Forever Redwood offers 6 Wood Grade options. Below are images showing each of our wood grade options finished with our Premium Sealant. From left to right: Mosaic Douglas-fir, Douglas-fir, Mosaic Redwood, California Redwood, Mature Redwood and Old-Growth Redwood.
Below are scanned images of each wood grade sealed with our most popular and most recommended Sealant, Transparent Premium Sealant. Unfinished boards are lighter in tone. Exact colors will vary since each individual tree's wood color is unique.
The photos above represent good color and grain examples for each of our six wood grades. Please click here for more information on our finishes and color options. If you'd like a hand-on experience of the quality of our wood and see the difference between each of our six wood grade options, we will send you a wood sample set. For $21 we'll expedite your samples anywhere in the U.S. or Canada (includes HI and AK).
California Redwood:
Our California Redwood grade is an attractive, high-quality wood from trees averaging 50 to 80 years of age. California Redwood varies from con-common to A-grade clear, and most boards have an open grain with less than eight growth rings/inch. Our California Redwood grade includes sapwood, which is less decay resistant than heartwood. Sapwood is vanilla/tan in color and makes up an average of less than 30% of each California Redwood board. Notice how the left side of the swatch pictured is lighter in color than the rest of the board: this is sapwood, the rest is heartwood.
We guarantee our "California Redwood" products against decay for 15 years. Redwood is an excellent choice for most outdoor applications and is our most popular grade.
Mature Redwood:
This beautiful, premium quality Redwood is sourced from trees averaging 100 years of age. All-heartwood, most boards have an open grain of less than eight growth rings/inch. Grades vary from select-heart to clear heart. Mature Redwood is usually a lighter shade of reddish brown than Old-Growth. All-heartwood Redwood has no sapwood and doesn't dry out like Our California Redwood option. Our Mature Redwood stays oiled and keeps your furniture or structure from getting dry, cracked, and decaying.
Mature Redwood comes with a 20 year warranty against decay. In almost all cases it can be expected to last much longer. Mature Redwood has decay and moisture resistance equal to or greater than the highest grades of Teak available today. We recommend selecting Mature Redwood in almost all cases for outdoor furniture and structures.
Old-Growth Redwood:
We source this exceptional quality wood from trees over 200 years old. Forever Redwood’s Old-Growth comes from logs left on the ground when the forest was first logged between 1880 and 1970. Yes, it's 100% reclaimed lumber. Most boards have a tight grain because the trees grew slowly in a competitive environment with up to 30 rings/inch. Grades are select-heart to clear-heart. Some of these trees were alive over 1,500 years ago. Unfortunately, because of over-logging, very little of this precious wood is available anywhere anymore. Click here to learn all about our restorative forestry practices that help bring back these magnificent old growth trees.
We guarantee our Old-Growth Redwood against decay for 30 years, and in most cases it will last longer. Old-Growth Redwood is in a class of its own with regards to decay resistance and easily outlasts plantation-grown Teak.
Mosaic Douglas-fir:
Our Douglas-fir mosaic of reclaimed wood has an eye-catching contrast of colors and grains. Best of all, this wood is 100% recycled material. We make our mosaics in shop via labor intensive hand-jointing techniques to convert small pieces of wood back into beautiful and strong “thick-timber” boards. Our Mosaic wood grades are 100% post-manufacturing recycled material! Mosaic Douglas-fir boards purposefully have an occasional tiny knot included to add interesting and contrasting grain patterns to the furniture.
We guarantee our Mosaic Douglas-fir wood products against decay for 10 years. Furniture made from Mosaic Douglas-fir boards can be expected to last decades indoors.
Douglas-fir:
Douglas-fir is a strong economical alternative to Redwood: choosing Douglas-fir will save you roughly 20%! We source our Douglas-fir from trees average 50 to 100 years old, and our grades vary from #1 structural select up to clear vertical grain. Most boards have an open grain of less than 8 growth rings/inch that are light tan with occasional slightly darker streaks.
We guarantee our Douglas-fir against decay in all climates for 10 years. Although it is structurally stronger and heavier than Redwood, it is lower priced because it usually does not last as long outdoors. If resealing is not your thing, we recommend one of our Redwood grades.
Mosaic Redwood:
Each Mosaic Redwood board is composed of small reclaimed pieces from all 3 Redwood grades. The contrast of colors and grains is stunning, and best of all the wood is 100% recycled material. Made in our shop via labor intensive hand-jointing techniques, small pieces of wood are converted back into beautiful and strong “thick-timber” boards. Mosaic Redwood boards do not have any knots and are purposefully constructed to maximize color and grain contrasts.
We guarantee our Mosaic Redwood against decay for 12 years, and is an excellent choice for any of our products.
Learn more about our warranties and how to keep your furniture looking new for decades beyond its warranty.