Welcome to Reclaimed Wood
If you are reading this, you are probably considering reclaimed wood for the first time — maybe for a home renovation, a piece of furniture, or an accent wall that adds warmth and character to your space. Welcome. Reclaimed wood is one of the most rewarding materials you can work with, but it is also different from the dimensional lumber at your local hardware store in ways that matter. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to buy, receive, and work with reclaimed lumber confidently.
What Is Reclaimed Wood?
Reclaimed wood is lumber that has been salvaged from existing structures — barns, factories, warehouses, homes, bridges, and other buildings — and processed for reuse. The wood is removed from the original structure during careful deconstruction (not demolition), denailed, cleaned, and typically kiln-dried before being sold for new projects.
What makes reclaimed wood special is threefold: the old-growth quality of the original timber (denser, harder, and more stable than modern lumber), the character features it has acquired over decades or centuries of use (patina, nail holes, saw marks, color variation), and the environmental benefit of reusing material rather than harvesting new trees.
Common Species You Will Encounter
Heart Pine
The heartwood of old-growth longleaf pine, salvaged primarily from 19th and early 20th-century buildings in the American South. Dense, hard (Janka 1,225-1,400), warm amber to reddish-brown color. The premium species in the reclaimed market.
White Oak
A versatile hardwood with excellent water resistance, commonly salvaged from barns, warehouses, and industrial buildings. Hard (Janka 1,360), golden-brown to olive tones, prominent ray fleck when quartersawn. Suitable for both interior and exterior use.
Red Oak
Similar in strength to white oak but with open pores that make it unsuitable for water exposure. Pinkish-tan to reddish-brown color. Excellent for interior flooring, furniture, and millwork.
Chestnut
American chestnut, functionally extinct since the chestnut blight of the early 1900s. Extremely rare in reclaimed form. Light honey-brown color, fine texture, exceptional beauty. A collector's species.
Cedar
Both eastern red cedar and Atlantic white cedar are salvaged from old barns, fences, and buildings. Naturally rot-resistant and insect-repellent. Ideal for outdoor projects and closet lining.
How Reclaimed Wood Is Sold
Board Feet
Reclaimed lumber is sold by the board foot — a unit of volume equal to a piece of wood 1 inch thick, 12 inches wide, and 12 inches long (144 cubic inches). To calculate board feet: (thickness in inches x width in inches x length in inches) / 144. A board that is 1 inch thick, 8 inches wide, and 10 feet long contains 6.67 board feet.
Pricing
Prices vary by species, grade, and processing level. Rough (unprocessed) reclaimed lumber is the least expensive. Material that has been kiln-dried, denailed, planed, and/or profiled (tongue-and-groove, ship-lap) costs more to reflect the labor and equipment required. Expect to pay $3 to $8 per board foot for common reclaimed pine, $6 to $15 for heart pine, and $8 to $20 for specialty species like chestnut and walnut.
Grades and Quality
Reclaimed wood grades are less standardized than new lumber grades, but most dealers sort by quality level. At Norfolk Lumber, we offer material ranging from "character grade" (more nail holes, checking, and variation — great for accent walls and rustic projects) to "premium grade" (fewer defects, more consistent color and grain — ideal for flooring and furniture). Ask your dealer about their grading system and what each grade includes.
What to Know Before You Buy
Moisture Content
Always buy kiln-dried reclaimed wood for interior projects. Kiln drying brings the moisture content to 6% to 10%, kills insects and mold, and stabilizes the wood dimensionally. Ask your dealer about their kiln process — at Norfolk Lumber, we kiln-dry all our reclaimed inventory to 8% to 10% before sale.
Hidden Metal
Reclaimed wood may contain nails, screws, staples, or other metal debris even after processing. Quality dealers use metal detectors and hand inspection to remove embedded metal, but the occasional hidden nail is always possible. Use a handheld metal detector before running reclaimed wood through any power tool with a blade — a hidden nail can destroy a $200 planer knife set in an instant.
Dimensions
Reclaimed wood dimensions are often not standard. A "2x10" from a 19th-century barn may actually measure 2 inches by 10 inches (true dimension), rather than the 1.5 by 9.25 inches of a modern nominal 2x10. This is actually an advantage — you get more wood — but it means you cannot assume reclaimed dimensions will match modern dimensional lumber without measuring.
Receiving and Storing Your Order
When your reclaimed wood arrives, inspect it immediately. Check for damage during transport, verify species and dimensions, and spot-check moisture content with a meter if you have one. Store the wood indoors in the space where it will be installed, stickered for air circulation, and allow it to acclimate for a minimum of two weeks before installation.
Basic Working Tips
- Use sharp carbide tools: Reclaimed hardwoods dull high-speed steel rapidly. Invest in carbide-tipped saw blades and planer knives.
- Pre-drill everything: Dense reclaimed hardwoods will split if you drive fasteners without pilot holes.
- Plan for waste: Budget 10% to 15% extra material beyond your calculated needs. Reclaimed wood has more defects and variation than new lumber, and some pieces will not make the cut for your project.
- Test your finish: Always test stains, oils, and finishes on scrap pieces before committing to the whole project. Aged wood absorbs finishes differently than new wood.
Your First Project
If you are new to reclaimed wood, start with a project that is forgiving and visible — an accent wall, a set of floating shelves, or a simple table. These projects let you develop a feel for the material without the precision demands of flooring or cabinetry. Visit our yard to select your material in person, ask questions, and get hands-on with different species and grades. Our team is always happy to help first-time buyers navigate the wonderful world of reclaimed lumber.