Reclaiming the past

Character and individuality are qualities that are gained over time. This is especially true for a natural material like wood. Timber milled over 100 years ago is not only harder than the same species of wood today, it also has a tighter grain, as well as deeper and richer colors and patina.

These qualities give antique flooring and millwork from Longleaf Lumber an instant appeal. All of the company's wood has been sourced from old structures. It is wood that would otherwise take up space in a landfill, says Kathy Woodward, marketing manager for the company.

"Our antique flooring is derived primarily from salvaged heart pine beams and decking, but we also carry American chestnut, oak, white pine, maple and other reclaimed woods.

"These woods come from buildings of the past warehouses, factories and barns, each rich with its own story. In reclaiming it, we are preserving a piece of history that people can appreciate and feel an association with," she says.

Once the wood has been retrieved from the building site, it is brought back to Longleaf Lumber to be kiln-dried. Some is sold as custom milled, rough sawn material to be used as beams or in the creation of custom-made countertops and high-end cabinets and furniture.

However, the bulk of the wood sourced is used for flooring. It is cut to rough dimensions, then put through a thickness planer and normally given a tongue and groove joint. Surface marks from nails, saws and carts can be left on the floorboards to retain the wood's antique patina.

Antique heart pine is one of the rare woods offered by Longleaf Lumber. A protected species, heart pine is no longer grown to be milled, and is only available as a reclaimed material. It was once commonly used in house construction.

"We've sourced a lot of wood for people who are renovating their old house and want to match the existing wood flooring," says Woodward.

Longleaf Lumber has a showroom in Massachusetts and a mill in Berwick, Maine. The company also carries other sustainable flooring options such as bamboo and cork.

For more information, contact Longleaf Lumber LLC, or visit the company's showroom at 115 Fawcett Street, Cambridge MA 02138.Phone: 866 OLD FLOOR, (866 653 3566), Fax: 617 871 6615, email: info@longleaflumber.com, website: www.longleaflumber.com.

Story by: Trendsideas