Wooden Flooring Info

Reclaimed wooden floors, as well as other products from reclaimed lumber have increased in popularity in recent years, with demand for plenty of reclaimed wood species throughout the United States. Harvested from various structures that are no longer useful, such as factories or barns, or even from the bottoms of rivers, reclaimed wood is well adapted to its surroundings. Like all building materials, wood suffers from general usage and the passage of time. However, when using reclaimed wooden flooring, suddenly the effects of age are a pro instead of a con!

Reclaimed lumber is popular for lots of reasons. These reasons include uniqueness and appearance in general, as well as the strength and stability that comes with any wooden flooring. Often there’s even a story associated with the wood, and for the wood to have survived long enough to become reclaimed, it must be of the highest quality.

When renovating an older home, reclaimed wooden flooring offers a unique chance to match existing materials, making repairs transparent, especially when antique wooden flooring is a requirement in your project. Reclaimed wood is even useful in new structures, either commercial or residential, as it creates a sense of stability and permanence, opening up new design possibilities such as hand crafted items.

As customers look for ways to differentiate their home, the uniqueness factor of antique wooden flooring seems to be one of the biggest selling points.

Reclaimed wooden flooring is also exceptionally environmentally friendly. With the advent of the LEED rating system for environmentally friendly flooring and new construction, reclaimed wood is suddenly very much in demand. Using reclaimed lumber will boost your LEED ratings, not to metion ultimately providing for ongoing energy-saving tax credits for a one time cost.

Reclaimed wood from old buildings is generally better quality than any new materials. Slow-growing, first-growth timber is far denser and more stable than the newer, faster growing second-growth or plantation grown timber, and these superior materials are generally found in older buildings. Although reclaimed lumber is not actually specified as a component in framing, no one can deny its use as a sustainable wooden paneling.

Reclaimed wood is also great for the environment. Not only do no new trees have to be killed to produce it, but by using reclaimed wood in your wooden flooring, you’re also helping avoid energy expenditure that would be required at a landfill should this great building material have ended up there.