Over the last ten years, Western Reclaimed Timber has built a name for themselves as one of the primary sources for salvaged and reclaimed wood in the lower mainland, offering a range of products such as large timbers, custom cut lumber, and custom finished mantels. They have achieved their status by finding an efficient and effective method to salvaging timber, a process that can be incredibly time-consuming, saving their customers as much work as possible.
The process starts with the sorting of the wood. Reclaimed timber can vary in quality quite drastically, some being broken, rotten, or twisted, which means each piece has to be individuallyrestored. This includes de-nailing the timber, which is one of the most time-consuming aspects of the restoring process. Although they have custom modified machines to assist, each piece has to be thoroughly examined to ensure no nails are left. After the timber is restored, it is graded and dried if necessary. The lumber is then stored in dry areas until the right customer comes along.
Western Reclaimed Timber hasn’t always worked with wood. Around twenty-five years ago, Bruce MacDonald started a demolition company; however, after seeing how many large timbers were being taken from sawmills and industrial buildings, he moved into the salvage market. Since starting out, the market has changed considerable. Initially, consumers did not want wood to look old, thus the company having to recut the wood to make it look new. Today, consumers want as much of that rustic-charm look as possible.
Each piece of timber has a story, and walking around their yard, you can get an eclectic history of the lower mainland. For a tour of the yard or any inquiries, you can contact Western Reclaimed Timber here. Be sure to check out their website at westernreclaimed.com, like them of Facebook, and follow them on Twitter.