I finally stopped avoiding reclaimed wood on jobs.

I used to think only new lumber was reliable for professional work. After using salvaged oak for a bench, I found it often has better grain and history. Why do so many shops still overlook these materials?

3 comments

3 Comments

shane3574d ago

Ever notice how much good wood gets tossed when old places come down? My buddy salvaged some oak planks from a torn-down barn last year. They had this wild grain and even an old tractor tire mark pressed into one board... he made a coffee table out of it, and the character is just unbeatable. Makes new stuff look kinda plain.

wadesullivan3d ago

Totally. I pulled some floorboards from a house built in the 20s last summer. The color and grain on that old growth pine is something you just can't buy now.

skyler_lopez3d ago

How do you decide when to keep those flaws like the tire mark versus sanding them away? Always wrestle with that on salvage projects.