Feed: Reclaimed Wood Canada - AggScore: 47.4

Something’s are debatable. Others are not. Reclaimed Hemlock is both…

I’d say this is one of the most commonly found types of Reclaimed Wood out there.  Reclaimed Hemlock.   Is this fact?  I’m not sure.  Is this statement debatable?  Maybe.  But it’s the info and explanation of this type of reclaimed wood that we’re after.  So, let’s get on with anyway.

Reclaimed Hemlock is, of course, from the Hemlock tree.  Commonly found across North America and Canada, this tree was commonly used in a wide range of instances: structural beams, flooring, outdoor siding and even docs to name a few.

There are essentially three different types of Hemlock – Western, Mountain and Eastern, and, as the name implies, these tress can be found in a variety of different climates and regions.

They are sort of pyramid in shape – similar to the common Christmas Tree – and have flat, glossy, soft needles, and small green/redish cones that change colour over time.  If you’re still not getting a visual feel for what these trees look like, you can take a look at the picture or, think about some of the other common names that are associated with Hemlock: Hemlock Spruce, Weeping Spruce and Spruce Pine.

They can grow quite tall – almost 50 meters (150 feet) high and yet, for all their height they have relatively small, narrow trunks.  The actual tree itself is relatively straight from bottom to top, giving way to great, long pencil like timbers.  As you can imagine, these were great for structural timbers and long flat planks of wood throughout history.  You should be able to find long reclaimed 8×8’s 10×10’s or 12×12’s and even 16×16’s for that matter.

Considered one of the hardest of the Softwoods, Hemlock generally ranks between 500 and 680 on the Janka hardness scale – species dependant of course.  That’s not really that hard when compared to other species of wood.  Let’s put this in perspective.  Oak measures up on the Janka scale at about 1290+ whereas California Redwood comes in at about 420.  California Redwood can be scratched with your nail and easily dents, whereas Oak doesn’t as much.

If you’re looking to use Reclaimed Hemlock as a floor for example – you’ll have to really think about the type of Hemlock, it’s age and how you plan to finish it.  You can use it as flooring – but there are considerations to take into, well, consideration.  Talk to your local Reclaimed Wood dealer and pass it by your contractor or flooring specialist to get all the info.

Other than this, Reclaimed Hemlock is a fairly easy wood to mill and work with.  It has been used as a carving wood, and can be crafted into all sorts of ideas you’ve dreamt up.

The challenges of this wood – and I’ve found this to be especially true with Reclaimed Hemlock – lie in the woods unbelievable desire to warp and split.  It really loves to do this, so keep movement in mind when selecting certain grain patterns, cuts, and/or when deciding where to use this wood.

You can navigate around the challenges, but you’ll have to be aware of them, and ensure that your Reclaimed Wood dealer and designer know what they’re doing.

To cap things off, I’ll leave you with this thought.  If you take some time to look around, you might find stocks of really neat, unique pieces of Hemlock, that were used as far back as 1700’s here in North America.  Hemlock – although common – can be unique, beautiful and rare at the same time.  And that’s not up for debate.

Exposed! Diamond in The Rough Tree Looks Amazing!

It’s unlikely that you’ve never seen or heard of this type of tree.  Seriously.  This tree is everywhere.  At least in North America, Britan and China anyway.  So what type of tree has this famous well known presence?

The Elm tree.  Unual as it may seem, although the Elm tree is literally everywhere, we can’t quite, for the life of us seem to figure out how many species exist.  So we ball-park it.  30-40 are the current estimates.  Really, no one knows the true number of species.

Which doesn’t seem to be much of a problem really – because we know lots of other things about the tree.  These prove to be useful when talking about building, products and reclaimed wood for example.

Tree height is not one of those things.  We know it’s tall.  And wide.  Like really tall and really wide.  Heights – depending on the location – can be reached of over 120 feet high.  And to support this massive, towering amount of wood, a base of 30-50feet around can be expected.

This is great news as it relates to Reclaimed Elm Wood.  For these pieces may have been used as relatively large pieces for buildings, supports and other things.  If you manage to find this type of Reclaimed Wood you may be able to acquire some fantastic pieces.  Also consider this when looking for salvaged wood – which, although slightly different than reclaimed, can give you some great looking slabs.

To confuse matters even more, the tree is classified as a Soft Hardwood.  With a Janka rating of 830 it makes it almost 40% softer than Oak, yet 30% harder than California Redwood.  To put this in more perspective, you can scratch California Redwood (Janka Rating of 420) with your nail.

Its grain pattern is quite interesting – displaying characteristics of interlocking fiber and beautiful contrasting colours of winter and summer growth.  You can see this as the waves, or patterns of light and dark in the wood.

When it comes to finding Elm in terms of Reclaimed Wood – you shouldn’t have much of a problem.  As this wood is quite common, one of your local Reclaimed Wood dealers should carry, or have access to a stock.

It can be used for multiple different purposes – but do consider the pros and cons of using such a soft hardwood when using it for flooring or surfaces that may be prone to abuse, scratches or damage.

Reclaimed Cherry – Pros & Cons, an Industry View

In another one of our articles, we explained how the Cherry tree was the overlooked parent of the sexiest fruit.

In this article we’ll get right to the good stuff.  The pros and cons of using reclaimed Cherry as your Reclaimed Wood of choice.

And, as always, we start with the good news first.

The pros:

• High durability – can last a very long time and – depending on the species of Cherry – can be highly resistant to scratches and marks.
• Unique colour – this wood has a beautiful colour that is both unique and rare.
• Extremely Strong – again, depending on the species used, this wood can be extremely strong
• Great Sound – often used for instruments, this cherry wood is often used for instruments.
• Easy to clean – due to the hardwood nature of this wood, once finished well it’s relatively easy to clean.  Something to keep in mind if you’re looking to use this type of wood for floors or tables.

The cons:

• Fading – the attraction of this type of wood is its colour amongst other things.  It’s a shame that when exposed to light – over long periods of time – this wood can loose its colour.
• Finishing – the other challenge with Reclaimed Cherry – along the lines of colour – is that you may have to oil, or polish this wood a lot more than other species.  Doing so will help maintain the quality of the wood, but will take time.

And there you have it.

As always, I’m sure there are other pros and cons that you’ll come up with, but this should give you a basic start into what you should consider before making a purchase.

Vigrin Fruit? Pure Beauty? Get between the sheets with Reclaimed Cherry

With it’s deep red colour, sweet flavour, and affinity for sexual misconception – the  Cherry has developed quite a lust for attention.  Judging by the long list of runner up fruits – I’d say this was the King, or Queen of passionate fruit.  Virgin – no.  Sweet – yes.  And yet many of us miss the beautiful admirable qualities of the bearer of this fruit.  It would seem that it’s a thankless job for the Cherry Tree.

We’re here to change that.

You know, people always say don’t compare apples and oranges.  So I wont.  For the sake of this article we’re going to change the common saying.  The apple, or rather the cherry doesn’t fall far from the tree.  As passion filled, beautiful and downright tasty as the fruits are, Cherry – the wood – is actually a very passionate beautiful wood.  Many cultures will attest to that.

Across the pond in Japan for example, the Cherry Tree is associated with beauty, courtesy and modesty.  It’s been honored as the National tree.  In China, this tree symbolizes fertility, joy and festivity.  In North America and Europe, we commonly associate this type of tree – and the wood specifically – with high net worth, value, and the furniture in nose-bleed executive levels of office towers.

And it’s for good reason.  Cherry wood can exhibit amazing patters of red and pink.  Swirls and waves of red highlight it’s unique beauty.  It’s grain is fine.  It’s strong and robust.  It can last for ages.  Decades.  No, better than decades.  It can last for centuries.

It’s commonly used for furniture, handles, and hardwood floors.  When it comes to reclaimed cherry, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find that this wood was even used as medium sized structural timbers.  If you can find them, this’ll give you slightly larger pieces to work with.

In terms of hardness Reclaimed Cherry Wood will vary depending on the location.  American Cherry has an estimated hardness of 950 on the Janka scale, while African Cherry measures up at 1750 on the Janka scale.

American Cherry’s rating is really a “meh” rating.  It will scratch, and it will get marked or dented under pressure.  It’s not exceptionally resistant.  To put this into perspective – White Oak has a rating of 1350ish.  In layman’s terms, Oak is harder than Cherry.

But, if you’re in desperate search for ultra rare, ultra hard reclaimed cherry wood, with a hardness rating strong enough to break bones, metal and diamond, then you’ll want to look for Bolivian Cherry – which has an estimated Janka rating of over 3600.  This wood is so heavy it’ll sink in water.  Boat builders beware.

Overall reclaimed cherry is a beautiful wood that can be used to make gorgeous furniture, hardwood floors or installments.  If you’re looking for a splash of passion, the colour of love or some of the most unique and bold grain patterns you’ve ever seen – consider reclaimed Cherry Wood in your next project.

Beware! Although great on Price & Looks Laminate Flooring Can Be…

You’ve really got a 3 or 4 options.  Short of not going with it, that’s all you really get, because, quite honestly, that’s all you really need.

Laminate flooring is one of those options.  For those of us who really just want the great looks at the lowest possible price point – and aren’t really concerned with much else – this is the perfect solution.  And there’s nothing wrong with that.  Looks and price are after-all very important – and to be honest most friends or guests aren’t going to get down on their hands and knees to look at your floor.

Laminate flooring can’t really be considered hardwood because, well, it’s not.  With Laminate Flooring you’re actually getting layers of in-expensive wood combined together to form a core.  If you’ve taken a look at our other article on Engineered Hardwood Flooring you’ll remember my cake example.  Laminate Flooring can be explained in a similar fashion.  If you can imagine that Laminate Flooring is like a cake, then you can consider the icing of the cake to be the laminate, and the layers of cake to be the layers of in-expensive wood.

What is laminate?  In essence it’s a super high quality picture.  Yes, a picture.  Remember, you’re after the look of hardwood floors at the best price right?

As with other things in life, there are some serious downsides to choosing something based solely on looks.  When it comes to Laminate Flooring, a number of key aspects come to mind – and should be considered before you make a purchase.

Remember that since Laminate Floors are only “pictures” of hardwood, you can’t actually re-finish them.  If they’re damaged, they’re damaged – and you will notice it.  Don’t forget this one if you have pets, kids or are frequently dropping things.

Laminate Floors also feel different.  You might not think that this is an important aspect.  But when you consider that you’ll have to walk on these floors every day, you’ll want to have something that feels good.  Best way to find out?  Walk on some Laminate Floors and feel the difference.

They do not hold nearly the same value as Hardwood or Reclaimed Wood floors.  If you’re considering installing floors for a boost in real estate value, then you’ll want to avoid this flooring – as it will not increase the value of your real estate.

They do not last as long.  Typically you can get decades of high-foot-traffic use from your Hardwood floors where-as Laminate Floors you’d be extremely lucky to get the same amount of usage.

So what do you do then?  That choice is completely up to you, but consider that when it comes down to it – looks as in other areas of life – aren’t everything.

Need a New Spark in Your Place? Why Not Go O’Natural with Reclaimed Rustic Furniture

Some people are so into the clean, smooth look of wood – they’ll spend hours upon countless hours sanding, oiling and re-sanding their furniture.  Don’t expect to eat on their tables, sit on their chairs or even touch their mantles.

And yet, while their furniture may look beautiful in some aspects, you can almost sense that lack of warm, cozy and homely feel.  Thankfully, this isn’t how Rustic Furniture rolls.

Warm, cozy, and all natural is what Rustic Furniture delivers.  In heaps and bounds.  A combination of rough surfaces, warm colours this type of furniture may even use raw pieces of branch, logs or large sticks.

Although it’s debatable, the trend for Rustic Furniture seemed to come about between the turn of the Century and the Great Depression.  It was here that branches, sticks and pieces of log were used in art or furniture.  Used just as they were, or sometimes steamed to be bent and molded, this style was used for chairs, tables, bed frames, and a wide assortment of furniture pieces.

Is it still trendy?  Sure.  If you’re a bit uncertain, take a look at the trendy sliding Reclaimed Barn Wood Doors that are appearing in designer offices or condos, or the Reclaimed Barn Wood Tables that are used for both dining or coffee.  The styles have changed, but the feel has not

As these pieces are usually customized or one-offs, you’ll find that you can mix and integrate all types of materials with the Rustic Wood.  It’s not uncommon to find a log based table with a metal frame, or a designer glass top.

In essence, if you love the cottage, or beach house feel is what you’re after, or if you’re simply looking for a splash of nature in your ultra-clean-contemporary condo, then Rustic Furniture is something you should consider.

Engineered Hardwood – Flooring For The Budget Conscious Individual

When we get right down to it – although hardwood floors look great, they’re expensive.  Sometimes really expensive.  Reclaimed wood hardwood floors even more so.  So with the pocket book in mind – let me explain the cheaper solution – Engineered Hardwood Flooring.

As it relates to Reclaimed Wood, you should clear any doubts from the get go.  Yes, you can get Engineered Hardwood Flooring that’s made from Reclaimed Wood.  It’s going to be slightly more expensive, and it will almost certainly have to be custom made.  But it is possible – and it looks amazing.

To understand why this type of flooring is less expensive, we’ve got to know how it’s actually designed.  You’ll want to know about this when considering all of your options – as it will make a difference in the longevity of your floor, and it’s potential to get damaged.

I’ll breeze over this – so don’t worry.  With regular hardwood floors, a piece of wood is milled into a plank.  Usually 3/4 of an inch thick.  This plank is then layered down on your sub-floor, and fitted together to create your beautiful hardwood floor.

Engineered Hardwood Flooring is slightly different.  Instead of a full ¾ of an inch thick piece of wood, this type of flooring uses a thin layer of hardwood on the top of a multi-layered in-expensive wood.  It’s like icing on a cake.  The icing is the beautiful hardwood floor that you see, while the cake may have 3 or more layers.  The layers are the in-expensive wood types, and give the engineered plank it’s thickness and durability.

Why the difference.  With typical hardwood flooring, where you’re using a solid piece of wood – your floor is prone to cupping, warping and splitting when used in extreme weather conditions.

Engineered wood is supposed to be more resistant to this.  The level of resistance will depend on the type of engineered wood that you purchase – and the number of layers of core wood that are used.  Typically, the more core layers of wood – think cake here – the stronger and more resistant your floor will be to heat, moisture, and dry climates.

Is the difference really that big?  That’s debatable.  I think the durability of your hardwood floor and the resistance to warping, cupping, cracking and moisture damage will depend on the type of wood you choose, the age of the wood and the quality of the make.

So what should you choose?

Now that is going to have to be your decision.  Although you can find a wide range of Engineered Hardwood Floors, it’s my belief that you will never find the beauty, originality and unique characteristics of Reclaimed Hardwood Floors.  After seeing how beautiful this type of hardwood looks, I’d say, if your pocket book can afford it, this is the option I’d choose.

Reclaimed White Oak – The Pros & Cons – An Industry View

Reclaimed White Oak – The Pros and Cons

As always, we start with the good news first.

The Pros:

• Easily workable.  Sawing, sanding, machining, nailing and finishing are all great when it comes to Reclaimed White Oak.
• Great colour.  Slightly whiter, yet not pale.  Blond, but not too blond.  Brownish, but subtle.  Reclaimed White Oak really goes well with a wide range of colours, room styles and environments.
• Durable.  Hardness is only one of the durability qualities of this type of wood.  You’ll also find that this wood is not photosensitive, resistant to insects and resistant to decay that is can be found in other types of wood.  Treat your table well, and it’ll last for generations.
• Wide planks.  With it’s tight grain pattern White Oak can be milled into wide planks – and still maintain much of its strength and durability.  If you’re considering wide plank hardwood floors this may be a great option.
• Wide slabs.  White Oak trees grow both very old and very wide.   Their thick base create opportunity for very wide slabs when cut.

The bad news.

The cons:

• It’s heavy.  Sizes of just a few feet – for example a coffee table of 3-feet long, by 2-feet wide and 3-inches thick can weigh over 80lbs.  Imagine a dining room table 10-feet by 3-feet by 3-inches.  You’re looking at a lot of weight.
• High demand.  Depending on your location you may end-up paying a premium for this type of reclaimed wood.  Shop wisely.

This gives you a bit of insight into the pros and cons of this type of wood.  I’m sure if you do a bit of research you’ll find some more.  Overall it looks beautiful, and I’d definitely consider it for a coffee table or dining room table.  The light colour really looks great in all types of environments.

Reclaimed White Oak – Prized Hardwood For All Types

White Oak

Sacred in Japan, prized in Canada, United States and Europe,  Reclaimed White Oak is one of the premier trees of the new age.  I’m not sure where I came up with “new age” – but let’s go with it.

Of course White Oak is not the scientific name for this type of tree species.  Quercus Alba is.  Try saying that 10 times really fast.  What’s interesting about this tree, is that although it’s highly sought after in both the Eastern and Western worlds – it’s actually quite common around the world.  This tree can be found in Japan, all across the United States, Canada, and Europe.

These trees live to 600 years or more and grow between 65-85 feet tall – although the tallest White Oak has been recorded at about 144 feet.  Tress of this age will have a very wide base – so if you’re considering a very wide reclaimed wood slab for a table for example – Reclaimed White Oak may be a great choice.

Reclaimed White Oak is strong.  Its Janka Hardness rating is over 1350 which means it’s got great resistance to scratches, dents and marks that can occur on a table.  With this in mind you should also be aware that the grain pattern is very tight.  This looks great.  Reclaimed White Oak – dependent on the cut – will give you fine lines, and beautiful consistency and excellent white, creamy or light brown colour.  This is true of straight grain patterns, waves, and swirls.  All beauty and consistency considered be warned.  It’s heavy.  White oak is really heavy.  If you’re considering making a large table, you’ve really got to take this into consideration – but we’ll get into the pros & cons in another article.

When it comes to wood-working with Reclaimed White Oak you’ll find that this type of wood is durable, and resistant to splitting.  It accepts and holds nails quite well, and – due to the tight grain patterns – you’ll find that matching pieces together is much easier when compared to other types of wood.

It sands, cuts and machines well.  Whether you’re working with this type of wood for your own personal project, or whether a designer is assisting you with this type of wood – you shouldn’t have a problem.

White Oak is one of the premier reclaimed wood slab choices for coffee tables.  You should be able to find this at your local reclaimed wood dealer.

Reclaimed Ash – Pros & Cons, An Industry View

If you’ve taken a look at our other article you’ll have caught up to speed on the history and details of what Ash looks like and where it comes from.   Now on to the good stuff.  The pros and cons.

No wood is perfect – so we figured you’d probably want to have a bit of an “insiders edge” on what makes Reclaimed Ash great, and what makes it bad.  The choice of using this wood is ultimately up to you – but for now, at least you’ll be informed.

Good news first:

The pros:

• Ash has a great strength to weight ratio.  Unlike a lot of heavier woods *cough Oak*, *cough Mahogany* you’ll find that Ash has a similar Janka Hardness scale and yet, is much much lighter.  Let’s put it this way.  Would you rather move a 400lb dining room table around or a 100lb dining room table around?  That’s what we thought too.
• It has no significant smell or taste.  Not that you’ll be chewing on this wood any time soon, but it’s an important aspect when considering what type of wood you’ll use for your next dining room table.
• Great bending properties – this type of wood has been traditionally used for handles, canoe paddles, chairs, snowshoes, and bowls.  If you’re looking to incorporate curves in your next Reclaimed Wood project, this is a great wood to help you accomplish your goals.
• It’s quite Stable – When it comes to large pieces of reclaimed wood, one of the things you’ll have to be aware of is the movement of the wood.  As older, reclaimed wood drys out it moves.  Shrinking is the most common type of movement – which can cause unwanted cracks and bends in the wood.  Ash is relatively stable when compared to other woods.
• It’s hard.  It’s considered a hardwood and has a Janka Hardness rating of just over 1300 – making it resistant to scratches and dents.

The bad news.

The cons:

• The finishing needs extra attention to detail.  Reclaimed Ash, and Ash in general, has a more porous, long fibered structure than other types of wood.  When it comes to finishing this means that you’ll have to spend extra care on sanding, and you’ll have to be cautious about splintering.
• You’ll have to be cautious when using it outside.  Ash is more susceptible to rotting when damp.  Use proper sealants when using Reclaimed Ash outside.
• It’s not super-duper hard.  A 1300 rating is quite good.  It’s similar to a number of species of Oak actually.  But, if you need a very very hard wood, then this is not it.  You’ll want to go with something of a more exotic nature.

Those are some of the pros and cons of Reclaimed Ash.  I’m sure there are more.  This should give you a bit of insight and a few points to consider when looking at your next project.