Reclaiming History
The Antique Lumber Company
SOURCEANDPROCESS
It takes time and skill to reclaim the timeless beauty of antique lumber.
Our reclaimed lumber comes from a variety of sources. Our suppliers source antique materials from old farms and properties that are being developed for other uses. We also rely on a lot of local and regional people who appreciate what we are doing with these materials and want to see the materials that once helped support their ancestors livelihood through farming or other industry live on in the homes or businesses of a new generation.
We like to think of RECLAIMED materials of having a life and a story to tell. We try to keep as much information as possible with regard to the materials' origins and previous life and enjoy sharing this information with our customers. We make it our mission to utilize as much of these materials as possible, and though a monumental task it is one that we embrace with great enthusiasm.
Once the materials arrive at our warehouse they are sorted by species and grade. We use structural beams and timbers as well as flooring, sheathing and siding boards. All materials must be scanned for nails and all undesirable defects removed before the real manufacturing can begin . This step is one of the most time-consuming parts of the reclaiming process. We require our suppliers to de-nail their materials before we buy it, but it still has to be checked thoroughly before sawing or milling.
Once de-nailed and checked for defects, the materials will be stored on stickers and allowed to air dry until they are allocated to particular uses such as flooring, paneling or moldings. Beams and timbers are sawn to our specifications by our band mill and are stored likewise.
Materials then cycle from inventory and are loaded into our kiln. All wood is dried to an industry recommended moisture content of 6 - 8%. Raising the core temperature of the wood to 133 degrees for at least 30 minutes provides sterilization and also takes care of any potential insect infestation. Once dried to our specifications, it is ready to be milled into what we like to think of as an organic work of art.
Throughout the milling process every piece is inspected to insure the utmost quality. Rough sawn materials are planed to the desired thickness and finish texture, from a smooth and more refined surface, to skip-planed as well as original face for the most relaxed and rustic look. We also will consult directly with the customer to provide any extra touches they may want to add to their product, such as hand planing or heavily eased edges to accentuate the antique character of our reclaimed wood products.
Finally, our moulder cuts the tongue and groove and also a back relief cut. Once this is completed, the boards are then ready to be end-matched. During this process the flooring is scrutinized once again for quality and desired appearance. Upon completion of this final inspection, it is ready for shipment.
Prior to shipment our flooring is stored in a controlled environment. Upon delivery we ask installers to allow the flooring to acclimate at least 7-10 days prior to installation. Heating and/or air conditioning systems should be in operation prior to shipment of any wood flooring, including all reclaimed flooring. We also have the capability to match moulding profiles and provide matching or complementary accessories such as stair treads, shoe moulds casing etc.