Forever Redwood offers 7 Wood Grade options. Below are images showing the wood grades finished with our Premium Sealant. From left to right: Mosaic Douglas-fir, Douglas-fir, Mosaic Redwood, California Redwood, Mosaic Mature 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 seven 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 seven wood grade options, we will send you a sample set. For $30 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 that varies from con-common to A-grade clear. Most boards have an open grain of less than eight rings/inch. 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.
All our wood grades are of the highest quality: Free of heart center, finely sanded with all edges eased and finished with the sealant/stain/primer of your choice. We guarantee California Redwood products against decay for 15 years, but with some minimal maintenance it will last much longer. 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 mature trees that can exceed 100 years of age. It is all-heartwood grade with an open grain that averages 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.
All our wood grades are of the highest quality: Free of heart center, finely sanded with all edges eased and finished with the sealant/stain/primer of your choice. We guarantee Mature Redwood products against decay for 20 years, but with some minimal maintenance it will last much longer. Mature Redwood is an excellent choice for exposed moist climates or waterfront locations.
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 1980. Yes, it's 100% reclaimed lumber. Most boards have a tight grain because the trees grew slowly in a competitive environment with up to 20 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.
All our wood grades are of the highest quality: Free of heart center, finely sanded with all edges eased and finished with the sealant/stain/primer of your choice. 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 Redwood:
Mosaic Redwood timbers are hand made from reclaimed pieces of knot-free California Redwood with some Mature Redwood. We make the Mosaic in our woodworking shop via a labor-intensive hand-jointing technique that converts small pieces into beautiful extra strong thick timbers. Mosaic Redwood boards are chosen to highlight their color variation and are most loved for the beautiful combination of contrasting color and grain patterns of the small pieces that make it up. The way Mosaic is constructed results in timbers that are structurally stronger than the underlying wood itself.
We guarantee our Mosaic Redwood products against decay for 15 years, but with some minimal maintenance, it will last much longer. Mosaic Redwood is an excellent lower cost solution for most outdoor applications.
Mosaic Mature Redwood:
Mosaic Mature Redwood timbers are hand made from reclaimed pieces of knot-free Mature Redwood with a tiny amount of Old-Growth Redwood as well (we can't let one single piece of the exquisite and extremely rare Old-Growth Redwood, regardless of size, go to the landfill!). We make the Mosaic in our woodworking shop via a labor-intensive hand-jointing technique that converts small pieces into beautiful extra strong thick timbers. Mosaic Mature Redwood boards have some interesting color variations and are most loved for the beautiful contrasting grain patterns of the small pieces that make it up. The way Mosaic is constructed results in timbers that are structurally stronger than the underlying wood itself.
We guarantee our Mosaic Mature Redwood against decay for 20 years, but with some minimal maintenance, it will last much longer. Mosaic Mature Redwood is an excellent long-lasting choice for moist climates and for anyone that just wants something that will hang around for decades anywhere.
Mosaic Douglas-fir:
Mosaic Douglas-Fir timbers are hand made from reclaimed pieces of knot-free Douglas-Fir. It is 100% recycled material. We make the Mosaic in our woodworking shop via a labor-intensive hand-jointing technique that converts small pieces into beautiful extra strong thick-timbers. Mosaic Douglas-fir boards have some interesting color variations and are most loved for the beautiful contrasting grain patterns of the small pieces that make it up. The way Mosaic is constructed results in timbers that are structurally stronger than the underlying wood itself.
We guarantee our Mosaic Douglas-fir wood products against decay for 10 years, but with some minimal maintenance, it will last much longer. Mosaic Douglas-Fir is our best-priced wood-grade and an excellent choice for many projects.
Douglas-fir:
Douglas-fir is a strong economical alternative to Redwood: Choosing Douglas-fir will save you over 30% vs California Redwood. The Douglas-fir timbers we use are high quality and extra strong grades 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.
Learn more about our warranties and how to keep your furniture looking new for decades beyond its warranty.
