MILWAUKEE — While it might seem counterintuitive, one Milwaukee man is bringing dead pieces of wood back to life.
Rather than trashing trees destined for the dump, Nick Hardrath turns them into pieces of art.
“At the end of its life, it might be damaged from a storm or from the life expectancy of a tree that’s taken down, and we’re giving it a second life as lumber," Hardrath said.
He is the owner of Urban Craftsman. Hardrath will take trees that have been felled and turn them into lumber for do-it-yourselfers or woodworkers. Plus, Hardrath also specializes in making custom furniture from these pieces of wood.
“We’ve had a lot of stories throughout the year, somebody that has a tree in the backyard that maybe their grandfather planted; they want to turn it into furniture and keep that legacy," he said.
He can make bookcases, coffee tables, and more from the tree in your backyard.
Almost all the wood he gets comes from Milwaukee County. He works with homeowners and places like the city of Shorewood, Whitefish Bay, Wauwatosa, Milwaukee Public Schools, and more.
"Very rarely do we have something from outside of Milwaukee County, so it’s pretty hyper-local," he said.
There is a financial incentive for cities, and it’s better for the environment.
“Municipalities and cities that are taking down the tree actually spend a huge amount of money to take and discard of that tree. You’re releasing the carbon (dioxide) that the tree has collected all of its life—40, 50, maybe 100 plus years," Hardrath said.
Hardrath sees the beauty in the imperfections of these trees—which are grown more or less naturally—versus ones specifically grown to be harvested for lumber in places like the Upper Peninsula.
See how Nick Hardrath brings dead trees back to life
“It’s not grown really straight and perfectly to harvest as a 2-by-4 or a perfect piece of wood; it has more character and a lot of stuff going on, which you wouldn’t get anywhere else," he said.
Hardrath receives about 250 to 300 trees a year. That’s hundreds of trees brought back to life thanks to Hardrath.
See examples of what Urban Craftsman makes on its website.
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