Finding potential in every log
What we do
Valley Mill and Board is a small Peoria county business that began from the realization that much of the wood debris from local tree services is being used as firewood or disposed of in unproductive ways. As we looked into the options available for processing these logs from residential yards, we found that most commercial mills will not consider cutting logs that have any potential for nails and hardware that may be buried in them from the past. These foreign items damage the mill’s blade and can be pricey to replace. By purchasing our own band sawmill, we take that risk for the benefit of harvesting much wood from the urban forest (residential yards). Then we craft it into beautiful furniture and décor saving it from a burn pile. We are also able to offer raw materials to those who would like to use it in their own DIY projects.
About Our Products
Valley Mill and Board currently has a number of hardwood boards on hand. While some logs allow boards to showcase a straight flawless grain, others have the added character of knots and imperfections that come from their growing environment. In most cases, these boards would be considered inferior and throw into a burn pile. At Valley Mill and Board, we look at this differently. We embrace the imperfections as a characteristic of the wood we are working with and often base the project around them. This adds a sense of uniqueness to each piece.
Custom Cutting
As we use our creativity, we realize that there are more options from other brilliant minds, so we are able to custom cut much of the logs to your desire. Live edge mantels, large dimensional lumber, table slabs, and any wood not so common in woodworking may be custom cut for our customers. All wood should dry before it is used, so if it is air-dried and stored in a ventilated area, it normally takes a year per inch of thickness for nature to dry it. We are building a drying kiln to make the drying smoother and quicker in due time.
DIY
Because we are recycling our urban forest, our availability is subject to the trees that are removed by our tree service affiliates. Hardwoods are easier to dry due to the sap in the evergreen trees, so they make up most of what we have on hand. Our wood selection is based on the available logs we get from some local tree services.
At Your House
If you are near by and have a log to be milled, we or our affiliates can help you get started with your project by milling it on site.
Contact us via email at valleymillandboard@gmail.com or call/text 309-370-1217
Thanks for considering us and the potential of recycling earth’s resources!
Sincerely, Bob