Green Furniture: Making Reclaimed Wood Furniture

Green furniture is eco-friendly, and one way of achieving this is making reclaimed wood furniture. Wood is a material that lasts, and retains its structure and strength over many, many years. In fact, in many cases, such seasoned antique wood possesses a degree of endurance not possible with many species of new wood.
There are people who make a living by making green furniture from wood that has been reclaimed from its former use. Most of these craftsmen and women are artisans working locally to the stores that sell their work. Your local store might sell this type of environmentally friendly furniture, so why not ask them?

Where Does Recycled Wood Come From?
There are many sources of reclaimed wood that would otherwise have been scrapped, burned or chipped to make particle board, or even used as landfill. Demolition sites are a rich source of such wood, and many such companies will give the scrap wood free to those that want to collect it. Factories often have old wood or off-cuts that can be used for furniture, and even sunken wood, or fallen trees carried down rivers, are good sources of raw material.
At one time, wood was the predominant building material in the USA, and factories, warehouses, homes and barns were commonly constructed using wood because it was ubiquitous and often free. In fact, old barns and other structures of the early to mid 20th century or earlier are a good source of American chestnut, oak, pine and hickory.

Eco-friendly furniture has less of an impact on the environment than regular furniture, even if such pieces are manufactured using tees grown in sustainable forests. In fact, it has very environmental impact, since it is a form of recycling and avoids burning it, generating CO2 and smoke particles. Reclaimed wood is also less expensive than felling and logging trees. Large factories and mills are a good source of floor planking that can be used for furniture rather than landfill which is often its final destination.

The Physical Properties of Reclaimed Timber
The structural integrity of recycled wood has not generally been impaired by age, and can be used for any type of reclaimed wood furniture. Some species have a unique appearance brought on by age, and are strong and durable. One potential reason for the endurance and strength of this type of environmentally friendly timber is that it was hewn from virgin trees, which had gown for hundreds of years before men came along to cut it down.
The forced growth of newly planted trees leads to a less dense type of timber that tends to be more easily attacked by insects, fungi and moisture. Used timber has also undergone many years of weathering, and experienced innumerable variations in temperature and humidity. This has led to many cycles of gentle expansion and contraction, which has rendered the wood highly stable to environmental conditions.

What Furniture is Made from Eco-friendly Wood?
Local craftsmen and women make articles of furniture by hand for sale through local outlets. The furniture is custom built, and some can even be made to your personal specifications - or at least customized to meet your needs. Antique timber has its own unique appearance, and much of the furniture made from it looks magnificent when waxed or varnished.
Beautiful hand-made dining room tables, desks and dressers are crafted by sanding down the old timber to the natural grain, and then hand-waxing or polishing the surface to bring out its natural beauty. In many cases it is very difficult, if not impossible, to achieve the same glowing colors from freshly felled timber.

The Popularity of Reclaimed Wood Furniture
Green furniture made from reclaimed wood is very popular, not only because it is eco-friendly, but also because it is usually local made: genuinely made in America and not imported from some far off land. It can also be very beautiful and long-lasting, and people like the idea of their furniture being hand-crafted locally.

Some people have the misconception that making furniture from reclaimed wood results in a cheap-looking product, and compromises on quality, strength and endurance. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Such items often exceed the looks and strength of the same products manufactured from young wood. They should, because the timber has been thoroughly aged and the products fashioned by skilled American artisans for local furniture stores.

If you are seeking home furniture, do not turn down the chance of owning this form of environmentally friendly craftsmanship because not everybody is fortunate enough to be given the chance of owning reclaimed wood furniture. Once they have purchased their first piece of green furniture, many people will furnish their home with nothing else.

If you are interested in eco-friendly or reclaimed wood furniture, visit the Woodstock Furniture Outlet in Atlanta. Woodstock has two furniture stores in Atlanta, in Acworth and Hiram, each offering environmentally friendly furniture.

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