Scrap Recycling Forum

Do you about recycling the wood? Recently I came to know about benefits of wood recycling i.e.,recycling the wood not only save the forest from devastation, it bring advantage to the flooring project that can't be experienced with floor made from new growth wood.

Just now I am hearing about wood recycling. Till date I don't have any idea about this. vinodg can you able to say me, where it is been recycled? and how this process is taking place. Your post is really informative.

recycling of woods is can help us converse money and help the environment. we can use wood to cook instead of gas. it's like going back to the basics of living.

is it true that we can recycle wood too..
i dont know that it can also happen...
if it true that it can help anyone giving great profit to the plants as they can live now for longer period of time.

Ya its really true .. It prevents Deforestation to a certain level.Some great techniques can be discovered

Oh this was something i had not heard of... all countries sholud encourage this to reduce global warming..

Old wood can be given a new life when it is recycled into "new" wood flooring. Recycled wood flooring is made from salvaged boards or trees that have been remilled into a product suitable for residential use. Since this wood came from old growth forests of America, it is often harder, denser, and more attractive in appearance than new growth wood. Recycling wood is more resource efficient than making new wood flooring.

Specialty recyclers glean reusable hardwoods such as chestnut, hickory, cherry, and oak from old houses, buildings, and barns that are slated for demolition. Another source for reclaimed wood flooring is river and lake bottoms where wood from long-ago logging operations sank and has been retrieved from its underwater storage. Salvaged logs, beams, and planks are sent to a lumber mill where they are remilled into individual flooring pieces. The surface can be selectively finished to have a final appearance anywhere between rough-hewn to finely sanded and varnished.

Recycled wood flooring can be installed in planks, similar to the flooring seen in historic homes. It can be milled into tongue-and-groove strips similar to modern wood flooring systems, with individual strips made in widths from three inches to sixteen inches. One company makes end-grain flooring by cutting oak beams 3/4-inch thick and placing them on the floor with the end-grain facing upwards, almost like laying tiles.

People who know wood understand that the best quality wood comes from old-growth trees. Old-growth timber is harder, denser, and more stable than wood from young trees. It also tends to have fewer knots and structural defects. However, old-growth timber usually comes from ancient forests-a precious and threatened resource. Consequently, a growing number of building professionals and consumers are choosing alternatives.

Reclaimed wood can provide the benefits of old-growth timber without the environmental costs. Vast quantities of old-growth lumber can be found in old warehouses, buildings, bridges, tanks, and other structures that await deconstruction and reuse. Nail holes, bolt holes, and other fastener marks are part of the antique appeal of this unique resource.

Wood products can also be carefully salvaged from urban areas, orchards, and river and lake bottoms. Every year, for example, a huge number of trees are removed from city streets, backyards, and parks due to disease, storm damage, and other causes. The majority of this wood winds up in landfills, but a growing percentage is being diverted as people discover this overlooked resource, which includes top grades of both unique and common hardwoods and softwoods.

Using recycled wood not only saves the forests from devastation, it brings advantages to a flooring project that can't be experienced with floors made from new growth wood. The key benefits of using recycled wood for flooring are that it is:
Environmentally-sound – Recycling wood extends the life of the hardwood, diverts old wood from landfills and reduces the need to produce flooring from new wood.
Durable – The wood often comes from old growth trees which have a tighter grain and are harder and denser than new wood.
Lower in cost – The cost of recycled wood is often up to 50 percent less in cost than new growth wood that has been milled, marked and stained to look old.

# Using reclaimed wood flooring, which is a recycled material, means that you are making an environmentally responsible choice and promoting an alternative to cutting down more trees. Reclaimed wood comes from building structures such as decking, floor joists and beams, which are no longer functional – so not only will you be saving the need to cut trees but you will be salvaging a valuable resource.
# Reclaimed wood gives you complete confidence of durability and stability as you know that it was used in old, original structures which have been standing for hundreds of years.
# Reclaimed wood provides the beauty and feel of wood flooring without the associated damages caused by deforestation.
# Reclaimed wood is unique – you will never find another piece to match its look, texture and unique history. It is a link to our past. Depending on its grade, the wood will have unique variations in colour tone, grain structure and character, due to the origin of the timber and the elements that the wood was exposed to during its life in the antique structure.
# Reclaimed wood has a special character which cannot be found in newly sawn timber.
# Reclaimed wood provides you with custom flooring, as the intensive process needed to make an antique floor naturally produces a custom-made product. You will never have a generic, mass-produced product in your home.