Reclaimed hardwood flooring comes from wood that has been salvaged from building waste, skips, park waste and old buildings. It also comes from landfills, old wine barrels, mine shafts, fencing and old flooring. There is a wealth of unwanted hardwood that can be kiln dried and cut into flooring planks. The great benefit of reclaimed hardwood flooring is that it is environmentally friendly. It is re-using a valuable resource instead of cutting down new trees. This post will look at a few of the many types of reclaimed hardwood flooring available.
Maple
The maple tree is most famous for its sugar which is used for making maple syrup. The wood from the maple has a highly distinctive grain that is prized for flooring. The heartwood of the maple is a pale reddish color that makes a striking looking floor. Maple is harder than oak and used to be popular to make sports floors. As a consequence there is a ready supply of reclaimed maple flooring from basketball courts and bowling alleys that have been converted for other commercial purposes.
Cherry
There are a number of different types of cherry tree. There is black cherry, red cherry and wild cherry. Originally the cherry became popular for flooring purposes because it has a similar appearance to mahogany but is much cheaper. Cherry wood has a broad curling pattern and red heartwood. The cherry tree grows in the East and Midwest of America. It is not an abundant resource and so it makes good environmental sense to use reclaimed cherry for flooring.
Chestnut
The chestnut tree was once a very common tree in the United States. It is a tree with a wide girth and was often used to make barns because the lumber contains tannin that protects it from the rain. Sadly, disease has wiped out many of the chestnut trees in the USA and usually the only way to get chestnut flooring is to buy reclaimed chestnut.
It is hoped that this brief introduction to three types of tree that is used for reclaimed hardwood flooring has piqued your interest and will make you consider using sustainable flooring for your home.
Using Reclaimed Maple Flooring & Other Hardwood Flooring
Posted by Theo Williams in Home
Reclaimed hardwood flooring comes from wood that has been salvaged from building waste, skips, park waste and old buildings. It also comes from landfills, old wine barrels, mine shafts, fencing and old flooring. There is a wealth of unwanted hardwood that can be kiln dried and cut into flooring planks. The great benefit of reclaimed hardwood flooring is that it is environmentally friendly. It is re-using a valuable resource instead of cutting down new trees. This post will look at a few of the many types of reclaimed hardwood flooring available.
Maple
The maple tree is most famous for its sugar which is used for making maple syrup. The wood from the maple has a highly distinctive grain that is prized for flooring. The heartwood of the maple is a pale reddish color that makes a striking looking floor. Maple is harder than oak and used to be popular to make sports floors. As a consequence there is a ready supply of reclaimed maple flooring from basketball courts and bowling alleys that have been converted for other commercial purposes.
Cherry
There are a number of different types of cherry tree. There is black cherry, red cherry and wild cherry. Originally the cherry became popular for flooring purposes because it has a similar appearance to mahogany but is much cheaper. Cherry wood has a broad curling pattern and red heartwood. The cherry tree grows in the East and Midwest of America. It is not an abundant resource and so it makes good environmental sense to use reclaimed cherry for flooring.
Chestnut
The chestnut tree was once a very common tree in the United States. It is a tree with a wide girth and was often used to make barns because the lumber contains tannin that protects it from the rain. Sadly, disease has wiped out many of the chestnut trees in the USA and usually the only way to get chestnut flooring is to buy reclaimed chestnut.
It is hoped that this brief introduction to three types of tree that is used for reclaimed hardwood flooring has piqued your interest and will make you consider using sustainable flooring for your home.