A question we get asked a lot is how to go about purchasing reclaimed lumber. We’re not experts in this regard, but we do work directly with reclaimed lumber providers. Our two products naturally coming together to form a complete furniture product.
We reached out to our partner Alan Solomon at Sawkill Lumber to ask how people should think about purchasing reclaimed lumber. Among the things he recommends are not being afraid to ask questions, and following your instinct when it comes to what to buy. We learned a lot from having this conversation, and think you might too.
Tell us a little about Sawkill. How do you work with businesses? What about individuals?
Reclaimed woods offer different challenges and satisfactions compared to new wood products. Each can start with a web search, followed by a phone conversation or email exchange. But salvaged woods, by their nature, can have seemingly unlimited sources, and vary board-to-board. So it’s difficult to give a customer a true sense of the material online. And there are no industry grading standards for reclaimed lumber. Close-up and installations shots or physical samples can go a long way; but still come up short. For flooring, paneling and dimensional lumber, people often come by the warehouse and showroom, where a discussion unfolds around applications, design vision for the space, level of character marks, Budget, etc.
For instance, a customer came by yesterday looking for flooring that was contemporary with the early construction of their house, built in 1870’s, just after completion of the Brooklyn Bridge and the end of the Civil War. They were seeking floors that were contemporary with the original construction, as part of an otherwise contemporary renovation and their mid-century furniture. The mid-1800’s was a transition period in the logging industry, as Northern timber companies were also moving South, buying land and set up sawmills. The original floors of the house could have been white pine, sourced from the back woods of Maine or longleaf pine, from a Mountain side in South Carolina. In looking at those two prospects, they further considered grades, sizes hardness and the altering affects of finishes.
Later in the day, someone working on a home DIY project was looking for about sixty-five square feet of more rustic reclaimed wood paneling for a living room wall space. So that conversation was more about the look and feel of the woods. Another person was working on a shelving project. Depending on how it’s used, a little can go a long way.
What types of projects are people typically working on when they reach out to you? What products do you most commonly recommend?
There’s a broad range of projects that seek out reclaimed woods - from large commercial and civic installations like Brooklyn CityPoint and The High Line to restaurant and stores; residential flooring and home DIY projects - like shelving, table tops and small accent walls. Often times, it can be an exciting time of transition where people are moving into a new space, or having a baby and setting up the room. The woods become among the things they want to live with. They provide immediate history, and help ground a space and be a kind of symbol of renewal.
What is recommended is generally driven by the project, customer desires and budget. There’s such a wide variety of reclaimed wood textures, colors, sizes and figure that the reclaimed woods can be ‘anything you want them to be’ as Klaas (owner, Armster Reclaimed Lumber Company) has said. Every wood seems to have qualities that make it special, and defining characteristics and history. Sometimes, the local woods are recommended, which in NYC can include an old row house or an industrial warehouse or the Coney Island Boardwalk. People are often drawn to the history wood represents and how it sparks the imagination. So living in the same place though in a different era can help frame that experience.
What are the most common questions you get asked? How do you respond?
A few common questions include.
- What kind of variation in the wood can be expected
- Why does reclaimed wood cost more than new lumber?
- How should I finish the woods?
The first question was discussed above, where samples, photos, discussion and a site visit seek to round out product expectations.
The question of cost may be direct or in the background; and though most who seek out reclaimed woods, expect a higher price, the many cost factors involved with reclaimed aren’t apparent until you look at the long process that transforms the salvaged material into finish flooring - from the dirty work of extracting century old lumber from a demolition site, to pain staking removal of brittle nails, or the precision millwork. In the process, about half of the wood becomes waste as sawdust, cut-offs or is graded out. There’s also the specific - and potentially hazardous economics - of how the reclaimed woods need to be bought, stored and sold. And there’s the fact of the product being made locally in the U.S.
We may lack objectivity, but we see the woods as having remarkable value - being a surviving relic of an ancient forest, and then developing the qualities of an heirloom. The woods are durable and versatile enough to last a lifetime and then be re-milled into new applications for future generations.
As for finish, that can be determined by application - whether it’s a hard wearing floor or an untouched ceiling. But finish also takes into account aesthetic, environmental or a person’s philosophical outlook. Some opt for no-finish, as a large part of the value of reclaimed wood is its connection with history and the primal non-digital balance with modern life it offers. For aged woods, it could be said that time has imparted beauty and natural patina, so using a finish is best approached with caution.
Testing a finish on scraps or the underside of a piece is always recommended. Other finishes can include water and oil-based poly, pure oils like tung and linseed, waxes, shellac - and sometimes paint, which on very distressed wood especially, can provide a kind of silhouette of its aging and character marks. But as often as not, we prefer to strip the aged surface and expose the beauty of the old growth figure and grain.
What types of things should people be considering before they reach out to a reclaimed lumber company like yours?
It can be helpful to have inspiration photos, as there is so many are available on the internet. But there are a broad range of questions worth considering in talking with a reclaimed wood company.
Are samples and photos available? Do they represent current stock? What further variations may be expected? Does your project emphasize the tonal and textural variations in reclaimed wood, or seek a consistent look and feel? How much variation you can live with is dependent on your project. Other basic design considerations - scale, light and overall design vision often comes in to play when considering the woods. How is the grade described? What is the heartwood and sapwood content? What is the overall grain density, as described in growth rings per inch? What is the prevalence of nail holes? Generally higher grades, no matter what the mill’s nomenclature, will have denser grain structure and fewer knots and holes. What is the estimated waste factor, that is, the additional amount of wood you’ll need to purchase to complete your project? This relates to open knots, end splits, heavy checks, tonal variations, as so forth.
A good average for reclaimed wood is 15 percent, including trim waste. What is the available range of sizes, both widths and lengths, for the wood you want? Wider and longer is always more costly, but both are essential design considerations for any project. How is moisture content handled? Is the wood kiln dried or air dried? To avoid unwelcome wood movement after installation, kiln-dried wood is generally preferable for most applications.
Any other general advice for someone who is wanting to work with reclaimed lumber?
If you are considering reclaimed woods for a project, don’t be afraid to ask questions. A good mill will educate and inform you, engaging your interest and trust. As no industry grading standards for reclaimed wood exist, your instincts as a buyer are key.