Question 1

Why hire Henrichsen Wood?

Accepted Answer

Everyone has a different reason for hiring us. Our mill is especially suited to making dimensional lumber quickly and reliably. We excell at milling in locations where other mills would have no access without extensive skidding and possible damage to your soil and property.
 
What sets us apart is our philosopy. We want to help you turn the hazard tree next to your home into an asset instead of a liability bound for landfill. From firewood that heats your home, lumber to build with, to wood chips and sawdust that will protect your soil from erosion. Our service empowers you to make good use of your own materials. And we can do this at a lower price than you'd find if you bought those materials at a big box store or lumberyard because we eliminate the need for excess handling, transport and processing.

Question 2

What size trees can you mill?

Accepted Answer

Our standard setup can mill logs fifty-two inches in diameter and twenty feet long. 
 
We can reconfigure the mill for larger and longer logs. Since the mill straddles the log we can mill longer logs by adding another section of rails. For truly gargantuan logs wider than fifty-two inches, we can reposition the mill as lumber is removed.

Question 3

Do you buy logs or trees?

Accepted Answer

No. Our business model is mobile sawmilling. We're not set up or structured to function as a lumberyard/sawmill. We can refer you to other sawmills who buy and sell logs and lumber though. You should know however, logs are generally bought and sold by the ton and that price per ton is less than you might think.   
 
Also, my wife said she'd open up a big ol' can of nope on the subject of us buying logs. So definitlely not...

Question 4

How much do you charge?

Accepted Answer

To get a quote for your specific trees or logs, give us a call at 704.654.8222 or email us at info@henrichsenwood.com. We need a bunch of information to figure out how much the job wil cost. But to get a rough idea of the pricing for various services, check out our Services page.

Question 5

How soon after milling can we use our lumber?

Accepted Answer

That depends. What are you doing with the lumber? Fresh sawn lumber is a bit like a wet noodle until it dries. Imagine trying to sand a wet noodle. Or run a wet noodle through a planer. Alternatively, try to put a nail through a dry noodle.
 
This question is really about moisture content of the lumber. Framing lumber is generally 19% moisture content or less. Fine furniture moisture content should be in single digits to be stable enough to use. Moisture meters are easily purchased online these days and are inexpensive and simple to use.
 
The rule of thumb says that one inch of board thickness will air dry in one year. If you'll be using that wood for an indoor application, bring that wood inside for a few weeks before you start the project to finish the drying. 
 
Rough sawn lumber can be used immediately in a structure if it is fastened securely and allowed to dry in place before enclosing it in something like drywall.

Question 6

Can you saw our logs at your mill?

Accepted Answer

We don't offer this service right now. Our shop and site layout is not set up to recieve logs. 
 
Luckily for you, it's cheaper, easier and more efficient for us to bring the mill to you. This saves you the effort and expense of skidding, loading, hauling a log to us, offloading then loading it back on your trailer and hauling it back home again.

Question 7

Will you remove a tree or log from my property?

Accepted Answer

Generally, we don't remove trees or logs. We're just not in the log hauling business and we have plenty of our own wood. We want you to get the full value and if we just took it away, well that's just like throwing cash on a fire. Instead, you could give us some of that cash and you'd still have a bunch of materials to make something useful. So hold up on giving away your trees and let us help you transform it!

Question 8

What's my tree or log worth?

Accepted Answer

A standing tree is like an investment that grows and gives while it's compounding interest. If you can leave it up, it gives you shade, air, sometimes food as well as a home for birds and other critters. 
 
If the tree has to come down, the value depends on how you use it. It also depends on how much of the tree you use. The "worth" is found in how much money it can save you in materials that you would otherwise have to purchase. Firewood can be made from unmillable wood and sells for several hundred dollars per cord locally. Lumber gets pricey too. 
 
If you take a trip down to your local box hardware store, you'll see prices per board foot for pine at around $.79 - 2.00. For a project that uses 1,000 board feet of lumber that's $750 to 2,000!
 
Unfortunately urban timber is generally viewed as a waste product. We'd like to change that.
 
If you pay us to mill your wood on site and air dry it yourself, you'll have a stack of lumber potentially worth hundreds to thousands of dollars, and likely a stack of firewood worth hundreds. The cost to create that lumber from your own tree is about a third the price of conventional lumber and it's custom cut to your specifications.

Question 9

What is a board foot (bd ft)?

Accepted Answer

A board foot is a measure of volume. By definition, a board foot is one square foot, one inch thick equalling 144 cubic inches. For example a 1inch x 6 inch x 10 foot board contains 5 board feet.

Question 10

How do I get my cat down from a tree?

Accepted Answer

Firstly, you need to stay calm and do your best to make sure the area is relaxed and quiet. Keep the dog inside and loud noises to a minimum. This will help your kitty stay calm and calm cats are much more likely to figure out how to get down on their own. 
 
Second, don't try climbing up the tree yourself (or putting a ladder in the tree). This can cause the cat to freak out and climb even higher onto limbs that cannot support you. 
 
The best way to get kitty to come down on their own is to wait them out. Putting a little food at the base of the tree (in the day only....don't want pesky racoons snagging the food or hassling the poor cat).
 
Try not to antagonize the cat by yelling or calling it bad names, which doesn't actually work since their self esteem is so high they wouldn't be affected anyway. 
 
If your cat has been up the tree for a few days, it's time to give us a call as they will be getting hungry, tired and most importantly, dehydrated.

Henrichsen Wood

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