The barn had to go, but did it have to go to waste? That was the question faced by Nancy Hueske, an Associate Right of Way Agent with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans).

Hueske contacted TerraMai about salvaging the 1890s–era redwood barn, which had to be removed to make way for a new road improvement in Humboldt County, near the town of Alton. She ended up saving the department thousands of dollars and significant time.

“The demolition contractors stated they would charge the state $20,000 to demolish the barn and carry the wood to a ‘hog feeder,’ ” Hueske said. “Another local demolition contractor stated it would have been a month-long job. For Mark [Massey of TerraMai] and his crew to have it removed in such a short time frame was just great.”

In return, TerraMai acquired some gorgeous, old-growth, all-heart redwood in large dimensions. Material this pristine, in large dimensions, is now impossible to find new.

As-is, this material shows the grayed-out weathered patina of antique, exposed redwood. The circle-sawn millwork of the material is visible evidence of its long history.   

Once re-milled, this wood reveals the deep, dense-grain auburn beauty characteristic of old-growth redwood. The wood yielded from this barn can be used for beams and timbers, siding, paneling and a range of other applications.

Humboldt County is located in the heart of redwood country. This misty, coastal region of Northern California was once blanketed by towering redwood trees, the tallest living things on earth. Logging decimated most of these old stands. Some patches of old-growth redwood trees remain, however, specifically in state and national parks, such as Redwood National Park.  

Even reclaimed old-growth redwood is becoming increasingly scarce. As with all coveted commodities, the costs associated with this precious material will only increase as it becomes more rare.