Where do we get it?
We obtain our timber from dismantling old commercial and industrial structures that are slated for demolition.- - an old Vancouver sawmill, graineries, wharfs, canneries and warehouses. Much of the timber in these structures was originally harvested in the 1800’s and early 1900’s and was cut from huge old growth forests along the West Coast of British Columbia.
Why use it?
Reclaimed old growth timber is prized for its size, history, beauty, density and stability. One of the best reasons to use reclaimed timber in your project is that it supports sustainability and environmental responsibility. Buying reclaimed timber is one of the limited options available to environmentally responsible consumers who want to use old growth timber.
Why do we reclaim or salvage old wood?
Wood is one of the most re-usable materials available anywhere and
it can be manufactured into a multitude of products. The use of
reclaimed material prolongs the usable life of the timber that was
cut from huge virgin old growth trees during the last century. This
reduces the pressure of cutting our current precious forests.
Recycling wood is a key component of preserving our limited inventory
of forests. Wood is renewable, however it is a very slow process
- so why not reuse one of the most reusable materials available.
Why is ancient old growth reclaimed wood popular?
Aside from the eco-logic behind the reclaiming of wood there is
another very important reason that wood is reclaimed - there simply
is no substitute for ancient old growth wood. The timber retrieved
from old structures was originally cut from virgin old growth forests
over the last few centuries. These forests yielded timber that was
slow growing with fine, straight, tight grain and much of the wood
was free of knots. The aesthetic and physical characteristics of
ancient old growth timber is very appealing. The natural process
of aging over many decades produces timber that is dry and stable
thus there is no further shrinkage. The natural aging and drying
process also brings out beautiful colours unique to each species
of wood.
Why should you use reclaimed timber in your project?
Your use of reclaimed wood reduces the pressure to harvest what
little amount of ancient forest that remains today.
Is this a new phenomenon - recycling wood?
Recycling wood is not a new concept - cultures around the world
have salvaged timber from older structures for many centuries. There
is evidence of recycling in timber structures that have been standing
for centuries.
Where do we find our timber?
Second Wind Timber actively pursues structures that are due to be
demolished so that we may dismantle and salvage as much of the marketable
old timber as possible. We find timber in old factory warehouses,
mills, fish packing plants on the coast, timber wharfs and the list
goes on.
What work is involved in reclaiming timbers?
A lot! The timber structure must be carefully dismantled according
to safe work procedures. After the timber has been removed from
the structure, it is carefully handled by a determined crew who
cleans all visible metals such as nails, spikes, bars, brackets,
drift pins etc. This extremely labour intensive work requires the
use of specialized prying bars and nail pullers, sledge hammers,
power saws and most importantly dedication to the act of saving
a timber.
Then What?
From this stage the timbers are sorted in terms of sizing and grades.
They are then ready for the customer or further processing such
as re-sawing into other sizes, profiles of material.
Prior to cutting or planning ancient old growth timber, each piece must be
metal detected and all metal must be removed from the timber.
Connect to our inventory
list to see the special sizes we have available!!
