How We Process

The way The Joinery Co. processes reclaimed wood creates a superior product.  Please review the following 12 step processing system and compare it to the way most reclaimed lumber is produced.  This will explain why the process is so difficult, why some wood from other companies is cheaper, and why our products are superior.

STEP 1: REMOVE NAILS, BOLTS, AND FOREIGN DEBRIS FROM MATERIALS. We use specially modified metal detectors and many other special tools, many of which we actually invented, to perfect this process.

STEP 2: CUT EACH TIMBER TO MAXIMIZE ITS BEAUTY, WIDTH, AND LENGTH. The most experienced and knowledgeable craftsmen on our staff are responsible for this important step. The giant timbers are turned and carefully studied with the expert sawyer’s eye to determine the best way to cut each timber into planks so that width, length, and quality are maximized.

STEP 3: KILN DRY ALL PLANKS THOROUGHLY TO STABILIZE THE WOOD.  Regardless of the moisture levels present, all planks are kiln dried to stabilize the wood`s moisture content, expose hidden cracks and fractures, and kill any insect larvae that may be present.

STEP 4: RIP ALL SAWN PLANKS TO STRAIGHTEN AND REMOVE DEFECTS.  This is a critical step where very experienced and artistic craftspeople are required. Again, each plank is turned, examined and studied to yield the most beautiful finished product.  More defects are removed.  Even at this stage, we uses laser-guided straight line ripsaws to ensure straight, near perfect edges on every plank. Although many in the industry consider this step a mechanical process where little skill is needed, their finished product always exposes their misconception. This step is critically important and can result in very poor quality planks if not accomplished with a high degree of competency and accuracy.

STEP 5: TRIM ALL PLANKS SO AS TO SQUARE ENDS AND REMOVE DEFECTS.  The Joinery Co. is one of the very few companies that removes defects at this stage.  Since all unsightly and dangerous defects must be removed, leaving this critical step to the installer is a serious waste of his time and your money.  Some companies claim to be delivering very long planks when, in fact, their planks must be repeatedly cut to remove defects as they are installed.

STEP 6: USE STATE OF THE ART TONGUE AND GROOVE MILLING.  At The Joinery Co., this is done on state-of-the-art equipment by highly trained, expert operators and technicians.  Each and every plank is inspected, turned and artistically evaluated as it enters the moulder.  Our milling standards are extremely high, requiring the surface of every plank to be so smooth that little or no sanding will be required.  Our milling is checked for technical accuracy with a micrometer every 200 to 300 linear feet.

STEP 7: SUBJECT ALL PLANKS TO FINAL MILLING INSPECTION: Our milling is famed as the most meticulous in the industry.  The last of any defects exposed by the milling process are removed to create 100% useable planks.

STEP 8: INSPECT BOTH SURFACES AND GRADE EACH PLANK BY HAND.  Every plank is free of defects by this point, but the skilled craftsman’s eye is still needed here to place each plank in the correct grade. The Joinery Co.’s specification for Heartwood Content and Grade are very exacting and consistent…leaving nothing to guesswork. The Joinery Co. offers 6 distinct grades, Clear Plainsawn, Select Plainsawn, Character Plainsawn, Distressed Plainsawn, Select Quartersawn, and Perfection Quartersawn…the most varied and precise grade selection in the Reclaimed Wood Industry.

STEP 9: BUILD EACH ORDER TO THE EXACT SPECIFICATIONS REQUIRED.  At last, the customer’s order begins to take shape. The needed quantities are stacked by width and length and the required square footage is packaged.

STEP 10: CAREFUL PACKAGING.  Unlike the majority of suppliers, we pack all our products in neat, securely banded, nested bundles which are easy to handle, unload, and count.

STEP 11: SECURE SHIPPING.  Bundles are then carefully arranged on sturdy wooden pallets, wrapped in cardboard and then banded again every 18″ to 24″ with the correct banding material.  All corners and banding points are protected with sturdy plastic guards.  Your order is then ready for shipment by an insured common carrier.

STEP 12: MONITOR EVERY STEP.  We take extra care not only to manufacture all our products to be the best you can buy, but also to ensure that they arrive at your site in excellent condition.  We monitor every step in the process from the purchase of timbers from a demolition site to the shipping of the finished product to our customers` door.  We believe that such careful monitoring is the only way to guarantee a superior product and ensure customer satisfaction.