As more homeowners become aware of the environmental impact of building a house, reclaimed wood is creating waves in the flooring market. Reclaimed wood is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to newly sourced wood among consumers. It is not a novel concept to use old wood for flooring. Long before it was popular to do so, people have been recycling wood to reduce the price of hardwood flooring. The 1990s saw the beginning of new initiatives to recycle old wood structures into new wood products.
What Is Reclaimed Wood Flooring?
Reclaimed wood is lumber that has previously been used for construction projects. For instance, you frequently see reclaimed wood made from homes built 150 years ago or the sides of century-old barns. Flooring is one among the numerous things that can be made from this timber after it has been processed. Reclaiming wood enables you to take advantage of the patina of old growth while giving the lumber a new purpose.
Why Choose Reclaimed Wood Flooring?
Reclaimed wood from 100 to 200-year-old structures is frequently superior to modern manufactured flooring. It was commonly milled out of wood from old-growth forests in ways that are now viewed as being wasteful. Boards can predominately have a heartwood composition, or they can be rift-sawn or quarter-sawn so they possess grain patterns not found in modern flooring. You can occasionally encounter species like American chestnut, elm, and heart pine that are no longer widely available today.
Also, flooring made from reclaimed wood is fashionable, appealing, and environmentally friendly. Reclaimed wood products can inspire a completely different set of themes for your upcoming project. Despite all the benefits of reclaimed wood and the praise it receives, reclaimed wood also has its fair share of drawbacks. Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of reclaimed wood flooring:
Advantages of Reclaimed Wood Flooring
Reclaimed wood flooring is extremely common for a variety of factors.
- Unique Colour and Appearance
Colour diversity is more pronounced in reclaimed wood. Depending on the species, freshly cut wood is more likely to have a uniform colour. But due to the nature of the source, reclaimed timber flooring tends to have more distinctive differences. Reclaimed wood also develops a distinct appearance after years of exposure to the environment. The wood’s distinctive and charming characteristics are due to its interesting patterns and numerous knots. It has considerably more aesthetic appeal than brand-new wood.
- Durability
Depending on its inherent toughness and durability, wood is assigned a variety of ratings. The Janka hardness scale is more likely to give reclaimed wood sources a higher rating. This is because antique wooden structures were constructed utilizing old-growth trees that are no longer present. These old-growth trees have strong, resilient qualities that have grown even more resilient with time and exposure to the environment.
- Interesting Grain Details
There are several sorts of reclaimed timber flooring possibilities, all of which have interesting grain characteristics. In older timber sources, the effects of time enhance bold grain details. Unique, vintage elements are frequently used in the decor by interior designers. Compared to many new timber flooring styles, reclaimed wood has a lot more charm and character. Look for designs made of reclaimed wood that have complex patterns, large bolt holes, and traces of fading and weathering.
- Exotic Wood Species
Anyone who enjoys the rarity and beauty of exotic hardwood flooring might want to choose reclaimed wood. Using recycled wood instead of cutting down more exotic trees that might be endangered in the wild is a more sustainable choice. You might even come across a special piece of reclaimed wood, such as wood from an ancient forest or an extinct species.
- Environmentally Friendly
If you want to know if reclaimed wood is sustainable, the answer is yes. Utilizing reclaimed wood reduces the need for newly sourced wood, hence minimizing deforestation. Reclaimed wood is an eco-friendly resource that, when obtained properly, cuts down on landfill trash and the need to create new items using environmentally hazardous processes.
If you are asking “what is the most sustainable wood flooring?” It should be no surprise that reclaimed wood is among them.
Disadvantages of Reclaimed Wood Flooring
You should know what to expect when choosing to have reclaimed wood flooring so here are the disadvantages of reclaimed wood:
- Legitimacy
Be aware that some individuals attempt to pass off flooring and other products as genuine reclaimed wood. As the sources of reclaimed wood are depleted, these items are becoming more and more limited. Some dishonest people like misleading clients in order to profit from that fact. Look for information regarding the wood’s origin and authenticity. You don’t want to end up paying for a cheaper flooring item that is being sold as unique, pricey reclaimed wood.
- Pests
Pests, bugs, and other infestations can readily find a home in old wood that has been left to rot. Make sure you purchase your reclaimed timber flooring from a reliable supplier. You should refrain from introducing dangerous pests into your home, especially those that prey on lumber. Your furniture and other wooden decorations may become infested if there is an infestation in your flooring.
- Costs
Reclaimed wood can be expensive. Their costs are largely a result of the market’s high demand. Reclaimed wood is stylish and extremely well-liked. Additionally, preparing reclaimed wood for sale frequently requires a specific refinement and refurbishing procedure. The treatment to remove foreign objects or reshape the material is highly specialized, which can increase costs.
- Scarcity and Less Variety
In comparison to reclaimed wood flooring, new timber floors are more diversified. Recycled wood sources are becoming harder to find, so you’ll need to look around for the correct species and colour for your room. Materials that are easily accessible are used to create new timber floors. When you purchase new flooring, finding the ideal colour, grain pattern, and plank size won’t be a problem.
- Toxins
Barns and warehouses where you sourced your lumber may have once been treated with pesticides and other substances that are now regarded as harmful. You have no way of knowing which item has been handled with which chemical and how. These might contain pesticides, lead paint, or volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Make sure to test the wood for toxins if you’re sourcing the reclaimed wood yourself.
- Hidden Hazards
You can encounter hidden hazards like nails or other organic debris if you don’t buy reclaimed wood from a company that separates and processes it. Before beginning a project, handle the lumber with gloves and look for any potential problems.
Reclaimed wood is a sensible choice both economically and environmentally. You can profit from the reclaimed material without suffering any negative effects by carefully inspecting and sourcing the wood you reuse or repurpose.
If you need engineered hardwood flooring in Toronto to redo your flooring, contact Capital Hardwood Flooring at (416) 536-2200 now.
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