Salvaged or reclaimed wood used for hardwood flooring can come from a variety of resources. In this blog, I will explain the difference between reclaimed hardwood flooring and salvaged hardwood flooring, and give several examples of where these woods actually come from.

Reclaimed wood, by definition is wood that was once manufactured into a wood product and is being reclaimed to be reused or re–manufactured back into a new wood product. Most commonly, reclaimed wood is taken from hardwood flooring in old buildings or from the wooden structures used in old factories and warehouses.

Salvaged wood, on the other hand, comes from logs that have never been made into a manufactured wood product. Salvaged logs can come from many sources. Forest deadwood (dead trees lying in forests) and sunken logs from lake and rivers are two popular sources for salvaged wood, which can be used to make hardwood flooring and a number of other wood products.

Additionally, salvaged wood can come from orchards, whose trees are “past their prime” and need replanting, or from urban forests where trees are cut because they are dead, diseased, or simply in the way. These trees, which are often burned or disposed of in other ways, can instead be salvaged and turned into wood products.

Lastly, salvage wood can come from industrial forestry that concentrates on a specific type of tree, while eliminating others to be burned or turned into chip wood. Rather than being burned or chipped, these salvaged woods can be used to make beautiful hardwood flooring and a number of other wood products.

In closing, salvaged or reclaimed wood is often highly sought after for its unique antique look and eco–friendly attributes. It is very difficult to replicate the beauty of hardwood floors made from salvaged or reclaimed wood.