Roof Framing, Trusses & Decking

The wood for the trusses and framing for our solar panel-clad roof and the decking around our mezzanine is sourced from black locust trees.

Not the most common or obvious choice, perhaps. But if you drive down any rural road around the farmlands of western NC, you’re guaranteed to see plenty of fence posts, sheep paddocks, and other outdoor fixtures built of this wood. It’s already a fixture in agricultural design.

• This wood can rival hickory for hardness.

• It is naturally rot and pest resistant - in fact, it’s one of the most rot-resistant trees we can grow in this climate. 

• It is native to the Appalachian mountains.

• It is fast-growing (some go so far as to call it invasive)

• It is a great contributor of nitrogen (sometimes even interplanted for this purpose with other crops like barley).

• Its flowers make great food for pollinators, and it is sometimes planted to support honey production. 

Due to its natural resistance to rot and pests, it doesn’t require pressure treatment, a process that can emit toxic chemicals into the air and water supply. 

The heavy timber trusses were constructed and installed by Whole Trees 

Black locust wood was sourced from Robi Decking and Raleigh Reclaimed.