Wood Species Guide

The backbone of Pacific Northwest construction. Douglas Fir is the most commonly reclaimed species in our inventory, sourced from warehouses, factories, bridges, and commercial buildings built between 1880 and 1970. Old-growth Douglas Fir is significantly denser and stronger than modern plantation-grown stock, with tight, straight grain and warm amber tones that deepen with age.

Best for: Structural framing, beams, flooring, paneling, furniture, outdoor applications (when treated).

Typical sources: Industrial warehouses, railway trestles, old-growth commercial buildings (1880–1970)

Eco note: Reclaiming Douglas Fir preserves irreplaceable old-growth wood. Modern plantation Doug Fir reaches harvest in 40–60 years; the old-growth trees that produced our reclaimed stock took 200–500 years to mature.

Heart Pine is the dense heartwood from old-growth Southern Yellow Pine trees. These trees once covered 90 million acres of the American Southeast and were heavily logged between 1870 and 1920. The heartwood is extraordinarily dense and resinous, producing flooring and structural lumber of a quality no longer commercially available from new stock.

Best for: Flooring, stair treads, paneling, mantels, furniture, structural timbers.

Typical sources: Southern mill buildings, textile factories, old-growth plantation houses (1870–1930)

Eco note: Old-growth Southern Yellow Pine forests are nearly extinct. Every board of heart pine reclaimed is a piece of irreplaceable natural history preserved.

White Oak is prized for its hardness, rot resistance, and distinctive medullary ray figure visible in quarter-sawn cuts. Reclaimed White Oak comes from old barn framing, ship timbers, whiskey barrel staves, and industrial flooring. Its closed-pore structure makes it naturally water-resistant — a property that made it the wood of choice for centuries of shipbuilding.

Best for: Furniture, flooring, boat building, exterior applications, whiskey barrels, paneling.

Typical sources: Barns, ship timbers, industrial flooring, whiskey cooperages (Eastern US)

Eco note: White Oak grows slowly (1” diameter per year) and takes 60–80 years to reach commercial size. Reclaiming existing stock avoids decades of forest growth time.

The most widely reclaimed hardwood in our inventory. Red Oak was the standard for gymnasium floors, factory floors, and residential flooring throughout the 20th century. Reclaimed Red Oak often shows the distinctive wear patterns and warm patina of decades of foot traffic — character that takes generations to develop naturally.

Best for: Flooring, furniture, cabinetry, paneling, trim work.

Typical sources: School gymnasiums, factory floors, residential buildings (1920–1980)

Eco note: By reclaiming existing Red Oak, we avoid the energy and emissions of harvesting, milling, and kiln-drying new stock.

Naturally rot-resistant and dimensionally stable, Cedar is the premier outdoor wood species. Reclaimed Cedar comes from old fencing, siding, decking, and dock structures. Even weathered to a silver-gray patina, it retains its natural resistance to decay and insects. The aromatic oils responsible for its insect-repelling properties persist for decades.

Best for: Siding, fencing, decking, pergolas, outdoor furniture, closet lining, shingle roofing.

Typical sources: Old-growth fencing, barn siding, dock structures, water towers (Pacific Coast)

Eco note: Old-growth Cedar is increasingly rare. Reclaiming this naturally durable species extends its useful life by decades while avoiding pressure on remaining old-growth stands.

The most sought-after domestic hardwood. Black Walnut combines rich color, beautiful grain, and excellent workability into a premium material. Reclaimed Walnut is rare and comes primarily from furniture factory off-cuts, old millwork, and occasional barn beams in the Midwest and Northeast. Its natural oils make it self-finishing — even rough-sawn walnut has a natural sheen.

Best for: Fine furniture, gunstocks, accent pieces, cabinetry, live-edge tables, musical instruments.

Typical sources: Furniture factory off-cuts, old millwork, Midwest and Northeast barn beams

Eco note: Walnut trees take 50+ years to reach commercial size. Reclaiming existing walnut preserves mature trees and the ecosystems they support.

The hardest of the common domestic hardwoods available as reclaimed material. Hard Maple's legendary durability made it the flooring of choice for bowling alleys, basketball courts, and dance halls throughout the 20th century. Reclaimed Maple from these sources is already proven under decades of extreme wear — a quality no new-growth board can match. Figured Hard Maple (bird's-eye, curly, quilted) is exceptionally rare in reclaimed form.

Best for: Flooring, countertops, butcher blocks, bowling alleys, gymnasium floors, turned objects, musical instruments.

Typical sources: Bowling alleys, basketball courts, gymnasium floors, dance halls (1920–1980)

Eco note: Hard Maple grows slowly and is not reliably plantation-farmed at commercial scale. Reclaiming existing stock is the most sustainable way to obtain this density and character.

Hickory is the toughest domestic hardwood, combining very high density with outstanding shock resistance — properties that made it the material of choice for tool handles, wagon wheels, and agricultural equipment. Reclaimed Hickory is uncommon precisely because it was used where durability was paramount, meaning most of it outlasted the structures around it. The dramatic sapwood-to-heartwood color contrast is a distinctive visual characteristic that makes it ideal for bold, rustic designs.

Best for: Tool handles, flooring, cabinetry with natural contrast, furniture, decorative accents.

Typical sources: Tool factories, agricultural equipment stores, old workshop framing (Eastern US)

Eco note: Hickory grows primarily in the Eastern US and matures slowly. The shock-resistant properties that make it valuable take decades to develop in the tree — reclaiming existing stock is far more efficient than growing new.

Ash has a strength-to-weight ratio that made it the preferred wood for sports equipment, tool handles, and vehicle frames throughout the 20th century. White Ash in particular has excellent bending properties and shock resistance comparable to Hickory. Reclaimed Ash is becoming more valuable due to the devastation of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) infestations, which have killed billions of Ash trees across North America since 2002, effectively ending new commercial supply in many regions. Reclaimed Ash predates the EAB crisis and represents a genuinely limited material.

Best for: Flooring, furniture, cabinetry, sports equipment, tool handles, bent components.

Typical sources: Old-growth Eastern US buildings, sports facilities, agricultural structures (pre-2002)

Eco note: The Emerald Ash Borer has eliminated most commercial-scale new Ash supply. Reclaimed Ash from pre-EAB structures is a finite and irreplaceable resource.

Bald Cypress is one of the most rot-resistant softwoods in North America, historically used for everything from water tanks and coffins to exterior siding and bridges. Old-growth Cypress contains concentrated amounts of cypressene — a natural oil that makes the heartwood virtually impervious to decay and insects. Reclaimed old-growth Cypress is significantly more durable than new-growth stock, which is harvested before the tree has time to develop its protective heartwood oils. This makes reclaimed Cypress a uniquely valuable material for outdoor and moisture-prone applications.

Best for: Exterior siding, decking, docks, raised garden beds, greenhouse framing, any wet or outdoor application.

Typical sources: Mississippi Delta water tanks, Southern dock structures, old-growth swamp mill buildings (1850–1920)

Eco note: Old-growth Cypress swamps took thousands of years to develop and were largely logged out by 1930. Reclaiming existing old-growth Cypress avoids pressure on the remaining protected swamp ecosystems.

Despite being technically a hardwood, Poplar is soft enough to machine like a softwood, making it one of the easiest woods to work with hand and power tools. Its combination of workability, stability, and low cost made it a favorite for painted millwork, cabinet interiors, drawers, and furniture carcasses throughout the 20th century. The colorful streaks in the heartwood (green, purple, brown) are a unique characteristic that many designers now embrace rather than paint over. Reclaimed Poplar is typically available from demolition of residential and commercial millwork.

Best for: Painted millwork, cabinet interiors and drawer boxes, furniture carcasses, trim, model building, craft projects.

Typical sources: Interior millwork, residential built-ins, furniture factories (20th-century buildings)

Eco note: Poplar is one of the fastest-growing hardwoods, making it relatively sustainable even as new growth. Reclaiming existing Poplar millwork avoids manufacturing waste and preserves the embodied energy of the original milling.