Every industry works to have checks and balances over its products to gain recognition and to establish authenticity. Corporations and manufacturers are being held more and more accountable for legitimizing where products are coming from, where they are made, in what conditions are laborers working in, and what are the quality standards of the products. There is more standardization being created for the lumber industry. It addresses everything from harvesting, all the way to the sale to consumers and covers all types of lumber products. Keep reading to learn more about the verification of reclaimed wood.
Verification of Reclaimed Wood
Authentic reclaimed wood goes through many verification and certification processes. One of the new certifications since April 2011 is from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). This certification monitors a variety of different products from production to purchase. When it comes to reclaimed wood though, tracking its path from point A to point B can be challenging. This is because the life span of reclaimed wood can cover decades.
3 Types of Verification of Reclaimed Wood as Labeled by the FSC:
FSC 100%: This is given to products that are manufactured with 100 percent FSC certified material from an FSC certified forest.
FSC Mix: These products are manufactured with a combination of FSC certified materials and other controlled sources of recycled wood or fiber.
FSC Recycled: products that are manufactured with 100 percent recycled fiber and 85 percent postconsumer recycled material.
Process of Verification of Reclaimed Wood
Verification of reclaimed wood goes through a rigorous series of inspections, validations, and audits so that its true source can be identified. When researching certification of reclaimed wood, you may begin to come across some information that make you start wondering what the difference is between reclaimed and recycled wood. The distinguishing factor is if the old wood is actually processed into new wood or left in its original state. People do mistakenly use these words interchangeably, so being an informed consumer will ensure that you are purchasing what you think you are.
Reclaimed Wood remains in its original state and not mechanically altered to create a new product. Reclaimed wood is removed from the original building that it was used in the construction of and repurposed in its original state in a new location. Generally reclaimed wood is repurposed in the same capacity as it original use. For example, flooring is used for flooring, paneling is used for paneling and so on.
Recycled Wood is altered. Essentially recycled wood means lumber that has been salvaged and re-used. Recycled wood is broken down by a machine and mixed with a post-consumer product to make and entirely new material.
If using reclaimed wood for its authenticity is important to you, then you need to make sure that you are informed and do your research. Unfortunately, there is a large amount of wood sold as reclaimed wood that was actually manufactured. Most of the fraudulent claims are because authentic reclaimed wood has a higher price point based on its species, age, availability, and sourcing method. As the popularity of reclaimed wood continues to grow, this will continue to be a constant problem. The proper knowledge by distributors and consumers can help to combat it.
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