You might be wondering why an old, abandoned barn would be such a valuable resource. For one thing, these buildings are made almost entirely out of beautiful antique lumber – oak, pine, maple, and other species. With old milling techniques and years of use, recycled Barnwood also has much more character than new lumber.
On top of those advantages, reclaimed hardwoods are eco-friendly. Much of the lumber that you’ll find these days comes from farms that don’t necessarily support nearby ecosystems, and the timbering and milling process causes a lot of pollution. Reclaimed barn lumber lessens those concerns while giving you a natural product that is unlike anything you’ll find in modern lumberyards.If you’re thinking about using reclaimed lumber in your home, here are a few ideas to get you inspired!
Antique Hardwood Floors
To get the look of antique flooring from an abandoned barn, you don’t need to buy a century home with the original flooring intact. Reclaimed hardwood flooring can give you the same look, even if your home is modern in design. The lumber can be milled to a smooth finish or you can choose unfinished lumber to give your home a rustic, historic feeling.
Hand Hewn Timbers
Few things can add rustic charm to a home the way that reclaimed timbers can. Timbers reclaimed especially from abandoned barns come in a number of sizes, and depending on the way the original builders finished the wood, you can have any number of effects, from saw blade marks from the original milling process to the historic look of hand-hewn timbers. If you want something that looks a bit more modern, you can also opt to have your timbers planed for a smoother finish.
Reclaimed Wood Mantels
Because mantels serve as a room’s focal point, they’re the perfect place to showcase a particularly beautiful piece of reclaimed wood. The rustic look of an antique beam serving as the mantel adds a sense of warmth and charm that you won’t be able to achieve with any other building material. As with timbers, you’ll be able to choose a variety of styles, from rougher hand-hewn beams to smoother, more modern resawn beams.
Other Ways to Use Reclaimed Wood
Reclaimed wood flooring, timbers and mantels aren’t the only ways you can put a forgotten barn to use in your home. This lumber can be shaped into trim, wallboard paneling for a wood accent wall, or even into a beautiful, natural countertop. In fact, you can use reclaimed wood anywhere that you’d like the natural look of wood – in the kitchen, the bathroom, the den and elsewhere. Check out our project gallery, and you’ll soon see that the uses of reclaimed wood are limited only to your imagination.
