Using salvaged wood for flooring, paneling, furniture, or decorative accents is a great way to help conserve the environment while adding elegance to your home. With the growing popularity of reclaimed wood, there is a lot of talk surrounding it. There are some common myths about reclaimed wood that people are adopting as truth that are causing them to choose other products.
Here are some of the most shared:
Myths About Reclaimed Wood #1: Reclaimed Wood is Poor Quality
Because reclaimed wood can be hundreds of years old and its origin often unknown, skeptics feel that this minimizes the quality. This could not be farther from the truth.
In fact, reclaimed wood is some of the most durable that you can find and manufactured wood of today can’t even come close to its characteristics. Wood that was salvaged from 1920’s and earlier, which is referred to as “old growth wood”, was manufactured differently that wood today and will most likely out live most of it.
Myths About Reclaimed Wood #2: Old Isn’t As Good As New
Reclaimed wood is wrought with character and made of wood species that are often not available today. The natural beauty of reclaimed wood cannot be duplicated and even the faux reclaimed wood of today does not look the same. Every single piece of reclaimed wood is unique and original.
Myths About Reclaimed Wood #3: Reclaimed Wood Negatively Impacts the Environment
Salvaging and using reclaimed wood is a gift to the environment and helps keep forests and wooded areas clean.
Using reclaimed wood reduces the cutting down and harvesting of many of our country’s lush forests. There are millions of salvageable barns, mills, school, cabins, and other buildings across the U.S. that can be used. Therefore, choosing reclaimed wood saves trees and helps the environment.
Myths About Reclaimed Wood #4: Reclaimed Wood Will Break Your Budget
Although it is aged, and unique, reclaimed wood prices are very comparable to new wood. The belief that reclaimed wood is expensive stems from the fact that faux reclaimed wood distributors do put a higher price tag on it because of manufacturing costs and labor.
Myths About Reclaimed Wood #5: Reclaimed Wood Requires A Lot Of Maintenance
Reclaimed wood can simply be kept looking good by periodically wiping it down. It does not require any initial staining or routine staining.
Myths About Reclaimed Wood #6: Reclaimed Wood Is Not Clean
Reclaimed wood that has gone through the proper certification process should have been checked for insect infestation, mold and mildew, or any other chemical damage. Purchasing reclaimed wood from reputable distributors can help ensure that you are purchasing safe wood.
You can also perform your own lead check by purchasing a kit. Kiln dried reclaimed wood will also be guaranteed to be bug free due to the high temperatures of the process.
Myths About Reclaimed Wood #7: Reclaimed Wood Is Not Resistant to Water Damage
If you are using reclaimed wood for countertops or table tops, don’t fret. There are multiple waterproof sealing solutions that you can apply to your reclaimed wood to protect it from water damage.
Hopefully this has cleared up some of the concerns that you may be faced with after researching reclaimed wood. There is a lot of reliable information of the internet from trustworthy sources that can provide you with more detailed information on these and other myths about reclaimed wood.
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