"Junk Trees" Reused as Building Supplies

As counterintuitive as it sounds for those raised to think of all trees as environmentally precious, there are some varieties that prove a nuisance, possibly even a hazard, in certain areas.

Western juniper, for instance. While natural wildfire/regrowth cycles once kept juniper under control, modern firefighting efforts have sometimes allowed the trees to become so dense they upset an area’s watershed, soaking up water needed by other plants and prompting some landowners to embark on efforts to “control” the trees. Federal funds have even been allocated, in some cases, to help states like Utah and Colorado remove pinyon and juniper trees.

Some of those undesirable trees are now being put to better use, thanks to window and door manufacturer JELD-WEN. The company’s new interior and exterior juniper doors work the green-building angle by playing up the material’s sustainability while incorporating it into an attractively designed product.

A majority of the wood used for the line, a company spokesperson tells us, “is sourced from public lands where it is considered invasive, as well as private forest lands” where “juniper has created a major obstacle for landowners … whose livelihoods require arable land and pasture.”

In addition to being readily available wood that often would otherwise be burned off owners’ property, JELD-WEN claims it has structural benefits as well: “In tests conducted by Oregon State University, juniper performed well when it came to machining, gluing and finishing. Once dried, juniper shrinks and swells less than many other species.”

Surprisingly, the company says it is the first national manufacturer (not counting specialized craftspeople) to use juniper for doors. That could change, of course, if Western states start courting companies to profit from their trash.

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