3 1/2 Time's a Charm

About us


When we started our tree care and removal company, Brown Hound Tree Service, we vowed to save as much wood as possible from the landfill.


In 2016, we got down and dirty, milling live edge slabs with a Stihl 880 chainsaw and an Alaskan sawmill. We tried getting a start in Boones Mill and we called it "Heartwood Tree Salvage." It didn't stick (but the domain did).


We moved our operations back to Roanoke County and paid a dude to bring his portable mill to us, then we listed and sold slabs from our driveway via Craigslist. It kinda stuck, and we met some seriously cool wood people.


In the midst of starting a family and a business and contending with Roanoke County Code Enforcement, we teamed up with this crazy guy who barely knew us but wanted to help us out. We moved into his newly-purchased building on Patterson Ave. and thought, "now we're ready to rock and roll!" But the City of Roanoke said, "nope. We don't think you can do it." (Actually, it was one grumpy feller who said that, and he no longer works there, so...) 


We became disheartened. We pulled the "slabs for sale" sign off the building. The sawmills kept running but the dust was piling up until...now. We've been hoarding cool wood for seven years, and with the hopes that, "if we buy it (aka go further in debt), they will come," we purchased an iDRY kiln and a Lucas Mill.


So today, as we ready ourselves for our 10th winter in the seasonal industry that is Tree Care, we are fully outfitted with a Norwood LumberPro HD36 and a Lucas Mill; we are currently milling live edge slabs and dimensional lumber more efficiently than ever from locally-sourced wood.


We have an iDRY kiln and a partnership with Slab Slayers and their custom-built slab flattener, so together, we can turn out beautiful pieces of wood that are properly dried and so flat that if there were a rollie pollie on a slab, it wouldn't be able to roll anywhere. (Sorry little wood louse- Kiln-drying kills bugs. Roll away before it's too late!)


COMING SOON, under new direction, Brown Hound Tree Salvage. will offer a wide variety of slabs and turning blanks, as well as branches, stumps, hollow logs, chips, sawdust, and tree cookies. We salvage as much of each tree as possible!

Whether you're experienced or just like to dabble, we work with wood workers, artists, crafters and the like, to make available local tree species that you don't necessarily see for sale by other local retailers, at an affordable price.



Over 10,000 trees saved from local landfills.
 Green Values. Sustainable.
Beauty, Craft, Opportunity.

Raw Product

 Tree Species Typically Available
Kiln- and air-dried live edge slabs, logs, turning blanks, stumps, burl, drop-cuts, root balls, &
other bits-n-pieces:
Red Oak /  White Oak
Cedar / Walnut / Osage Orange
Royal Empress /  Holly  / Magnolia
Hemlock /  Leyland Cypress
White Pine  / Sycamore
Wild Cherry /  Elm  / Persimmon
Pecan /  Locust / Box Elder
Maple / Red Wood
Spalted and Ambrosia Maple
Cherry /  Poplar

“The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.”
~  Ralph Waldo Emerson

Finished Products
Made by local woodworkers, with locally-sourced, urban wood.

We want to support local artisans by promoting their tree-related and wooden creations. If you are someone who NEEDS a finished product, we can point you in the right direction.

If you are a woodworker, painter, sculptor, jewelry maker, crafter, etc., and you have made something from, inspired by, or related to TREES, please contact us! We will drive business your way.
DONATIONS
Brown Hound Tree Salvage loves to donate to non-profits, research studies, and schools! In addition to those listed below, we have donated slabs to the woodworking class at Andrew Lewis Middle School, mistletoe to a research student from the VT Carilion Research Institute, and a sycamore slab to a research student from UVA.

Whether it's magnolia pods or live edge slabs, please contact us and we will try to fill your need!