Photo courtesy of Big Wood Timber Frames
Reclaimed wood has been the name of Big Wood Timber Frames’ game for 25 years, ever since the company invested in a few truckloads of Douglas fir timbers from the now-closed Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant in Arden Hills. With two-plus decades of experience, it only makes sense that Mike Nicklaus, co-owner, knows better than most exactly why reclaimed wood is a worthy contestant in a search for the perfect “imperfect” surface—whether it be floors, ceilings, beams, mantels, exteriors, or otherwise.
“In our region, we harvest Douglas fir and pine timbers, along with maple flooring, from industrial buildings,” says Nicklaus, who sources product locally across Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa. “The timbers in the barns of Minnesota and the Midwest are red and white oak, elm, ash, hemlock, white pine, tamarack, rock elm, and poplar. We even find walnut, cherry, and butternut timbers sprinkled in. … All reclaimed wood has a rich and unique patina that varies from species to species.”
Photo by Landmark Photography
Beyond wood type, there are several other nuances and considerations for homeowners who are prepared to pull the plug on purchasing such a product. The level of required maintenance, for example, often prompts both questions and assumptions—but Nicklaus reassures care instructions are similar to other wood types. “Our reclaimed flooring is installed and finished in the same manner as traditional flooring,” he says. “Many of our clients will put a coat of penetrating sealer on any exterior timber trusses, brackets, siding, and trim.”
But what about investment? “Reclaimed wood has a higher price point than new wood,” Nicklaus explains, “primarily because the character of reclaimed [wood] distinguishes it from new wood, the cost of labor [it requires] to take a building down piece by piece, and nails—the never-ending process of removing nails.” There are other factors that affect price, too: “Wider flooring boards are priced higher than narrow flooring, and the same goes for timbers,” he continues. “In some cases, age affects the price—hand-hewn timbers from the mid- to late-1800s are more scarce than circle-sawn pine timbers from the 1920s and 1930s.”
Keeping a careful eye on the wood’s historical relevance is part of the process for Nicklaus, who keeps track of where the timbers and boards come from so clients can gain a sense of the antiquity behind each piece. “Some barn timbers have Roman numerals carved in them to indicate the sequence of construction,” he says. “We recently reclaimed an 1880s log cabin from Dent, Minnesota—imagine the life of a pioneer settling [there] shortly after Minnesota became a state.”
