Reclaimed Timber And Salvage

What this is

Reclaimed material is timber, ironmongery, doors, tiles and fittings taken from one building and used again in another. For repair work in an older house it often matches better than anything currently made, because the sizes, profiles and species are the ones the house was built with.

Telling whether it suits the job

It suits repair, matching and visible work far better than it suits anything structural or anything needing a guaranteed specification. If a piece will carry load, or sit somewhere it cannot be inspected later, new material with a known grade is the sounder choice. For a skirting run, a door, a section of floorboard or a window fitting, salvage is usually the better match.

What the job involves

Inspect before buying. Look along the length for twist and bow, check the end grain for splits, and look for the small round exit holes and fine dust that indicate past or present insect activity. Old fixings must all come out before any machining, because a hidden nail will destroy a blade. Then let the timber sit in the room where it will be used until it stops moving.

Things to watch

Painted surfaces on older material may carry lead-based coatings, which should not be dry-sanded or burnt off; treat unknown old paint with caution and avoid creating dust. Timber that has been treated with older preservatives is unsuitable for indoor use or for anything near food. Allow for waste, because the usable length is always less than the length you buy.