Although it hasn’t been freshly cut, in some senses this wood is purer than modern, freshly cut wood, as it hasn’t been subjected to as much pollution and treatments, which obviously weren’t present a few centuries ago, which in turn allowed to develop some qualities which new’ wood does not possess.

Oak is the most common type of hardwood in America. It is a strong, heavy wood, which comes in a huge number of varieties. It is a porous wood, which means it has a coarse texture and a less-refined, prominent grain. Oak also has a very distinctive look, which makes it easily recognizable and attractive.

Since it has been around for a fairly long time – the Romans used the same word for Oak and strength – and has resisted decay with great success, salvaged oak is quite common and popular in North America, especially because of its unusual, rustic, vintage look.

The beautiful, rugged look isn’t the only special property which makes reclaimed lumber, such as antique oak, as popular, though. It is said that, partly because it hasn’t been subjected to modern hazards, but rather to centuries of inclement weather, reclaimed wood is even more durable than the freshly cut one. By adding this superior endurance to an already popular hardwood like oak, a perfect material, which is suited for flooring and furniture projects, is achieved.

Reclaimed hardwoods, such as oak, are naturally popular options for flooring, as wooden floors need to be strong and durable, which is obviously something this type of wood can certainly provide. Aside from that, the fact that the wood is reclaimed, and thus already has a distressed look, is a great advantage when it is used as timber flooring, because the already worn in appearance will help hiding posterior wear from frequently being walked on.

Flooring isn’t the only type of project for which reclaimed timber is used though. In fact, reclaimed lumber like oak is frequently used for any projects which are meant to have a rustic appeal, such as patio furniture and homemade items. The mixture of colors and textures, as well as the opportunity to save some trees by reusing beams which are centuries old tends to call to those who are fans of a more traditional decoration, or of a simpler life in general, who prefer to reutilize materials for their charm or for practical reasons.

Don’t be fooled into believing that a piece of furniture or flooring made from salvaged oak won’t work with a modern décor though, because they certainly do complement modern spaces as well as they do traditional ones. Take a look at these for example.

If the fact that reclaimed wood is good for the environment, stronger than other materials, and adds character and warmth to any house isn’t enough to sway you, know that it also adds value to your house to have flooring or furniture fashioned from salvaged wood, which can be a great advantage if you ever decide to sell it, so it is definitely something to consider when having a renovation.

As wood was the primary building material of people 100+ years ago in the USA there has been an abundance of reclaimed wood available. It is most commonly sourced from barns, however it is often recycled from things like stables, support joists, and railway sleepers too. Lets take a look at the pros and cons of reclaimed wood flooring.

The floor of this room transforms it from something average – to something spectacular

The Advantages Of Reclaimed Wood Flooring

The appearance of reclaimed flooring is one of the main selling points of this awesome flooring material. It has a naturally weathered rustic look that can work with a variety of décor types. Despite many efforts by floor manufacturers – its time aged distressed appearance cannot be replicated.

Picture perfect

Due to its luxurious and rich appearance both contemporary and vintage style homes have started to incorporate this recycled material into their décor. It can add the finishing touch to a contemporary room to create an urban or industrial feel to an otherwise clean and clinical design type.

From the marks and imperfections in this wood you can see how this wood has seen a hard life before it was re purposed as flooring

Or it can be used in vintage and country themed homes to really bring the feel of the country into your home.

Regardless of how your home is decorated – a reclaimed floor will usually be able to accentuate whatever décor your currently have.

Simply Stunning

One of advantages that reclaimed flooring has over fresh cut new wood flooring is that you are able to get species that are endangered tor extinct now. Things like American chestnut used to be widely used in construction 100 years ago – but ever since a blight wiped out almost all the American chestnut trees in the early 1900’s it has not been used as a building material. It is renowned for its strength and beauty – and you can have it in your home, a very unique talking point!

Reclaimed oak is one of the most sought after types of wood

Reclaimed wood is super strong and durable. As it has been In use for many years it has had plenty of time to acclimatize to the changes in humidity, moisture and atmospheric conditions that are known to usually warp and effect wood. This means it is a great choice for people who are looking at getting underfloor heating installed. Some woods can warp and distort from the radiant heat that is given off – but with reclaimed wood you are much less likely to have this issue. If you pick a type of wood that is already durable, like southern yellow pine – you will be getting some super tough reclaimed flooring!

Who would not want to live in this living room!?

Due to the recycled nature of reclaimed flooring it is very good for the environment and really helps to reduce the amount of deforestation that is occurring globally for construction projects. Because of this If you are trying to sell your house in the future it will help add credits to your homes LEED rating – which is widely regarded as increasing the value of your home.

Such character!

How Much Does Reclaimed Wood Flooring Cost?

Reclaimed wood flooring costs around the same price as new hardwood, however it can be cheaper depending upon the type and quality of the wood. More imperfections will mean that you can get a cheaper price. You will generally pay in the region of $5-$25 per square foot of reclaimed wood flooring.

Installation of a reclaimed floor is not much different than using normal fresh lumber. All good suppliers will mill the wood into wide and short planks – usually with a tongue and groove system to ensure easy installation and a constant thickness throughout the floor.

When polished to a high shine the effect is quite dramatic

The Disadvantages Of Reclaimed Wood Flooring

There are couple of things you should be wary about however when purchasing reclaimed wood. One of the main scams that a few retailers will try and pull is passing off new wood as reclaimed.

As the years go by the sources for reclaimed wood are simply being used up and are no longer as abundant as they once were. These fraudsters seeing the gap in the market have exploited this by treating new wood to make it look old.

It is therefore especially important to look at the place you ae buying your wood from to see if they have any bad reviews.

Due to the nature of this material – it can come in many colors

This contemporary kitchen still retains an elegant modern feel – despite having a floor that is over 100 years old!

Another thing to consider is because it is reclaimed – there is no way to tell what it has been treated with. It is no secret that in the past we used several things to treat wood that are particularly unfriendly to humans. Lead based stains and paints being the main culprit (this is particularly true in reclaimed barn wood flooring) While other uses of reclaimed wood can get away with ignoring this factor a little bit  – you do need to be mindful of it with flooring.

This is one of the finest examples we have seen – just look at those colors!

You should be especially careful if you have young children or pets in the home who could lick the floor and become poisoned (it sounds silly but it happens).

Pallet wood is not often used that much in flooring – this barn conversion shows that it is certainly capable of creating a dramatic effect!

You will also find that many suppliers have reclaimed timber that is sold as seen. This means that they basically cannot tell exactly what species it is due to the age of the wood. If you are looking for a specific type of wood then this could be an issue. However in my personal opinion, if it looks like the type of wood you want and it is convincing enough to convince you – then this is not really a problem. All reclaimed wood will be strong and durable.

Walnut is a great type of wood when reused – just look at those earthy tones!

What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below!

PROS AND CONS

The fact that this wood, which comes from the inside of the yellow birch tree, thus featuring the same uniformity and fine grain is what gives it the beautiful reddened brown color, but also what makes the width of the boards less consistent in size, thus making the furniture from this particular type of wood slightly rarer than yellow birch’s.

On the other hand, the fact that this wood is heavy, strong and hard, combined with the beauty of its natural color, makes it highly desirable and sought after.

WORKING WITH IT

While this wood isn’t always consistently readily available, and is thus a little pricier in some areas than others, those who work on projects which feature this type of birch seem to find it easy and enjoyable to handle.

Also, due to its color, which is one of the main attractive features of this birch wood, most would leave it natural, only sealing, or taking a shiny coat to enhance the finish and the fine grain of this beautiful red wood.

FURNITURE PROJECTS

As it often happens with hardwoods, this kind of birch is very popular for making furniture, from kitchen and bathroom cabinets to decorative tables, which work really nicely with a number of color schemes and other materials.

Due to the ease of working with it, red birch is also something that experienced and amateur DIY aficionados choose to work with, when they opt to make and remodel their own homemade wooden furniture.

While flooring and cabinetry are the main uses for this type of birch, instantly giving warm and a distinctive look to any setup, the fact that this wood is quite stable also makes it a nice choice for bedroom furniture, both insert a clean, light kind of décor and a dark, indulgent one, where the warm, red tones of the wood will add a cozy feeling, which will be inviting for those who sleep inside the room, especially if the furniture is complemented by a matching floor.

HARDWOOD FLOORING

What separates birch from other hardwoods, and perhaps makes it such a popular flooring choice, is not how hard and strong it is, or even its very beautiful and particular color, but rather the distinctive texture and grain.

Birch wood features a smooth, uniform texture, which makes it an ideal flooring choice, while its fine, mostly straight grain, which rarely features a curly shape, gives it the easily recognizable look, which it is known for.

A FINAL WORD

All in all, while the color might be what catches the eye first, it isn’t just the fact that it is red that sets this birch wood apart from its kind and others, but also the grain and texture, which are the main aspects which make this such a desirable material to work with, for a number of different projects, from cabinets to flooring.

The acidic red clay soil found in this region, along with the long summers and abundance of rainfall gives the pine the perfect environment for healthy growth. Lets learn a little more about what makes this wood so popular for usage in the home…

It’s Super High Density!

The growth rings in Southern pine are spaced extremely close to each other, thus indicating the high density of this wood. This high density makes it the strongest among all the different kinds of softwood used commercially. It is one of the hardest pine woods found and thus is almost always the recommended choice for floors and other areas like boardwalks, decks and other areas which have a high footfall.

Stunning Southern Yellow Pine

Also, this variety of pine has low amounts of shrinkage over time because of its low moisture content and is hence more stable than many other types.

The versatility it offers coupled with the durability and attractive design makes it one of the most common choices for flooring.  And although southern yellow pine is unsuitable for steam bending, it is easy to work with using both machine and hand tools.

It’s Super Strong!

The US National Design Specification for Wood Construction, classifies Southern Pine as the strongest among all softwood lumber species. The wood of these trees, (often referred to just as Southern Pine), are extensively used across the USA during construction of homes and many other structures. The natural golden color and its distinct wood grain pattern makes it look beautiful and elegant regardless of whether it is stained or left natural.

A few of the major characteristics of this tree which tilts the scale in its favor over other species are its high resistance to water, and the ease of pressure treatment compared to a majority of other softwoods.

It has the highest load bearing capacity of any type of pine and is also priced competitively because of the abundant availability. The wood has a high resin content which makes it naturally more resistant to wood eating insects. Its inherent unique cellular structure, allows uniform and deep penetration of preservatives that are used to keep the wood safe from termites, fungi or other micro-organisms.

As such, this is one of the most commonly used pressure treated woods in the country – almost 85% of all pressure treated wood is Southern Pine.

Southern Yellow Pine Flooring

Southern Yellow Pine Flooring

Without doubt the most popular usage of southern yellow pine in recent years has been flooring. Its incredible durability ensures that it will last as long as anyone can expect a softwood floor to last.  Some even go as far to say that it is one of the most durable woods you can use for flooring.

You can easily get 10 years of usage out of this timber when used for flooring – quite often it will last far longer. However the definition of “how long will it last” depends slightly on your expectations…

How long will it last without warping? – 10+ years.

How long will it last before it stops looking good? – It depends on what your tolerance levels are with regards to wood that is “too worn”

Just rest safe in the knowledge that if you are looking for a solid long lasting wooden floor – southern yellow pine is one of the toughest out there and will last as long as nearly any other wood flooring.

This is without doubt the main reason behind the popularity of this timber. The amazing yellow / golden tinge combined with its almost mesmerizing densely packed wood grain patterns will last for years on end.

However the advantages of this amazing timber do not just stop at being super durable and gorgeous… It’s cheap too!

Southern Yellow Pine Costs

Southern yellow pine costs considerably less than many other types of pine, mainly due to its incredibly quick and easy growing cycle (Although growing a tree is never going to be truly “quick”!).

For unfinished southern yellow pine you can expect to pay in the region of $2.50 per square foot for shorter length planks, or up to $6 per square foot if you want longer lengths.

Finished planks will cost you a little bit more per square foot – usually $1-$3 extra or so dependent upon the specific treatment you give the wood. However the additional premium for treatment of the wood should be the same regardless of plank length.

Reclaimed Southern Yellow Pine

Regardless of how cheap this timber is – there is a growing market for reclaimed southern yellow pine flooring. Due to the incredible durability of the wood some people actually prefer the slightly worn and antiquated look that the reclaimed timber has. And it certainly provides a talking point when people are in your home. The cost of reclaimed southern yellow pine varies drastically – but you can expect to pay around 20% – 40% less than new timber.

Which Species?

Although 10 different species classed as southern yellow pine are cultivated, a majority of  the time there are four major species which are preferred.

These are the long leaf pine, short leaf pine, slash pine and loblolly pine. Quite naturally, there are differences from species to species but their exceptional strength remains the one common factor amongst all. Products made from Southern Pine can be identified by its red-brown heartwood and the yellowish white sapwood.

The Southern Pine Inspection Bureau has pre set grading rules to grades all the four above mentioned species. The American Lumbar Standard Committee, Inc. has authorized the Renewable Resource Associates, Inc., Timber Products Inspection, Inc. and the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau to inspect and grade mark the Southern Lumbar according to the preset SPIB grading rule.

The different grades of Southern Pine timber vary in their knots, grains and splits which add value and beauty to the overall appearance of the wood. At the mill, each piece of lumbar is properly inspected by the respective authority and then graded accordingly.

Increased popularity

This timber found its glory during the construction boom in the United States in the early 19^th century when it was used for virtually all kinds of construction- from floors of houses to warehouse timbers to even in ships. Today, it is one of the most preferred choices of interior designers and architects and is used in all aspects of the home including – flooring, paneling,ceilings, door frames, window frames. Its often used this wood for decking, patios and balconies.

Southern Yellow Pine Decking

The versatility offered makes it the preferred choice in a wide variety of outdoor constructions. A few architects and designers have even used this wood for building stadium seats, gazebos, foundations and many others.

But without doubt the most common use of southern yellow pine for outdoor construction is decking. Its amazing resilance combined with its ability to look amazing even when worn make it a perfect choice. Just make sure to properly treat it as untreated and exposed to the elements it is slightly prone to splintering.

Southern yellow pine decking costs a fair bit less than many other types of decking for the reasons mentioned above. You can expect to pay around $1.50 per square foot.

And just when you think it is some kind of wonder wood and wonder how could it possibly get any better… Since it is grown in the United States itself, it qualifies as a green building material and thus is environmentally friendly too.

With so many positive characteristics which it offers and minimum maintenance needed, there is no doubt why it is predicted to become the most in demand lumber not just in the United States – but across the world.