Black Walnut Tree Removal

[anikaamin]

I recently purchased a home in Vienna VA and we have a massive black walnut tree (maybe 50 ft) that we'd like to remove. Can anyone recommend a lumber mill (or something) that might be interested in chopping it down for us in exchange for the wood?

thanks!

[rodger.]

Sell it! In my area, a 50 ft walnut would sell for a few thousand dollars (assuming it's mature and thick enough). Hire an arbourist to take it down if need be, but don't give away such prized lumber! Walnut trees take a looong time to get large enough to harvest for lumber, you're super lucky to have one!

[James Finley]

I think it is unlikely you'll find one person that will take the tree down and mill it. My guess is you'll have to hire a tree service to bring it down (there are several in your area, and I can recommend a good one if you're interested) and then hire someone with a portable mill to actually mill the tree once it is down. There is a (semi) local place, Local Wood (http://www.localwoodva.com/lwhome.html) who deal with local lumber. I'm not sure if they mill it, but they definitely season and sell local wood, so they may be able to point you to someone who can help.

--James

[Dale Timberlake]

Did you get anywhere with selling your Walnut tree.  I have a huge one at my McLean VA house that's now leaning towards the house.  I need to take it down.  If you found a way to sell it, please let me know who you sold it to.  i would like to do the same.  Thx!

[jHop]

Recently, Davey Tree came out to my grandparent's estate and lopped the top off a Black Walnut that was nearing the power lines.  They did what has been referred to as a "city job," just doing the quickest approach to getting it out of the way of the line.  Which really sucks, because it took the tree five years to adjust to being transplanted into that area.  It's about 15 years old, and about twelve inches in circumference at the widest.  Not going to do a lot of growing now.

 

I also know that this is not Davey Tree's usual quality, having watched them prune a tree with more care.  But they are not into harvesting trees, merely maintaining for landscaping purposes.  So if you find someone who will work with you, by all means go for it.  dtim, I'd still call them, to see what they can offer.  They may be able to refer you to someone who harvests trees, if nothing else. 

 

I used to work with a guy who worked for one of Davey Tree's competitors, who explained most tree trimming companies often cut the trunk up into manageable pieces for transport out, not for most usable lumber sizes.  So they will probably cut a trunk into 18" - 36" lenghts, and the branches into something that can be fed easily into a chipper.  And having helped by brother in law clear fallen trees from his property (some with 30" diameters), I can tell you they get heavy.  Consider getting an engine hoist and some plywood sheets if you will be doing any of this work yourself.  (bribing your neighbors to help with a couple pizzas and six-packs should be an obvious need, too.)

[Torch02]

I think it is unlikely you'll find one person that will take the tree down and mill it. My guess is you'll have to hire a tree service to bring it down (there are several in your area, and I can recommend a good one if you're interested) and then hire someone with a portable mill to actually mill the tree once it is down. There is a (semi) local place, Local Wood (http://www.localwoodva.com/lwhome.html) who deal with local lumber. I'm not sure if they mill it, but they definitely season and sell local wood, so they may be able to point you to someone who can help.

--James

 

 

I know for sure the these folks operate their own kiln. Not sure if they do their own sawing, but they for sure have contacts who do.

Nothing coulod hurt from contacting them to ask if they would remove the tree and take the lumber as payment. Walnut is one of the species they stock.

[playswithhiswood]

I live in south east Michigan and have 13 black walnut trees (about 7 suitable for lumber) in my back yard. Yeah I know it sounds like a lot for a residential neighborhood but it is a very old farm house and sits on just over an acre. I have been searching for several years to find someone to come and buy them. The problem is to bring the equipment to take them down and hall them away is just not worth a small lot of trees. Everyone has told me that they just won't make enough money after paying for the trees. The other problem that I am hearing is they are worried about the trees having metal in them which would ruin the wood ie. a nail or part of an old fence that is grown into the tree. One more thing to understand is that most lumber companies want to make vainer out of them which take a very specific tree (you can look this up and see if your tree is suitable as I don't remember the many requirements).

 

Good luck with your quest I hope you have better luck than I did.