Timber in old buildings that can withstand weather and wind often comes from trees that are 150–200 years old. When the trees are allowed to grow old, heartwood is formed that is resistant to fungus and rot. To repair old buildings and for special wood projects, such trees are sought after. – I actually struggle if I am given the task of finding something to match something that has been used in special houses and constructions in the past, says Steinar Moldal at Dovre Handverkssenter. REPLACEMENT: Old wood is replaced with new. Then it is important that the quality of the timber is the same. APPRENTICE: Torstein Storaas appreciates working with quality timber. He believes it is important to leave some forest alone and grow large. COMMITTED: Steinar Moldal wants the forest to be managed differently so that more trees can grow old and stronger. Wants changed forest management He has worked with forests, restoration and woodworking for a lifetime. Now he fears that the way the forests are managed means that there will not be enough such trees to be found in the forest for future generations. – We have neglected ourselves for a long, long time. We think volume and quantity all the time without thinking that maybe there is something else we should have our eyes on, he says. The craftsman emphasizes that if you cut down an area of forest, it takes 4-5 generations before you can take out timber. But trees that grow up freely and get all the light they want do not become very good trees. They should preferably grow up in shady places so they don’t grow so fast when they are small. Something is rustling in this forest: This is where our hunt for the truth begins WELL PRESERVED: Garmo stave church at Maihaugen is well cared for by the craftsmen at the open-air museum. Photo: Reidar Gregersen Needs old trees Moldal gets support from Jon Bojer Godal. The 86-year-old is a well-known communicator of traditional Norwegian crafts and has particularly worked with wood in houses and boats. Among other things, Godal has been involved in extracting timber with a helicopter. Among other things, to get good enough wood to make roof shavings for stave churches. He believes that modern industrial forestry does not focus on tending the forest so that it produces trees with the qualities that traditional crafts are looking for. – This is not what is being arranged for. The trees will be planted and the distance regulated and will grow quickly so that they will quickly return to the industry, he says. Godal believes that today’s forestry must be changed so that there will be subjects for traditional crafts in 200 years’ time. But also that a change has several advantages. Because the forest’s capacity to absorb C02 increases as the trees get older. BLEACHING: Shards are cut into the trees in the hope that they will grow stronger and more durable faster. WOUNDS: When the tree is damaged it tries to defend itself and it is believed that it produces more defensive substances. enough old and solid timber. Now he wants more trees to be allowed to stand and grow older. Bleaching the trees To remedy the lack of old timber, Moldal and Godal have a new project together with the Norwegian University of Environmental and Biosciences (NMBU). They want to see about bleaching the trees. In other words, making marks in the bark with an ax can make the trees stronger and more durable. The technique has been used on old houses. – There are many indications that these trees have better durability, but we are not sure what it is that makes them more durable, says Line Nybakken, professor of forest ecology at NMBU. It is assumed that by spot barking the trees will provoke them to develop protective chemicals to defend themselves against fungal attack in the wound in the bark. If one could use the technique to manipulate trees to become more durable, that would be very useful. – We have some indications of a chemical change, but we are not at the point where we have a world sensation yet, says Nybakken. EXPENSIVE PLANK: The plank that will form one side of the portal in Urnes stave church has a raw material price of close to 500,000 TESTS: Before they start cutting out the large portal, Njål tries a smaller piece of wood. a good result. Plank for 500,000 – As soon as there is something special like that plank here or windows for example, then we have to go looking and it is not always so easy to know where to look, says Njål Andreassen in the company Motved in Dovre. He is now working on part of the new portal to Urnes stave church. The price of the plank he works with alone is close to NOK 500,000. That says something about how valuable timber can be when you need something special. He himself works as a cabinetmaker and woodcarver and does not need large quantities of timber. He believes he will be able to find what he needs in the future as well. – Can deliver most VARIED FORESTRY: Sverre Holm in Glommen Mjøsen Skog believes they manage the forest in such a way that there will be different qualities of timber for most needs in the future as well. Photo: Reidar Gregersen VARIED FORESTRY: Sverre Holm in Glommen Mjøsen Skog believes they manage the forest in such a way that there will be different qualities of timber for most needs in the future as well. Photo: Reidar Gregersen Glommen Mjøsen Skog manages logging from Lesja and Røros in the north to Halden in the south. They do not agree with the description that there is a shortage of timber with special qualities. And they believe they have no problem delivering special timber when they are asked about it. – I believe that with the forestry we operate today with open and closed felling, we will be able to offer the restoration market all timber qualities in the future and. That’s what Sverre Holm says, who is head of forest management at Glommen Mjøsen Skog. Flat felling is the most common form of operation. Closed felling is a selective felling where parts of the timber are removed from an area. – Alternative deliveries and alternative assortments are something that we constantly keep in mind, he says. Eyes of hope Steinar Moldal doesn’t think it’s that simple, but sees a hope. – I think that maybe some people are starting to wake up now, that they see that we have to let some forest stand. So that we will have something to pick from in the generations ahead of us, he says. THE OLD WAY: Steinar Moldal and Anton Rudi at Dovre Handverkssenter believe that parts of forestry should still be carried out with chainsaws and tractors or horses.Photo: Reidar Gregersen THE OLD WAY: Steinar Moldal and Anton Rudi at Dovre Handverkssenter believe that parts of forestry should still be carried out with chainsaw and tractor or horse. Photo: Reidar Gregersen
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Traditional craftsmen struggle to find good enough timber to restore old buildings – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
