Reclaimed Hardwood

As we try to mend our wasteful ways and do something to save the planet; using recycled or reclaimed materials is becoming more and more prevalent. Many older homes as well as new construction use reclaimed hardwood. Reclaimed hardwood flooring is durable as well as beautiful. After surviving centuries of use, it will hold up to all the abuse your kids and pets can provide.

The patina on reclaimed hardwood cannot be reproduced on new lumber. The aging process of the wood itself produces that patina. If the wood was not exposed to the elements, it will retain its natural color, but with a mellower feel. Wood that has been exposed to the elements takes on a silver gray quality with the natural color visible underneath. The history of the building from which the wood was obtained will also contribute to its appearance. Wood flooring recovered from factories will retain the scratches and nicks even after sanding. It just gives the floor more character.

Speaking of historical significance; many older structures are dismantled at the end of their usefulness, but the history can live on in a new way. Wood reclaimed from cabins and barns often provides flooring, beams, doors, and even mantels or furniture. Certainly if you are restoring an older home, it would make sense to use reclaimed materials to keep the restoration true to the original home. It is amazing to see how beautiful reclaimed wood can be when used in a modern construction. I was surprised to see that the HGTV dream home for 2011 utilized an old sliding barn door to great effect in this very modern construction.

Reclaimed hardwood is not limited to use as flooring. Many companies now build furniture from reclaimed wood. It could also be used for trim, mantels, or other architectural features giving the home a one of a kind feel. I love old things. I fought with our contractor who wanted to cover the hardwood paneling in our pantry with sheetrock. I won. We were on a budget and it did not allow for refinishing the paneling so I did it myself. Unfortunately the hardwood floor was too badly damaged to save, but we did save a lot of the trim work and I think it gives our house character. I also have a jelly cupboard that my great grandfather built from barn wood. The construction is crude, but I love it. My grandmother could not understand why I wanted “that old homemade thing,” but it is in my dining room to this day and I have had many compliments on it. Don’t give up on using something just because it’s old. You’ll be doing your part to recycle and reuse things from a bygone era.






 

Building Salvage News:

 

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Worldcrunch
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Completed in 2011, this bold project is also environmentally friendly, which has revived the discussion on the use of recycled materials in architecture. In his Studio of Environmental Architecture, David Hertz is creating durable constructions EUR but .

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Milwaukee Office Building Fulfills Its Healing Mission - EarthTechling

Milwaukee Office Building Fulfills Its Healing Mission
EarthTechling
Constructed on a vacant brownfield site, the 30,370-square-foot structure contains several sustainable attributes, such as daylighting, thermal massing wells and reclaimed building materials, and is and now dedicated to wellness of both mind and body.

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Top 5 Green Building Materials For Your Home - Greener Ideal

Greener Ideal
Top 5 Green Building Materials For Your Home
Greener Ideal
Standard decking has moved on dramatically over the years and composite decking can now provide a green choice for your garden. Made from reclaimed and recycled materials, composite decking does not use any new timber so it leaves our forests intact.

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Which is the Most Recycled Product in the US? - Sustainable Business - SustainableBusiness.com

SustainableBusiness.com
Which is the Most Recycled Product in the US? - Sustainable Business
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A variety of recycled materials are in that pavement - recycled roof shingles, ground rubber from tires, glass, foundry sand, slag and even pig manure, says the Nation Asphalt Pavement Association. Roads. In 2011, US taxpayers saved $2.2 billion by .

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