Wood Education

Clean, Modern Classic: American Black Walnut

*The beautiful elegance of TerraMai’s MC Walnut flooring, made from premium pre-consumer wood. TerraMai image.*

When high-end wood veneers made, there are remnants of beautiful wood left behind.

MC (Modern Classic) Walnut is TerraMai’s answer to saving these materials for the creative minds of the A&D world – bringing you high-quality, quartersawn wood which features linear and nearly flawless grain patterns for your next project.

These pre-consumer remnants are turned into clean, reclaimed products like flooring and paneling. Without businesses like TerraMai to reclaim this wood, it would likely be sent to a landfill as waste. Instead, we show how high quality wood (even off-cuts) still yields high quality products.

*With its clean grain pattern and beautiful character, MC Walnut brings sophisticated classiness to any project. TerraMai image.*

In addition to the allure of a classy background, TerraMai’s MC Walnut comes from American Black Walnut trees. The grain pattern features a variety of chocolate to golden tones – a classic representation of this coveted American hardwood.

Available in multiple stains and finishes, MC Walnut dazzles a space with cool sophistication and exceptionally clean character.

And for creators seeking that elegance, there is something perfect about bringing the style of sustainability from pre-consumer reclaimed wood into their next project.

Love the clean qualities and history of MC Walnut like we do? Get your hands on samples here.

TerraMai’s sustainable second life for aging orchard trees

TerraMai’s Orchard Walnut in our Square Slat Modular Panels. TerraMai image.

Time impacts every living thing on our planet – and trees are no exception. While many trees can live for hundreds, sometimes thousands of years, others have shorter life cycles. Trees that stop producing materials and nuts are culled or burned; the wood wasted. Enter, Orchard Walnut.

The current life cycle of an orchard tree (from left to right) begins with young fruitful trees producing walnuts for harvest, to trees aging and contracting diseases, and eventually burned when they can no longer produce nuts. Video courtesy of Paxxcis.

Orchard Reclaimed Life Cycle from TerraMai on Vimeo.

TerraMai’s Orchard Walnut comes from aging orchard walnut trees that have lessened production after many decades of harvests. The aging trees are culled and replaced with younger ones. TerraMai creates strong markets for old orchard trees, saving the wood from being burned or chipped as is customary. Fewer trees being burned means less CO2 released into the air as well. This gives these trees another breath of life and illuminates the wood’s natural quality and beauty.

Orchard Reclaimed

TerraMai’s Orchard Walnut in our Honeycomb Modular Panels. With care and precision we give failing Orchard Walnut trees a second life, saving them from burn piles. TerraMai image.

A somewhat softer wood on the janka scale, Orchard Walnut has a rich complexion of color, and a striking appearance compared to its cousins. Orchard Walnut has exceptional luster – gleaming with depth and maturity. This wood is a natural fit for interior applications. The allure of Orchard Walnut creates warmth in any space as paneling, flooring, ceiling applications, and more.

Look for our Orchard Reclaimed badge to find which tree species are ethically harvested with this method.

Follow this link to see another species of Orchard Reclaimed, Acacia, in gorgeous tabletops. The clean, live edge grain of TerraMai’s Orchard Reclaimed Acacia makes the space come alive with this once fruitful tree – now a beautiful and fruitful installation.

Got a project coming up that Orchard Walnut (or any of our other orchard reclaimed woods) would be perfect for? You can find our incredible team of wood experts through this link to get the ball rolling. Want to get your hands on samples of Orchard Walnut (and other wood species)? We got you covered.

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Ipe (Brazilian Walnut) Wood: Reclaiming Ipe hardwood from the water

What is Ipe Wood?

Ipe wood (pronounced e-pay) is also called Brazilian walnut. It is a beautiful exotic wood from Central and South America. High-value tropical hardwoods like Ipe wood are renowned across the globe for their exceptional beauty, durability, strength, and natural resistance to rot, mold, insects, and fire.

Ipe wood’s commercial uses include decking, siding and flooring. It has a wide range growing throughout the tropical regions of Latin America, from Mexico to southern South America. Ipe trees themselves are lovely, producing flowers of from red and pink to a vibrant golden yellow. Mature trees can reach heights of up to 100-150 feet high with the trunk reaching up 4 feet in diameter.

Ipe Wood: Making sure it’s from a sustainable source

Ipe’s characteristics and beauty – along with other beautiful tropical hardwoods like Angelique and Rock Walnut – make them ideal for decking, siding and other outdoor uses. Unfortunately, this has also generated a huge demand for these slow-growing woods causing deforestation, illegal logging, and habitat loss.

While the majority of architects and designers prioritize using responsibly sourced wood, many are unclear or have limited awareness of how to source this prized wood in a sustainable manner. TerraMai has one of the only sustainable sources of some of the most coveted species of tropical hardwoods – Ipe, Angelique, and Rock Walnut – on the planet.

Reclaimed Ipe Wood: Harvesting flooded forests

Decades ago, huge, ancient forests in Central and South America were flooded, creating reservoirs for water storage and power generation. Below these manmade lakes is an abundance of perfectly-preserved tropical hardwoods. TerraMai harvests these submerged giants alongside local communities.

Ipe (Brazilian Walnut) Wood in water — A massive tree, over 100 ft tall, rises above the surface of the reservoir. The portion of the tree exposed to the air will decay, but the immense trunk below the surface is perfectly preserved, thanks to the lack of oxygen. TerraMai image.

Expert divers are sent out in barges with specialized underwater harvesting tools, dive in, and reclaim the riches these flooded forests provide.

Ipe (Brazilian Walnut) Wood in water with divers — Local experts bringing a tree to the surface of the reservoir. TerraMai image.

Water reclamation of tropical hardwoods is an ecologically-friendly alternative to obtaining lumber and we don’t cut down any living trees or contribute to deforestation. The species TerraMai reclaims are Ipe, Angelique, and Rock Walnut. To know you are getting the most sustainably-sourced, water reclaimed tropical hardwoods, look for the Water Reclaimed badge below.

Ipe (Brazilian Walnut) Wood reclaimed badge — Look for our Water Reclaimed badge to find which tree species are ethically harvested with this method.

Tropical Hardwood Project Spotlight: Angelique in Modular Panel Square Slat

Tropical Hardood Panels Lumber — A warm example of TerraMai’s water reclaimed Angelique in the form of our Square Slat Modular Panels. Image courtesy of Virtuoso Interior Design.

For wood pulled from the depths of a flooded forest, TerraMai’s Angelique shines with cozy confidence in this residential installation in California. Virtuoso Interior Design created a beautiful accent wall for this home office using TerraMai’s Square Slat Modular Panels, backlit by lights and the natural warmth of wood.

TerraMai’s Angelique is an exquisitely clean tropical hardwood with the toughness to take on the elements in graceful style. The standing submerged exotic trees are extracted to produce TerraMai’s Angelique Siding and Decking are incredibly free of knots and signs of surface character. And it’s naturally Class A fire resistant; making it a beautiful, sustainable, and smart selection.

Got a project coming up that Angelique (or any of our other water reclaimed woods) would be perfect for? You can find our incredible team of wood experts through this link to get the ball rolling. Want to get your hands on samples of Angelique (and other wood species)?

Click below to see our beautiful selection of water-reclaimed Ipe wood:

Meet TerraMai’s latest: Rock Walnut

TerraMai image

We’d like to re-introduce you to one of TerraMai’s stand out wood species: Rock Walnut. Exceptionally durable and incredibly modern, Rock Walnut displays a complete rainbow of rich, dark brown to reddish hues. This species is ethically harvested across Central and South America, and can be used for myriad applications with a natural beauty that shines through in our modular and acoustic panels. With its rich colors, Rock Walnut is a wonderful selection for any architecture or design project.

Scroll down to learn more about this incredible wood and find your next inspiration.

Meet: Rock Walnut

Traits: Clean grain and particularly enduring, with subtle tones. A complex, but gentle giant.

Appearance: A mature constellation of ruby glimmers fanning out into ribbons of mahogany tones and into bronze accents.

Reclamation method: Water reclaimed. Decades ago, huge, ancient forests in South America and Africa were flooded, creating reservoirs for water storage and power generation. Below these man made lakes is an abundance of amazing tropical woods, perfectly preserved. Tropical woods are valued for their looks, strength and durability, however, many are illegally harvested, endangering the rainforest habitat. TerraMai raises these submerged giants to the surface while working in collaboration with local communities.

Experts are sent out in boats with water resistant harvesting tools, dive under the water, and reclaim the riches these flooded forests provide. Water reclaimed is an ecologically friendly alternative to obtaining tropical woods where no living trees are cut. Rock Walnut is not our only water reclaimed wood species; look for the badge below on our website to find our other amazing water reclaimed woods.

Look for our Water Reclaimed badge to find which tree species are ethically harvested with this method

Uses: With incredible durability and strength, Rock Walnut is ideal for industrious applications like flooring and table tops. However, the sophisticated shades of this enduring tropical giant make it a wonderful choice for any installation imaginable, making it a cornerstone for interior design seeking a comfortable, rustic look.

With natural beauty and luster, Rock Walnut will make your next design gleam with vitality and style. Find your samples here.

Meet TerraMai’s latest: Orchard Walnut

TerraMai image

Straight from rows of quaint nut-producing groves, TerraMai is thrilled to introduce you to Orchard Walnut. An incredible example of the warmth and elegance wood exudes. This species is ethically harvested from trees in orchards that no longer produce nuts, but they can live on and used for scores of applications.

Scroll down to learn more and find your next inspiration.

Meet: Orchard Walnut

Traits: A somewhat softer wood, Orchard Walnut has a rich complexion of color, and a striking appearance compared to its cousins.

Appearance: Ombré waves of dark, almost obsidian striations give way to ripples of bronze and champagne-colored ribbons. Orchard Walnut has exceptional luster – gleaming with depth and maturity.

Reclamation method: Orchard reclaimed. This wood comes from aging orchard trees that have lessened production after many decades of harvests. The older trees are culled and replaced. TerraMai creates strong markets for old orchard trees rather than chipping or burning them. This gives these trees another breath of life and illuminates the wood’s natural quality and beauty.

Uses: Orchard Walnut is a natural fit for interior applications. With regular treatment and attention, the allure of Orchard Walnut creates warmth in any space as paneling, flooring, ceiling applications, and more. With a comforting coziness Orchard Walnut looks incredible in spaces designed to soothe, whether in bedrooms or common spaces. The rich luster lends itself to a natural Biophilic design using natural material.

TerraMai image

With its natural elegance Orchard Walnut will make your next design shine. Find your samples here.

An enduring family tree: Meet Amish Oak

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Among the rolling hills of the Northeastern United States, Amish farmers care for centuries-old forests of Oak, as their forefathers before them did. TerraMai has worked with these communities to bring you our latest wood species for your next project: Amish Oak.

This wood is logged using both modern and traditional methods. Every farm has some forest connected to it and local Amish farmers treat their forests like a crop, cultivating their trees and hand selecting for harvest.

These forests are never clear cut. To preserve the nature of the forests, Amish loggers take only a few trees at a time, which thins the canopy and lets sunlight reach smaller growth close to the forest floor. With the focus of living off the land in sustainable ways, local farmers see themselves as stewards of their land, and as a result, stewards of their forests. Whether or not the Oak harvested is sold for lumber, it is never wasted.

To top it off, these Oak forests do the hard work of replanting themselves over the course of their lifetimes. An average Oak tree can produce upwards of 10,000 acorns during a reproductive season, keeping these beautiful Pennsylvanian forests green and growing.

Amish Oak will fit the bill for whatever your next creation calls for, as well as benefit local families who’ve been forest farmers for centuries.

Inspired? Visit our website to bring Amish Oak to your next project. Sign up for our blog here.

Timber: How shipping delays and supply shortages have hit the A&D world

In a constantly shifting world, natural building resources like Baltic Birch have become harder to obtain. Image: TheGypsyThread.com

Recent world events from the pandemic to the war in Ukraine have created shortages and shipping delays in everything from microchips to building materials. This severely impacted construction material prices, which surged 20% between January 2021 and January 2022.

How did we get here, and what is the solution when your upcoming project calls for a reliable supply of wood for your projects? Let’s dive in.

How we got here

Toward the end of February, Russia invaded Ukraine. Many countries, including the United States, imposed sanctions to pressure Russia into calling off its war effort. One such sanction was preventing the import of Baltic Birch into the U.S.

Baltic Birch has become a staple in the production of engineered flooring for many manufacturers in the U.S. One National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) survey conducted earlier this year indicated that 95% of member respondents used Baltic Birch in their engineered flooring products.

According to industry sources, this will drastically impact trades that rely on this wood species in the coming months. For companies that did not stock up, that could be as soon as several months to a year when supply runs dry. With this level of disruption in supply, engineered flooring products may become hard to find and will most likely have significant price increases.

So, what’s the solution? A shift toward regional materials.

Exploring local options

Fortunately, Baltic Birch is not the only choice for quality plywood and engineered flooring substrates. TerraMai works with FSC^® Certified Monterey Pine – a more dimensionally stable option than species like Downy Birch, typically used in Baltic Birch plywood.

Over the years we’ve seen millions of square feet of TerraMai engineered flooring and paneling installed in a variety of projects and climates, showcasing its flexibility in application. The supply chain is well established and stable, leaving TerraMai in a strong position to be able to supply the market with high quality engineered flooring and paneling during the forecasted shortage.
Get inspired here, and sign up for our blog here.

Western Red Cedar: An enduring legacy in nature & design

*Image courtesy of* *Wikimedia Commons / abdallah*

The Indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest called Western Red Cedars “trees of life” or “life giver” – a cornerstone to their way of life. Groves were often seen as sacred and used as gathering places for ceremonies and the trees themselves can live for thousands of years. In fact, cedars that have fallen down will take centuries to finally succumb to rot and the elements.

Many coastal tribes recognized the durability of the wood and used Western Red Cedars to build shelters, dugout canoes, and myriad tools, utensils, and accessories.

This legacy of providing shelter has endured in how people use Western Red Cedar today. It’s an excellent option for exterior applications like siding, decking, and other outdoor projects due to its natural resistance to rot and insects. Wood is a living material and continues to expand and contract after it has been harvested, and Western Red Cedar does this on a much smaller scale, making this species very stable.

Haywire Building, Plano, TX

The outside facade of the Haywire building in Plano, TX. TerraMai image

A wonderful example of this flexible wood species is TerraMai’s installation at Haywire in Plano, TX, featuring beautiful Western Red Cedar wood paneling. There’s inherent natural beauty to wood known as a “tree of life” gracing the sides of a building dedicated to bringing joy to the lives of others through good food, good drinks, and good times.

When it comes to legacy, what we can learn from Western Red Cedar is how there is strength in versatility and creating a safe haven for others.

Get inspired for your next project here and sign up for our blog here.

Cassie Ruud

Content Marketing Strategist

cassie@terramai.com

Wood Finishes – Science / Art / Alchemy

Like butter on toast or frosting on a cupcake, wood is not deemed fit for use until a special product is applied to the surface. Hence the term “Wood Finish” – a unique turn of phrase that succinctly says it all.

Wood finishes provide a broad array of benefits, enabling wood to be used virtually anywhere to achieve virtually any look. From smooth white-washed wood tones, to rich textured hues, to sophisticated grays and chic blacks – wood finishes provide designers an infinite pallet of color, tone and texture.

Wood finishes also protect and preserve wood, allowing it to be used in almost any environment – flooring, furniture, salad bowls, sailboats – ad infinitum. Simply look around, wherever you may be reading this, chances are wood surrounds you in a vast variety of forms, functions and finishes.

The variety and versatility of wood, when combined with the proper finish, is boundless.

This basic principle is easily understood. Understanding what wood finishes work best for any given specific application, however, can require a depth of knowledge and skill only acquired through years of blood, sweat, tears and toil.

Beyond pure technical knowledge and skill, the true finish master possess a special, almost magical, affinity for both the organic nature of wood and the chemical nature of wood finishes. In this way, wood finishing is both a science and an art.

But that tidy summary fails to capture the alchemy of wood finishing that seems to defy the simple laws of physics and belong more to the realm of sorcery. For these reasons, a true finish master is a rare and special creature (as even a brief conversation with TerraMai’s own finish wizard, Jason Diamond, will attest).

A seasoned wood finisher approaches each project by scrolling through a vast mental rolodex of questions, answers, experiences, triumphs and tragedies. The finish for a fleet of glossy black table tops going into a high-end Manhattan restaurant will be very different from a collection of rustic communal tables for a cozy Aspen lodge or a suite of elegantly durable outdoor tables for a boutique LA eatery.

While the questions and challenges involved in each of these instances may be equally complex and demanding, the finish approach and processes for each will vary dramatically.

While a veteran wood finisher depends on knowledge, skill, artistry, technical acumen and magic tricks earned over years of experience and devotion to craft, there are a few fundamental basics that are helpful for any designer to understand. Below is a simple chart that touches on the two most basic types of wood finishes that apply to most commercial projects – oil and poly.

Note, this chart only “scratches” the surface of wood finish.

Finish	Basic Pros	Basic Cons
Oil	>Natural look & feel >Seals from moisture >Simple to apply, repair, refresh >Versatile – indoor & outdoor >Color tints available >Provides low/matte sheen >Can be easily spot-repaired >Holds up to most mild cleaners	>Minimal protection from scratches >Can impart an amber hue to the wood >Can only tint wood color tones >Not sheen controlled – matte/low-gloss only >Does not hold up well to harsher cleaners
Poly	>Coats seals and protects >Available in clear water-based options >Allows for total clarity of wood tones and grain >Protects against moisture and stains >Protects the wood from scratches & abrasions >Available in all types of sheen – matte to glossy >Holds up well to most cleaning products	>Can be technically challenging to apply & repair >Surface scratches cannot be spot repaired >Must typically be scuffed/sanded/stripped recoated >Can look & feel “plasticy” >Not well suited for exterior applications

For more specific info and questions – the more challenging the better, give us a shout at info@terramai.com / 541.973.2301.

The X-Woods League of Super Woods

There are two requirements of Super Heroes – they must have special powers and they must have a cool back story.

TerraMai’s exterior woods have both, which is why together they form our Exterior Woods League of Super Woods (X-Woods League for short).

All these woods have been endowed by Mother Nature with the special power to endure the elements and survive in the harshest conditions – wood immortality in other words. Each also possess a colorful origin story that makes them even more exceptional. Let’s meet our team.

Ipe The Righteous

The newest and perhaps most special member of our X-Wood team. Special because TerraMai’s Ipe is perhaps the only truly sustainable Ipe available, at least in the U.S.

This is because TerraMai’s Ipe is reclaimed from harvesting underwater standing trees from reservoirs in the tropics. These reservoirs, like all reservoirs, are created by building dams to store water by flooding formerly open land. The standing trees and forests that are often submerged as part of this process are actually preserved underwater indefinitely from rot and decay by the lack of oxygen.

Millions of acres of standing forests are preserved underwater throughout the U.S. and elsewhere throughout the world as a result. In tropical regions of the world, these submerged reservoir forests contain millions of exotic tropical hardwood trees preserved intact by the lack of oxygen.

TerraMai has worked with partners in Central America, South America and Africa to sustainably harvest these submerged exotic tropical hardwood trees. It is a complex process that involves both advanced technology and timeless human guile and guts.

The underwater harvesting process involves identifying select standing underwater trees and then extracting them using divers and special submersible equipment (including underwater chainsaws – pretty rad). Because the bottom parts of the trees and their lifeless root systems are left untouched, the extraction process does not disturb the lakebed or harm the underwater habitats.

Ipe is coveted for its durability, density and ability to withstand the elements. It is also a handsome, versatile wood that pairs beautifully with other exterior materials like concrete, brick, steel and glass. These characteristics have made Ipe a staple of exterior siding, decking and decor elements throughout the U.S. However, this wide-spread use of Ipe comes at an environmental cost.

Ipe’s notorious reputation as an illegally-harvested rain forest species is well documented. Even Ipe that comes to market with Forest-Stewardship Certification (FSC) and other certifications is considered dubious, at best, by environmental experts.

This is why we here at TerraMai are especially excited and gratified to now make truly sustainable Ipe available to architects, designers and builders.

Teak The Noble

Teak is renowned as the noble “King of Woods” for its legendary beauty, versatility and ability to withstand the elements. Teak is equally suited to the most sophisticated, meticulously designed and crafted furniture applications as it is to the most demanding outdoor applications, which is why teak has for centuries been the wood of choice for boat builders and nautical applications.

TerraMai’s Teak is reclaimed from aging structures in Southeast Asia. This beautiful old-growth Teak produces gorgeous siding and decking able to perform in the most punishing exterior environments. Left to the elements, outdoor Teak develops a classic sliver-grey luster. TerraMai can also provide prefinish options designed to help lock-in old-growth Teak’s prized natural color tones.

Angelique The Pristine

TerraMai’s Angelique provides an exquisitely clean tropical hardwood that also has the toughness to take on the elements in graceful style. TerraMai’s Angelique is also underwater reclaimed from the same reservoir sources that provide our Ipe.

The standing submerged exotic hardwood Angelique trees that are extracted to produce TerraMai’s Angelique Siding and Decking yield a lumber that is remarkably free of knots and other visible signs of surface character. As a result, TerraMai’s Angelique Siding and Decking provides an immaculate exterior wood option that is also sustainable.

Redwood The Legendary

As the world’s tallest organisms, redwood trees hold legendary standing among earth’s living creatures. The majestic redwood forests of the Northern California coast also hold legendary status among America’s treasured natural resources.

Redwood lumber also holds a special place in the history of the American West and most specifically California, where redwood was used to build many of the structures that sprouted like seedlings in the wake of the California Gold Rush that kicked off in 1849.

Redwood was a medium of choice for early-20^th architectural masters like Julia Morgan, Bernard Maybeck and Frank Lloyd Wright whose compositions in Redwood still dazzle, now more than ever, in a design world increasingly reliant on the synthetic and mass-produced.

TerraMai’s reclaimed Lost Coast Redwood Siding is an extraordinarily versatile product that looks great as-is with classic weathered-grey redwood patina. TerraMai’s Lost Coast Redwood Siding also takes finishes beautifully to allow for virtually any color tones imaginable.

Cedar The Trusted

Cedar is a tried-and-true exterior wood of choice throughout North America. It performs beautifully in the elements, looks great, and is the standard reliable choice for exterior applications from high-end commercial buildings to humble residential fencing.

TerraMai’s Cedar is reclaimed from forest-floor salvage in the Pacific Northwest. This forest-floor salvage consists of “slash” or “scraps” that were deemed too inconsequential and left behind when the original virgin old-growth forests were first logged years ago. Some of this left-behind material is now being reassessed with fresh eyes and found to yield old-growth Cedar lumber that produces beautiful, highest-quality Cedar Siding.

Exterior Wood Weathering, Finishing & Maintenance

All of TerraMai’s exterior woods will gently weather to a silver-grey patina if left to weather naturally. However, TerraMai can work with designers to provide prefinish solutions that lock-in desired color tones over time. TerraMai can also work with designers, builders and property owners to provide prefinish solutions and maintenance programs tailored to work best with the specific conditions and priorities of each project.

The X-Wood League of Super Woods

Like any great Super Hero team, TerraMai’s exterior woods offer complimentary powers, along with colorful stories and sustainability, to suit any challenge.

Ipe The Righteous for a gold-standard exterior tropical hardwood that is also supremely durable
Teak The Noble for the “King of Woods” offering renowned beauty and performance in the harshest elements
Angelique The Pristine for an exterior exotic hardwood that offers both refined elegance and outdoor toughness
Redwood The Legendary for its legendary place in American history along with its legendary beauty and ability to perform in exterior conditions
Cedar The Trusted for a classic, versatile exterior wood perfectly suited for the most grand commercial building, rugged residential retreat, and everything in between

Whenever an exterior design challenge rears itself, like a super nemesis hatched from an evil laboratory or alien planet, TerraMai’s X-Wood League of Super Woods is there to save the day with beauty, style and sustainability.

You’re welcome Planet Earth.

Matt Nichols, TerraMai VP of National Accounts – Western U.S

Wood Education

What is Ipe Wood?

Ipe Wood: Making sure it’s from a sustainable source

Reclaimed Ipe Wood: Harvesting flooded forests

Tropical Hardwood Project Spotlight: Angelique in Modular Panel Square Slat

How we got here

Exploring local options

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