Less Is More
Engineered wood products are replacing those once made from large, old trees. The exhibit counterpart to this page includes actual samples of the products described in this section. In the past, sawmills cut big lumber from large trees more than 200 years old. Today, the majority of trees we harvest are younger trees, 50 to 80 years old. These trees can provide small dimensional lumber, like 2 x 4s, but not large, long posts and beams. In the early 1970s, mills began making large wood products by gluing and laminating together wood from small logs. These engineered wood products are comparable in strength to solid lumber and will not crack, warp or shrink. New products using smaller trees or recycled materials are continually being developed. Find out more about: Engineered wood products Recycled wood products