RECLAIMING A BARN
Have you ever wondered how an old barn becomes repurposed flooring or wallboard paneling?
We have all driven by an old country barn and noticed the beautiful character that has sculpted each piece from weather and time. We imagine the history that the wood must be hiding. We ask ourselves about the stories these barns could tell. But how, you ask, do these old and often dilapidated structures become high end design masterpieces that cover the walls and floors of restaurants, airports, homes, businesses and more?
This process is something we get asked about repeatedly and we want you to learn the story by heart!
Old World Timber and the dozens of barn crews who have partnered with us recognize the intrinsic beauty in each reclaimed timber that is rescued before the wood is compromised to rot, ruin or bugs. These vintage structures have outlived their usefulness, and so our people work endless hours to reclaim this wood and carry it safely to our facility where our warehouse crew can restore the beauty and personality imprinted on every board.
The process and procedure to dismantle a barn, an old factory, a vintage wooden bridge, an historic building or any aged structure demands highly trained and professional hands and often is best done using modern equipment to ensure the highest percentage of lumber is preserved. However, sometimes it just requires some good ol’ fashion elbow grease and a pickup truck.
Once the reclaimed wood arrives to our Lexington, Ky location, our warehouse crew carefully grades and separates each plank. Then they de-nail and metal detect each piece, place them in one of our 20,000 board foot kilns to remove all the necessary moisture (to a 6-8% moisture content) and then we hand select each board to go through our precision milling process.
Each board is individually handcrafted in order to showcase the unique character that it features. Our planks have rustic design traits that include knotholes, nail holes, saw marks, grain patterns and natural patina that reflect the storms, weather and history that it has outlasted. Each board is exquisitely unique and we can testify without hesitation that there are no two timbers alike. Our care and concern for each plank ensures a lifetime of durability that allows the finished designs to share their richness and history for generations to come. Their is simply no way to imitate our reclaimed wood using faux wood designs or modern fake-aging techniques. Our flooring and wall paneling products carry an authentic warmth and richness that is unmatched in the market.
Our custom manufactured Heartland Barnwood hardwood flooring and wallboard paneling designs are a masterpiece to behold. But it all starts with having the right barn crew and finding the finest quality vintage barns and antique structures. Then, having a manufacturing crew who can masterfully restore the history of the reclaimed timber planks ensures our happy customers will continue to come back for more.
Also, learn more about our Kentucky Racehorse Oak hardwood flooring and wallboard paneling designs so that when you order from Old World Timber you can retell the story to your friends over and over again!
