But this is only one of several places where companies that sell reclaimed wood beams can look. Abandoned warehouses, derelict docks and even old gymnasiums can also provide reclaimed timber sources. Such locations can provide entire, fully intact reclaimed wood beams. Instead of burning or discarding such strong timber, reclaimed wood manufacturers have developed methods of repurposing it.

One major advantage of reclaimed wood beams is that they are often stronger than their new counterparts. This could come as a surprise – after all, old material is usually more susceptible to rot than new material. However, because old barns, docks and other reclaimed wood sources were often constructed from old-growth trees, it’s not unusual for them to offer up wood with a tighter grain and increased overall strength.

Beyond simply sourcing entire reclaimed wood beams, manufacturers can also create glulam beams from reclaimed wood. Glulam is short for glued laminated timber. To create glulam beams, manufacturers laminate several smaller pieces of timber together. First-, second- and third-generation wood may be included in glulam beams. One unusual characteristic of glulam timber is that it can be formed into curves, which would obviously be impossible with solid beams.

Clearly, reusing timber in reclaimed wood beams and glulam beams is good for the environment – but it can also be a very good thing for your renovation design. Whether you’re remodeling your home or updating your business, there are many places to include reclaimed wood beams and glulam beams in your project, as listed below.

Ways to Incorporate Reclaimed Wood Beams in Remodeling Projects

1. Structural Beams and Posts

Probably the first application that springs to mind for reclaimed wood beams is to use them as roof supports. The vaulted ceiling look, complete with exposed beams and natural lighting, is quite popular right now. Glulam beams and other reclaimed wood beams also make great support posts.

Reclaimed wood beams offer enough strength to hold a building up and enough flexibility to complement any design. For a traditional exposed beam look, leave the reclaimed wood or glulam beams just as they are.  For a more modern look, cover parts of the beams, or paint them entirely white. White beams against white ceilings will look quite sleek. The same reclaimed wood beams could take on a tropical feel if a woven grass textile is installed around each beam.

Here are a couple of design tips for reclaimed wood beams: First, consider adding lighting to accentuate the repetition and geometry of your reclaimed or glulam beams. Second, consider adding warmth by filling the spaces between beams and posts with wood paneling or bricks.

2. Non-Structural Beams and Posts

Not all beams and posts are weight-bearing. If you have exposed beams that aren’t crucial for the building’s structural integrity, you can carve them into interesting shapes. Custom band sawing and wire brushing may be added to reclaimed wood beams to add eye-catching texture. One common way to use non-structural posts is to hang room dividers between them. A row of posts quickly becomes a temporary wall once fabric is hung between them.

3. Steps

Reclaimed wood beams also make great steps. The tight grain and lovely colors of old-growth timber is sure to catch every ascendant’s eye. Oregon State University recently commissioned a large staircase to be built almost entirely from old growth Douglas fir beams.

4. Benches and Stools

Many horizontal surfaces in homes and businesses could potentially be made of reclaimed wood beams. Benches made of glulam will feel especially sturdy.

5. Tables

Restaurants love using reclaimed wood in their tables. Many prefer glulam beams for this application, since glulam takes on a charming amber-colored patina with time.

6. Countertops

Reclaimed wood countertops are warm, sanitary and durable.

7. Shelving

Built-in shelves are excellent for organization. Glulam beams and other reclaimed beams make great shelves.

But restaurants can also serve as leaders in environmental design and construction. As consumers see reclaimed products gleaming in their local dining establishments, they come to realize how easy it is to choose earth-friendly renovation products. If you’re inspired to make eco-conscious choices in your eatery’s décor, read on to discover how reclaimed wood products can be integrated in restaurant design.

1. Flooring

Restaurant owners appreciate the importance of beautiful flooring. Your floors are the first thing customers come in contact with, and often the first thing they notice. Make a stunning (and very well informed) first impression by selecting reclaimed wood floors for your dining establishment.

Reclaimed wood floors are easy to clean, durable and attractive. A wide selection of reclaimed flooring is available for restaurants, from rustic old growth Douglas fir flooring to reclaimed oak flooring. Although all of these options are beautiful, your customers will be even more impressed when they learn of the woods origin. As an example, Portland’s foodies would love to discover that the reclaimed oak flooring beneath their feet had a previous life as cargo shipping crates. Viridian Reclaimed Wood’s Fishtail reclaimed oak flooring is indeed sourced from Portland’s shipyards in this way.

2. Paneling

There are so many reasons to choose reclaimed wood panels for your restaurant décor. First, reclaimed redwood paneling, as well as paneling composed of other timbers, does an excellent job of soundproofing booths and other dining areas. As every restaurant manager knows, noise is a delicate aspect of the dining experience. Too much noise makes it necessary to practically yell at one’s dining companions. Reclaimed wood paneling can help by absorbing sound.

Moreover, reclaimed paneling has a cozy, warm feel. Wood panels create a classy, clean look that complements nearly any décor. Again, a variety of timbers are available, from Siberian spruce to Asian hardwood to reclaimed redwood. Panels can even reinforce your restaurant’s main theme. For instance, reclaimed redwood panels sourced from red wine tank wood would make the perfect wall solution for a wine bar.

Reclaimed wood paneling is especially flattering around counters, fireplaces and other areas where customers will gather.

3. Tabletops

Il Canne Rosso, a pizzeria located in Dallas, features tables made of reclaimed wood. The sturdy wood tables are practical, easy to clean and beautiful. Il Canne Rosso owner Jay Jerrier recognizes the importance of selecting great tables. After all, it’s where your customers rest their elbows and hands. As they eat off of your tables, clients notice and comment on them. Why not give them an interesting origin story to contemplate?

Viridian Reclaimed Wood certainly offers interesting stories for their tabletops. As an example, St. Cupcake, a dessert delicatessen in Portland, Ore., chose to feature Viridian’s Douglas fir gym bleacher tables. These tables were constructed of bleachers salvaged from old gymnasiums and community centers. St. Cupcake patrons love that the gym bleacher numbers are still visible on the tables.

4. Countertops

The Thirsty Lion pub and grill in Portland, Ore., features a gorgeous bar constructed of reclaimed oak. Patrons are happy to lean against a gleaming reclaimed wood counter as they order drinks and socialize. Reclaimed wood counters may also be installed in kitchen areas, where their durability can shine.

5. Decking for Outdoor Dining Areas

Reclaimed wood floors are also available for outdoor applications. Reclaimed decking materials are durable, gorgeous and easy to protect with sealants. More and more architects are favoring reclaimed wood decking. For instance, the PDX Living Building chose to install reclaimed wood decking with industrial screws from trailer decks so as to emphasize the industrial look.

Many modern dining establishments aim to operate in an eco-conscious way. Selecting reclaimed wood products for your interior design sends customers the message that you are truly dedicated to the green lifestyle. But don’t stop with selecting earth-friendly reclaimed oak flooring, redwood paneling and other reclaimed wood accents. Choose to apply eco-consciousness to everything you do – use LED light bulbs, work with your recycling program to dispose of trash responsibly, and aim for LEED certification. You could even install an energy monitor to show your customers how your energy conservation efforts are paying off. All of these steps will make your restaurant an asset to your community and differentiate you as a conscientious, caring, engaged dining establishment.

Reclaimed oak flooring is culled from older buildings and other applications, and then refinished. Nail marks, finishing textures and other clues to reclaimed oak flooring’s past are often left in place, since many consumers like to see these visual reminders of where their flooring came from. Beyond the rich, warm look of this reclaimed flooring, many consumers love the fact that it’s reused. “Recycling” wood floors in this way helps minimize deforestation by repurposing wood that would otherwise go to waste.

In case your head isn’t swimming enough with oak flooring options, we’ll throw a couple other choices out there: Circle sawn antique oak flooring, red oak flooring and white oak flooring are also available. This article aims to describe each of these oak flooring varieties, particularly in their reclaimed form. We’ll discuss where each of these three types of oak flooring is typically salvaged from, and we’ll also provide suggestions on where to best incorporate each type of flooring in a home or restaurant. Read on to learn more about reclaimed oak flooring varieties.

Circle Sawn Antique Oak Flooring

Circle Sawn Antique Oak Flooring is inspired by of old American barns, which used to be protected with oak siding. Today, reclaimed flooring manufacturers source circle sawn antique flooring through dismantling barns and buildings as well as diverting hardwood shipping crates that carry heavy cargoes throughout the U.S.

These heavy cargo containers would be wasted, save for reclaimed oak flooring specialists who begin by using a microbevel to precision mill the wood. Next, a brushing process creates the eye-catching circle sawn texture consumers find so charming. Circle saw marks, nail holes and patinas may be left in place throughout this process.

With a Janka scale hardness of 1290-1360, circle sawn antique oak flooring is perfect for high-traffic areas in restaurants and homes. Its rich chocolate-brown hues and fascinating texture add interest to any space.

Red Oak Flooring

Like circle sawn oak flooring, red oak flooring is most commonly sourced from shipping crates. Before the reclaiming experts arrived on the scene, these oak crates were either thrown away or burned. Today, it’s possible to salvage and repurpose the high-quality parts of the shipping containers as reclaimed oak flooring.

Although circle sawn and red oak flooring are both sourced from shipping containers, they look different in application. Red oak has a warm brown tone with reddish-pink accents. If it is reclaimed, it may also display occasional checks and nail marks. Red oak flooring usually has a smoother texture than circle sawn.

Red oak flooring is also durable enough for high-traffic zones, since it scores a 1290 on the Janka hardness scale. It really stands out in naturally lit areas, where its unique red undertones can shine through. Over time, red oak flooring often mellows to more of an amber tone.

White Oak Flooring

White oak flooring is also salvaged from shipping containers, but its color is slightly different than red oak. White oak boasts a light brown color with darker heartwood and graphite knots. It is also slightly harder than red oak, at 1360 on the Janka scale – perfect for spaces that see plenty of foot traffic. A smooth surface distinguishes white oak flooring from circle sawn oak.

All of these flooring types are “American classics” in that they have been known to make great floors for hundreds of years. Yet you can enjoy a classic wood floor look with a modern twist on sustainability by choosing reclaimed oak flooring. While daydreaming about where to feature reclaimed oak flooring in your business or home, consider that (like all natural woods) oak will shrink and expand with ambient moisture levels. Moreover, wood flooring can easily be damaged by water, so it’s best to place it in living rooms, dining rooms and other spaces that won’t see a lot of moisture. It would be unwise to place reclaimed oak flooring in a basement or bathroom, where it would be highly likely to be harmed by water.

[ Photo by: brittanylynae, via CC License]

Willamette Law School, for example, used our Jakarta Market Blend – Dark Sort reclaimed wood paneling to frame one of its fireplaces, resulting in a gorgeous work of art that lures students and visitors to come sit by the fire. Here are a few ideas for using reclaimed wood to make your fireplace pop:

Go ultra-light. One of the most effective ways to brighten up a too-dark den or great room is to emphasize the fireplace with a light-colored wood, such as Doug fir reclaimed wood paneling. This honey-toned wood draws the eye with a glow that radiates from within and seems to magnify the light of your fire.

Keep it rough. If it’s a more rustic look you’re aiming for, consider a darker wood with more variation in tone, such as our Jakarta Market Blend – Rustic reclaimed wood paneling. Reminiscent of cabin-style décor, this paneling can transform an unremarkable fireplace into a hearth fit for a lodge.

Double the warmth. Emphasis your fireplace’s role as source of heat with a warm, rose-toned wood such as redwood paneling made from wine casks. You can almost feel the warmth radiating from a fireplace that’s outlined with this redwood paneling – even when there’s no fire lit!

[Photo by: tristanf, via CC License ]

Viridian co-founder Joe Mitchoff has written a white paper to help address this problem. While there are many case studies demonstrating the profitability of offering locally produced, sustainable grown and humanely raised foods, there are far fewer resources addressing the bottom-line benefits of incorporating sustainability into the design – with materials such as reclaimed wood tables, flooring or paneling – as well as the day-to-day operations of a restaurant.

In the white paper, “Sustainable Restaurant Design: Going Green is Good Business,” Joe provides a wealth of ideas and strategic starting points for creating an eco-friendly restaurant space. Choosing local, natural materials such as recycled wood or glass is just the beginning; everything from plumbing to light bulbs to the type of ice machine installed can help contribute to a restaurant’s sustainability.

To learn more about incorporating reclaimed wood and other green elements into a restaurant design, download our free white paper.

Our Jakarta Market Blend reclaimed wood paneling adds just the right rustic accent to Tasting East’s booths, while our recycled Doug fir gym bleachers provide a nice urban touch as bench seating. As an increasing number of food establishments are discovering, remodeling with recycled wood products offers a double benefit by creating a space that’s loaded with character while also adding an element of sustainability that’s coveted by businesses throughout the Northwest.

Formerly known as Dragonfish Restaurant, Tasting East is located in the Paramount Hotel and serves “Far East street plates inspired by haute Japanese cuisine, Korean comfort foods, Thai fast food and Asian street cart delicacies.” We’re proud to say our reclaimed wood products played an important role in creating this unique and exciting dining space!

Traditional flavor. White oak floors possess a traditional appearance that hearkens back to the simplicity and wholesomeness of country living. As an added bonus, our reclaimed white oak flooring features occasional nail holes to give it that reclaimed character.

Mix and match. While white oak flooring looks gorgeous by itself, you can also mix it with our red oak flooring to increase the “wow” factor.

Use it anywhere. With a score of 1360 on the Janka scale of hardness, our white oak hardwood flooring performs well in commercial and high-traffic areas.

All of our white oak hardwood flooring is salvaged from domestic shipping crates used to ship heavy cargo across the United States and qualifies for points toward LEED or FSC certification for any construction project.

Our commitment to preventing landfill waste and deforestation means we want to help ensure as much of that timber as possible is recycled into reclaimed wood products. However, due to the nature of our business, we aren’t able to reclaim it all. We do, however, evaluate every offer of reclaimed lumber we receive. Here are the guidelines we use:

Focus on industrial sources. Most of our efforts center around obtaining reclaimed timber from industrial sources, such as shipyards and large warehouses. Because these sources tend to produce the largest amount of waste, we feel they allow us to make the biggest impact possible on diverting quality wood from landfills.

Create consistent product lines. The keystone of our business is our access to a consistent supply of reclaimed wood. This allows us to develop repeatable products that may vary slightly in character, but never in quality. A one-time salvage job is really only practical for us if we can obtain large amounts of reclaimed lumber that can be easily incorporated into our salvaged wood flooring or other product lines.

That said, we always do our best to ensure no quality wood goes to waste. We often work with wood reclamation partners, so if we can’t salvage it ourselves we can usually put you in touch with someone who can. So if you have an old barn that needs reclaiming, don’t hesitate to contact us!

[ Photo by: Aunt Owwee, via CC License ]

Not only does this lodge, located on the site of the old Raven Hot Café, boast two fireplaces and full food services, but its all-wood interior also features seating for 300 guests at none other than our very own reclaimed wood tables and bar counters.

Made from salvaged gym bleachers – fitting for a lodge that supports athletic activity, no? – our reclaimed wood tables enhance the Raven Hut’s cozy setting and offer unparalleled durability for the many skiers and snowboarders seeking respite from the cold. FYI, the lodge is accessible only by skis or snowboard, so you’ll have to make a day of it if you want to stop by and see our handiwork.

With the snow piling up outside, nothing beats a mug of something hot while sitting around a sturdy table with good company. Our reclaimed wood tables possess a gorgeous, clear vertical grain that absolutely glows, making the perfect complement to Raven Hut Lodge’s bright interior. We’re proud as can be that we had the opportunity to take part in creating this wonderful ski lodge!

Viridian co-founder Joe Mitchoff outlines key strategies for designing an environmentally friendly restaurant in the white paper “Sustainable Restaurant Design: Going Green is Good Business.” In it, you’ll find ideas for building sustainability into your establishment, from using reclaimed wood and other recycled materials to choosing high-efficiency appliances and fixtures.

Download this free white paper