What could be amazing about reclaimed wood flooring? Just get some old wood and lay it down, right? Everything between getting it and laying it is difficult, dangerous, and expensive. Old barn wood has long been used for interior walls in upscale homes. However, now, every old barn in the country is under siege from lumber dealers and it’s not only barns, but also old factories, mine buildings, silos, railroad stations and the like. .
Old barns usually come to mind first, but a bonanza of wood comes from dismantling old factories, railroad stations, silos or anything of wood still standing. The easiest part might be to just take some boards off a barn. After that comes taking apart a whole building, piece-by-piece wherein collapse is a real fear. Lumber dealers now search the whole world for old wood, and are even reclaiming it from the bottoms of lakes and rivers. The Eastern part of the US contains the biggest concentration of dealers and areas of old construction.
Unlike new wood, which is pretty much cut down, then cut up, reclaimed wood has to be closely examined piece by piece. The inspectors are looking for old metal embedded in the wood, which would destroy a saw. Old nails, screws, and bolts must come out and their holes have to be filled. A very thin saw is used in order to preserve the most wood and this results in less sawdust.
A very thin saw blade is used to cut the wood, preserving as much of it as possible, and avoiding lots of sawdust. Sometimes old paint must be removed, or evidence of decay or insect damages must be repaired. These processes are not required in new lumber. On the other hand, old beams sometimes show marks from the tools that created them. This makes them highly prized.
Some of this wood does not exist anymore, like chestnut, which was destroyed by a blight many years ago. But you could still have a chestnut floor, a gift from the past. Such wood may also be used anyplace you might find wood in a house today: stairs, moldings, walls, and furnishings. The finishes can vary between very rough with stains from the old nails, and marks from the original saws. Most of us have never seen old wood and the huge range of colors it came in.
Reclaimed wood flooring is an ideal model of recycling. There is no forest impact. This wood is extremely dense and stable; it will not warp or twist because there’s no water in it like new wood.
Its most unusual property is its history. Many dealers can give the location and previous use of every reclaimed board. The past is very present in this wood, and owners are proud of their connection to history. The durability is not in question because the wood is old, strong, and proven.
Presently, reclaimed wood flooring is used very little in construction because it is rare, hard to prepare for market, and expensive. It can have a place in American homes in many different applications. There is no other product that enables you to live with a homey simple example of the effort and experience of our forefathers. Visit http://crownwoodconservatories.com/ for more information.
