Can I turn my tree
into usable timber?
Have a tree due to be felled, or one already down? If you’re thinking about having it milled into boards or beams, these six guides explain what to check, what to ask a sawyer and what happens after sawing. Start with your intended use, then explore whether milling is a suitable option.
Explore the six stepsFreshly sawn timber. Drying, grading and further preparation depend on the intended use.
Where are you
in the journey?
Start with the tree, or jump to the stage that fits what you already have. Each guide gives you a practical next step.
Could this tree become useful timber?
Begin with the reason for the work—and whether keeping it is the right choice.
Explore tree
What needs agreeing before it moves?
Log lengths, access and a clear handover to the sawyer.
Explore log
Does the log suit your idea?
Bring the dimensions, condition and intended use into one conversation.
Explore assessmentHow could it become boards or beams?
Explore the cutting brief, processing options and what to measure.
Explore conversion
What happens after sawing?
Plan drying, storage and checks for the place the timber will be used.
Explore preparation
What could you make with the pieces?
Match your project to the material—and consider other useful routes.
Explore useKeeping a tree or leaving suitable wood for habitat can also be the right outcome. These guides bring together public evidence, original imagery and National Sawmills project experience; your own tree, log and intended use need their own assessment.
About the author and forestry reviewer
Jerry Andrada
Author · Co-founder, National Sawmills Ltd
Jerry has approximately 17 years of practical experience, beginning with an apprenticeship in tree surgery at 18. His work has since spanned arboriculture, forestry, regenerative farming, timber extraction and timber conversion.
He acquired his first sawmill at 25 and has worked with portable bandsaw mills, dedicated slabbers and swing-blade sawmills, including contract sawmilling projects across the UK. Today, he is co-founder of National Sawmills Ltd and the UK representative for Peterson Portable Sawmills.
His contribution to these guides is practical: how timber can be accessed, extracted and converted at or close to its source, and what that involves in working conditions.
Nick Backhouse, BSc Hons Forestry
Forestry Reviewer · National Sawmills Ltd
Nick Backhouse graduated with a BSc in Forestry from University College of North Wales, Bangor, in 1989.
Following graduation, Nick applied his forestry education at Grantland Farm in Devon, integrating forestry and woodland management within an established working agricultural holding.
Woodland and agriculture have continued to be managed alongside one another at Grantland, giving Nick more than three decades of practical forestry experience within a working farm environment.
Nick also served as a Captain in the Devonshire and Dorset Regiment of the British Army, including service in Northern Ireland.
He now reviews National Sawmills’ educational content from the perspective of his formal forestry education and long-term practical experience at Grantland Farm.
Jerry Andrada and Nick Backhouse have approved the hub and all six guides. Author and reviewer acceptance confirmed on 7 October 2026. Individual trees, sites and intended timber uses still require their own assessment.