When upgrading or refinancing your home there are a multitude of factors for the homeowner to consider. First, there are the financial concerns. Is your home energy efficient? Have you secured a fixed rate mortgage? Are you making your payments? Then you have the more aesthetic and personal concerns. Is your home beautiful? Does it match your sensibilities? Can you relax knowing it is sustainable? For these questions, I would recommend considering reclaimed wood as a way to significantly enhance the look and feel of your home, while making your home green and sustainable.
Reclaimed wood is an excellent way to balance creative home decoration with environmental consciousness. Anywhere from 100-300 years old, this lumber represents now endangered species of wood plucked from railroad trestles, industrial factories and other antiquated structure. Here are the main advantages to incorporating it into your home designs:
Reclaimed wood is sustainable. By using reclaimed wood you are supporting sustainable lumber practices and reducing the need for new wood. It is considered a recyclable property that earns points toward LEED certification. Over-harvested woods like longleaf pine and American chestnut, which are effectively extinct, can now be given new life in your home.
Reclaimed wood is versatile and beautiful. It can be used in walls, ceilings, cabinets, countertops, floors and for siding and architectural details. Because of its diverse color ranges, it blends seamlessly with other wood tones, adding an incredibly unique quality to homes that integrate it.
It is stable. Because of its age, most reclaimed lumber is drier and therefore more stable. This makes it of extreme utility in many tough construction projects, as well as a great foundational wood for your ceiling or pillars. That said, you’ll want to verify that the wood is kiln-dried in order to ensure that heavily saturated wood is completely dry and to make sure any bugs and fungus have been destroyed.
Reclaimed wood has historical heritage. Your reclaimed lumber likely dates all the way back to the 18th century. This sense of heritage will imbue your floors or home decorations with an indescribably elegant style. Not only will it feel like your home is full of stories, it will look like it too.
The reclaimed wood business has been growing steadily since the 1970s. Though recently it has become somewhat more difficult to find sources for it, reclaimed lumber is an excellent option for homeowners to renovate their homes and make them more sustainable, stylish, valuable, and beautiful.
