Using Reclaimed Lumber to Add Historic Touches to a New Build Home

Reclaimed wood is lumber that comes from various sources, including factories and old barns. Homeowners and businesses have made it popular in recent years, partly due to today’s more sustainable building practices. Reclaimed wood is used for a wide variety of building, renovating and decorating purposes. 

With reclaimed wood designs, you can add a vintage appeal while repurposing existing materials. You can give back to the environment with sustainable materials while achieving your design and architectural goals. The reclaimed wood market value was 49.27 billion dollars in 2020, and it is projected to increase over time. Choosing reclaimed wood for your home or business can put you ahead of the curve. 

Learn why reclaimed wood has become such a popular building material for flooring furniture, cabinetry and much more. 

Building a Home With Reclaimed Lumber 

While reclaimed lumber is often pricier than new lumber, this materials’ benefits make it worth the cost to many homeowners. When you consider reclaimed lumber for home improvement or new-build homes, you gain character, individuality and more. Reclaimed wood brings many benefits that are unique to your space. 

Aesthetic Appeal 

One of the primary benefits of reclaimed wood for houses is visual beauty. Old trees contain more heartwood, which has a rich grain and color pattern that less mature trees cannot replicate. The fine grains and rich color are what provide reclaimed lumber with its distinctive appearance. 

Enhanced Stability 

Recycled lumber is more stable and unique than the wood grown in farms today. Wood repurposed from older buildings was harvested in old-growth forests, which were hundreds or even thousands of years old. Trees that reach that age can develop more heartwood, which is the tree’s innermost part. This part of the tree does not transport water or nutrients, making it dry, more decay-resistant, and mechanically strong. 

Reclaimed lumber has been contracting and expanding for many years in past installations, which makes it less susceptible to cracking, splitting and drying. Most of the lumber today is harvested from forests that have been cultivated to grow rapidly. As a result, the wood is less dense, weaker and more likely to decay or crack.   

Easy Maintenance  

One of the most appealing benefits of using reclaimed lumber is that you don’t need to stain or paint it to refine its appearance, it already has beautiful patina. Yet, you still have the option to sand and finish the wood to your style preference. 

Reclaimed wood holds onto its beauty for decades at a time.

Environmental Friendliness

Repurposing is always a good thing. Using reclaimed wood lowers the demand for virgin timber. Additionally, because the wood has already been cut down and treated, there is also no need to use refining chemicals, which impact the environment. 

How to Incorporate Reclaimed Lumber Into Your Home

You can add reclaimed lumber to practically any room in your home, and there are many exterior options as well. Some possibilities include: 

• Accent walls: A wall covered in reclaimed wood can work in most rooms of the house. 
• Floors: Using reclaimed lumber in flooring is a great way to add character to your home and set one or multiple rooms apart.
• Ceilings: Reclaimed lumber beams can add visual interest to your ceilings.
• Furniture: From tables to shelves to headboards for your bed, the possibilities for making furniture with reclaimed lumber are nearly endless. 
• Siding: To give your home’s exterior a natural and inviting appearance, consider installing reclaimed lumber for your siding. 

Reclaimed Lumber in Walls

Reclaimed wood wall paneling tells an exciting story and works well as accent walls, although you can use them in many different ways. If you need inspiration, consider some of the following ideas: 

• Corners and stairs: Small or half walls leading up to stairways are excellent spots for reclaimed wood. These walls will often see lots of traffic and reclaimed lumber can hold up to that traffic. 
• Corner walls: A corner wall made from wood paneling is an excellent way to spice up a room and break up a home. 
• Basement wall: Your basement is also a great place to add a wall made of reclaimed wood, especially if you want to create a game room, man cave or entertainment center. In many cases, basements feel somewhat dull and need a rustic or industrial element for some flare. Paneling can be used in replacement to drywall over cinderblock basement walls.
• Office wall: By adding an accent wall made of reclaimed wood to your office, you can make it look professional and modern while also warming up a space that otherwise feels cold. 
• Wood mantel and fireplace: While you may not think of a mantel as a wall at first, installing reclaimed wood mantels for your fireplace adds even more warmth to the area. Reclaimed lumber can also provided unique character unmatched by any new lumber in today’s market. 

Reclaimed Wood in Flooring 

The planks of reclaimed wood floors tend to be wider than their modern counterparts. These wide planks add rich character and replace your floor with a living story. They create a connection with the values that our nation’s pioneers held dear, including expert craftsmanship, high-quality materials, stability and unrivaled beauty. 

At Superior Hardwoods of Montana, we offer an extensive range of wide-plank styles and specifications, including: 

Heirloom Series: Sourced from structures built a century ago or more, our Heirloom Series features several hardwoods and softwoods. The planks from this collection come from turn-of-the-century homesteads, barns and other beautiful structures, which were built to last for decades. Our Heirloom series creates a glowing atmosphere and includes wood species like fir, chestnut, pine, oak, walnut and hickory. 

Reclaimed Wood for Siding

Antique reclaimed siding is sourced for the exteriors of stables, barns and other older structures built at least 75 years ago. Superior Hardwoods of Montana tries to reclaim as much of this siding as it can, and its Ghost Town Series divides into three categories:

• Virginia City Barnsiding: Having a rugged, faded charm and gray tones, our Virginia City Barnsiding works with a wide variety of styles. 
• Hewn Slab Siding: Generally a thicker option that is carefully slabbed from beams to size specifications, it works perfectly well for the original cabin look.
• Ruby Gulch Faded Red: These siding panels, which still contain some of their original red paint, are great for capturing the iconic barn look. 
• Glacier Grainery Siding: Beautiful warm brown tones, saw marks and heavy nail pattern make this one-of-a-kind look.

Siding mainly encases the outside of a building to give it a natural appearance. It’s usually more for aesthetics, as energy-efficient materials tend to go underneath the panels before installation. The use of reclaimed wood siding can provide a newer building with warmth, comfort and visual interest.  

Reclaimed Paneling for Walls and Ceilings

Like our siding, our paneling also comes from blacksmith shops, industrial-age factories, barns and other structures from a bygone era. Our inventory of reclaimed paneling dates back to the 19th century and early 20th century and comes in multiple species, sizes and colors. Ceilings also look fantastic with our vintage paneling. 

You can choose from various styles in our Rocky Mountain Series, which include many wood styles: 

• Calico wall paneling.
• Corral board paneling.
• Flint Creek redwood paneling.
• Five valley fir paneling.
• Glacier grainery paneling.

Reclaimed Lumber for Beams 

Architectural trends in the 1700s and 1800s were defined by stables, barns and other similar structures. They could withstand most weather conditions and had architectural elements that remain popular to this day. Many of these structures were abandoned for more modern options, but we still recognize their value.

One of the most valued structural elements from these buildings is hand-hewn timbers, which were used as beams and shaped with an adze. Using the highest-quality remaining elements, we have reclaimed these timbers using a recycle-and-repurpose approach. We try to keep them in their original condition to remember the hardworking craftsmen who created beauty from raw materials.  

These hand-hewn timbers can be used all around the home. Although most frequently used in home interiors, where they’re used as exposed support beams and trusses, fireplace mantles and accent walls, they can also be used in many ways outside the home. On the exterior, they’re frequently used as support beams for awnings, pergolas or siding, although the possibilities are endless. 

Reclaimed Lumber for Stairs

Using reclaimed wood for stairs, treads and risers is also a popular choice. Upcycled wood will give your home’s entrance more personality. This also gives the opportunity for many sides of the beautiful reclaimed lumber to be seen – both the side and face. 

Reclaimed Wood Cabinets 

You can also use reclaimed wood to make slab-style cabinets and sleek, visually interesting wall panels. These two elements together are great for adding warmth to contemporary kitchens. Some other cabinet styles that work well with reclaimed wood include: 

• Shaker style: Reclaimed antique wood complements the shaker style, helping to give the kitchen a rustic appeal.
• Formal design: Reclaimed wood is suitable for inlaid and overlaid cabinets, commonly used for formal kitchen designs. The reclaimed lumber’s soft patina complements the formal style and gives the room personality and visual interest.  
• Clear grain: Letting wood grain show through is a great way to create a natural, rustic look for your kitchen. Reclaimed wood has lots of movement and natural variation, creating a natural, welcoming atmosphere for your room. 

Recovered wood is also an excellent option for countertops in contemporary kitchens. Due to its old-world texture quality, you can easily install it over any surface. You can find many different textures to blend well with your current decor, bringing an electric style to your space. 

Reclaimed Lumber in Home Furniture 

You can also use reclaimed lumber in your furniture. Some examples of how to use reclaimed wood include: 

• Bed frame: One interesting use of reclaimed lumber is a bed frame extending out on three sides. This way, it can support the bed and serve as a table and a seat. The sides of the bed can be used as a night table, which you can use to store books and a lamp, and you can use the end of the bed as a bench for dressing and undressing. 
• Headboard: You can also add a rustic touch to your bedroom with a headboard made from reclaimed wood. You can mount it to the wall and give your bedroom an old-style farmhouse charm. Headboards made from reclaimed lumber are a great way to decorate a bedroom when you don’t have much space.
• Shoe rack: Another compact idea is to make a shoe rack from reclaimed wood and metal pipe legs. You can have a small accessory that matches other reclaimed wood in your home. 
• Table: Whether it’s a coffee table, dining table or a table for entertaining guests, tables made from reclaimed wood are a great way to make a beautiful, inviting and cozy feeling. 

Reclaimed Wood for Home Decor 

 You can use reclaimed wood for a variety of other projects for more rustic decor. One option is to use the remaining wood from a flooring or other project to create a complementary object. You can add wooden furniture to any room in the house. 

Some reclaimed wood home decor ideas include: 

• Planter boxes.
• Picture frames.
• Cell phone stands.
• Candleholders.
• Wall clocks.
• Wood pallet art.
• Address plaques.
• Wine racks.
• Vent hoods.
• Hanging plant shelves.
• Bathtub trays.
• Trash can cabinets.

Contact Superior Hardwoods of Montana for Reclaimed Antique Lumber, Siding, Beams and Hardwood Flooring

Superior Hardwoods of Montana is a reclaimed lumber business established in 1977. Throughout our history, we have been passionate about guiding customers through the forest. 

Our primary focus is providing our customers with the highest-quality unique materials and wide-plank flooring available on the market. To ensure this high level of quality, we’ve forged decades-long partnerships with top vendors who share our dedication to integrity and detail. We’re proud to have the Western U.S.’s largest selection of in-stock flooring. 

We have a strong reputation for providing quality antique and reclaimed building materials, and this success has enabled us to stock over 11 acres of high-quality architectural lumber that you can use for your home. We are passionate about providing beautiful pieces of history for the homes of our customers.  

What really sets us apart from the competition, however, is our customer service and superior knowledge. At Superior Hardwoods of Montana, we have decades of combined expertise to support our company for the long term. We strive to deliver our customers the best options and help them at any phase of the project that they need. 

Let us guide you through the woods. Contact us today to learn more about our products.