Feb 3 2009
Whole Log Lumber of North Carolina is working hard to change the point of view that going green, in home building, means using less aesthetically pleasing components. Their reclaimed lumber products are adding the beauty of old wood to homes across North America and their philosophy is driving them to become a leader as the green lumber supplier to the green home building industry.
With a big push in the world towards going green, many builders have considered but been hesitant about bringing sustainable building products into America's homes. Sustainable products aren't often associated with beauty, and many feel that the greener products take away from the look of a home.
It may be our current push towards greener-living that is fueling the company's huge growth. Jim Stowell and his company, Whole Log Lumber, have been working for 25 years to change that point of view. "Having recognized some time ago the durability and beauty of reclaimed wood, we were green before it was cool," says Stowell.
In 1984 when Jim started his lumber recycling business, his original idea was to create beautiful flooring material from reclaimed pine heart-wood. Today, the company and their product line up have grown, but they still hold true to the original idea of creating environmentally friendly products that speak for the beauty of recycled lumber.
Their products today include antique wood paneling, hand-hewn and planed beams and mantels, original surface and skip-planed oak and other recycled lumber products - but their specialty is still creating beautiful floors from antique wood products.
If you ask Jim Stowell, he'll say that a reclaimed wood floor is more than just a way to push towards greener building materials, it's about the art. "Whether it's pine flooring, oak flooring, or heart pine flooring, an antique wood floor can become a work of art - a physical expression of beauty beneath your feet."
Even with the art side of the business, it is the push towards sustainability in homes that has driven Whole Log Lumber to become a leader in the field of sustainability. Customers are seeing the natural beauty that is available from a product created of old wood.
After taking the business online in 2004, the company which was once local to North Carolina, has seen huge growth and is driving forward with products that are both environmentally friendly and beautiful.
"Our client list now includes rock stars, sports celebrities, architects, builders, and home owners," says Stowell. "It may be our current push towards greener-living that is fueling the company's huge growth." If you ask Jim Stowell though, he'd likely tell you that going green isn't always about sustainability.
You'd likely hear that it's the tried-and-true character of reclaimed wood products that can invite a visually-stunning spectacle into your home and provide the reliable movement of warmth throughout all of your living spaces.
It is ideas like Jim's that are leading more people to see the truth of things, that sustainable housing isn't just about green. And, it will be interesting to watch, as companies like Whole Log Lumber show the world how beautiful going green can really be!
For more information on Whole Log Lumber, or their reclaimed wood flooring products, please visit their site at www.wholeloglumber.com.