RECLAIMED WOOD - RICH COLOR & UNMATCHED CHARACTER

  
Critical Information to Know Before You Buy Reclaimed Wood

The use of Reclaimed wood in homes and businesses is a popular trend. It appeals to environmental enthusiasts and those looking for LEED accreditation or for customers who want more from the architectural elements they are choosing for their project.

100% Reclaimed can offer just that – rich color and character unmatched by other woods today! Every marking tells a story. Old nail holes indicate it was exterior paneling in a barn. Mortis and Tenon holes will tell you that it used to be a carrying beam. Worm holes can remind us of events in history, for example when the American Chestnut tree was wiped out in the early 1900’s by a blight.

As much as we wish to embrace these features there are things to be aware of if you are shopping for a reclaimed wood and you need to ask some pointed questions to educate yourself, make an informed decision and find out what is important to you.  Reclaimed woods can cost 25 - 50% more than a non-reclaimed wood; so, make sure you know what you are getting before you buy.

Where does your reclaimed wood come from?

TIP: Buy reclaimed wood that is resawn from beams, unless you are using Barnwood.  The character is much better, you get wider widths, longer lengths and far less waste in the overall floor.

What areas of the country do you get your wood from?

TIP: The wood should come from buildings in the area of the country where the best quality wood was utilized 100-150 years ago. FOR EXAMPLE, today Heart Pine grows down South but the BEST Reclaimed Heart Pine comes from the Eastern Seaboard and New England where the best Heart Pine was shipped during the industrial revolution!

What is the widest width you can do? What is going to be my average width?

TIP: Use wide planks.  Crafting a reclaimed floor any narrowed than 6” is going to look too busy with all the character that is in the floor.

What is the longest length you can do? What is going to my average length?

TIP: It is important to the overall look of your floor to minimize the number of seams. You can do this by installing a floor made in longer lengths and a longer average length. You should ask for an average length of 6’ long and it will reduce the seams by 50%

Am I limited by where or what subfloor I can install this to?

TIP: Your Reclaimed floor should be able to be installed on radiant heat, concrete, at or below grade, in any room of your home and in any environment – hot, dry or cold. If you are being told you have limitations check the quality of the wood.

Do you kiln dry your wood?

TIP: Kiln drying is a critical process in using a reclaimed wood for floors or paneling. It should be done per order to ensures that the wood has an even and consistent moisture content – important for stability. This also kills any larvae or bugs in the wood. You do not want bugs coming out of your floor when you turn on your heat. If you can get an assurance that your wood is kiln dried and done per order don’t even spend the money.

Do you make each reclaimed floor to order?

TIP: Work with a manufacturer who makes each floor to order this way they are carefully calculating the look, widths and lengths of the boards as an entire floor. This is critical to ensuring the best and most cohesive look, and making sure you get wider and longer boards. If your floor is mass produced it will be a mess.

Is this 100% reclaimed?

TIP: If you really want a reclaimed wood you should only use 100% Reclaimed wood, there are some companies which offer “mixed use” which means that they combine reclaimed and new wood.

How do you grade your wood?

TIP: There is no industry wide standard for grading of Reclaimed wood. So it is up to each manufacturer or supplier to tell you what the floor is going to look like. You should review multiple photographs of real life examples, and request samples to understand how the company will create your floor.

This article was contributed by Shanon Sterrett of Carlisle Wide Plank Floors.



 Carlisle Wide Plank Floors
150 East 58th Street, New York, NY 10155
800-595-9663
http://www.wideplankflooring.com/

Superior Woodcraft is a local custom cabinet maker from Doylestown, Pa - the heart of Bucks County.

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