–SOLD TO Michelle O in Maple Grove, MN–
This is the 3rd in a set of 6×6 beams that had really nice character. The texture on the entire piece is very nice — not overly smooth and not overly rough. The face has some quartersawn character, old saw marks as well as an interesting crack on the left side. The top has a few more nail holes, but it does have a few original drill holes. We have no idea as to why they are there; just an interesting curiosity. Although someone creative could use them for a silk flower arrangement or something. The bottom has the most character of all — deeper texture, dark nail holes and stains, as well as quarter sawing. It is gorgeous. The bottom would have made a great face, but the back was too rotten to be a usable face.

This beam came from a small barn near Afton, Minnesota. We get our raw beams from a number of sources. On occasion, we run into some rather unusual characters who supply wood to us. In this case, the beam came from a crazy couple of guys who didn’t have quite the right equipment for barn dismantling. So, they used what they had on hand… a mini-van. They literally yanked the barn down with their mini-van. Probably not the best method, but rather amusing. Sometimes you just shake your head and sigh.

We can cut this mantel down in length. Because it is already discounted and short, we really can’t discount it any further. It’s actually a great deal for someone looking for a 5ft beam style mantel.