Building Character with Recycled Woods

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HOW TO FIND GOOD OLD WOOD
For the last few years, Rainforest Alliance's SmartWood program has certified salvaged, reclaimed and recycled timber under its Rediscovered Wood label. SmartWood verifies claims about sources, makes sure the wood is collected responsibly and tracks the material through production, providing assurance for consumers. A Forest Stewardship Council reclaimed label is also in the works.

But not all companies using reclaimed wood have embraced certification as yet. "None of the wood we've worked with in the last 14 years has needed certification," says Erika Carpenter of TerraMai. "The reclaimed wood is usually very obvious and is covered with marks of previous use."

Bill Callahan, president of Tamalpais NatureWorks, advises consumers to seek recycled wood locally by calling salvage, deconstruction and demolition companies (found in any phone book). "There is so much free stuff out there, and what's being thrown away is often of better quality than what you can buy at Home Depot," he says. Carpenter adds, however, that engineered, pressed or highly finished woods are harder to identify. Since Smartwood's Rediscovered Wood can certify everything from pressed wood to driftwood, the label's influence is likely to grow.

Below are some companies that provide "chain of custody" assurances.

*Mountain Lumber of Virginia crafts floors out of American chestnut from dismantled barns, oak from breweries and railroad cars and heart pine from factories ($2.95/sq.ft.-$30/sq.ft., with big savings if you buy online; www.mountainlumber.com, 800-445-2671). A history of each source can be obtained.
*Pennsylvania-based Conklin's Authentic Antique Barnwood (www.conklinsbarnwood.com, 570-465-3832) provides wood from barns for a wide array of uses.
*Endura Wood Products in Oregon (www.endurawood.com, 503-233-7090) sells reclaimed lumber, flooring, countertops, cutting boards, carts and furniture. Spokesperson Lou Ursitti says the company keeps track of as many wood sources as possible and makes the information available.
*Mesmeraldas in Florida (www.mesmeraldas.com, 772-770-4739) packs an online store with such gems as reclaimed-wood stools, trunks, small stand-alone cabinets ($159), a two-drawer server ($369) and a cupboard ($498) made from discarded wine barrels (when available).
*From California, TerraMai (www.terramai.com, 800- 220-9062) offers burgundy-stained redwood from antique wine tanks.
*Tamalpais NatureWorks sells recycled-wood furniture either finished or in kits ($96 to about $200; www.tamalpais.com, 415-454-9948). President Bill Callahan says he would be happy to help consumers use SmartWood-certified reclaimed lumber or wood from fallen city trees.
*A good all-around place for homeowners, architects and contractors to find materials and assistance is the Seattle-based Environmental Home Center (www.environmentalhomecenter.com, 800-281-9785), which also offers custom cabinets from the Naturals Collection (www.neilkelly.com, 503-288-7461) that can be requested in certified reclaimed.
*See the USDA's Directory of Wood Frame Building Deconstruction and Reused Building Materials Companies, 2004 (www.fpl.fs.fed.us/)

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