kitchen conversations

Sarah Londerville, owner of Manomin Resawn Timbers, recently visited our kitchen and bath showroom to educate us on reclaimed wood flooring.  I was so impressed with her knowledge, that I wanted to share some of the information she provided.

Reclaimed wood flooring inspires a new and innovative style for your home, while preserving the traditional richness, warmth, and durability of wood.  Not only does reclaimed wood have environmental benefits it also has design and aesthetic benefits.

Reclaimed wood floors usually come from old buildings, tobacco factories, warehouses, barns, old breweries, etc… and then it is milled into antique plank flooring.  By deconstruction of old buildings and recycling the materials the timbers get to be reused instead of sitting in landfills.  We are now able to utilize the deconstruction for sustainable construction. 

Reclaimed wood does have some aesthetic advantages over new wood.  Old timber is generally more stable, harder, and tighter grained.  Also, deeper color and patina is common to many reclaimed woods; minor defects such as nail holes can add character in rustic or contemporary finish. Because the wood has been air drying for 80-100 years, it is a very stable floor with minimal shrinkage.

Here are some additional resources on reclaimed wood:

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/feature/green-materials-guide/flooring-reclaimed-hardwood.html

http://www.thesexygreenhome.com/reclaimed-wood-flooring.html