The 100-year-old house I'm renovating offers few original features that make sense — and I stress few here — making it not so much a restoration as much as it's a respectful blow-out and re-build.
Still there's one feature that speaks to the colonial carpenter in me: the floors and rafters in the attic. They're both Doug fir. The rafters have a grain pattern so tight you can't believe it (I can believe this material was framing!), and it's really tough to get the wide planks that make up the floor. So I'm keeping both. Indeed, I've recycled collar ties to make other trim features already — totally cool.
So this all points to the fact that I like reclaimed wood, and I do. The age, the history, the vision of virgin forests with ancient trees that built into the houses generations of us have lived in moves me. But reclaiming material isn't always the best or most frugal move — and real stuff you can buy is mucho dinero.
That's where the good old American entrepreneurial spirit of three brothers comes in. The Shaw Brothers — John, Thomas and Woody (of course his name is Woody!) — take new lumber and make it look like weathered barn boards. The Alabama-based company treats pine stock to give it an old feel. They offer square-edge and T&G flooring, along with beaded and V-groove board. They say they've got 1x8 stock right around the corner.
It comes in five colors — barnwood gray, whitewash, red, green and rustic brown — and no site finishing is necessary. I like this because I won't get old myself finishing the material. I can install it and go, which keeps me young. Okay, young-ish.
Shaw Brothers
)
