Environmentalism has been a huge issue these past few decades, and no wonder. Between pollution, deforestation and global warming, there seem to be a lot of things to be concerned about. With all the issues, it makes sense that most of us want to reduce our environmental impact. One possible way is by passing up regular furniture for reclaimed wood furniture. What is reclaimed wood furniture, where do I get it, and why is it environmentally friendly? Read on to learn the answers to all these questions and more.

What is Reclaimed Wood?

Perhaps a better name for reclaimed wood is repurposed wood because it is essentially just that. Wood from one home or building is taken out and put to use in another home or building.For instance, if you built your hardwood floor with planks you bought second-hand, you're using reclaimed wood. By extension, reclaimed wood furniture is furniture made from reclaimed wood. There are a lot of reasons to get excited about reclaimed wood, ranging from appearance to other physical properties.

Environmentalism and Durability

Environmentalism isn't the only reason to decorate your home with reclaimed wood, but environmentalism plays into all the other reasons in some way.Aside from environmentalism, one of the best reasons to use reclaimed wood is for look and durability. As a general rule, reclaimed wood is far tougher than fresh wood. It's also more beautiful than fresh wood because reclaimed wood has a rustic range of colors and textures that are unique to it.

Older wood is so much tougher because it has had to adapt over a longer period of time, and with that time has come more growth, very tightly-packed growth. You may have heard that every ring on a tree represents another year. That's true, and as the tree ages, those rings become denser, and, by extension, so does the wood.

Age also contributes to reclaimed wood generally lasting longer. Since it's older, thicker, reclaimed wood is far more difficult to destroy, and can generally take much more damage. Those with children or pets in the house who still want a rustic look might want to consider reclaimed wood.

Environmentalism and Charm

As mentioned earlier, reclaimed wood isn't just tougher than fresh wood, but also more beautiful. Since reclaimed wood is taken from older structures, reclaimed wood vendors may have more exotic woods that would be illegal to buy now. Another big reason for this unique look is old-growth wood. Old-growth wood is a special term for wood taken from a tree that is at least a century old. Naturally, this resource is quite hard to find, and this problem has not improved as of late. Today, the United States holds only three percent of these trees as it once did. This means that going to a seller that deals in reclaimed wood may be the only way to get this beautiful resource.

Old-growth wood may save you time and wood in certain situations. For instance, Victorian houses, and even some from the turn of the century were more commonly made with old growth wood, which could generally be cut into wider planks than most modern wood. The result of this is that if you bought wood reclaimed from a Victorian building, you'll need less material to make a hardwood floor or a picket fence.

History and the Human Element

Humanity is part of the world ecosystem, regardless of how many problems we may have caused within it. Like all creatures, we have a history. The use of reclaimed wood and other reusable materials helps nature to reclaim its history, in a sense. Nature is generally thought of as vast landscapes filled with burgeoning forests and clear waters, and renewable resources are allowing us to renew this image as well. The same applies to humans. The big difference is that our past isn't just trees and water and sky. Unlike most creatures, we began to divert from that path, for better or for worse, about ten thousand years ago.

This means that using reclaimed wood is a chance for us to embrace some of our recent past in a brand new way. If you know the history of a reclaimed wood piece you bought, then you have a great story to tell guests. Reclaimed wood has also been known to reduce stress and generally make people feel better.

Helping their World and Ours

Reclaimed wood furniture is a great way to decrease the number of resources you use, and help the environment. It also generally looks, works, and feels better than fresh lumber. It can also help us learn more about ourselves and our history. If you can find some good pieces for sale, it can enhance your home a lot.

If you'd like to know more about home decor, and perhaps get some suggestions, feel free to visit our site. Maybe you're in the market for a living room rug. We can help. Maybe your curiosity about reclaimed wood is because you want to go for a traditional meets modern feel. We can help with that, too.

People who take care choosing their furniture want to do everything they can to care for the pieces that they choose in order to be able to enjoy them to their full and in order to ensure they last for generations. 

We want to help customers keep their furniture looking as beautiful as it did on the day they first fell in love with it.

 Many of our products are made from 100% reclaimed materials. This includes pine, fir, spruce, teak and even our hardware. We are proud to carry many products that are FSC certified. A difficult, yet rewarding certification given to companies that demonstrate environmental and social responsibility. When you purchase our products, we want you to feel that you are also helping the environment. The recycled wood used in our eco-friendly furniture comes from old timber formerly used as cable reels, bridge beams, and torn down buildings and pallets throughout the Northern Hemisphere.

Our reclaimed wood furniture collections are built with old world detailing and top quality manufacturing. Finishing begins with a very specific steam renovation process for the wood, followed by a kiln drying system.