What We Do
Transforming Waste Wood
URBAN TREE SALVAGE® is the proud owner and operator of a sawmill, dry kiln, a woodshop, and a metal shop, all located on a few acres of land. We take great care in hand-selecting each log we salvage, ensuring both quality and uniqueness. Urban trees, facing environmental stress, often exhibit stunning figures and characteristics such as curls, spalting, bird’s eye, and quilting, to name just a few.
All our materials are salvaged from locally-felled municipally owned urban trees where permits have been obtained for their removal. This practice ensures that we do not support or contribute to the logging industry or unnecessary tree removals. Some of the common species we carry include ash, basswood, black walnut, elm, maple, oak, poplar, and willow.
We utilize multiple mills to cut all of our own materials, ensuring that each slab is milled to highlight the unique beauty and character of every log. Our specialty lies in creating 2″ thick book-matched sets, which consist of consecutively cut slabs that produce a striking mirror image effect. Additionally, for customers seeking a truly distinctive table, we offer thick single-width slabs.
Kiln Dried Wood
Proper kiln drying is essential for reducing moisture, eliminating insects, and relieving stress in wood. When wood is not dried, stored, and acclimatized correctly, whether it is sourced locally or from overseas, it can develop severe cracks, warps, and cupping over time. To prevent these issues, our materials are stored indoors, allowing them to properly equalize before production.
Previously certified by the CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency), URBAN TREE SALVAGE® was the only municipal log salvaging operation in Ontario certified to ship worldwide. Our slabs underwent strict government audits to ensure they were properly kiln dried and heat treated.
Custom Made Easy
URBAN TREE SALVAGE® owns a fully equipped and climate-controlled shop where we handcraft each piece using traditional woodworking techniques. Additionally, we fabricate all of our own metal bases, providing a wide range of design and finish options. Each base is custom-built to complement the top, ensuring proper seating locations and stability.
We invite you to visit our showroom, which boasts the largest selection of custom options in Toronto. Here, you can personally choose your material, size, finish, and design, and we will build your product according to your specifications.
You have the ability to personally select the material we will use to create your piece, ensuring there are no hidden surprises from sight unseen purchases. This is because no two pieces are the same.
We offer a range of finish options, including hand-rubbed oils, water-based urethanes, and oil-based stains. Our team will guide you through the selection process, ensuring that you feel confident with your design and material choices. If you’re unsure about the best color for your space, we can provide custom-made samples for you to take home and compare in your living area.
Ready-Made Furniture
We also have a wide range of fully finished furniture available at our showroom, ready for immediate use. Our selection includes various styles, from contemporary to organic. Our products consist of straight edge or live edge slab dining tables, kitchen tables, console tables, coffee tables, boardroom tables, conference tables, desks, live edge slab and reclaimed beam benches, as well as island tops and countertops suitable for residential, commercial, hospitality, and institutional applications.
Some of our corporate clients include: Aveda, Cineplex, Coca-Cola, McMaster University, Nike, Stantec, Starbucks, TJX, University of Toronto, to name a few.
URBAN TREE SALVAGE® is a unique company that handles all aspects of wood reclamation, including salvage, sawing, drying, and manufacturing. By overseeing every part of the process and avoiding outsourcing, they are able to maintain higher quality standards and offer competitive prices. Did you know that URBAN TREE SALVAGE® is a member of the Ontario Wood Program, certifying that our furniture is made from wood grown, harvested, and processed here in Ontario.
What we create in the end are environmentally friendly functional art pieces for the home, cottage or office, exclusively from salvaged and reclaimed wood.
