New Home Buyers Guide to Reclaimed Wood

WHAT IS RECLAIMED WOOD?

Reclaimed wood is used lumber that has been rescued from old buildings, farms, factories, sheds  and even wine barrels – often oak, chestnut and pine. Reclaimed wood has been previously used in another structure and is now being recycled into something new; reclaimed wood furniture, flooring, walls, outdoor benches and patios etc.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF RECLAIMED WOOD?

–    Utilising wood that has already been chopped down, saves more trees from suffering the same fate. Therefore reducing the amount of trees that are chopped down is good for our environment.

–    The wood is generally taken from large old structures and so is extremely strong and durable due to its thickness also meaning it’s less likely to split.

–    Reclaimed wood is weather resilient and doesn’t wear easily, meaning it will last a lifetime.

–    This wood has more character than a Harry Potter book! With hundreds of years of stories, histories and heritage, reclaimed wood will harness secrets that you can extract and utilise to warm your guests or create ambience in your home.

–    The timber is often found in large volumes of sizeable pieces meaning flexibility for its future use.

–    The lumber generally has great depth in colour and unique patterns – making beautiful furniture with quirky aesthetics. No two pieces are the same.

–    Trees that have died naturally or fallen over due to weather conditions can also be used; WASTE NOT WANT NOT.

WHAT ARE THE DISADVANTAGES?

Some people just don’t like the tarnished, authentic look of reclaimed wood and simply prefer smooth finished wood that is newly manufactured. Some of the wood can also have indentations or scars caused by nail removal or wear over the years – although this adds to the character of the wood, it may just not be your thing.

HOW IS USING RECLAIMED WOOD ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY?

In a world of shrinking natural resources it’s vital we all take steps in avoiding playing our part in deforestation; a serious environmental concern which means our forests are diminishing. By using wood that has already been chopped down, you are merely giving it a new purpose and ensuring that trees existence was not wasted. The manufacturing of reclaimed wood uses less fuel, electricity,
resources and labor than harvesting new timber of which needs felling, transporting and processing.

WHAT CAN I USE RECLAIMED WOOD FOR?

Bookcases, shelving, tables, table tops, work benches, bed frames, mirrors, picture frames, wardrobes, boxes, storage, dining chairs, cabinets, flooring, wall decor, struts, desks – the list is infinite.

WHAT IS THE FUTURE FOR RECLAIMED WOOD FURNITURE?

As a growing trend to develop an ethical and sustainable lifestyle, the future of furniture is in reclaimed wood and other naturally sourced materials. Thus meaning that hopefully more companies will begin to take their carbon footprint into consideration when mass producing products and taking care of their waste! Organic businesses are moving forwards in developing more and more products that can be ethically available to you, but it is a process that will be heavily focused on over the next decade or so to perfect. Reclaimed wood furniture has an incredibly bright and big future, just as it had a past.