At Grothouse, we constantly integrate eco-friendly solutions into our business model. Our facility is located on a 50-acre farm and the majority of the land is still farmed today. Wildlife that includes deer, turkey, and hawks freely roam the premises. This beautiful property is our inspiration for eco-friendly living.
Grothouse has completed installation of a solar energy system composed of 78 fixed
photovoltaic solar panels. The 18.33kW solar system will produce approximately 30%
of Grothouse Lumber’s annual energy. According to the Mid-Atlantic Renewable
Energy Association, the system will reduce Grothouse’s carbon dioxide emissions by 17
tons per year, or the equivalent of 2.8 cars per year. The reduction would be the same
as the amount of carbon sequestered by a 3.5 acre forest each year.
Grothouse Lumber’s wood countertops were a featured
product in the book, Whole Green Catalog: 1000 Best Things
for You and the Earth. The book, published by Rodale, provides
advice and reviews to help readers live in an environmentally
friendly manner. Grothouse Lumber’s wood surfaces were
called “the original green countertop,” and listed as an
environmentally friendly alternative to other countertop
surfaces.The demand for eco-friendly solutions in today’s kitchen and bath designs has led to an overwhelming array of products that claim to serve that particular niche. One material that is – and always has been – environmentally friendly is wood. Not only does wood introduce a warm, natural element to any room, it also offers a functional, high-performance surface that can last generations.
Unlike solid surfaces that are extracted from deep within the earth, wood can be harvested, replanted, and renewed to an almost limitless degree. With advances in sustainable forestry and harvesting practices, wood products can be obtained with a minimal impact on the environment. Even as lumber consumption has grown to an average of 80 cubic feet per year for every American, the U.S. forest service has been able to increase the volume of standing timber ( existing trees) from 14 million cubic feet in 1958 to 22 million cubic feet in 2000. The current ratio of timber growth to usage is 2.1 to 1, meaning that growth of new timber outpaces consumption by a considerable margin.
Even better, proper forest management can benefit the environment by reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As mature trees are harvested, younger trees that take their place consume a much larger volume of carbon dioxide to support both trunk and leaf development, and more than 95 percent of the bark and wood residues generated by lumber and plywood production are reused for energy and in other products.
Grothouse Lumber also offers wood certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), a non-profit organization devoted to encouraging the responsible management of forests. The FSC ensures that the raw lumber products are sustainably produced and harvested. In addition, there are a number of plantation-grown products that are farmed and replenished on an ongoing basis. These include teak and bamboo, as well as Lyptus, which is the trade name for a hard, yet fast-growing wood that’s a hybrid of two species of Eucalyptus trees.
We consider wood surfaces to be heirlooms that can last generations. A properly manufactured counter or butcherblock can be used for decades with just a little regular care and maintenance. And even if it outlives its usefulness as a counter, the surface can be repurposed or recycled with a minimal impact on the environment.
After all, unlike many of the raw materials used today, wood actually
does grow on trees.
Paul Grothouse, Owner
The Grothouse Lumber Company
Grothouse Butcherblocks featured in Wood Mode Kitchen Design
Wood Mode Cabinetry just completed another stunning kitchen to add to their design portfolio. The creative visionary is John Troxell, Director of Design at Wood-Mode. Read More »
Grothouse Pastore Tables and Countertops – The Latest Luxury Design Trend
Grothouse solid wood Pastore Tables are the latest design trend in today’s luxury homes. This style has a solid wood countertop that is mitered to solid waterfall legs, creating the appearance of a continuous surface that blends into legs. Read More »
Paul Grothouse featured on Renovation Bootcamp™ with Robin Siegerman
Robin’s Tip of the Week, Paul Grothouse gives us the scoop on wood counter tops, their myths and facts and the surprising ways that wood can be used that you would never have imagined! Listen to the Interview »
The Grothouse Lumber Company featured in House Beautiful Kitchen of the Year
See the butcherblock table Tyler Florence designed for the 2011 House Beautiful Kitchen of the Year. Read more »
Grothouse ties for “Best of Show” at the New York Architectural Digest Home Design Show.
Grothouse tied for first place, receiving the most comments and votes from show attendees, exhibitors, ECPR fans and media members. Read more »
Grothouse Lumber Participates in Third This Old House® Project
Distressed 1-3/4 inch thick Sapele Mahogany island countertop constructed as part of the renovation of a 1940s Colonial Revival home in Boston, MA. Read more »
Grothouse Lumber Featured in The Countertop Book
Book features wide range of wood tops constructed by Grothouse Lumber. Read more »
Grothouse Lumber Featured in Rodale-published Whole Green Catalog
Newly-released book names Grothouse Lumber's wood countertops as the original green surface Read more »
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