There are a few different places where you can find reclaimed wood for your hardwood floor. Reclaimed wood, also known as recycled wood, is wood that was used for a previous purpose. It is then processed again and used for flooring in a modern home. It could simply be an old floor that you’ve moved from its original spot to your current location; alternately, it could be antique wood that needs to be treated and processed completely to be appropriate planks. Here are a few places to find reclaimed wood.
Old Houses
The first place you can find great reclaimed wood for hardwood flooring is old houses. That’s also the easiest place to find the perfect wood for flooring. Before about the 1970s, most homes were built with wooden floors. That means that if you see a home being demolished or an old home being renovated, they are likely pulling up hardwood flooring. Oftentimes, you can find this hardwood flooring for free because it’s being thrown away.
If the wood is in good shape, you can just immediately install it in your home. You might need to wax or oil it in some manner, but it can go right in. if it’s not in good shape, you might need to sand it down, clean it, and refinish it.
Cabins and Factories
If you have access to old cabins or old mills, you’ll have access to incredible amounts of old hardwood. Before the 1960s or so, most wooden buildings were made with old growth wood. That’s wood that was at least 65 years old before it was cut down. That means the wood is very dense and very hard. It makes great flooring if you can find it. The wood found at old cabins and old mills is oftentimes found in wooden roofing beams and mantels. Those are huge pieces of wood that will need to be milled down into wood flooring planks.
If you have access to a company that produces wood flooring planks from reclaimed wood, the wood you find at cabins and factories could be a great choice.
Spools and Pallets
Typically, wooden spools for cables and pallets are made from softwood; that makes them poor candidates for flooring. However, some wooden spools are made from hardwood, as are pallets made for concrete applications. If you have access to these hardwood pallets or spools, you have access to very affordable wood that has been weathered.