumber from century old structures. Thankfully, that is not the case with new growth lumber.

New growth lumber comes from faster growing trees, which are typically harvested after about 15 to 20 years of growth. Fortunately, new growth lumber can certainly still be used to construct beautiful, durable furniture and structures.

Here’s another great lumber tip! M & M Enterprises, your local Daytona lumber yard, provides a massive selection of wood choices; so our customers can benefit from the superior merits of dense woods such as a wide array of oaks, the exquisite, rich finishes of cherries, the unique qualities of live edge wood and so much more. In fact, you can check out our full product line at mandmenterprisesofdaytona.com.

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