Design Greener: Using Reclaimed Wood

Deanne says:

I love reclaimed wood, we make lots of things around our house from pine pallet boards that would otherwise end up at the dump. My Very Clever husband made my 12 seater dining table from the boards and is going to make another table for our entertaining area from them as well!- I will get around to putting them on Houzz one day

andrea_of_ffft says:

Love that curved ceiling and the beams. I am pretty much the biggest reclaimed *anything* fan ever, but wood is near and dear coming from British Columbia. We take our wood products seriously. A friend just purchased stunning old beams from somebody who had them in his attic and is redoing the interior entry of a historic building he owns. He dragged me over to Ooooh and ahhh over the boards and they aren't even up yet :) There is something about reclaimed wood though that you just can see its worth. So gorgeous.

Great ideabook! Is "green" or sustainable an actual category here on Houzz? It should be.

Becky Harris says:

SO nice to meet some fellow reclaimed wood fans!

Andrea, it is a category - at the top of the page, click on IDEABOOKS and "Green Design" will be on the left side of the page. I know I haven't written many, because I really want to know what the heck I'm talking about and not be a greenwasher, but I'm hoping to feature some more green projects via interviews and house tours very soon.

Becky

Veranda Estate Homes & Interiors says:

I adore reclaimed wood, the warmth, patina, history, all of it. We are planing on using reclaimed canary board for our floors throughout the next house, I think that is the feature I am most excited about!
Here is another great pic & example that I found on Houzz (no idea on the designer), I would love to add this to the end of our island, it adds so much!!
Melissa

Between Naps on the Porch says:

Love your mantle and bookshelves, Becky! I love seeing heart pine floors made from the logs they fish up out of the bottom of rivers...although, I've heard those have become more and more scarce.

Chris says:

Becky, I had saved the pictures of the kitchen island (Feldman design) in my file for a house we're planning; I was the modern/rustic contrast - my sister (who has lots of reclaimed wood in her home) pointed out to me that it gets very dusty and is really tough to clean because every type of duster you use sticks to the rough wood. Solutions/ideas from you or your readers gratefully accepted?

Chris says:

Hmm - proofreading is good - make that "We want the modern/rustic contrast..."

Becky Harris says:

Chris, mine is sanded and sealed with some sort of polyurethane (?), so I absolutely do not have that problem. I do tend to be REALLY careful not to let water sit on it though, and it could use a fresh coat of poly, or, um, I mean, whatever green product there is instead of poly...

John Whipple - By Any Design ltd. says:

Nice showcase Becky. Reusing wood is not a new practice - just a forgotten one. I am nearing completion on my home renovation and it is amazing the amount of reused materials we have saved from the dump pile.

All of our homes old bricks have been cleaned up and are being used as stair treads with my decks off cuts of 8"x8" Fir.

My home itself and the roof was built with 2"x4"s 1"x6"s and 1"x4"s. Back in the day in my town like yours I'm sure the home's foundation would have been built with this lumber and then that lumber removed carefully and reused into the home's framing.

Today most crews rent forms, spray them with bond breakers and accelerators - chemicals, fast, quick, easy...

Not my reno. We gave this old lumber another kick at the cat. We pre cut our new forms for the renovation out of the roof framing and lower it down with ropes. More work. More time - but the right thing to do. We then stripped these forms again and the wood has been seasoning in my shop and will become Kids Desks, Book Shelves, Cabinet Doors and What Have You's.

The old 2"x8" rough sawn fir beams that made up the main floor ceiling rafters will make great flooring or doors for upcoming projects.

It is easy to recycle - if you choose to do so.

Lets all do more and leave our kids less garbage than we have today. You designers and architects out there can suggest better building practices and suggest materials that will keep these renovations standing strong and not on a short course to the dump.

A bathroom that is build with bambo cabinets and a poorly built shower and ventilation fan is hardly a green renovation if it is in the landfill in 5 years time.

My thoughts.

Thanks again for the showcase Becky.

"When it's perfect. It's good enough." - John Whipple

Tricia Rose says:

Chris, I have a lot of rough wood in my house, and vacuum it with the attachment which has bristles. It's the only way, but it's dead easy.

pburghardt says:

I like where your heads at ;-)

Anita says:

These are all very inspirational photo's! I can't pick just one or two faves.

uttara and adwait says:

hi becky, pls chk out our FB link..
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=103369&id=720921782&l=9575a9bfb5

our ENTIRE RANGE OF GOODS is hand-crafted from reclaimed antique teak wood, sourced from the rural, tribal interiors of th indian sub-continent.
i absolutely LOVED all the ideas shown in this section.

Debby Carling says:

Absolute favorite post of all! I am a furniture recycler/redesigner and have recently stumbled on a local (Manitoba) Company that purchases and dismantels old grain elevators, box cars etc. and replanes the wood (fir, elm, oak, pine) for floors and furniture! They also sell in small quantities. Have had the pleasure of touring J's & Colleens (one of the partners) home and seeing furniture built from thick, gorgeous slabs of fir. (this home in itself is a catagory!) Check out the site! www.woodanchor.com

masl says:

Love the photos…Reclaiming is such fun and can provide beautiful results while also being a very economical way to create new sustainable design. Our standard backyard cedar fence was weak in structure and without character or design. We took it apart redesigning the fence and gate using Japanese mortise and tenon construction which can be labor intensive but is solid and strong. The fence now actually fits together like a tight puzzle.
Not one new piece of lumber was used and not one nail, screw or staple went into the project with the exception of the gate hardware.

Becky Harris says:

I can't tell all of you how much I'm enjoying your additions to this ideabook via your comments and photos. PLEASE KEEP THEM COMING!

Faiella Design says:

I love how reclaimed wood works in all these designs. Nice job!
Anastasia
www.faiella-design.com

belisarius says:

My relatives have a barn on their property that was built around 80 years ago. One aspect of reclaimed wood not mentioned is the timber used was often from old growth forests and cut to larger dimensions than is available now. Most commercially available wood produce now is from managed forests that are regularly thinned. The thinning promotes fast growth. This is good for the timber business but promotes wider grain. Reclaimed wood from older buildings is often from old growth forests where the trees grew closer together resulting in slower growth and much closer grain.

The aforementioned barn contains some pieces that are 4"x12"x60'. There is nothing available now in that size at all without the custom milling of ones own timber.

I recall seeing a story on the news where a company was reclaiming waterlogged timber from the Great Lakes area, often times finding old growth logs.

natwong says:

where can i find reclaimed wood in Southern California area? I bought a new home with large back yard that needs new landscapping. I am interested in finding old paving stones, a couple of wooden or iron gates for the side garden entrance, and even old trees that can be replanted. thanks!

Carolyn Zone9alady says:

We have used reclaimed wood for many things around the home. Fireplace mantel, bar, dining table and chopping block. Old wood has a character you just can't find at your local big box building center.

Becky Harris says:

Nat, when I did a search of "reclaimed wood southern california" a ton of sources that sound great came up! I'm not quite sure what to tell you about old trees, though I do remember reading about a company that recycles Christmas trees in L.A. in the NYTimes this past year. I suppose you could stalk some big construction sites and see if there are any trees that would be appropriate for transplant before they are mowed down.

There is also a list of good sources for architectural salvage places here:

http://www.laconservancy.org/preservation/directory_architecturalsalvage.php4

Be sure to share shots of your property when you are done.

BELISARIUS - Great point about the old growth and the widths available. It makes finding old boards even more enticing!

ZONELADY - where did you find the wood pieces that you used?

Laurie Cameron says:

Fantastic post! Very helpful as we build onto our 1910 farmhouse in Maryland.

Debby Carling says:

I posted a comment earlier about touring a home in Niverville, Mb in which I mentioned was J & Colleens home - my apologies - it is GRANT & COLLEEN's home not J. Jay is a partner. Sorry!

InterDesign Studio says:

Recycled 60 yr old redwood fence boards have been used to build a curved top garden gate, an elaborate wood framed mirror and octagonal garden sculpture

InterDesign Studio says:

Recycled timbers from an airplane hanger in Pennsylvania were used for the heavy wood beams.

masl says:

Reclaimed cedar used to make front entrance gates and side fence gate. Love each one!!

Revive Design says:

I am such a fan of using reclaimed wood, and wish more people understood the value of reusing wood rather than cutting down a new tree! My father is a great example of someone who reuses wood!! He's a builder and does so many high end homes in CT, but when he is taking apart homes, he comes home with tons of stuff, from old sinks, tiles, to Wood. Wood is so important to him, and he can smell the different varieties (crazy!) I particularly love when he takes wood from a home that he's redoing, and hand carves a sign with the homeowners name. How personal is that, not to mention a great memory!

Great Divide Builders says:

Becky, Thanks for your important reclaimed wood ideabook! Here in the Colorado high country where in my county alone an estimated 16 million lodgepole pine trees have been killed by a mountain pine beetle infestation, utilizing the dead trees has been a personal and professional project of mine. I'm attaching a photo of my staircase railing that I recently put into my home that used reclaimed pine beetle kill logs.

Julie B says:

I absolutely LOVE reclaimed lumber. When remodeling our lake house, we used reclaimed maple from the Peshtigo River (WI) for our flooring. Beautiful.

reclaimed wood says:

If you are in the West, come and check out the site www.ViridianWood.com They only do reclaimed wood! Flooring, paneling and tabletops. The designers love them...

Becky Harris says:

Cool! Thanks for letting us know!

Steve Conant says:

It is so great to see reclaimed lumber being used in more modern design projects. We provided custom mill work according to your specifications, as well rustic raw materials. If you like these pictures of our products, follow us on facebook (https://www.facebook.com/montanareclaimedlumber) or twitter (MT_Reclaimed)to see more of what we do.

johnintegrity says:

I am a contractor and we use reclaimed lumber quite a bit. here are some pictures of a barn we just built with 75% recycled content .

johnintegrity says:

TITLE: MADE OF TRASH TRASH BUT NOT TRASSHY

THE DEFINITION OF TRASH FROM WIKIPEDIA IS AS FOLLOWS
TRASH undesired or unwanted waste material

DID YOU REALIZE THAT 25 % OF ALL WASTE IN OUR LANDFILLS IS CONSTRUCTION WASTE?WHAT IF THERE WAS A BETTER WAY WHAT IF WE RECYCLED THIS WASTE. THIS BARN IS AN ATTEMPT AT FINDING A BETTER WAY. 80 % OF THE WOOD USED IN THIS BUILDING IS MATERIAL THAT CAN BE CONSIDERED WASTE. AND SOME OF THIS WOOD IS ALMOST 300 YEARS OLD.

Why use old wood? It's dirty, has nails in it AND COMES IN ODD SIZES Why don't we just buy new stuff?. Isn't new wood stronger and better ? These are all legitimate questions AND I WILL ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THES AS WE GO ALONG.

In America today we are moving towards a point of unsustainability. We have become a buy and throw away culture and it is considered normal thinking to replace ANYTHING ONCE IT BECOMES DIRTY OR WORN. THIS IS EVEN HAPPENING WITH OUR HOUSING STOCK WE HAVE ALL WITNESSED THE LATEST TREND OF TEARING DOWN AN EXISTING HOUSE TO PUT UP SOMETHING MORE GRANDIOSE. ALL THE MATERIAL FROM THE EXISTING HOUSE IS BEING SMAHED AND THROWN INTO A DUMPSTER THEN CARTED AWAY TO A LANDFILL.

IT IS TIME we need to consider more than just the dollar costs of our decisions , There is an Environmental impact that is Priceless . AS THE WORLD POPULATION GROWS LARGER AND THERE IS MORE DEMAND FOR A FINITE NUMBER OF RESOURCES THE U>S> NEEDS TO LEAD THE WAY IN RECYCLING AND REUSE. I BELIEVE IN THJE END THIS WILL PAY HUGE DIVIDENDS BOTH ENVIRONMENTALLY BUT FISCALLY AS WELL.

IN RESPONSE TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND INCREASED DEMAND FOR RESOURCRES THE GREEN MOVEMENT HAS BEGUN.
Green Building is ONE ASPECT OF THIS GLOBAL MOVEMENT. ,This simply put means creating buildings that are sustainable environmentally and economically, According to Wikipedia Green building is defined as FOLLOWS:
Green Building, also known as green construction or sustainable building, is the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle: from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_building



GREEN BUILDING CAN be achieved in many ways . Some of these ways are technology based and fairly complicated and require ongoing maintenance and repair , other ideas are simple and passive such as using better quality insulation to reduce heating costs ORIENTING YOUR HOUSE TOWARDS THE SON TO REDUCE HEATING COSTS OR BUILDING WITH WASTE LUMBER



Why use old wood? It's dirty, has nails in it AND COMES IN ODD SIZES Why don't we just buy new stuff?. Isn't new wood stronger and better ? DOENT OLD WOOD ROT?




contrary to popular belief wood does not QUICKLY deteriorate as it gets older. It is prone to rot and insect infestation but wood from the interior of a building that has been kept dry will lasts for 100s of years if not thousands. One of the oldest wooden buildings in the world was built in 711 AD and is 1300 years old ACCORDING TO WIKIPEDIA Hōryū-ji (法隆寺?, lit. Temple of the Flourishing Law) is a Buddhist temple in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Its full name is Hōryū Gakumonji (法隆学問寺), or Learning Temple of the Flourishing Law, the complex serving as seminary and monastery both.
The temple's pagoda is widely acknowledged to be one of the oldest wooden buildings existing in the world, underscoring Hōryū-ji's place as one of the most celebrated temples in Japan.[1][2]

THE OLDEST LIVING TREE IN THE WORLD I REPEAT LIVING IS OVER 4000 YEARS OLD. The bristlecone pines are a small group of pine trees (Family Pinaceae, genus Pinus, subsection Balfourianae) that are thought to reach an age far greater than that of any other single living organism known, up to nearly 5,000 years.

THIS BUILDING IS 1300 YEARS OLD AND IS GOING STRONG THESE TREES ARE

Kim Gerstenkorn says:

I need help. I plan on using the red oak hard wood floors that we pulled up out of our home as our new kitchen countertops.... Any idea on how to seal them??? I know that I have to epoxy them but is there different types?

Reclaimed Lumber Products says:

Great article and comments! Some of your comments are asking for sources. We deliver nationwide, and our speciality is all things reclaimed with the highest standards for quality and craftsmanship. We manufacture custom doors, flooring, tables, paneling, countertops, and beams. http://www.reclaimedlumberproducts.com