Weathered Timber Mantels are mixed species and will have a range of colors and characteristics that you would expect from timbers reclaimed from vintage structures. These unfinished mantels are used to create our Weathered Finished Mantels.
NOTE: If you prefer the look of a finished mantel and are a Do-It-Yourself type (and would like to save some money!), you may consider purchasing one of these unfinished mantels and doing your own finishing. This document contains some Do-It-Yourself tips from our in-house mantel guru: Mantel "Do-It-Yourself" Finishing Tips.
| Species | Mixed Species (often including Douglas Fir, various pine species, spruce, hemlock, poplar, sycamore, hickory, etc.) |
| Source | Various (buildings, trestles, other structures, falsework, etc.) |
| HC/FOHC | Primarily Heart Center (HC); usually moderately tight to very tight growth rings |
| Metal | Nails, bolts and other fasteners can be removed, cut flush or left as-is. Some metal can be broken off inside the beam. |
| Mortise Pockets/Notches/Holes | Mortise pockets and notches from the original joinery are common. Nail, bolt, peg and other fastener holes are allowed. The quantity and size of mortise pockets and holes can vary widely from timber to timber, with some timbers containing very few and others containing frequent mortise pockets, notches, peg holes and nail holes. Staining around nail and bolt holes is common. |
| Checking/Cracks | Timbers can have moderate butt and surface checking and cracks and minor end splitting |
| Moisture Content/Stability | Air-Dried |
| Surfacing | Weathered (degree of weathering varies); original timber surfacing ranges from smooth-planed to rough-sawn; surface degradation (water damage, surface rot or "punkiness") is common; weathered timber colors vary - common colors include brown (common for interior weathered timbers), grays (common for exterior weathered timbers) and combinations of browns and grays. |
| Weight | Approximately 3 pounds per board foot |
| Appearance Variation | Weathered timbers will generally vary in appearance from piece to piece and even within a piece. The weathering (amount, mix of colors, etc) and other characteristics of one face can be substantially different than the weathering and other characteristics of another face. Some weathered timbers are cut from larger weathered timbers, giving them one or more fresh-sawn faces. Trestlewood sometimes uses one or more "juicing" processes to help fresh-sawn and/or less weathered/aged faces blend in with weathered/aged faces. All else being equal, juicing is more likely to be used in situations where (a) timbers are cut from larger timbers (thereby creating fresh-cut faces); (b) Buyer wants all (or most) faces to look weathered/aged; and/or (c) Buyer desires to increase the consistency of the weathered/aged look from face to face. |
| Dimensions | Trestlewood treats weathered timbers to 10" x 10" x 16' as "standard dimension" for pricing purposes. Larger and/or longer weathered timbers are also often available. Dimensions are often nominal. The more latitude the customer can provide in acceptable timber sizes, the better able Trestlewood is to meet the customer's timber needs in an economical and timely manner. |