Reclaiming barns is the process of reusing wood from old discarded barns and creating high quality products. But what’s the point? Why should we be reclaiming barns instead of just tearing them down and investing our time and money in newly harvested materials? Here we will explain the top 3 benefits of reclaiming barns.
Firstly, reclaiming barns is great for the environment. The process decreases the demand for harvesting new trees which in turn takes out the need for transporting and processing the trees in mass production. In addition, salvaging wood from rundown barns eliminates the chances of the material ending up in land fills. With massive amounts of garbage already filling up our landfills it is extremely important to minimize this amount. Thus, reusing and recycling old barn wood positively impacts the environment.
Furthermore, reclaiming barns restores the unique history and character of each piece. There is a story to be told behind each piece that is bound to connect with buyers and tell them a bit of the history about the area in which they live. People are able to “walk back in time” with a one of a kind story to tell time and time again. Homeowners making furniture from reclaimed barn wood are able to add a bit of vintage character and tradition to their homes. Additionally, each piece of furniture is unique to you; it is not mass produced and cannot be found in big name stores like IKEA. As a result, turning something weathered and old into something new adds rich historic value to each piece and is a clear advantage over newly cut wood.
Lastly, reclaimed barn wood is stronger and more durable. Due to the fact that these barns have been standing for many decades it is typical for the trees used to be from virgin forests. A virgin forest is a forest that is in its natural state before being explored or exploited by humans. These big planks are called old growth wood meaning that it has already naturally reached its full maturity within its environment. As a result, the wood is significantly stronger and can be used for many different applications that must be able to withstand a lot of load.
The wood used to create our products is from a reclaimed barn built in 1905 in Huron County, Ontario. The barn structure was constructed using hand-hewn timbers and dowel construction. After a century of weathering has given this wood its unique and beautiful look, perfect for custom woodwork.