old wood

My husband and I own a demolition landfill. We see several old buildings demolished a year. Is there anyone interested in purchasing old barn beams? They come in various sizes, kinds of wood, and conditions(some are hand hewn). It is sad to see them go to waste.

It truly is a shame to see such a re-usable resource find it's way into the waste stream. Unfortunately most people (and builders) are blind to the true value of these timbers. All to often the beams that come from old barns are the only tangible artifacts we have from our virgin forests.

Ther is a very real market for these timbers, and the sheathing materials they were enclosed with. You could contact companies who specialize in recycled building materials. Several are listed in the Guild Resouce Guide. There is of course the logistical problem involved in handling large heavy material, but if you have a real concern, a good solution shouldn't be that difficult.

You might also consider marketing the timber yourselves. Working within your local market redistributing locally harvested re-usable building materials is a pretty righteous concept. If that idea sounds atractive, I would suggest speaking to Tom O'Grady who works with Re-Use in Athens Ohio. Email me directly for his contact info. (rudad@bright.net)

Good luck with your efforts and thanx for recognizing a needless waste.

Rudy

I enjoy dismanteling old barns so that they won't be burned or demolished. I don't see them as "that ole eye-sore" as so many do. I have been trying to market the old timbers I have recycled and having a difficult time. I've been told by timberframers it is much harder to work with old growth timbers, than new timber. Where does a recycler of vintage timber find a framer of vintage timber?