It's difficult to beat the warm and fuzzy feeling you get from using hardwood flooring in your home. Often times the use of hardwood floors means you are contributing to the clear-cutting of hardwood forests, with little being done to replenish these virgin stands of wood.
When I herd about the reclaimed wood flooring options, it genuinely peaked my interest. There is nothing that energizes me more than finding a outstanding sustainable product that permits me to have my cake and be able to eat it too. Be sure to include reclaimed wood flooring on your must do list if you are considering wood floors for your new home or your existing home floor upgrade and you won't be sorry you did!
Wondering What Reclaimed Wood is?
Reclaimed wood flooring is flooring that's created from wood that's been "reclaimed" from ending up in a landfill somewhere. When industrial buildings, barns, bridges, or other old buildings are torn down to make way for new construction, the wood form these structures is typically dumped in landfills.
Somebody thought that there must be a better way to use this wood that was just being dumped - and they were right! Many recycling companies have profited from taking this old wood, repairing it, milling it and cutting it into planks. They then market this reclaimed wood to prospective homeowners for new and existing home uses. Due to the fact that there are many wood species and finish options available, it becomes a fantastic eco-friendly option for nearly anyone.
Because it makes use of wood that would normally be disposed in a landfill, this makes this a notable eco-friendly option. What this does is it give new life to an old product destined to the landfill and that is about as eco-friendly as you can become! As more people choose the reclaimed wood flooring product option, the clearing of trees will be lessened to meet the needs of today's homeowners.
The reclaimed wood that is usable is typically of better quality than the new woods that are presently sold. Old-growth hardwood typically came from virgin forests with very large trees that had a large quantity of quality wood. Also, the older a tree is, typically the stronger the wood becomes. That makes this flooring an very long-lasting alternative.
How Much Does Reclaimed Wood Flooring Cost?
Costs of this wood flooring vary quite a bit. The cost depends on the type of wood you select and the grade, and level of finish you desire, much like traditional wood flooring. However, it is important to note that you won't likely pay any more for reclaimed wood than you would for new hardwood flooring.
Depending on the factors above, the cost will range between $3.50 and $7.00 psf for the material, depending on the factors above. If you are pretty handy, you can easily install reclaimed wood flooring yourself as it is no more difficult than the installation of a traditional wood floor.
Reclaimed Wood Flooring - Important Considerations:
Be aware that because, this is reused wood, there may be a number of imperfections and markings in the wood. Manufacturers mill the wood for wood flooring, but often the imperfections remain in the wood.
Many people feel that these imperfections and marks give the flooring character and it is often a selling point for the wood. Take care when choosing stains and finishes that you choose only items that have low VOC's. VOC's stand for volatile organic compounds. They have harmful health effects and can off-gas for many years.
If you found this article useful, you can get additional information by visiting Using Reclaimed Wood Flooring. Additionally for green living tips, visit our site Green Living Made Easy. An additional green flooring article you may be interested in may be Sustainable Cork Flooring.
