Wood Species & Sustainability

Knotty Alder is known for its rustic, old world appearance, and highly pronounced grain configurations that give it a raw, natural look. 

Clear Alder is an even grained wood with finely figured patterns that give it a classic and uniform, creamy presentation. 

Soft Maple has light, finely textured grain configurations with occasional mineral streaks, giving it a natural, organic appearance. 

Hard Maple is a highly dense, straight grained wood with subtle figuring giving it a neat, even look featuring a pale to cream colored appearance. 

Cherry is a richly colored reddish brown, straight grained wood with an elegant, satin like appearance and uniform figuring. 

Mahogany is an exotic, fine grained hardwood with a lustrous sheen and warm coloring ranging from tan to a vibrant reddish brown 

Walnut is a densely fibered wood made up of smooth tones and grain patterns, featuring a range of rich, chocolate brown coloring. 

White Oak features clean, straight patterned grain lines and textures exhibiting a natural warmth of tan and golden brown colors and muted undertones of pale yellow 

Red Oak is a hardwood that features straight, uneven grain patterns with large open pores, and ranges in color from tan to light brown with reddish undertones throughout.

Sustainability: Elemental Woodworks deals only with sustainably sourced woods. At every step in the design and production process we consider the materials used and the way in which the products are made; as well as the way the workshops, employment practices and waste are managed. The longevity of the furniture in itself means that it is a better choice for our environment. The use of natural materials ensures that it is reusable, recyclable or biodegradable.

The Lacey Act Amendment for Trees: The Lacey Act is an amendment associated with illegal trade in plants growing in natural conditions i.e. wildlife. According to the amendments to this law in 2008, the act of importing, exporting, transporting, selling, receiving, acquiring, or purchasing in foreign or interstate commerce any type of plant that violates the US laws is illegal. Whoever breaks the law will pay penalties. The new law requires a new declaration and affects manufacturers and exporters shipping different types of items made from wood to the US, such as plywood, flooring, lumber, furniture, paper and other wood products. We only deal with  suppliers who uphold the highest standards in regards to lumber quality and legal sourcing.

Illegal Under The Lacey Act

Stealing of timber, which includes timber from protected areas and parks

Logging without prior permission

Acting against the harvesting regulations

Failure to pay fees, taxes and royalties

The import of any plant product or covered plant without collecting a declaration form from the Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection is illegal.

The Lacey Act And Wood Importers And Traders: The United States requires that wood importing in the USA should be done with a government-issued declaration form.

1. Declaration has to be made before importing plants

2. It should contain: plant’s scientific name, import value, plant quantity, original country and the mean percent recycled material irrespective of the country of origin or species.