A residence in Storm Mountain has just been constructed with a custom reclaimed entry way focal point using beautiful divided light and rustic hardware.
Designing More With Less
The Use of Reclaimed Wood
By Lauren Hofschulte
According to many studies, each year forty-two billion board feet of lumber is dumped into landfills on top of the forty percent of construction waste already there. The use of reclaimed wood in construction or decor could greatly reduce such waste. Designers who are building towards a sustainable future will find many sources of, and uses for, reclaimed wood and reap both environmental and economical benefits. Recycling is always a good idea, but using locally reclaimed wood cuts down on transportation costs and can result in higher LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) credits which in turn increases the value of the property. Furthermore, the use of antiqued wood adds unique design elements to your building that cannot be easily found in this cookie-cutter world.
Beetle kill, snow fences and blown down trees are sources of locally available reclaimed timber. In British Columbia, underwater log salvaging is becoming more popular as submerged forests are uncovered with reported cases of sinker logs being three hundred feet in length. On the other hand, reclaimed beams, doors, hardware and industrial cast-offs can be put to imaginative and beneficial uses. Wine barrels are popularly made into ottomans, bar seating and tables and used in landscaping, while barn wood is used for hardwood floors and structural beams. An antique door makes an interesting desktop with a piece of glass mounted on top, or with a little different construction, it can become a headboard—the applications are unlimited. A great example of using local resources is a ranch barn in Clark, CO built with railroad ties salvaged from the old train tracks along Highway 40. The barn has a great rustic character influenced by the Wild West. Many local companies have the ability to customize nearly anything you’re looking for. A residence in Storm Mountain has just been constructed with a custom reclaimed entry way focal point using beautiful divided light and rustic hardware.
In general, depending on the species, reclaimed wood is denser, more resilient and durable than new wood as it has been pre-weathered and is adjusted to specific climates. You add value to your investments with one-of-kind design features and help the environment by avoiding the manufacturing process and the transportation of new materials. Sustainability is economically feasible, socially desirable and ecologically viable. All you need is unlimited imagination and custom creation.
“All of humanity now has the option to ‘make it’ successfully and sustainably, by virtue of our having minds, discovering principles and being able to employ these principles to do more with less” –Buckminster Fuller 
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Winter 2007