Why is cypress used in Louisiana?
What causes a tree to eat away?
How old are cypress trees?
Why are cypress knees important?
Is cypress wood stained or painted?
How does cypress get pecky?
The pockets in this type of lumber are not made by any type of animal, they are actually formed by a natural fungus called Polyporus Amarus. This fungus enters older Cypress trees through branch loss or other effects that destroy the bark of the tree.
Why is pecky cypress so expensive?
Some cypress wood, like pecky cypress wood, is extremely valuable because it is created by a fungus. The fungus creates a pattern of pockets pleasing to the eye and sought after by artisan woodworkers. This type of wood is also quite rare, adding to the value.
Is pecky cypress rare?
And these holes are what give it a character that sets it apart from any other wood – including other cypress logs. Pecky Sinker Cypress is quite rare, creating a high demand for it.
Where is pecky cypress found?
Sometimes Fungi Are Good! Bald cypress is a deciduous conifer in the family Cupressaceae that grows on saturated and seasonally inundated soils in the lowlands of the Southeastern and Gulf Coastal Plains of the United States.
What is the most expensive hardwood?
Topping the list of most expensive woods in the world is Bocote, a flowering plant from the borage family that is mostly found in Mexico, Central and South America. Initially a yellow/brown shade, this wood darkens over time. It has a fragrant smell and is usually used for furniture and flooring.
Is cypress water resistant?
Cypress is a popular choice among woodworkers for outdoor furniture projects. Due to the natural oils in the wood, it's among the most resistant to water damage and rot of the domestic American species.
How long will cypress wood last?
In fact, even when left untreated, old growth cypress can last for decades. Then there is the cypress of today… Known as Second Growth Cypress, trees of today are harvested at a much younger state—less than 50 years.
Is cypress stronger than pine?
Cypress is harder than pine but soft enough to machine easily.
Can you paint pecky cypress?
Pecky cypress is a popular choice for doors, ceilings, wall paneling, and table tops. While you can paint this very durable wood, why would anyone want to?!! The characteristics of this rare wood are so incredibly gorgeous it deserves nothing less than to shine in all it's glory!
Why are sunken logs valuable?
The logs can command thousands of dollars for their intricately beautiful grains and long, straight cuts. Across the coast of the Southeastern U.S., pine and cypress were harvested into the late 1800s. Most logs were lashed together with metal “spike dogs” and floated or towed downstream to mills.
Why are sinker cypress logs so valuable?
Sinker Cypress is a highly desired lumber product. Because it's a reclaimed lumber, the supply is limited. As old-growth wood, this lumber is harder, denser, and more stable than newer-growth Cypress, and its 150-year underwater preservation process makes it one of the most rot- and insect-resistant woods in the world.
What is a cypress tree worth?
New cypress sells for about $2 a board foot. Felled by a natural disaster before people walked these parts, the forest of trees has been radiocarbon-dated at up to 40,000 years old.
How much is an old cypress log worth?
The log could be worth up to a couple of thousand dollars, Emerson figured, once it was cut and milled, then dried in a solar-powered kiln. Herrington said he sold a cypress table for $7,500 and is asking $10,000 for a massive fish he carved from a cypress log.
Can you paint pecky cypress?
Pecky cypress is a popular choice for doors, ceilings, wall paneling, and table tops. While you can paint this very durable wood, why would anyone want to?!! The characteristics of this rare wood are so incredibly gorgeous it deserves nothing less than to shine in all it's glory!
What color is pecky cypress?
Color & Appearance: Color tends to be a light, yellowish brown. Sapwood is nearly white. Some pieces can have scattered dark pockets and voids where the wood has been attacked by fungi—called pecky cypress.
Is there a market for cypress trees?
Wood from cypress, which full-grown rise 75-100 feet into the sky, is valued for its beauty and its resistance to rot and insects, and there is a market hungry for everything from cypress shingles and lawn furniture, to cabinets and mulch.
Cleaning Pecky Cypress : woodworking - reddit
I am planning on making a Pecky Cypress glow table which i'm sure many of you have seen, my concern is how to clean out the various holes in the …
How To Finish Pecky Cypress - MikeRobertsConstruction
a. cypress lumber b. wood glue c. clamps d. drill e. jigsaw f. sandpaper (120, 150, 220 grit) g. finish of your choice. Use a damp cloth to clean the surface of the wood
Pecky Cypress — Old Florida Lumber Company
OLD GROWTH PECKY CYPRESS. Our Old Growth Pecky Heart Cypress has a variety of peck throughout, which is extremely handsome. The "peck", or textured appearance in pecky cypress, varies from light to heavy.
Why is cypress used in Louisiana?
Cypress was used in South Louisiana for home building years ago because of its natural ability to repel insects, like the termite that is prevalent here in our humid climates.
What causes a tree to eat away?
This eating away of the wood, giving it a three-dimensional look–is caused by a fungus called “polyporus amarus”. I don’t quite understand it, but supposedly the fungus enters the living three through some sort of damage–broken limb or burnt bark from lightning perhaps. It is said that the pocketing and striations occur while the tree is alive; and once it is cut down, the fungus can no long survive or cause any more of these formations in the wood.
How old are cypress trees?
Some of these cypress trees, as old as 300 years, can sit on the bottom of a river or bayou after having strayed from the lumbermen. In the case of this wood, The Miller, husband to DS, finds old cypress trees that were felled by natural causes and pulls them out of the river. He then mills them into usable lumber.
Why are cypress knees important?
They are valuable to the swamp and marsh eco-systems. They also help protect us from hurricane-driven tidal surges and wind. They are anchored deep into the bottom lands by their very sturdy and intricate roots called “cypress knees”, which can be seen in my banner photo. More about that another day.
Is cypress wood stained or painted?
There is only slight pecking in a couple of places. And then there is cypress that is totally solid that can be either stained or painted. Cypress was used for the beams, sills, rafters, the siding, flooring, cabinets, tongue and groove beadboard for the walls, and more.
