# Worth of Maple Slabs



## arvanlaar (Dec 29, 2014)

Hey All,

So my brother in laws are over helping me on my roof and cannot get over the size of the maples on my property especially the one at the front. The truck is 6' across and about 10' high before branches start shooting off. 

If I was ever to take this tree down, and cut that section of trunk into a few 6'x10'x4" slabs, what do you think each slab would be worth? I have seen some slabs at the local yard a few times selling for quite a bit and was wondering if you all had some input. I know it depends on the grain and pattern but lets say its just a normal grain. What do you think slabs of those size would be worth?


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

In my experience trees this size are usually rotten. There was a huge ice storm here, and I have seen hundreds of large stumps, and most are rotten.


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## arvanlaar (Dec 29, 2014)

hwebb99 said:


> In my experience trees this size are usually rotten. There was a huge ice storm here, and I have seen hundreds of large stumps, and most are rotten.


Are they rotten when the tree is still alive and perfectly well? It's not a sick tree or anything like that...


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## hwebb99 (Nov 27, 2012)

arvanlaar said:


> Are they rotten when the tree is still alive and perfectly well?


 In me experience yes.


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

I had a huge Maple in my front yard close to the sidewalk, produced bags of leaves to rake up in the fall and every wind storm a branch or two would break off. I cut it down before someone got hurt and was surprised that the main trunk was hollow. This was a west coast variety, yours may be different.


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## ETWW (Mar 27, 2011)

It's difficult to say what a 6' wide x 10' long clear Maple slab would be worth. Like you noted, figure would significantly increase its value and large trees like you described often yield highly figured lumber...if it doesn't have heart rot. The tree can look perfectly healthy and still have that rot present because the heartwood is dead anyway.

Do you have a way to slab a 6' diameter log? Are you willing to wait four or five years for the slabs to dry? If so and the slabs are clear, I would guess they might be worth up to a couple hundred dollars or more each if you can find the right buyer. If they are highly figured, maybe several hundred dollars each. It just depends on the right person being made aware of them. 

The value of the tree as regards your property may be worth more than the milled value.

In the end, they are worth whatever you can get for them...no more, no less.


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## arvanlaar (Dec 29, 2014)

Thanks for the input gents  I guess I won't get my hopes too high in terms of value. If they ever need to come down we will see what happens then.


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## mikeswoods (May 18, 2009)

If that is a soft maple (most likely by the size) the wood is usually a low value wood unless figured or spalted--

The size is a big problem---very few mills can cut wider than36 to 40 inches---

For fun, you might want to start researching local sawmills --they are a great source of interesting wood at fair prices---visit one or two and ask if they could mill a huge log like that---


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## Allen Tomaszek (Dec 11, 2010)

I might be one of the exceptions but here's my two cents...

It wouldn't matter what kind of wood it is if you actually are able to get a 6' wide solid slab. Someone will want it because that's difficult to find for some of the reasons people have already pointed out. Really large trees can have rot in the center and even if they don't you still need to find someone who can saw it.

What I have done with large trees in the past is used a chainsaw to cut the log in half, or in your case maybe into quarters. Then saw the quarters keeping track of boards so they can be matched back up and joined into one larger piece when dry. Below is a thread of a 42" diameter soft maple I tackled last summer which is in my kiln right now.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f26/fun-urban-maple-project-63363/

When I sell this wood I will get $5.00bf for a decent amount of it as the boards are wide and are bookmatched. If they were curly I would charge $10.00bf. Once the sets have been picked through and the best ones are sold then I'll probably end up selling the rest as common soft maple which get's $1.50 - $2.50bf around here. Hope that's helpful as far as some pricing.

No matter what, if you do ever take it down make sure to share some pictures. We love that here!


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## ChnSwMllOnaHll (Oct 30, 2015)

These slabs came off of an old growth Maple Tree. 40" thick for 40'. Slabs are from a limb after the crotch.


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