Salvaged Wood: Do You want Your Home Built from Clear-cut Lumber?

Go to a log and timber show, and you will see beautiful woods. The idea of a log home has been historically very appealing. But in our current times, we have to ask questions about the source of lumber, and just how renewable it is.

Right now, there is a massive campaign against the use of cypress mulch as sold at stores such as Home Depot, Walmart and Lowes. The bottom line is this: theoretically, lumber is renewable. But the preferred method of logging for decades has been clear-cutting. Clear-cutting is convenient to the timber industry, because it's the most cost efficient method for mechanically working the land. But environmentalists have questioned the extent to which clear-cutting damages ecosystems, resulting in much longer recovery periods than claimed. This has been considered especially heinous for mulch, which can be manufactured from so many different wood species, not just cypress. Here are some websites that address this issue:

• The Community Forest Resource Center addresses whether particular cypress mulch manufacturers are mis-labelling their mulch to give the mistaken impression that the mulch is not from ecologically sensitive zones.

• Save Our Cypress is documenting some of the most extreme cases of cypress mulch production in Louisiana. Some of their videos are up on YouTube.

• Even the University of Florida has documented the abuse represented by cypress mulch.

We love wood - we just don't like it clear-cut. So what's a person to do? Salvaged or reclaimed wood, and wood harvested in more ecological ways is the answer.

Reclaimed Wood - *all floors are center-matched or tongue and groove

Stock Floors:

Green River Vertical Grain: marked by beautiful vertical grains, with angles of less than 45 degrees; the hardest surface and strongest of all available boards

98% Heart Pine

Standard Board Widths – 3”, 4”, 5”

Standard Board Lengths – 2’ – 8’

Sources – North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia; boards salvaged from old mills and warehouses

Finishing Recommendations – 2 Coats of EarthPaint One Coat Finish

Green River Plain Sawn: each growth ring is visible in these boards, providing a strong visual impact; the “Cathedral” markings come from cutting very close to growth rings

98% Heart Pine, with very few visible knots

Standard Board Widths – 3”, 4”, 5”

Standard Board Lengths – 2’ – 8’

Sources – North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia; boards salvaged from old mills and warehouses

Finishing Recommendations – 2 Coats of EarthPaint One Coat Finish

Green River Select: boards come from second growth forests; distinguished by a mix of colors: light red, white and grey are all visible in these boards

70% Heart Pine, 30% Blonde Wood

Standard Board Widths – 3”, 4”, 5”

Standards Board Lengths – 2’ – 8’

Sources – North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia

Finishing Recommendations – 2 Coats of EarthPaint One Coat Finish

Green River Naily: a rare and beautiful flooring with many nail holes; made from many different cuts of wood (vertical, plain sawn, etc)

95% Heart Pine

Standard Board Widths – 3”, 4”, 5”

Standard Board Lengths – 2’ – 8’

Sources – North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia; boards salvaged from under maple floors in old mills

Installation Recommendations – to fill nail holes, mix Elmers Opaque Wood Filler with a black tint (a 1:6 tint to filler ratio), mix in a pastry bag and fill holes; after 24 hours, go over with a razor blade and then sand with 150-220 paper. Do this AFTER flooring is installed and sanded.

Finishing Recommendations – 2 Coats of EarthPaint One Coat Finish

Green River Cabin: the most economical of flooring choice; cut from the center of the trees; boards will contain bolt holes, shake, knots, and cracks; commonly used for mantles

0 – 100% Heart Pine

Standard Board Widths – 3”, 4”, 5” and occasionally 6” – 8”

Standard Board Lengths – 2’ – 8’

Sources – North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia

Finishing Recommendations – 2 Coats of EarthPaint One Coat Finish

Non-Stock Floors

Carolina Rustic Heart Pine: original aged, patina surface; ages range from 80 – 120 years old

Standards Board Widths – widest widths possible

Standard Board Lengths – 2’ – 8’

Sources – North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia; cut from unpainted joists, beams and occasionally from decking

Preparation – tongue and grooved, wire brushed to expose natural markings

Finishing Recommendations – 2 Coats of EarthPaint One Coat Finish

Carolina Character Heart Pine: original aged, patina surface; ages range from 80 – 120 years old; differs from Carolina Rustic Heart Pine in that it is sanded slightly to bring out a contrast of color in the boards

Standard Board Widths – widest widths possible

Standard Board Lengths – 2’ – 8’

Sources – North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia; cut from unpainted joists, beams and occasionally from decking

Preparation – tongue and grooved, wire brushed and slightly sanded (once installed) to expose natural markings and color difference

Finishing Recommendations – 2 Coats of EarthPaint One Coat Finish

Carolina Rustic Oak: flooring is marked by a beautiful silver color; ages range from 60 to 180 years old

Standard Board Widths – widest widths possible

Standard Board Lengths – 2’ – 8’

Sources – North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia; cut from beams, joists and old barns

Preparation – lightly wire brushed so as to keep the silver color

Finishing Recommendations – AFM Polyureseal BP (water-based finish) should be applied in 2 coats, followed by EarthPaint One Coat Finish. **It is important to use a water based finish so as to assure the silver color of the floor will not be lost

Carolina Character Oak: flooring made from a mix of red and white oak boards, unless otherwise specified; ages range from 60 – 400 years old; also sold as beams

Standard Board Widths – widest widths possible

Standard Board Lengths – 2’ – 8’

Sources – North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia; cut from old barns

Preparation – wire brushed and skip-planed to know off the boards’ high points

Finishing Recommendations – 2 Coats of EarthPaint One Coat Finish

American Oak: a very “clean” looking floor with a mix of red and white oak; marked with holes, cracks, bug damage, etc.

Standard Board Widths – widest widths possible

Standard Board Lengths – 2’ – 8’

Sources – North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia; cut from unpainted joists, beams and old barns

Preparation – dried in a dehumidification kiln for bug damage

Finishing Recommendations – 2 Coats of EarthPaint One Coat Finish

Green Mountain Maple: boards will always show nail holes and sometimes light oil spots; these spots come from the flax seed oil used to lube the machines

Standard Board Widths – no more than 3” and 5/8 “ thick

Standard Board Lengths – 2’ – 8’

Sources – North Carolina, South Carolina; boards salvaged from old cotton mill floors

Preparation – tongue and grooved

Finishing Recommendations – 2 Coats of EarthPaint One Coat Finish

Green Mountain Character Maple: boards are taken from cotton mills flooring located directly under the looms; boards are darker in color and show individual filings which separated threads of cotton

Standard Board Widths – no more than 3” and 5/8 “ thick

Standard Board Lengths – 2’ – 9’

Sources – North Carolina, South Carolina; boards salvaged from old cotton mill floors

Preparation – tongue and grooved, wire brushed and slightly sanded to leave visible the original patina color and filings

Finishing Recommendations – 2 Coats of EarthPaint One Coat Finish

Reclaimed Cypress: beautiful as flooring as well as wall paneling and ceiling material; boards show nail holes, cracks, etc.

Standard Board Widths – widest widths possible, can be 14 “; ¾” thick

Standard Board Lengths – 2’ – 8’

Sources – North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky; cut from unpainted joists, beams and occasionally from decking

Preparation – tongue and grooved, wire brushed and slightly sanded (once installed) to expose natural markings and color difference

Finishing Recommendations – 2 Coats of EarthPaint One Coat Finish

Beams: made of American Beech, Oak, Hickory and Heart Pine; three forms include hand-hewn, sash sawn and circular sawn beams; beams are S4S, meaning they are smooth on all sides.

Mantles: American Beech, Oak, Hickory and Heart Pine

1. From Fine Flooring and Stairparts to custom Mantles, Beams & Timbers, our products focus on quality and value for the discriminating buyer.
2. We are committed to honest product representation of all wood origins & wood species.
3. Environmentally friendly because no trees have been cut down, all our products qualify as green building material
4. Antique and Reclaimed Wood is generally superior when compared to "new growth" materials because of strength & workability - as well as beauty.