Throughout the Mid-West and up and down the eastern seaboard lives a deep rooted history in agriculture and farming that has existed since the arrival of the first American settlers. The result is a landscape that has been dotted with beautiful old barns steeped in American history and use that has imbued them with character, charm and unique features. These features are the reason for the recent increase in popularity of reclaimed barn siding, paneling, and the overall use of reclaimed materials in new construction.
There are a number of reasons to recycle old lumber from reclaimed barns, starting with the recycled wood’s unique characteristics:
Physical Appearance- There is nothing on the market today that compares to reclaimed barn wood. Many of these old barns were built over a hundred years ago using virgin timber that no longer exists. Much of this wood has been gently weathered and features unique coloring, beautiful grain patterns and knot structure, insect markings, and nail holes that add character and charm to the wood. Properly handled and processed for modern use, the beauty and functionality of recycled lumber is unmatched.
Strength- Milled from mature, slow-growing trees, recycled lumber has an unparalleled strength that is simply unavailable in today’s commercial forestry products. Because of the dense forest canopies in these virgin forests there was greater competition for light, water, and other nutrients which resulted in very slow growth for many pines and hardwoods. This slow-growth and therefor tight grain gives the wood a density that is unparalleled by today’s pines and hardwoods.
Positive Environmental Impact- Every year tons of construction materials are disposed of in landfills, much of which comes from the demolition of old or antiquated buildings. By carefully deconstructing and recycling these construction materials we can save space in these landfills and make a positive impact for future generations. Along with recycling wood products, asphalt shingles, windows, antique corbels and columns, brick, stone, tiles and other materials are also recycled and reused in new construction and renovation.
For information on how we make use of the variety of different materials found on reclaimed barn structures, please feel free to Contact Us through our website or give us a call at (603) 673-4549.