Reclaimed Wood Flooring: What You Should Know

The warmth, character, and durability of reclaimed wood flooring are unparalleled. The appeal of reclaimed wood is hard to beat when compared to other flooring materials, from the enduring beauty of reclaimed oak floors, to the varying colors of reclaimed hickory, to the charm of reclaimed hemlock and the rustic comfort of reclaimed pine flooring. True wide-plank floors have a time-weathered patina, making every board unique. Synthetic lookalikes just can’t offer the same personality. As an added bonus, reclaimed wood is extremely versatile when it comes to the finished look you would like to achieve. It can be stained in a variety of tones, from light to dark, or finished with a clear stain for a natural look. Therefore, it’s no surprise that reclaimed wood is making a new name for itself in the flooring industry and that this building trend might just be here to stay.

So, What Should You Know Before Purchasing Reclaimed Wood Flooring?

Whether you just like the look of the flooring, or you want to make a “green” material choice, reclaimed wood suits your needs. More and more reclaimed wood is being used as an alternative to newly sourced wood as homeowners and designers alike realize the benefit of working with salvaged building materials to add more character to any interior design.

But How Do You Choose a Wood Species? And What About Cost?

How you decide the type of reclaimed wood flooring species to use might be dependent on its availability and price. Reclaimed hardwood flooring can be a budget-friendly choice when using common species that are more readily available to be sourced, such as oak. Reclaimed oak hardwood flooring is a smart choice, too, because it is rather durable and can hold up under pressure.

Then there are more rare species, such as American chestnut. Before becoming a blighted and severely endangered species, American chestnut trees filled a quarter of the Great Eastern Forest. In post-blight America, finding reclaimed American chestnut can be difficult, and it will cost more per square foot thanks to its profound rarity. But if you are able to find it and afford it, American chestnut is a striking design decision worth making.

Every Board Tells a Story

Another reason many people opt for reclaimed wood flooring is that they’re able to speak on the history of the wood. It makes for a much more interesting story when you can say the wood was reclaimed from a turn-of-the-century warehouse instead of it coming from the shelf in a big-box store! Much of the charm of reclaimed wood is thanks to the aging process, which enhances the natural hues of the wood and highlights its rings and knots. This character combined with history ensures a reclaimed wood floor will never go out of style.

A Green Choice

One more reason that sways some people to use reclaimed wood as a flooring material is that it makes for an eco-conscious decision. By using reclaimed wood, you’re recycling a durable limited resource and keeping vintage wood out of landfills. Old materials get a new lease on life, and you get flooring that has beautiful, unique character with a history behind it.

At Vintage Wood and Forged Iron, we offer several species of reclaimed barnwood flooring, with characteristics sure to suit any style. All of our reclaimed wood flooring is 100 percent reclaimed from old barns and other rural structures, as well as other sustainable sources of reclaimed timber.

If you’re ready to start installing reclaimed wood flooring in your home, call the team at Vintage Wood and Forged Iron, and together we can determine what will work best for your project.