Blue Ridge Country...A Tale of Two Cabins

Building with Reclaimed Lumber: The Green Option
From September/October 2007 Issue
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Building with Reclaimed Lumber: The Green Option

Marc Cree, general manager of Vintage Lumber in Woodsboro, Md., calls it “the green option.”

Building with reclaimed lumber from older structures has all kinds of advantages. First, it doesn’t involve cutting down trees. In addition to being environmentally friendly, reclaimed lumber can also be less expensive than new lumber because the aged, worn look of the wood is created by nature instead of by hand. Nature weathers wood in a way that creates a one-off (unique, one-of-a-kind) pattern. Unlike new wood, which can reveal obvious and intentional distress patterns, no two pieces of reclaimed wood are distressed alike. The result is a natural, more rustic look.
Reclaimed lumber is primarily taken from what Cree calls derelict buildings – structures that are no longer used or maintained and have little value for the owner. At Vintage Lumber, clients contact the company if they have buildings that can be torn down for reclaimed lumber.

Another advantage of reclaimed lumber is that it allows you to obtain wood from extinct species. For example, Cree says, “the [American] chestnut became extinct in the 20th century; now it’s only available as reclaimed lumber.”

Prior to being reused, reclaimed lumber is kiln-dried to remove the moisture from inside he lumber. That “prevents the wood from shrinking as it acclimates to the house,” says Cree. Once installed, the wood can be treated just like any other standard flooring, with no additional upkeep or maintenance.

Before purchasing any reclaimed lumber, make sure the company is reputable by asking where the wood was reclaimed. Ensure that it came from a structure and that it was not distressed by hand. Also make sure the company kiln-dries the lumber to prevent shrinking once it’s installed.

—Marianne Brigola

Appalachian Woods, LLC
Stuarts Draft, Va.
1-800-333-7610, 540-337-1801
appalachianwoods.com

Blue Ridge Timberwrights
Christiansburg, Va.
540-382-1102
brtw.com

Cochran’s Lumber and
Millwork, Inc.
Berryville, Va.
1-877-297-8331, 540-955-4142
lumberandmillwork.com

Foster Wood Products, Inc.
Shiloh, Ga.
1-800-682-9418
fosterwood.com

James & Company Reclaimed
and Recycled Timbers
Collinsville, Ala.
256-997-0703
jamesandcompany.com

Mountain Lumber Company
Ruckersville, Va.
1-800-445-2671,
434-985-3646
mountainlumber.com

Renick Millworks &
Old Mountain Supply
Renick, W.Va.
304-497-9900
renickmillworks.com

Salvagewrights, Ltd.
Orange, Va.
540-672-4456
salvagewrights.com

Vintage Beams & Timbers, Inc.
Sylva, N.C.
828-586-0755
vintagebeamsandtimbers.com

Vintage Log and Lumber
Alderson, W.Va.
1-877-653-5647, 304-445-2300
vintagelog.com

Vintage Lumber
Woodsboro, Md.
1-800-499-7859, 301-845-2500
vintagelumber.com

Walden Log Homes
Lookout Mountain, Tenn.
423-821-8070
waldenloghomes.com

Whole Log Lumber Company
Zirconia, N.C.
1-866-912-WOOD,
828-697-0357
wholeloglumber.com

Additional resources:
oldhouseweb.com
forestry.com

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