recycled hardwood flooring

If you love rustic and old-style floors, then recycled hardwoods are an option to consider. Recycled hardwood flooring is durable and represents a sound environmental choice since that option diverts wood from landfills, reducing the need for harvesting forests. But there are cons you should also consider.

Sources of Recycled Woods and Availability

Recycled woods are typically salvaged from old properties and barns. They involve softwoods as pine and hardwoods such as oak, chestnut, cherry or hickory salvaged from old buildings condemned to demolition.

Pros of Recycled Wood Flooring

Older growth wood is more dimensionally stable and is denser than new wood, which may turn recycled woods a durable option and a good investment.

Cons of Recycled Wood Flooring

There are good deals involving old hardwoods, but that is far from being the rule. The prices of recycled flooring are often higher than those of laminate or even new-growth hardwoods, due to the expenses associated with dismantling, preparing, milling, sorting…

Besides, if you like modern styles and new patterns you may deeply dislike the old patina offered by most recycled woods.

The present availability of recycled woods is reasonable, but not as wide as that of other flooring products. Besides, the offer, though increasing, is made by small manufacturers that do not present the warranties of larger and well-established ones.

Recycled Wood Flooring Strips

You can find a reasonable set of lengths involving recycled hardwood planks and strips with variable widths (3 to 16 inches/8 to 40 com). Tongue-and-grove strips - for an easier installation - is now common.

Installation

Recycled wood flooring installation doesn’t differ from new wood flooring.

Warranty

Typically, recycled hardwood doesn’t involve warranties. But since older growth wood is denser and more stable than new woods, the nonexistence of a warranty isn’t truly a problem if… the woods are in good condition.

Patterns

Many recycled woods keep their antique look, loved by many people, and some involve types of lumber that no more exist: chestnut, namely. Many recycled woods come from barns and have a rather old rustic style that you may dislike. There are, anyway, a large set of patterns within the antique and even the modern…