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Why choose to use reclaimed wood in and around your home or for your next construction or
building project? For many people, having wood that’s rich in history and character adds a certain
beauty, charm and story to their surroundings. For some, it’s the conservation element that makes
reclaimed wood their number one choice. Still others choose reclaimed wood for its durability and
strength.

Regardless of the specific reason for opting to use reclaimed wood, it’s human nature for all of us
to love trees. They’re all around us, and wood is a huge part of our lives, our homes — and our
history. Adding a reclaimed wood to your home provides a rustic look that almost seamlessly

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connects your living space to the natural world and to the past. It also injects a sense of character
and a unique story into your space through the use of the beautiful wood textures.

In this article, we’ll look at ten of the reasons using quality reclaimed wood from a reclaimed
lumber company enhances your surroundings, whether you’re a homeowner, building contractor,
architect or designer. First, let’s take a look at what reclaimed wood is, and then we’ll go over the
plethora of functional and aesthetic uses for reprocessed lumber.

What Is Reclaimed Wood?

Reclaimed wood is high-quality “upcycled” wood that’s been taken from various sources like:

Factories
Old barns
Retired ships
Stock farms
Warehouses
Wine casts
And more

At some point, many structures constructed from virgin wood are either removed or demolished.
When this happens, there is a huge amount of air-dried wood left behind. This highly-sought after
lumber is ready to be recycled by a reclaimed wood flooring company and to be used again in
various ways.

There is a real charm to this type of wood because it contains a lot of history. Reclaimed wood
provides whispers and echoes of the past and looks beautifully aged and unique. Reclaimed wood
is popularly used in homes and businesses throughout the country.

Top 10 Reasons to Choose Reclaimed Wood

So, why you should choose reclaimed wood over new timber? Take a look at these 10 reasons to
choose reclaimed wood in your next project:

1) You Have a Love of the Environment

Using reclaimed wood decreases the demand for newly-harvested virgin wood from forests. This
helps preserve the countryside rather than deplete it. There are also the creatures of the forests
to take into consideration. Birds nest in trees. Animals like squirrels eat acorns, and insects feed
on tree bark — not to mention the various species of plants that rely on tree cover and forestation
to live. If too many trees are felled, many of these creatures and plants will lose their natural
habitats.

Virgin wood involves felling, transporting and processing the trees, which have a massive impact
on the environment. Using reclaimed wood reduces this impact every time it’s used on a project.
The cumulative energy used to make virgin lumber in comparison to the reclaimed variety
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(https://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf2010/fpl_2010_bergman002.pdf) was found to be about

11 to 13 times more.

Another green aspect of using reclaimed wood is when you lay it as flooring in your home, due to
its cellular structure, it effectively traps air. This means it’s a great insulator, saving you money on
your energy bills.

When it’s harvested responsibly, reclaimed wood is a renewable resource that reduces both the
use of environmental hazards to make new products and landfill waste. For example, it’s far better
for the environment to install old wood flooring rather than petroleum-based linoleum or
carpeting.

Knowing you’re using wood that’s been saved from the landfill is an environmentally responsible
choice, and it’s one of the top reasons to choose reclaimed wood.

2) You Love to Give Old Wood Life

Perhaps you’re passionate about conservation and about reusing the materials we have around
us. If this is the case, you’ll love to give old wood a new life. According to the USDA, one billion feet
of usable lumber (https://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/fplgtr/fpl_gtr164.pdf) is produced from
demolishing buildings. When you buy old wood, you’re also purchasing a piece of unique history.

It’s easy and inexpensive to change up the look of your home with a few reclaimed wood fixtures.
For example, old doors that would have been thrown away can bring a completely unique look to
your home. Distressed woods, in particular, look great when used in this way. Using old wood in

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your projects is a beautiful alternative to buying new pieces. Reclaimed wood provides a vintage
look, is long-lasting and can be passed down for generations of your family to enjoy.

3) You Have a Passion to Preserve History

We are a proud nation with a rich history. Through choosing reclaimed wood, you’re supporting
the history of our nation and keeping our American legacy alive. Reclaimed wood is sourced from
various places. You could be purchasing timber from a revered factory that employed hundreds of
workers, from a magnificent historic bridge or from a beautiful old barn.

By using reclaimed wood, you’re keeping your link to the past alive as you look toward the future.
So, if you’re passionate about history, there’s no better way of celebrating this than by using
historical reclaimed wood.

4) You Love the Character of Reclaimed Wood

Reclaimed wood is unique in that it offers ageless distinction and beauty. It’s also unparalleled in
terms of its architectural quality. Every piece is different and cannot be replicated. Reclaimed
wood has so much character, and its age only brings out its allure, depth and color even further.

There is a specific uniquely weathered beauty about reclaimed wood that has so much more
“heart” than mass produced modern pieces. Old wood displays random character marks and has a
rich patina that draws you into it.

Every piece has its own story and history. This provides a real talking point when friends and
family come over, as every piece has its own appeal and interest that can never be found in
modern wood.

5) You Can’t Buy Old-Growth Wood Anymore

The term “old-growth” refers to trees that have naturally reached their full maturity within an
environment that encourages slow growth. Old-growth trees are typically stronger and larger
than others because they took decades and sometimes centuries to mature.

The more slowly a tree grows, the denser the fiber becomes. Every species of tree becomes
mature at a different age as well.

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Because of the diversity of old-growth forests, they are now protected, and you can’t buy old-
growth wood anymore for use in housing projects. That means using reclaimed old-growth wood
is the perfect and sturdy alternative. Though choosing reclaimed wood, you can give new life to
old-growth wood by using it in your aesthetic designs and structural building.

6) You Want to Use Durable and Strong Lumber

As well as looking unique, items constructed from reclaimed wood are both durable and strong.
When our country’s old residences, warehouses and factories were built, only the most stable and
durable timbers were used to support them. It’s a fact that many of these old buildings have stood
strong for many hundreds of years.

Old wood is far stronger than the lumber of today because the pieces originating from before the
20th century received little to no air pollution. Additionally, most old wood comes from virgin
timber that grew for many hundreds of years before being cut down by humans.

7) You Want to Use the Most Stable Wood Available

Old growth wood is more dimensionally stable than wood that’s been newly-harvested. This is
due to old wood having been exposed to many changes in humidity over prolonged periods of
time.

This gives pieces constructed from old wood far more stability than fresh timber, and it is
particularly desirable for use in high-traffic areas such as your floors. Reclaimed wood for flooring
is an ideal choice since the wood has already been contracting and expanding for many years, or
perhaps decades.

Additionally, the wood has been through many different extremes of weather and changes in
climate. Because of this, reclaimed wood is much more stable and is able to better handle the
wear and tear of everyday life. Consequently, your flooring or furniture pieces will remain looking
good for many years to come.

8) You Want to Have Wider Planks of Wood

If you’re looking for reclaimed wide plank flooring for sale, it’s important to know that reclaimed
wood beams are stronger and stable enough to be sawn into wider planks than those that have
been newly harvested. This is due to old wood being more durable than virgin wood for the
reasons previously mentioned.

9) You Can Re-Purpose Rare, Exotic Woods

Using exotic woods is a no-no in terms of sustainability. However, if you see some beautiful, rare
and exotic reclaimed wood, you can use it in your project guilt free. Additionally, rare woods, such
as exotic and tropical blends of European and Asian hardwood species, add value to a property.

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Often the only way to obtain large quantities of exotic woods is via reclamation. There is a lot of
rare reclaimed wood out there today, as in the past, many buildings were constructed from exotic
wood due to its availability and cheapness.

10) You Love Originality

Nowadays, so many items we buy are mass produced. If you want to find something original for
your home, it’s going to cost the earth. However, when you buy reclaimed wood, you can be sure
each and every piece is 100 percent original and isn’t mass produced like other modern wood
products.

Reclaimed wood is a one-of-a-kind product, with no two boards ever being exactly alike. So, if you
want your project to have a distinctive and personal look, choosing reclaimed wood from Superior
Hardwoods of Montana (https://superior-hardwoods.com/) is the way to do it.

For all the above reasons, using reclaimed timber makes sense. There is something that’s
inspirational and even magical about transforming wood that’s weathered and old into something
useful and new. Due to its history, it has the power to strike a chord within us, reminding us that
everything in life has its cycle.

Highly-Sought After Uses for Reclaimed

Lumber
Because of it’s unique beauty, character, durability and history, reclaimed wood is desired for
many uses within the home, such as:

Beams

Reclaimed wood beams (https://superior-hardwoods.com/antique-reclaimed-timbers-beams/)

are often used as decorative, exposed elements in your home — trusses, ridge beams, rafters,
posts and headers, for example. They can be used “as is,” keeping all their own inherent character.
Alternatively, they can be surfaced, ground, hand hewn, sanded or sawn to change their original
appearance to better fit in with your design expectations.

Decking, Planking and Siding

Old wood decking (https://superior-hardwoods.com/wood-decking/), planking and siding usually

results from the deconstruction of industrial buildings and barns throughout the country. It can be
gauged to make all the surfaces even when it’s installed or it can be left with variances in
thickness..

Additionally, the wood can be left with its old edges or it can be edged to exact dimensions.
Leaving the original edge can give the wood that rustic appearance. Reclaimed wood can be cut
and modified in so many ways to add charm and functionality to your environment

Wood Flooring

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Flooring made from reclaimed wood (https://superior-hardwoods.com/wide-plank-wood-

flooring/) can be directly harvested by reclaimed lumber companies from old buildings where it
has already been used as flooring. For example, maple, oak, pecan and beech strip floors are all
sources of reclaimed wood flooring.

Alternatively, it may be made from the structural components of the building. It can be created as
an engineered or solid reclaimed wood flooring product. Usually, the surface is lightly sanded,
leaving the majority of the character marks and patina that give the flooring its rustic and antique
appearance. Sometimes, the flooring can be either semi- or completely surfaced to make it look
more contemporary.

Wood Mantels

A beautifully creative way to add interest to a fireplace is to incorporate a reclaimed wood mantel.
Every old wood mantel has its own story and provides an interesting focal point within your room.
Perhaps the mantel began life as a barn post or as a rafter. It’s wonderful to know you’re giving it a
new life and purpose while conserving a historical piece of wood.

Wood Furniture

Beautiful rustic furniture can be made from old wood. It’s difficult to distress new virgin wood to
give it the look and character of authentic reclaimed wood. Reclaimed wood furniture looks
equally as good in both traditional and contemporary spaces.

Feature Wall

When you’re trying to add some character to a room, using old wood for a feature wall provides a
contrast against paler tones in the rest of the room. A popular design strategy to use is to keep the
rest of your room light and bright, as wood absorbs a great deal of light.

A wooden feature wall can give your room a polished contemporary look or a traditional log cabin
feel depending on the wood, lighting and furnishings you’ve chosen. You can be sure that through
using reclaimed wood in this way, your home will be completely unique and welcoming.

Superior Hardwoods of Montana

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Our mission here at Superior Hardwoods of Montana (https://superior-hardwoods.com/) is to Let

Us Guide You Through The Woods®, and our passion is to help you through the myriad of
reclaimed wood choices. We’ve been helping people find the best reclaimed wood for their
building projects since 1977, so our longevity and many decades of knowledge enable us to do just
that. Our 11 acres of architectural reclaimed lumber (https://superior-hardwoods.com/antique-
reclaimed-lumber/) is ready for you to find the right wood to add warm character, unique history
and rich beauty to your home or building project.

Whether you’re considering installing some exceptional decking in the spring or are looking for a
unique wood flooring source, reclaimed wood speaks to you in ways that modern, mass-produced
woods just don’t. Let us help you make your floor, deck or other building project a long-lasting
tribute to American history, while simultaneously adding an element of timeless character,
strength and beauty to your space.

Contact us (https://superior-hardwoods.com/contact/) today at Superior Hardwoods of Montana

at 406-251-2272 to discover more about our hardwood flooring, decking and other reclaimed
wood products.

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