Treatments and ideas for using reclaimed wood

Around the world there is a strong movement against wasting resources, for recovery and reuse, and wood is no exception. We value wood wherever we see it and that is why we are in favor of its rational exploitation and recovery wherever possible. Old houses and buildings, which because of their advanced state of decay end up being demolished, are the main source of wood. Large beams and planks are salvaged from houses and can be reused if the weathered portions are removed. There are other sources of recovered wood that should not be neglected. Replacing windows and doors, old furniture or wooden packaging (boxes, crates, pallets) are just a few examples.

Recovering wood is primarily an act of environmental responsibility, but it can also be a business idea. Old wood is a popular material for interior and product designers. It is used to make decorative floors and walls, to build attics in new houses, to make furniture or decorative objects with an authentic old look. Wood has time embedded in it and brings with it a part of the stories of the past, like a silent witness to past lives.

Durability - an important property in wood recovery

Not all species stand the test of time in the same way, and sometimes wood is so degraded that it cannot be salvaged to build something else. The property that makes wood resistant for so long to decay, insect, fungal and mold attack, natural decay is called sustainability. It is the property that measures the wood's resistance to decay caused by natural factors. Some species are less durable and decay more quickly, and are more easily attacked by decay and other insects, others are durable, resistant, and time only leaves a patina on their surface. Durable species include oak tree, acacia, chestnut, ulmul and resinous (the resin increases the wood's resistance to water, which is responsible for the appearance of xylophagous fungi). Those with low resistance to moisture, and therefore to attack by fungi and insects, are poplar, birch, fagul, willow.

Durability is influenced by the structure and age at which the tree was cut. A young tree is less resistant than a mature one. The young tree needs more nourishment, most of the cells are used for this purpose. The structure of the wood is looser, less resistant, with an increased tendency to absorb moisture. The mature tree has a tougher central zone, made up of cells that are only for support, they do not transport food. Wood from this zone is stronger, more durable, denser. Representatives of salvage companies say that the wood from houses built 80-100 years ago is very good and stronger, better than new wood. The explanation is that in the past, logging was not massive. Trees were left to mature and only then cut down and used to build houses and outbuildings.

Recovered wood may be infested with curry larvae. Treatment is a must

Wood as salvaged from an old house or furniture is very rarely used. The risk of insect infestation over time is high and careful control and preventive treatments are recommended. Existence curry holes is a sign but not a certainty that the insect is still in the wood. Fresh wood dust coming out of the holes or a specific gnawing noise indicates that the barbs are inside. They can also be inside without those specific small, round holes clustered several in one place. These holes appear when the insect reaches maturity and emerges from the wood.

During its very short lifespan, the adult carrion beetle lays eggs in fine cracks on the surface of the wood, especially in the wood that provides favorable conditions for development (humidity in the range 14-20%). After laying eggs, the adult insect dies. The eggs are very resilient and even if the humidity or temperature drops very low, they are not destroyed but are preserved until conditions become favorable for development. The larvae then hatch from the eggs and begin to feed on the wood, making galleries inside the wood.

It's not easy to get rid of decay, but it's not impossible either. Reclaimed wood that has natural decay holes is sometimes more prized than healthy wood. There are very aggressive specific solutions and treatments and the wood can be salvaged. Repeated spraying or gassing with special solutions is the most commonly used method. It is better that the treatment is done by specialized companies because it is very toxic. There are also simpler treatment methods, applicable only to small pieces of wood or natural methods. You can find more information about them here here.

Sanitizing reclaimed wood preserving the patina of time

To remove the surface layer of dirt, the wood can be sanded, planed or sand-blasted with sand or baking soda. In highly durable species (acacia, oak), clean wood will immediately emerge from under the fine layer of dirt and mold. Planks and beams damaged by wind or rain have a structuring effect on the surface, i.e. the natural pattern of the wood is highlighted as a 3D image. This is the result of the different resistance of the two types of wood in the annual ring - late and early wood. Thanks to this structuring, when lightly planed, the wood takes on a unique patina that is difficult to reproduce by artificial methods.

To avoid injury, salvaged wood should be cleaned of nails, spikes, pegs, staples or other fasteners. Some companies also use metal detectors to ensure that they deliver wood that is perfectly clean in this respect. The remaining holes should not be covered up because they are part of the charm of this wood. Traces of rubble, bricks or cement, however, do not look good and should be removed.

Ideas for using reclaimed wood

In Western European countries, the USA or Australia there are a lot of warehouses selling old wood. It's a big business, with companies that demolish old buildings, salvage the wood and treat it with insect fungicides. The wood is catalogued, where it came from and often the buyer can find out how old it is. It's a profitable business because old wood is prized by designers, architects and artists who are willing to pay several times more for it than for new, clean wood.

One idea that has caught on here is interior decoration with old wood. Walls are plastered, floors are tiled and exposed beams are installed. Old wood gives a bohemian feel and is often combined with metal for industrial-style decorations. Bolder firms are using reclaimed wood to build houses or make old-looking furniture and objects.

Using epoxy resins for table tops or other pieces of furniture has proven to be a very good opportunity to use any piece of wood, not just those that have been very well preserved. The epoxy resin embeds into the wood, resulting in strong objects with very damaged wood. By using very transparent resin or with the addition of colorants that create effects, spectacular objects can be obtained.

Refurbishing old furniture, doors and windows - another form of recovery

The habit of reusing pieces of furniture, sometimes repurposing them after they have been repainted and repaired, was common in the past. Now, when we don't like a cupboard or a table or an armchair, we easily dispense with them and buy new ones. We do the same with windows, doors or flooring. Sometimes we don't even realize that this, too, is also a waste of resources. And even if we do, the craftsmen who would come home to fix them have almost disappeared and the upholstery workshops that we used to find on a street corner where we would fix a bed or untidy chairs have closed down.

Reconditioning old furniture can be a business idea. There are still people who appreciate old furniture inherited from parents and grandparents and want to keep it. However, refurbishing is not an easy job and we have to understand that sometimes it is harder to repair something old than to make something new. But keeping the memories is priceless.

Total layout transformationi pieces of furniture by painting is an activity that is starting to be turned into a business in our country. The value of the furniture increases as a result of the transformation, becoming a small work of art. There are reinterpretations of furniture by designers, architects or visual artists and the piece becomes the eye-catcher of the room. This is not a banal refurbishment but a creative process.

Using discarded wine barrels to make flooring, using driftwood to make sculptures and art objects, using reclaimed construction wood to make fences, gazebos, pergolas or garden houses are other ideas for reclaiming wood. Let's try to reclaim wood whenever we have the chance and who knows, maybe a business idea will emerge.