Not all wood is freshly cut from trees and processed for use. Some is removed from older wooden structures and used to build new ones. This is called reclaimed wood.
This article contains information about the nature of reclaimed wood. It explains what reclaimed wood is, highlights its use cases, and provides answers to some questions that you might have about reclaimed wood.
What Reclaimed Wood Is
Reclaimed wood is wood that’s taken from an existing structure and used or repurposed for other applications.
Here’s how it works: Instead of demolishing an old building and destroying its components, experts go in and carefully remove the wooden parts of said building—all without damaging or altering the condition of the wood they’re removing.
It’s a tedious process, but it’s unavoidable if you’re going to be using the removed wood for other things.
What Reclaimed Wood Is Not
People often mistake reclaimed wood for recycled wood or salvaged wood. Of course, they’re not completely wrong—if we’re just looking at it from a grammatical perspective.
But since this is woodworking and not English class, we’d better focus on the technicalities.
- Reclaimed wood is not recycled wood.
- Neither is it salvaged wood.
Recycled wood is one that is broken down and then made into brand-new wood. On the other hand, reclaimed wood retains its original form, however old it may look or feel.
Salvaged wood is wood that is cut from fallen trees, but unlike reclaimed wood, it has never been used in construction.
Importance of Reclaimed Wood
In the early U.S., construction was mainly done with wood cut from slow-growing trees including Douglas Fir, American Chestnut, Longleaf, and the like. Wood from these trees is known for strength and longevity. However, due to constant and consistent use, these trees became scarce.
| For example: Longleaf. Maturing for up to 500 years, this species once occupied around 90 million acres. Today, it’s just about 5 million acres. In fact, most of it was gone before the 1930s. |
Today, the construction scene is dominated by fast-growing trees. Although they’re in abundance and replenish quickly, they’re not as powerful or long-lasting as the trees of old.
Thanks to the flaws of modern wood, many have found that it’s better to source their wood from slow-growing trees. But how do you achieve this when the trees themselves are scarce and endangered? That’s where reclaimed wood comes in.
Reclaimed wood gives you access to tree species that you most likely won’t find anymore. There are several other reasons why woodworkers are interested in reclaimed wood. Read about them in our article: “Advantages and Disadvantages of Reclaimed Wood”.
Where to Find Reclaimed Wood
You can find reclaimed wood in old and or ancient wooden structures, projects, fixtures, and other woodwork.
To be more specific, the most popular sources of reclaimed wood include:
- Old barns
- Homes
- Floorings
- Pallets
- Crates
- Old mill buildings
- Stables
- Retired Watercrafts
- Old coal mines
- Boxcars
- Barrels
Keep in mind that you can find reclaimed wood in virtually any ancient building— specifically those built between the 1800s and the early 20th century.
What Can Reclaimed Wood Be Used For?
Reclaimed wood is often sought out for its durability, aesthetics, and history. Let’s dive deeper into this.
Durability
Reclaimed wood is usually decades or even centuries old. As such, it has a tight grain and is usually denser and more resistant than others.
Additionally, having been exposed to the elements for a long time, reclaimed wood has done all the shrinking, twisting, and warping it possibly can.
All of these make it ideal for strength and durability-reliant projects like flooring, doors, wall paneling, decks, beams, trusses, corbels, and the like.
Aesthetics
Besides projects that rely heavily on strength and durability, reclaimed wood is also a popular choice for design and aesthetics.
Reclaimed wood is old. As such, it has developed a patina that you just won’t find in fresh-cut wood. It may also sport scars and signs of wear, all of which give it a rustic and vintage look.
Combine the mature patina with the rustic and vintage look, and it becomes clear that reclaimed wood is ideal for structures like fences, tables, wall coverings, cabinets, and sliding barn doors, amongst other things.
History
People also use reclaimed wood simply because of its history. Most, if not all reclaimed wood has a story. Some reclaimed wood is taken from old train stations, coal mines, ships, churches, schools, and other historical buildings or structures.
That’s their story, and many people love knowing that the floor they’re stepping on or the table they’re eating on was a part of something significant in the past.
Is Reclaimed Wood Expensive?
Reclaimed wood is more expensive than modern or freshly-cut wood. The higher price reflects the amount of work that suppliers put into the reclaimed wood before making it available for sale.
- First off, they carefully go in and remove the wood from old buildings.
- Then, they look for and remove any nails, bolts, or other fasteners inside it.
- Sometimes, they can’t get out all the nails, which can cost them saw blades as they try to cut the wood to specifications.
- After cutting it, they’ll also do inventory, often requiring forklift handling, as well as warehousing.
All of these contribute to the higher cost of reclaimed wood. Learn how to get reclaimed wood affordably in our article about Where to Get Reclaimed Wood Cheaply or For Free.
Main Photo Credit: Gerry / Adobe Stock Free / License
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