There is a very strong movement worldwide against wasting resources and for their recovery and reuse where appropriate. As you can probably imagine, wood is no exception. On the contrary, media channels abound with examples of ways to recover and reuse wood, both at home and around the world.
Recovering and reusing old wooden objects was common in the past
Wood is salvaged from wherever possible, with the idea that it will not be put on fire when the object or house it contributed to is no longer useful. Because wood, this incredible material, only seems to complete its mission when, suggesting the ultimate sacrifice, it is burned to give people warmth or food.
In the past, because of shortages, furniture was not easily discarded and was often inherited by subsequent generations. In the country, when a door, a window or a fence was replaced, no one thought of putting wood on the fire unless it was rotten or attacked by curries. It was reused around the household or set aside for when it was needed.
With the advent of the consumer society, we dispose of things too easily. We throw away grandma's old, wooden furniture and buy new, replacement furniture that we quickly get bored of and replace with something else. If we've replaced windows or doors we think about getting rid of them as soon as possible. But let's stop being in such a hurry to throw them away and try to reuse them. Magazines and websites are full of useful ideas. Here are just a few.
Wood recovered from demolitions
Another old wood that can be reused is wood from the demolition of old houses and buildings. Lately, with this reuse fashion, many companies have appeared to recover it, clean it and sell it at a very good profit.
There is, for example firm in Oregon, USA, which recovers only wood from houses and outbuildings built before 1930. They concluded that before that year, only mature cut timber was used. Mature wood has much better properties, smaller pores, more aggregate and is stronger.
Reclaimed wood furniture made in Romania
There are many people working with reclaimed wood in our country too. Perhaps the best example is Materia, who make some extraordinary things from reclaimed wood that sell very well abroad. They were present with their products at Romanian Design Week 2016. There are also those from Antiqva.
I'll stop here for now, but I'll be back with more examples of recovered wood and ways of reuse. If you are interested in the subject, our project made of reclaimed wood can give you some ideas.
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Congratulations on the text and writing style, it shows that you do not have sablon expressions. May it go well, to as many readers as possible!
Thank you! An appreciation from a connoisseur counts for a lot. Good luck with all your stejarmasiv.ro projects!
Congratulations on the article! I hope that soon more and more people will appreciate the beauty of reclaimed wood. I see the faces the 'craftsmen' make when I tell them why I don't throw away old wood or old doors and windows. I hope to be able to make reclaimed wood cladding on the roof of the house and a small shed for garden tools made from old doors. I would be interested in articles on how to make things and protect wood. Thank you!
Thanks to us too! Indeed, you can make very beautiful things out of reclaimed wood. Very soon we will have an article about a garden table top made from reclaimed wood from pallets, which we made new from start to finish. We want to present all the steps of the process. Regarding the protection, if you tell me what kind of protection you mean, I will be happy to answer.
I look forward to the article, I too would like to make a garden table from reclaimed wood on an iron frame. The reclaimed wood is from the old roof, I still don't know how much of it I can save, the craftsmen left it in a messy pile under the open sky. I would like at least one wall like in photo 1. The doors and window frames I could keep in storage and will recycle. I'd like to leave it like that, with the existing patina, just cover it with clear, matte varnish if possible.
If it's not rotten, even if it's been under the open sky, the wood is good. Just let it dry, clean it (planed and sanded) and then it can be finished. Old wood will stay with its patina even if it is a little planed and sanded. Only going deeper will remove the patina. If you want it to stay as close as possible to the way it is now, sand it lightly with medium abrasive sponges (sanding paper 150-180), then you can apply varnish. Be careful, the wood must not be wet.
Hello, I've been reading articles about reclaimed wood, the problem is I can't find where I can buy it. I have some projects in mind, but can't find where to buy. Google hasn't been much help.
Hello. We have made a table top out of reclaimed wood from pallets. There are such reclaimed pallet centres all over the country. For construction reclaimed wood you can try the link below. Good luck!
http://lemn.fordaq.com/fordaq/srvAuctionView.html?AucTIid=18059756
IT'S WONDERFUL WHAT I SEE. CONGRATULATIONS!
Thank you!
Hello. Could you tell me if it would be possible to paint the old furniture? The veneered one and how to treat the surfaces?
Good evening. Is it possible to paint old furniture. The important thing is to clean it thoroughly beforehand. Furniture care products contain waxes and paints do not adhere to wax. Before painting, wash it well with water and detergents and wipe it well. Before applying the paint, lightly sand the furniture surface with a fine abrasive sponge to increase adhesion. The compatibility between the two coats, the old and the new one, should also be checked. The best behaves water-based paints available in DIY stores. More information on this subject can be found in the DIY section of the magazine ("A new life given to an old piece of furniture", "I want new furniture", etc). The same goes for cleaning and refinishing veneered furniture.
All the best.
super! it looks great! and you can really make wonderful things out of reclaimed wood.
but what can I do with some oak cabinets recovered from an old wooden deck 9 cm thick, but which have many nails left in the wood? I can not remove them because they are rusty and break.
any suggestions!
If they can't be removed, why not cut them to size? I think you'll be able to find a use for the wood even with the leftover nails in it. Good luck! 🙂
good day
I am using reclaimed wood from the old house for the new house, but I have a big problem with decay, which is getting a bit of a problem inside the old beams. Every year they continue to evolve, turning into flycatchers that re-enter the existing holes and lay their eggs and continue to evolve.
what is the solution to get rid of these creatures that continue to warp the reused wood in household items, including beams?
Hello,
Woodworms are very hardy and grow well in wood with humidity above 16%. If the wood is old it is already well infested and needs aggressive treatment with concentrated substances. The adult beetle lays about 50 eggs before it dies and the larvae live in the wood for 10-12 years. Search on the net for "solutions for treating wood attacked by woodworm". You will find several companies selling such products. You can apply them by brushing, but spraying is best. The treatment should be repeated 2-3 times at intervals of one week (or as much as the manufacturer recommends). Sometimes it is even necessary to put the solution into the holes with a syringe. Usually the wood is treated before use, even if it is salvaged. This makes treatment easier.
All the best!