Reclaimed timber advantages

Why is recycling timber important? This article looks at reclaimed timber advantages.

Waste timber is in abundance across the globe, however with forests being destroyed quicker than they are being planted, we need to reduce the demand for timber.

Recycling timber is an effective way of reusing a post consumer material.

Reclaimed, recycled, salvaged, second hand & waste timber
If you have to buy timber boards, then find a local salvage or reclaim yard. Both of these are great environmental choices and reduce the demand for buying new timber.

Description
♦ Reclaimed and salvaged timber are found in old buildings and homes due for demolition, old historic sites or during major renovation and refurbishment.
♦ Timber can also be found on river beds in timber logging areas.
♦ Timber can be up to 150 years old.
♦ Reclaimed timber is widely available from salvage yards as building & renovation work is ever present.
♦ Typical species of reclaimed timber are oak, pine, maple and beech.

Uses
♦ Recycling timber to be used as flooring, furniture, cabinetry, wall panelling, doors, skirting board, architrave – all typical timber uses.

Reclaimed Timber Advantages
♦ The wood itself is typically from old forest plantations, giving a higher quality timber with a denser grain.
♦ Reclaimed timber is structurally stable.

Reclaimed Timber Disadvantages
♦ Guarantees and warranties are not given.
♦ There may be a restricted amount of one type of wood available for your project from the reclaim yard.

Cost
♦ A cost effective material, that is generally less expensive than virgin timber.

Embodied Energy
♦ Some processing will be needed for recycled timber, however this is minimal compared to virgin timber manufacturing.
♦ An efficient use of natural resources that turns a waste product into a sought after material.
♦ Check with your local salvage yard for the method of reclamation and use your own judgement i.e. some may not be environmentally conscious.
♦ Check with your local timber yard for the origin of the recycled timber – to consider excessive transportation which uses large amounts of finite energy resources.

Source/Origin
♦ Your local timber salvage and reclaim yard will have collected timber sources from the surrounding areas.
♦ Generally recycled timber will not have been imported from overseas, however please check with your timber yard for confirmation of origin.

Renewable
♦ Scrap and waste timber is widely available.

Environment & Health
♦ Recycling waste timber helps reduce the amount of waste being thrown into our landfill sites.
♦ Waste timber may also have been burnt/incinerated or turned into chippings which would have used large amounts of energy to process.
♦ The demand on processing and manufacturing virgin timber is also reduced.
♦ This in turn reduces the demand for hardwood timber and the destruction of natural forests and managed timber plantations.

Installation & construction
♦ The same methods can be used on salvaged timber for flooring, panelling and furniture etc.

Performance
♦ Old forest timber is generally denser and more durable than new timber as the grain is very tight.

Maintenance
♦ The cost and methods of maintenance for salvage timber are the same as for new timber.

Recycled content
♦ Reclaimed, second hand and salvaged timber is 100% recycled.

Recyclable
♦ Yes, fully.

Disposal / Biodegradable
♦ 100% biodegradable.

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