Reclaimed wood seeks to minimize cutting down of trees and maximize the usage of high-quality wood that’s already there. The interiors of old, wooden buildings are made with some of the best quality timber that the world has ever seen, and most of them are still in great shape because of that. Reclaimed panels come from those older buildings, but also go through a lot of drying and milling before they are put on sale again. Now, as you can imagine, there are both pros and cons to using reclaimed wood panels, although the latter can be non-existent in some cases.
Pro: Your Wood Paneling Didn’t Require Cutting Down a Healthy Tree
The importance of trees cannot be stressed enough for sustaining the planet and life on it, including the lives of human beings. The Amazon Rainforest is on the verge of being removed from the face of the planet, alongside the entire ecosystem there, which has hundreds of thousands of lifeforms in it. By using reclaimed wood panels, you will sleep better with the knowledge that you did not support an industry that’s practically stripping the planet of its life.
Pro: Old Wood Panels are Significantly Stronger
Although it may seem counter-intuitive if someone tells you that older wood is stronger, it is common to mistakenly believe that it isn’t, due to age.
However, on the Janka Hardness Scale, old wooden panels were found to be about 40 points harder than fresh wood cut from a tree.
The fact is that old reclaimed lumbar is a timber that comes from trees that were decades, if not centuries old and, therefore, had the time to mature before being cut down for timber. Newer trees never get that opportunity and, therefore, the wood can never be as strong as reclaimed and retreated wood.
Pro: Reclaimed Wood looks a Lot Better Aesthetically as Well
In addition to being stronger, reclaimed wooden panels also have more classy and intricate patterns and colors, which are exclusive to matured wood. Especially if you are considering exotic wood paneling, reclaimed timber is not just a sustainable choice, it will actually look better and last longer too!
Con: Finding a Trusted Source Can be Hard
Unless you are an expert, it’s hard to tell if what they are selling you is actually reclaimed wood or not. Also, not every reclaimed wood seller makes sure that the old wood has been checked for pest infestations, nails, and treated properly to make it usable again.
If you are in Minnesota, though, you are lucky enough to have a viable solution on your hands to all of these problems. You have the option to contact Mr. Timbers, which is an authentic, reputed reclaimed wood panel seller in the state. Just visit the reclaimed wood paneling – Manomin Resawn Timbers webpage and check out the products they have, alongside the details about every process their reclaimed timber goes through to ensure safety and quality.
As long as you find a good seller like Mr. Timbers, you don’t really have to worry about any of the cons, but the price will still be steep though. We did not put the comparatively higher price of reclaimed wood panels as a con because paying good money for high-quality paneling that deserves the price tag isn’t exactly a con.