well, you asked, so here it is. in the holiday spirit, here’s a post on everyone’s favorite rustic floor: reclaimed oak.
what is reclaimed oak?
reclaimed or “antique” oak has been salvaged from historic structures that no longer serve any purpose – these include barns, churches, and residential homes. and in the truest sense of recycling the beams, framing, doors and floors can be rescued and reused as flooring, providing a skilled team can preserve the wood properly.
why use reclaimed oak?
the look and feel of a reclaimed oak floor is impossible to duplicate; if you’ve walked on one you’ll know what i’m talking about. the unexpected twists of grain, the color variation and the rustic hue all add to a unique look that cannot be replicated with newly sourced wood. perhaps most importantly, every time reclaimed oak is repurposed, you are not cutting down any trees for your floor – talk about sustainability.
the hardest part of dealing with reclaimed materials is their availability. since we seemingly have the world at our fingertips these days, it can be hard for people sometimes to understand the lengths that are gone to in order to source reclaimed oak. old barns and churches, factories and mills, need to be found, then the usable wood must painstakingly salvaged. nails, screws and even bullets are removed, and the wood is kiln-fired to be sure that no beetles, termites or other critters move in with your new floor. not everyone takes all these steps, which is why we only deal with a small and select group of reclaiming experts that take care of the wood they rescue.
using wide plank reclaimed oak in your home will provide you a floor that was probably on this earth before most of us, and will more than likely be here long after we’re gone. if you ask me, i say go for it. (no trees were harmed in the making of this blog)
keith kraus
woodwrights wide plank flooring
200 lexington ave
suite 714
new york, ny 10016
212.390.8944
www.woodwrightswideplank.com
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