5 Reclaimed Building Materials Architects are Using in 2019

Home and building owners are beginning to demand more natural, eco-friendly products be put into their homes and commercial spaces. Architects are having to find new ways to meet these needs. At the same time, however, simply using more eco-friendly materials can’t mean the sacrifice of quality or of style.

That’s why reclaimed building materials have become such a popular commodity. Reclaimed materials are taken from old buildings that have been abandoned or condemned, many of them 100 years old or older. The materials themselves still have plenty of life and use left in them, along with a unique sense of style and history that newer materials lack.

Reclaimed wood can be shaped and fashioned into a wide range of different products. These may be rustic looking with visible nail holes and saw marks, or they may simply have a deeper color and patina than a newer material. In either case, reclaimed wood is beautiful, stylish, environmentally friendlier than new cut wood, and is rapidly growing in popularity amongst home and business owners as well as builders and architects.

Building With Reclaimed Materials

If you’ve been considering using reclaimed wood in your own projects, take a look at these five ways it can be used. You may be surprised to see just how versatile and attractive it can be.

1. Reclaimed Wood Flooring

Wood flooring is one of the most popular flooring materials for both homes and commercial spaces. Your clients are likely requesting wood in at least some parts of their projects, if not the entire flooring area already.

With reclaimed wood, you can offer additional choices, such as naturally rustic floors that have patina and wear marks that can’t be found in newer materials. You can also offer flooring in a variety of widths and from old growth trees that are no longer being harvested. A reclaimed wood floor will last for decades and will hold up just as well as a new wood floor, so your clients are sacrificing nothing, while gaining in style.

2. Reclaimed Wood Beams

You already know the benefits of using ceiling beams. Solid wood beams can be used to lend support to a room, while faux, or created beams can be used for interior design purposes or to disguise plumbing and wires. Reclaimed wood beams can be constructed to give you two or three visible sides, all with unique characteristics such as saw marks, grain, and patina that can enhance the appearance of the room.

3. Reclaimed Wood Paneling

If you’re working on a space that needs a little more character for the walls than simple dry wall can offer, consider using some reclaimed wood paneling. Reclaimed wood wall panels can be modern or rustic looking to fit a variety of styles and spaces. They offer the depth, warmth, and interest that only wood can bring to a space, often with additional personality such as saw marks and a varying patina that can add some character to a room. Use them as an accent or as a full wall covering to bring depth to an area.

4. Reclaimed Wood Bar Tops

For bars and restaurants, the bar area needs to be the focal point of the room. It’s the gathering place and often the soul of the eatery. So, the bar top needs to complement the room, be sturdy enough to withstand a lot of use, and it needs to make a statement all its own.

Reclaimed wood bar tops can do all of this with style and beauty. Choose the wood, the shape and thickness, and how you want it finished. The wood itself will have depth and interest that goes beyond anything you can find in newer materials today, making it a conversation piece as well as a functional top.

5. Reclaimed Lumber

Reclaimed lumber is available in many lengths, widths, and thicknesses. It’s also available in a range of wood species, and with different levels of antiquing. It can be used in all the same areas and places that you would use new cut lumber for, including ceilings, stairs, shelves, cabinetry, and walls. It’s just as durable as new cut lumber, but with more history and character to it, along with the environmental benefits. Substitute your new cut lumber with reclaimed lumber to add some additional style and personality to any of your projects.

Start Using Reclaimed Building Materials in 2019

To meet the demands of savvy clients today, architects are needing to use different and innovative materials, including using many reclaimed building materials. Reclaimed wood and lumber are one example of the way that reclaimed products can be brought back to life and used in a new way for many years to come.

Start using reclaimed wood and building materials in your designs to give your clients the look they want along with a more environmentally responsible choice. Check out Elmwood Reclaimed Timber for more information and get more from your work with reclaimed material.