The construction industry is one of the biggest contributors to global pollution and deforestation is one of the major causes of this pollution. With increased awareness, measures are being taken to reduce this pollution and deforestation. One such measure is the use of sustainable materials like reclaimed wood in building projects. Continue reading to understand exactly what reclaimed wood is, its benefits, applications and how to ascertain the quality of recycled wood.
What is Reclaimed Wood?
Wood that is obtained for use in any location or application other than its original applications can be called reclaimed wood. The original properties of this wood are retained while modifying its physical shape or form to suit the new requirements. Typically procured from old buildings, such wood has many superior qualities compared to newly cut wood, thus making it a sought-after material for various purposes in building projects.
Reclaimed Wood vs Recycled Wood vs Scrap Wood
Although reclaimed, recycled and scrap wood are all ways of reusing wood, they are technically different from each other.
| Reclaimed Wood | Recycled Wood | Scrap Wood |
| Wood from older buildings is reused without altering its chemical or structural properties. Only physical properties like shape and size are changed through processes like cutting and sawing. | The original chemical and structural properties of wood, such as strength and chemical resistance, are enhanced by combining different wooden elements to create engineered wood products. | These are wood products or elements (including fibres, sawdust and residues) that are leftover as waste during the manufacturing process of other wood products like MDF and plywood. |
| No processing is done. | Minor processing is done to enhance the original properties. | Requires high levels of processing to obtain adequate strength. |
| Generally has good resistance to weather conditions and biological adversities due to many years of natural seasoning. | Due to the processing methods used, this wood generally requires seasoning to enhance its resistance. | Needs repetitive seasoning processes to ensure its durability. |
Why Should Reclaimed Wood be Used?
Several benefits are offered by reclaimed and recycled wood, including:
- Sustainability: Rather than cutting down new trees to obtain timber and increase deforestation, reclaimed wood promotes sustainable building practices like recycling, reusing and reducing waste in the construction industry.
- Resistance and Durability: Having undergone natural seasoning over many decades or centuries, this wood generally has a proven resistance to common issues like termites, mould growth and rot. High strength and increased ability to withstand earthquakes can also be observed in seasoned wood that is reclaimed, making it extremely durable.
- Cost: Typically, reclaimed wood is much cheaper than new wood due to the assumed loss in strength and/or quality, making it a fairly affordable home construction material, especially for non-structural building applications.
- Aesthetic Quality: Old wood often has a “distressed” look and/or unique fibre patterns that form as a result of decades or even centuries of weathering and ageing. This aesthetic quality cannot be found in newly cut wood. Cutting of very old trees is also banned in many regions, further increasing the value of existing old wood products.
- Cultural and Historical Significance: Building occupants often form emotional attachments with the objects that they use regularly or those that have a historical and/or cultural significance associated. Reclaimed wood products are representatives of these attachments and also promote biophilic design concepts.
What can Reclaimed Wood be Used for?
Structural Applications
Hardwood types of wood, such as Teakwood, Rosewood, Oakwood and Maple wood, can be reclaimed for use in structural applications in buildings when they have adequate strength. These applications include:
- Exposed beams that support roofs made of wood, metal or other lightweight roofing sheets.
- Reclaimed wood columns are popular components of traditional courtyard style homes, especially in South India.
- Rafters, trusses and posts can be used indoors and outdoors with proper treatment to resist environmental degradation.
Non-Structural Applications
Non-structural applications include uses in which the material will not be bearing too much of load. Both hardwood and softwood can be used for such applications, although hardwood would generally be more durable. Some of the common non-structural applications of reclaimed wood are:
- Reclaimed wood flooring can be made from stripped parts of old flooring panels or structural components.
- Old doors, windows and other decorative elements can be reused as they are in newer buildings to add a traditional touch.
Interior Applications
Furniture such as center tables, storage cabinets and decor items can be reused as they are or made by cutting and sculpting reclaimed wood components. The “distressed lumber” finish of such products is a popular interior design aesthetic in modern as well as vernacular architecture. Even false ceilings, wainscoting, decorative door and window frames, skirting and beading can be made with such wood.
Quality and Strength Tests For Reclaimed Wood
It is often difficult to judge the quality of wood based on just its external appearance as many defects in timber can form in the interior mass. Such defects can cause issues at a later stage. Some of the common checks that can be done to determine the reclaimed wood quality are:
Visual Checks for Reclaimed Wood
Visually inspect the wood to check for any visible cracks, breakages, discolouration, staining, irregularities in fibre patterns and additional growths. Cutting a small section of the wood to examine its interior surfaces can expose any insect infestations and rot. It can also determine whether the damage (if any) is just at the surface level or reaches the depths of the wood and affects its strength.
Physical Tests for Reclaimed Wood
The actual strength of reclaimed wood is determined by multiple factors like type of wood, age, size and method of cutting, moisture content and presence/absence of defects. Some of the mechanical tests that can be done to check this strength are:
- Three-Point Bend Test: A wooden member supported on two ends is used and a load is applied at its center to see how much it bends. The modulus of elasticity—a measure that determines the bending pressure that this wood can tolerate—is a numeric value obtained by this test. Higher modulus of elasticity values indicate higher stiffness and vice versa.
- Tensile Test: A load is applied perpendicular to the wood grains to see the amount of pulling forces it can resist. A tensile force is applied to the wood and is gradually increased until the point of failure. Yield strength (the point at which wood begins to deform irreversibly) and maximum tensile strength are obtained by this test.
- Compression Test: Done for vertical members like columns, where a load is applied parallel to the wood grains to see how much deformation the material undergoes. Extensometers and compression fixtures are some of the apparatus used for this test, which determines the maximum load-bearing capacity of vertical structural members before they get deformed.
- Scanners, X-rays and Radars: These examine the wood’s internal qualities without cutting the wood open. Apart from determining the exact age of the wood, this equipment can also detect the presence of internal defects such as hollows, knots and decays, which can majorly impact strength.
It is advisable to consult structural engineers and other qualified industry experts to ascertain the exact quality and strength of reclaimed wood before using it in buildings, especially for structural applications. It is also important to treat such wood with the relevant finishes like polish and anti-termite coatings once its strength is determined.
Obtaining Reclaimed or Recycled Wood Near Me for Construction
Qualified expertise is required to accurately ascertain the suitability and strength of reclaimed wood for various building applications. Brick & Bolt, a leading end-to-end construction services provider in India, has completed 7000+ homes in the last eight years with proven industry expertise. Experienced construction professionals and extensive checks ensure that the building materials supplied and used by the company are of premium quality. To rest assured that your dream home is constructed using the best quality materials like reclaimed wood, get in touch with Brick & Bolt today!
Hemali Patel