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Reclaimed Douglas Fir Flooring

November 3, 2011 by | Nicole | There have been 0 comments

Knowing what to expect from your reclaimed Douglas fir is important. Even though the wood is recycled and is a popular species, reclaimed wood varies in quality, characteristic, and appearance. Understanding these types of variations puts you in the informed buyer’s loop. More importantly, it prevents product shock.

Product shock is the result of expecting your order to be something it’s not. You know how your eyes bug out of your head when you experience sticker shock? Product shock pulls a fast one on you too, especially if you’ve already ordered and paid for the product. Yikes!

River Reclaimed Douglas Fir Flooring.

Let’s say Mack and Mary are looking for recycled flooring for their living room. They want reclaimed Douglas fir because it’s durable and stable. The couple decide to order from AltruFir, having just learned that their reclaimed fir flooring is milled from salvaged logs pulled from the Columbia River – Mary thinks that’s pretty neat.

The happy couple feel good about their purchase until the day their order arrives. To Mack and Mary’s surprise, the reclaimed fir is nothing what they had in mind. The floor planks are weathered and gray. To boot, they’re unfinished. Mack and Mary have just experienced product shock.

To prevent this from happening to you, read this handy list of things to do when shopping for reclaimed wood:

• Shop vendors who can tell you where their recycled wood comes from and what it looks like. Vendors who specialize in reclaimed wood should have high quality photos or a portfolio on their website or in their brochures.
• Ask for samples of reclaimed wood products. Note that many retailers charge for shipping samples, but it’s a small price to pay for a big investment.
• Ask what widths, lengths, and quantities are in stock or available.
• Ask about additional reclaimed wood services, such as sandblasting to reveal original patina and resawing for specific timber dimensions. Or find out other unique alterations or finishes the seller might apply to reclaimed material.
• Ask the wood retailer for a buyer’s guide to their reclaimed wood products and for their product liability and return policy. For a more extensive list of reclaimed wood characteristics, check out our parent company’s Buyer’s Guide to Reclaimed Beams and Timbers on AltruWood.com.
• Know that reclaimed wood often has a varied or inconsistent look, even when you order the same wood species from the same site or source.

Educating yourself on the common characteristics of reclaimed fir will prevent product shock. It also helps to be open to surprise and appearance variation. For many reclaimed wood lovers, leaving a bit to the imagination makes their recycled flooring or reclaimed wood renovation project truly one of a kind. The more you know about reclaimed Douglas fir, the happier you and your wood will be.

- Nicole Morales


This post was posted in All Entries, Douglas Fir Flooring and was tagged with reclaimed douglas fir, reclaimed flooring, recycled flooring

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