FAQ

Answers to your Frequently Asked Questions

Our reclaimed wood comes from old barns, factories, horse fencing, tobacco farms and other turn-of-the-century buildings and rural structures. Some of our reclaimed timbers date back to more than 200 and 300 years ago. Only time and exposure to the elements have allowed for the unique character and design of antique reclaimed timber. These dismantled structures have outlived their usefulness. So we have collaborated with dozens of teams of suppliers to reclaim these old structures and then we redeem the wood through our manufacturing process and repurpose them into a menu of finished goods. Much of our materials were often originally harvested from America’s virgin forests, making them authentic original growth timber. We source our wood from various regions: locally around the central Kentucky area, regionally around different parts of America and globally from Europe and Africa. Check out what other’s have said about reclaimed wood HERE on Wikipedia.

Yes we do, and we would love to have you come and take a tour. We are open by appointment only. We also give tours and presentations to designers, architects, builders,  flooring and distribution companies.

Old World Timber
Phone (859)-553-9264

1195 Versailles Rd
Lexington, KY 40508

Flooring

We do not provide any direct install services of our products, but we do have a list of preferred install partners in different markets around the country.

  • Wood acclimation refers to the time needed for the wood floors to reach a moisture content level that is equal with the surrounding environment. Different locations have different humidity levels. If you plan to finish the floors on site you will need to allow the floors to acclimate for 5-10 days. If you purchase pre-finished floors then they will acclimate sooner. Go HERE for more information.
  • According to the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), wood floor acclimation is “the process of adjusting (conditioning) the moisture content of wood flooring to the environment in which it is expected to perform.”
  • The fact is that wood flooring will always perform best when it remains in a controlled environment with a relative humidity range of 30-50%. The floors should also remain in a controlled temperature within a range of 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Wood acclimation and proper installation are the two most important things to ensure your floor lasts a lifetime. Since our flooring is properly kiln dried to 6-8% moisture content before we mill, this eliminates the tendency for boards to cup or warp. Whatever type of humidity control that you have should be in proper working condition prior to installation to provide a constant environment for your floor. Acclimation of the product in the area where it will be installed for a minimum of 5-10 days is strongly recommended.  Do not store your floors on a patio or garage prior to installing.

Other than a 20 square foot minimum order on wall paneling orders we do not have a order minimum. Whether you are renovating a small studio or building a large commercial project, we can help you out!

Reclaimed wood is extremely stable and installs the same as most other solid, hardwood flooring products. Some of our rustic face flooring may require some hand scraping to even out a few of the edges on some boards. Unless you purchase our pre-finished flooring, you will need to use a floor sander for most of our other flooring product lines.
Our solid floors can be installed using nails (brad nails work well), staples or wood flooring adhesive and should be laid on a subfloor. Our engineered floors can also be laid on a concrete slab. An approved moisture/vapor barrier must be used (sold separately). Consult with your installer. 
A wood filler or putty is recommended to fill holes in reclaimed wood floors.

Proper care is essential to keep wood floors looking beautiful and performing well for the lifetime of the floor. This dedicated maintenance will enhance the performance of the floor and ultimately will protect your investment.

Routine cleaning involves sweeping or dust mopping to remove dust and dirt. Clean spills immediately with a dry or slightly damp cloth. Don’t use wet mops or steam mops, which will damage the finish and the wood over long periods of time. If you must mop, only use a very lightly dampened mop.

It is advised to use a cleaner made specifically for the finish you chose for the floor, which is something your flooring professional can provide or recommend to you when the job is completed.

Yes, hardwood floors are a great choice for any commercial or home project such as a restaurant, entryway, kitchen, or commercial setting where high traffic is to be expected. We simply recommend proper maintenance of the floors in order to ensure longevity.

Walls/Ceiling Paneling

Using a nail gun and brad nails is the most frequent technique. Additionally, you can use wood glue.

Yes, however we recommend you use a small test piece first because the product may change the color of the wood quite a bit. 

For wall or ceiling paneling we recommend a couple different techniques to hide holes. You can either paint the wall you will cover a dark brown or black. Please contact us for more details.

Placing an Order

For our standard offering orders the lead time is typically only 2-3 weeks after 50% deposit is made. For most custom orders the lead time is 4-5 weeks after 50% deposit is made. We also send containers of wood across the globe. Typically a container takes approximately 4 weeks to cross the ocean from our port to yours. Contact us to learn more about how to become a global distributor.

Yes. Click HERE to see our warranty.

You can get price information for products by calling (859)-553-9264 or emailing us at sales@oldworldtimber.com

 

Simply fill out a request for quote on our contact page, call (859)-553-9264 or email sales@oldworldtimber.com and we will be happy to get you any product sample you are interested in.

 

Simply fill out a request for quote on our contact page, call (859)-553-9264 or email sales@oldworldtimber.com and we will be happy to get you entire folders of pictures and videos of any of the products you are interested in.

Simply call (859)-553-9264 to speak to a design specialist or email sales@oldworldtimber.com and our team will work with you to provide you with an estimate for the materials you want. To place an order, a 50% deposit is required at the time of purchase for us to put the order on the production schedule. The remaining 50% balance is due before we ship the order.

Your order can either be picked up or delivered using a common carrier to your home, business or job site. All of our orders are custom packaged on pallets, with lumber wrap and wooden braces to protect your order. Forklift unloading is recommended and material is packaged in sub-bundles of 15-30 square feet.

Stock Wallboard Products: 15 Sq Ft Minimum Order Quantity
Stock Flooring Porducts: 500 Sq Ft Minimum Order Quantity
Custom Wallboard/Flooring Orders: 500 Sq Ft Minimum Order Quantity
All Other Custom Orders: $2,500 Minimum Order Amount

Reclaimed Wood

The kiln drying process is extremely important because it stabilizes the woods moisture content and eliminates any type of mold or bug that could otherwise be present in the reclaimed timbers. Kiln drying the boards ensures our boards are clean and dry and ready to be made into a final reclaimed wood design. The boards are placed in what is known as a kiln for anywhere between 3-7 days.

Wood acclimation and proper installation are the two most important things to ensure your floor lasts a lifetime. Since our flooring is properly kiln dried to 6-8% moisture content before we mill, this eliminates the tendency for boards to cup or warp. Whatever type of humidity control that you have should be in proper working condition prior to installation to provide a constant environment for your floor. Acclimation of the product in the area where it will be installed for a minimum of 5-10 days is strongly recommended.  Do not store your floors on a patio or garage prior to installing. 

  • The term square feet (sf or sq. ft.) is equal to the area of a square with sides 1 foot (12 inches) in length. The term square feet is used once the reclaimed wood product has been completely milled and ready to be install.  The amount of square feet you will need would represent the total surface area you want to cover.
  • For example, when purchasing wall paneling, a wall that is 8 feet high and 22 feet long would be measured as follows: 8 feet = 96 inches. 22 feet = 264 inches. So, 264×96= 25,344. Divide 25,355/144= 176 square feet. So your wall would need 176 square feet of wallboard. We do recommend purchasing 10% more than the surface area needed. The reason for this is because you will cut a board at the end of a run. Some of the cuts will then be too short to use. This is a judgement call, however, because different customers have different design expectations.
  • One board foot is equal to one square foot that is one inch thick and it is a measurement of volume. Typically the term board foot (bf) is used when wood is still in its raw, unmilled form. When repurposed wood is first reclaimed from a barn or antique structure, the boards that are gathered would be calculated into board feet. You can expect to incur some waste when dealing with raw reclaimed wood. For this reason you use the term board feet to simply communicate the exact volume of wood. To calculate board feet = width in inches x length in inches x thickness in inches.
  • The term lineal foot refers simply to the length of a board. So a lineal foot is 1 foot in length or 12 inches. It’s essentially a measurement of a straight line.  A board that is 3 inches wide and 24 inches long has the same lineal feet as a board that is 8 inches wide and 24 inches long.

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