Blown Down Tree Lumber Possibilities
Uprooted tress may yield undamaged timber when snapped trees do not. June 15, 2014
Question
We had a recent storm that produced a straight line wind that blew down six huge cherry trees in my woods. Is it worth contacting a log buyer for only six trees? I live in Northern Indiana near South Bend. And any ideas on what the value might be?
Forum Responses
(Forestry Forum)
From Contributor Q:
I have seen straight line wind and hurricane damaged trees. They are under a lot of stress during an event like that. My guess is that they are probably only good for firewood or wood chips. If they are springpoled over be very careful when you cut them down because the bole is under a lot of pressure. You might be able to find a local wood turning club that is looking for wood for turning bowls. Sorry to hear about your event. That is one of the risks in owning trees.
From contributor E:
Are they snapped/broken off or uprooted? This makes a huge difference on the quality of the wood. Yes most loggers won't move equipment for six ordinary logs. Check with your local forestry dept., in most states they can help you or give you some reputable names to contact. There may be a small sawyer in your area that could help. Check the sawyer/sawmill column above and find someone local if possible. Here in Tennessee we had the straight line winds but the ground was so saturated with water they mostly uprooted and I was able to salvage what would normally be lost from the twisting and snapping.
From the original questioner:
All of my cherry trees were totally uprooted. I have about 20 maple trees that were snapped off and have hangers. In my area there were thousands of trees lost that day and many of them were uprooted.
