Recycled Timber

Every year a lot of timber is wasted worldwide. With extremely high demand for timber, a large amount of trees are being destroyed in forests faster than they are being planted. The need to reduce the amount of timber we waste has never been more urgent. This article will show you some ways to recycle timber, and why it’s such a great thing to do.

Recycling Starts at Home

It is a good idea to reuse, repair or restore any timber that you have in your home. Instead of throwing away an old table you should find someone that can reclaim it so as not to waste the table. If you are unhappy with how any of the timber furniture in your house looks, you can find someone to help you restore it. These simple steps go a long way in saving the environment.

Instead of buying new timber, you should try finding a local salvage or reclaim yard that sells salvaged timber, and purchase it from them instead. If everyone did this it would greatly reduce the demand for new timber on the market and benefit the environment.

Why Timber is So Good For Recycling

Timber can be up to a hundred and fifty years old and the most typical types of reclaimed timber are pine, oak, beech and maple. Reclaimed timber can be purchased at most salvage yards and can be used for any building projects such as flooring or renovations. Reclaimed and salvaged timber can be found in old buildings, old historic sites and in homes that are due for demolition. Many newly renovated and refurbished homes have recycled timber in them which is a great thing as it reduces the amount of new timber being used and plays a great part in saving the earth. Recycled timber can be used for a variety of things such as flooring, cabinetry, wall paneling and basic furniture.

Recycled timber is usually from old growth forest and it is not as fresh as newer types; this means that the grain of the old timber is denser making it very high in quality. On top of this it’s age means it doesn’t settle as much. Homes built with recycled timber tend to be more structurally sound than those that are built with new batches of timber. Because recycled timber is not as common as new timber there are some disadvantages to using it. Besides not having the same warranties and guarantees for using the old timber, there may be a limited amount of the timber you have, meaning you might not have enough of the same wood for the project you are about to undertake. When you consider how cost effective using recycled timber is, however, it is a good idea to use it if possible.

Environmental Benefits

Using recycled timber helps to reduce the amount of waste that is being thrown into our ever-growing landfills. Not all of our waste can be recycled, so it’s important to recycle what we can. Wasted timber is burnt or turned into small chippings which either causes considerable pollution for not much overall benefit. The process of manufacturing new timber also demands a lot of energy. Around 18 million British Thermal Units of energy per tonne is used in new timber production. Around 90% of this is saved by using recycled timber. If more people use recycled timber, the demand for virgin timber is reduced and the strain on plantations, landfills and the atmosphere is reduced.

This essay about recycled timber is brought to you by Fremantle Timber Traders. If you would like to read another article from our team, you may wish to look at Recycled Timber – Tips For Choosing And Working With Reclaimed Wood