What is timeworn timber, or reclaimed lumber? What goes into the process of dismantling old buildings? Why is it worthwhile to take down an old building when I can just go cut down a nice big tree?

Some of the questions I had when I first entertained the idea of taking down buildings for the wood. What could be better than a renewable process to recycle antique wood that outperforms new lumber in so many ways? From the aged color, the authentic historic patina, the tight grain, few knots, or the fact that you're not using wood from a forest cut down any time recently.

Old Barns are a symbol of American history. They played a huge role in the lives of the people who built them and farmers since, they took an awe inspiring deal of effort to build, given the tools at hand, and now scatter the country side in dwindling numbers. Every day there are less and less antique structures. A good number of old barns have outgrown their use, the farm has been developed, the farmer has died and his children have no desire to farm, or maintain a structure they no longer use. I feel that every antique building should be reused or found a home, but many barns are burned down every day as a cheap means of clearing the lot to build a new pole building. It's such a waste especially considering some of the wood burned is extremely rare and completely unavailable from current forests.

 The Reclaimed Section covers general information about reclaimed lumber being used for flooring, furniture, and siding.

It is very important to deal with reputable companies, especially when dealing with reclaimed lumber.

  In my dealings with reclaimed lumber, on numerous occations I talked with an individual seller who would tell me about all about the lumber he was selling. When I got the samples, it wasn't even the right species or anything remotely close. I had a different guy tell me straight to my face that his yellow pine was american chestnut, and he would not back down.

Due to the blight of the American Chestnut, it has become one of the most rarest and valuable woods in the United States, and the only way to get it is to take down a building built with it, or find a tree in the woods that's been laying for 100 years unnoticed prior to you finding it.