From the Trees to the Keys

The family company, which supplies logs to Mountaineer Log & Siding Co., has a full-time staff of foresters who manage over 14,000 acres of company forest land in West Virginia and Maryland. In addition, they assist private landowners in practicing responsible forest management. The goal is to ensure healthy and productive forests in the future.

The wood utilized in Mountaineer homes is white pine, which is native to the area. The company utilizes uneven harvesting techniques, which ensure that the native forest composition and age are maintained. In addition, because the family sawmill utilizes hardwoods for the furniture industry, the harvesting is very efficient. Both pine and hardwoods are harvested at the same time and transferred to the mill for processing. The harvesting opens up the forest, allowing young trees to flourish and providing food for the forest animals and birds. Younger trees consume carbon dioxide at much greater rates as they grow than older trees and, at the same time, release more oxygen. The harvesting practices ensure that the water quality in streams and lakes is protected. The construction of roads through the forests provides access for recreational activities such as hiking and hunting. In addition, such roads provide access in case of fire emergencies.

Mountaineer's logs are cut in the winter and early spring when the sap is down, thus minimizing the growth of blue stain fungi in the wood. When the wood reaches the mill, the outer sections of the log are cut for siding, leaving the 6" X8" center core (cant) for use in log walls. The cants are arranged in racks and allowed to come to equilibrium with the environment by air drying over a 6 to 9-month period. Therefore, energy is not required to kiln dry the logs, and the drying process is much gentler. Waste wood from the operation is sent to paper mills, while the bark is either used for fuel or is sold for garden mulch.

By being involved in the process of producing log home packages from the seedling to the finished logs ("from the Trees to the Keys"), Mountaineer can provide quality homes at reasonable prices. Our homes, built at least 25 years ago, are a testament to the process by which we provide our quality product. We are so confident of the quality of our logs that we offer a Limited Lifetime Warranty on the logs and siding.