Recycled wood and carefully selected specialty woods can produce the most beautiful, durable, and valuable flooring in the world. Whether the finished product is to be a solid plank or an engineered floor, the realization of this potential depends on the knowledge and expertise of the manufacturer. There is a very short list of companies who are able to process antique wood correctly. There are equally few who select specialty woods and manufacture engineered floors with an eye toward beauty rather than mass production. The following guidelines will tell you what to look for in order to make an informed decision.
Many customers assume that the manufacturing of solid antique wood is very similar to the manufacturing of standard, solid hardwood flooring. This is not true. Recycling antique wood requires many extra steps in manufacturing and far more technical knowledge of wood as it ages under stress. Simply cutting, drying, and milling regular logs is relatively simple with regard to the amount of technical expertise required of a manufacturer. It is far more difficult to recycle antique wood correctly.
Many customers assume that the manufacturing of solid antique wood is very similar to the manufacturing of standard, solid hardwood flooring. This is not true. Recycling antique wood requires many extra steps in manufacturing and far more technical knowledge of wood as it ages under stress. Simply cutting, drying, and milling regular logs is relatively simple with regard to the amount of technical expertise required of a manufacturer. It is far more difficult to recycle antique wood correctly.
Over the last 40+ years, the recycled wood flooring industry has grown tremendously. The reason there are so many is because of the rapid growth and expansion of the sawmill and hardwood flooring industries. It seems almost anyone can now buy a few beams and subcontract the sawing and milling to a local sawmill or small hardwood flooring plant. Even though these individuals, and their subcontractors may have little, if any, knowledge of recycling, they can produce a flooring product that may look like the real thing although several important steps in processing have been left out. Many companies may be running outdated equipment and producing a poorly milled product which shrinks badly because it is not kiln dried. Often the problems are compounded by failure to correctly remove defects in the wood. These and many other manufacturing shortcuts can expose customers to serious liabilities. Initially customers may be enticed by claims of the same quality with a much lower price. This is a very common tactic in many industries. In reality, prices are most often lower because of “shortcuts” which have been taken during the manufacturing process. Education is the only form of insurance in this industry.
Specific problems that occur with recycled materials on a regular basis are as follows:
(a) Antique wood which has not been properly kiln dried can have insect larvae present in the finished product. These larvae can lie dormant for months and later hatch out in your home after installation. Some companies may offer very reasonable sounding excuses for “air drying” rather than kiln drying. “Air dying” is not acceptable. Failure to kiln dry is dangerous and may result in huge liabilities for the customer.
(b) Antique wood which has not been kiln dried can shrink excessively and render a floor that has cost the customer thousands of dollars, virtually useless. Kiln drying is an absolute must. Skipping the critical kiln drying step results in exposing fewer cracks and fractures that are present in antique timbers. This means that the yield from the wood is much greater for the manufacturer and the price can therefore be much cheaper. The important thing to know is that as antique wood throughly dries to 6-8% moisture content, it will eventually expose these cracks anyway. It is much better to expose these potential defects before the wood has been milled into flooring rather than afterward. In this way, unacceptable cracks and other hidden defects exposed by kiln drying can be removed, and the customer is not paying for waste.
(c) A splintering defect called “diagonal shake” is very common in Antique Heart Pine and other recycled woods. This can cause serious injury if not cut out during processing. Diagonal shake can be very difficult to detect if materials are not processed properly or if the manufacturer is not very skilled. The presence of diagonal shake can produce huge liabilities for the customer.
