There are lots of reasons to love reclaimed wood. Aside from enjoying its aesthetic value, using reclaimed wood is one more way to reduce our impact on the planet by giving new life to old lumber.
If you’re looking to add a warm, rustic touch to your home, continue reading to find out the many reasons you’ll love reclaimed wood:
1. Beautiful Aesthetic Appeal
Reclaimed wood allows homeowners to achieve a rustic look without compromising the integrity and strength of the wood. There are many ways to use reclaimed wood too! Many homeowners like to use it as an accent wall, to build tables, and, of course, for beautiful looking hardwood floors.
2. Better for the Environment
While hardwood floors are actually more environmentally friendly than you think, using reclaimed wood gives new purpose to old wood that may otherwise be tossed aside. Even better, because this wood has lived a full life, it is stronger than most woods purchased brand new.
After reclaimed wood has been treated, it provides an old-time look without the weakness of older, worn out hardwoods. Continue reading to find out how.
3. Stronger Than New Wood
Not only is reclaimed wood beautiful, in many cases, it’s stronger than new wood after treatment. Wood for reclaiming is usually found in old barns, houses, and warehouses and includes strong species like oak, maple, mahogany, and walnut. Shipping crates are another possible source since they’re often made with hard, durable species that can withstand rough treatment and hold their cargo without breaking or splintering.
Once the wood is sourced, it’s then processed by removing hardware such as nails and bolts, milled to remove the outer layer of weathered wood and to get rid of warping, kiln-dried to remove possible insect infestation and to prevent re-warping, and then shipped to suppliers.
Related Read: 8 Ways You’re Destroying Your Hardwood Floors
4. Great for Restoring Older Homes
Reclaimed wood is especially valuable to homeowners looking to restore an old or historic house because, in older houses, old-growth timber was often used for flooring and staircases, but now it is no longer available to purchase new. Luckily, reclaimed wood is able to match older styles of wood and is an equally beautiful feature in a new home as well, adding character, a rich patina, and a sense of age that is usually reserved for older houses.
In recent years, reclaimed wood has been getting easier to find, but you should still make sure you’re buying from a reputable business that will guarantee the product, and that you’re getting wood that was properly processed and treated. If not, keep looking!
