Log Face Analysis

After Hurricane Helene destroyed a lot of old growth timber, my journey into salvaging blown down trees has taken me on a very interesting discovery. Every tree has a story to tell. When the tree is cut loose from the “root ball”, an analysis of the growth rings / patterns can help you understand what you will find inside the log.

Bark Inclusions
So many of the trees that have blown down have easily seen bark inclusions within the growth rings of the tree. One tree that I looked at today revealed that the original tree grew around two small trees when it was young. You can see circular bark inclusions and growth rings, and a heart of the two trees that were over taken by the tree.

Crowding Patterns
These patterns are easy to read. The growth rings show that the tree begin growing away from the side that had the most competition for sunlight and nutrients. The rings on the side with crowding were tight, and the rings on the side without pressure were much wider.

Internal Damage
Stained wood reveals trauma in the tree that begins at one growth ring and follow through after that first ring. The common “blue” wood shows that the tree had a limb that was cut off wrong, a nail or metal driven into the tree, or a split in the tree.

I look at the growth rings for clues about what can be found when a log is opened, and some logs are rejected by this ring analysis.