Rare Wood News

Reclaimed beams are a popular choice in both new builds and renovations, bringing unique textures and a sense of history into almost any space. Reclaimed beams typically cost more than similar new-growth woods. Is the extra expense worth it?

Cut Costs or Add Value?

Genuine, high-quality reclaimed wood beams are of premium quality and will always cost more than new-growth commercial timber, composite beams, and other replacement materials.

It is possible to cut costs by taking a chance on buying inferior quality wood from smaller or less-established vendors, by accepting mixed or inconsistent lots, or by risking damage to your wood by attempting to reclaim, clean, and transport yourself. However, it's important to consider what taking this route can cost you in the long run.

Not only will you be stuck, potentially, with wood that fails to meet your construction or design needs, but you’ll be incorporating in your building an asset that is more likely to fail or require remedial refurbishment over time. Cheap or unprovenanced beams will also struggle to hold and increase their value over time.

If you’re serious about making genuine historical reclaimed wood a part of your project, then it pays to recognize the intrinsic value of this product and to work with an experienced vendor like E.T. Moore, who can offer you well-provided, properly graded wood that meets your needs.

While this means you might pay more upfront for a quality product, this is an investment you or your client will come to appreciate over time as a naturally strong, stable, and beautiful product that increases in value and requires little ongoing maintenance.

As with any major investment, when it comes to genuine antique reclaimed beams, it pays to be able to see the wood for the trees.

We’ve all heard about farmers making good money by selling the wood from disused, often collapsing farm outbuildings, but how much can you really sell old barn wood for?

Here, we uncover the value of old barn wood, including how much you can expect to sell this wood for, to whom, and for how much. We’ll also review some of the factors (and red flags) that go into valuing old barn wood. Read on to learn more.

The Whole Barn Truth

Let’s take a look at some of the factors that people who know wood are looking at when they do need to assess the value of old barn wood.

Standing Timber

Perhaps the most important thing to know about barn wood is whether it is still part of a barn. High-quality barn wood is worth more if it is still standing. This allows the owner or a purchaser to have the option to preserve the original building if it is historic, and also provides a secure provenance for the wood if it is going to be salvaged.

In other words, being able to prove that a lot of barn wood was indeed once part of a barn is potentially very valuable.

Finding barn wood in place is also valuable because it allows professional reclaimers to salvage the wood properly. That means removing the wood with care to prevent splintering or other damage and preserving the full length and integrity of elements like original sawn floorboards and beams.

Species

While it takes decades of experience to be able to identify weathered wood on sight, you should look for long, close-packed arched grains and relatively few knots, typically of the yellow or white pines that were treasured by early settlers for their hardness and durability.

These solid old-growth woods weather evenly and without rotting, even in the harshest climates. Look for a silvery weathered pattern, rather than blackened or dark brown wood that has simply dried out and may be irretrievably damaged. Also, look for stable woods that have resisted warping or deep cracking despite exposure to heat and dampness.

The very best barn woods are made from the rock-solid heartwood of large, old-growth pines. This is the wood at the base and center of the trunk that grows slowly throughout the life of the tree, rather than the faster-growing concentric layers of sapwood which grow rapidly during the warm summer months and slowly during the winters.

Size

What is the largest size of lumber available in a lot and how does this compare to the typical size of wood in the collection? Thicker, wider boards are more likely to have been sawn from huge old-growth trees at a time when such trees were common. These larger pieces of lumber will command a better price, especially if they are in good condition and there are a lot of them.

Keep an eye out for thick, broad floorboards hand-sawn from huge old-growth trees. Floorboards become progressively thinner over time as the largest trees are harvested. Also, look for the distinctive circular swirls caused by early steam-powered sawmills and (if you’re very lucky) beams or posts with the distinctive scalloped patterns of hand-held tools.

Lot Size

If a barn is no longer standing then there needs to be enough wood in a load of barn wood to convincingly have comprised a barn. If a lot seems too small, it’s worth asking what happened to the rest of the barn, and why the seller felt it was necessary to split the lot.

From a use point of view, it’s also important that there is a reasonable amount of wood in the same lot for it to be sufficient to complete another project. Odd lots of barn wood are unlikely to be of high and consistent quality, and questions must be asked about its provenance.

Condition

Next, what is the actual condition of the wood? Is it indeed high-quality wood, attractively weathered wood or just dried out poor-quality wood that has simply been outdoors for far too long? Is it painted or whitewashed? Is it likely to be infested now or has been infested in the past by termites or wood-boring beetles?

It’s vital to assess whether the wood has been damaged during salvage and whether it has been thoroughly cleaned of nails, screws, staples, and other metal fasteners and fittings.

It’s also important to know how wood has been handled once it has been salvaged. Reputable reclaimers like E.T. Moore pride themselves on their ability to treat and store these valuable woods properly. This typically includes storage in dry conditions with even humidity and kiln drying to eliminate organisms like bacteria from animal feces, as well as wood-boring insects.

When you buy wood from less scrupulous sellers, there’s no guarantee that the wood has not been stored in damp conditions, washed, or infested with insects or bacteria.

Lot Size

More prosaically, if a barn is no longer standing then there needs to be enough wood in a load of barn wood to convincingly have comprised a barn. If a lot seems too small, it’s worth asking what happened to the rest of the barn, and why the seller felt it was necessary to split the lot.

From a use point of view, it’s also important that there is a reasonable amount of wood in the same lot for it to be sufficient to complete another project. Odd lots of barn wood are unlikely to be of a high and consistent quality, and questions must be asked about its provenance.

Grading

The true mark of professionally reclaimed wood is in consistent and high-quality grading. Grading is the confidence you have that the sample of wood you are shown is the same as that throughout the lot as a whole. Experienced, reputable wood suppliers have taken years to earn the trust of the market that they supply consistently graded, usable wood.

Consistent grading allows you to buy the wood you need for a project with the confidence that you will have enough lumber of a particular type to complete your project. Good grading is also only possible when the wood is responsibly reclaimed from standing barn structures to ensure the maximum yield of good, reusable lumber.

Among other things, grading will tell you something about the length of the wood, its finished surfaces, and the number of beam pockets it has.

How to Get Started on Selling Barn Wood

Buying and selling barn wood is hard work, and you need to have a good understanding of the product and market to make money. However, it can be a rewarding activity if you have an interest in helping to preserve a unique resource and a valuable part of America’s heritage.

Most barn wood resellers get started by scouring their area for disused barns, then offer to remove wood for a fee to the owner. This can work if you’re lucky enough to find valuable wood.

However, by taking down the barn yourself, you’re not only risking injury or contact with harmful materials. Unless you do your homework you risk destroying a valuable and possibly protected property. Remember that barn wood is most valuable if it can be reclaimed professionally from its original site.

If you own a potentially valuable barn, you’re best off approaching a reputable wood reclaiming company yourself. If you find a farmer with a standing barn that looks promising, you might do your best to negotiate with a company that can do the salvage for you safely and professionally.

When choosing between yellow pine and white pine for your next project, understanding the key differences in appearance, durability, availability, and cost can help you make the best decision for your specific needs.

Yellow pine is harder and more durable than white pine, with distinctive grain patterns and rich colors that make it ideal for traditional or rustic interiors. White pine is softer, more flexible, and easier to work with, often preferred for its lighter, cleaner appearance in modern designs.

White pine grows faster and is more readily available, making it less expensive. Yellow pine, especially old-growth heartwood, is harder to source and more costly due to its slower growth and limited availability.

In this blog, we take a closer look at how these classic American softwoods were used historically, and how the different properties of each continue to shape how both new growth and reclaimed woods are used today.

Tall Order: White Pine vs. Yellow Pine

Yellow and white pine both offer popular and beautiful alternatives for almost any construction or decorative application, making it sometimes difficult to choose between the two. Each, however, has specific characteristics that make it better suited for particular uses.

Appearance

Yellow pine can be identified by its long distinctive “cathedral”-like grain loops, particularly in original heartwood sources from the center of original old-growth trees. Yellow pine also varies from light yellow sapwood to a deep reddish brown in the heartwood and around knots.

Untreated white pine is much lighter than yellow pine with far less well-developed grains and fewer, more elongated knots. In fact, commercially grown white pine may sometimes look closer to birch wood used often in Scandinavian design. In fact, the subtle grain and “clean” look of white pine make it a popular choice for more modern interiors. The less distinctive and directional grain also means it’s an easier choice to match in flooring and furniture design.

The distinctive grain arches of yellow pine are prized for flooring, furniture, and paneling in more traditional and homely interiors. Reclaimed woods of both types may have darker oxidation around nail holes and marks from insect boring or woodworking.

Durability

Yellow pine grows more slowly and consistently in the longer days and milder climate of the southeast, resulting in a significantly harder and less flexible wood than white pine. Commercial yellow pine typically measures around 870 on the Janka wood hardness scale, although old-growth heartwood can be far harder.

This hardness gives yellow pine a toughness and durability unusual in a coniferous softwood, making it a mainstay of construction during America’s early industrial expansion.

By contrast, white pine is a significantly softer and more flexible wood, growing rapidly in short bursts during northern summers. This makes white pine easier to harvest and work but less durable than yellow pine. It also means white pine is more stable than yellow pine and less prone to warping or splitting over time, so it’s a good material for floorboards.

Both types of wood need to be protected with stains or sealants when used for flooring. White pine is also more prone to wear in high-traffic areas, although its flexibility means it can sometimes “absorb” damage from dropped objects or stiletto heels. With reasonable care and occasional refinishing, both reclaimed and new-growth pine floors of both species can last for decades if not centuries.

Sourcing and Availability

Both white and yellow pine are grown commercially, so it is usually easy to find reasonable quality wood in almost any length and grade. White pine grows significantly faster than yellow pine, so both new and reclaimed stocks are available, especially throughout the northeast.

Longleaf yellow pine grows more slowly, so there is less of it harvested each year. Therefore, suppliers are more heavily dependent on the limited supply of reclaimed wood. Stocks of both commercial and reclaimed yellow pine are usually easier to find in the southeast, but supplies of longer and wider grades can be hard to source.

You’ll also want to look at reclaimed wood from a trusted supplier like E.T. Moore if you are looking for the distinctive pinkish tones and grain of true old-growth yellow pine heartwood.

Wherever you choose to source your wood from, be aware that quality can vary widely. Be sure to choose a reputable supplier with access to higher quality, better seasoned, and properly graded stocks.

Cost

Faster-growing commercial white pine will usually be far cheaper than comparable grades of yellow pine, but the quality and price of both stocks vary drastically.

You’ll pay more for genuine old-growth yellow pine heartwoods, and more for reclaimed yellow pine in general, so if you are serious about sourcing these woods it’s essential to work with a supplier who will provide you with responsibly sourced and reliably graded products.

Reclaimed white pine is more plentiful, but higher quality and wider grades will cost more, especially for authentic old-growth stock.

As with anything, you’ll get what you pay for, so weigh your investment carefully. Tight-grained old-growth woods offer stability and durability unrivaled by many modern building materials and will last for centuries with reasonable care. Cheaper grades of commercial yellow and white pines will deliver years of good service but only with constant care and regular refinishing.

Matching

It can sometimes be difficult to find suitable reclaimed wood stocks that match the grain, hue, and patina of existing wood in a renovation, or to find sufficient wood of a particular grade for use in a large-scale rebuild. White pines are easier to match because their less prominent grade and lighter hues (plus more plentiful stocks) make it easier to find similar woods.

At E.T. Moore, we’re experts at matching the yellow pines used in construction from the turn of the last century onwards with woods in our large selection of on-hand grades. We can also match genuine yellow pine heartwoods used in historic buildings from the 19th century or older. It’s not possible to match a new-growth yellow pine with an original heart pine in any grade.

Frequently Asked Questions

Want to know more about the differences between white and yellow pines? We answer your most common questions. How can you tell a yellow pine from a white pine?

As far as flooring goes, untreated yellow pine will typically be darker than white pine with a darker grain and more difference between the pale summer-growth and darker winter-growth bands. Yellow pine will also have rounder and darker knots and pinkish or honey-colored heartwood. Fast-growing white pine is made up almost entirely of lighter sap wood.

Which is harder white pine or yellow pine?

Yellow pine grows more slowly than white pine and therefore has tighter grains, making it a far harder (but less flexible) wood.

Is yellow pine wood durable?

Genuine southern yellow pine is among the hardest temperate softwoods, matching or even outperforming many deciduous hardwoods like maple or ash.

What is yellow pine lumber good for?

Yellow pine offers more durability and wear than white pine and a more distinctive finish. It’s ideal for long-lasting flooring provided it is properly seasoned and acclimated before installation. Decoratively it’s best for more traditional or rustic finishes.

E.T. Moore: Your Source for Quality Reclaimed Flooring

While many suppliers offer access to limited stocks of reclaimed white or yellow pine flooring, only E.T. Moore has the experience and deep inventory needed to match stocks for almost any project or renovation.

Whether you’re looking for the fresh, clean look of New England white pine or the down-home feel of classic southern yellow pine, trust E.T. Moore for the responsibly sourced, cleaned, and graded flooring your project deserves.

Talk to us about your reclaimed pine flooring needs. We’ll use our industry knowledge and unrivaled inventory to help you nail down a classic.

Reclaimed Wood Flooring

There’s always someone who knows someone who can hook you up with reclaimed wood for cheap. But opting for cut-price boards or lumber can cost you in the long run. Here’s why it’s worth paying a little more to invest in authentic reclaimed wood from a reputable dealer with the experience and inventory to back up their promises.

“Penny Wise, Pound Foolish”

This old English saying does a good job of describing someone who ends up missing out or costing themselves a lot of money because they tried to save a few bucks.

In the reclaimed wood game it’s often a contractor who is told by a supplier that they don’t have what they need — but they know someone who might. This may be an odd lot left over from a project, a new product available from a foreign company, or, heck, just a guy with a loading dock and a truck.

Working with an untested middleman might work out fine, especially if for you it’s all about the price. You might get lucky and find the wood is exactly what you want, and in the grade and quantity you need. But there’s a lot that can go wrong, too.

Limited Inventory

A truckload of wood is great for a home project, but what if your supplier doesn’t have enough of what you need or the grading is not what you expected? You find yourself being steered to other options that might also do the job, and before long you’re compromising and breaking promises to your client.

That’s because responsible wood reclamation is a long game. Committed suppliers like Virginia-based E.T. Moore, take years or even decades to identify and source vast quantities of wood of a consistent quality. Harvesting, cleaning, and grading this wood, and storing it carefully in controlled conditions takes time, money, and patience.

For these reputable suppliers, it’s a trade-off that works if you can provide a superior product and a deep source of quality woods that your clients can rely on not just today, but long into the future.

“What separates us from most other companies in the business is not that we’re awesome or great or that we’ve got the best equipment“, explains Taylor Moore, head of marketing at E.T. Moore. “No, for us it all comes down to inventory.

For smaller wholesalers without the same connections or depth of inventory, providing a consistent supply of quality wood can be a problem. That problem can quickly become yours if you underestimate your order, or are asked to match or replace existing work.

Where’s the Beef?

Limited inventory can affect you in other ways. For example, you’ll find a lot of suppliers offering lower-priced boards for flooring. That’s because flooring is by far the biggest part of the reclaimed lumber market. It’s easier to break into with limited stock or poorer quality wood and offers a narrower range of product specifications. Some suppliers even offer low-price “box beams” made from three repurposed flooring boards.

Some suppliers will even choose to mill large-dimension old-growth beams into flooring boards, just because it is easier to move on to buyers who should know better.

Once again, this might be fine if you can afford to take a chance on the quality and availability of your product, but don’t be surprised if you are caught short on a job where your client expects a little more than the lowest-priced item on the menu.

Established suppliers have built a name not only by providing large amounts of consistently graded timber over a long period but also by supplying a full range of reclaimed woods suitable for use as beams, paneling, floorboards, and furniture.

“Flooring is for most parts the hamburger of the industry. If you’re fine with hamburger patties and cook those on the grill, then that’s great,” jokes Moore. By contrast, at E.T. Moore “we sell the whole cow. So if you want ribs or filet or hamburger or chuck roast, it doesn’t matter. We do it all.”

In other words, while you might have been able to source reasonable flooring from, say, a foreign-based company, at a great price don’t expect the same supplier to have your back if you need quality matching wood for a staircase or decorative features that complement existing work. Instead, you’re likely to be steered to available products that don’t match your needs or your client’s vision for their project.

“What you lose is the ability to make choices,” says Moore of contractors who choose to source wood this way. “We can sell you the hamburger, we can sell you the plain stuff, but our strength is in customizing our products to exactly what you want.”

Failing the Grade

A third way you can be caught out by relying on unproved or unscrupulous middlemen and cut-price suppliers is in the consistency and quality of your purchase. You need to be able to trust that the specification and grading of an entire lot that you pay for match the samples you were shown up-front.

There’s a reason why reputable suppliers put such a premium on accurate and consistent grading of their products. Expert grading is a traditional skill learned over a lifetime and high-quality grading is incredibly labor intensive.

It’s hard to overstate how important grading is to the reputation of companies like E.T. Moore. It’s a bond of trust with our customers that the product they see in our yard is the same as what they will see from wall to wall on the finished project.

Limited inventory can make it hard for small-scale suppliers to match and maintain grading throughout a lot. That can mean unwelcome surprises for you when it’s too late to go back and sloppy-looking finishes that will tarnish your reputation as a craftsman.

Simply put, as a contractor, being able to trust the grading on the product you buy lets you keep your promises to your client.

Experts restoring Maryland’s historic State Capitol called on E.T. Moore to source authentic reclaimed tidewater cypress to partially replace the original shingles protecting the sides of the building’s famous dome, which dates from 1794.

E.T. Moore drew on extensive experience working with genuine old-growth East Coast hardwoods to match the original shingles from on-hand stock and used expert milling skills to help project craftspeople recreate the building’s traditional shingling techniques.

The Maryland State House Dome

The oldest state capitol building still in legislative use, Maryland’s State House and its distinctive dome has towered over the skyline of Annapolis for more than 250 years. As the first part of a multi-year restoration of the capitol, the dome has undergone major renovations in the last year.

Much of the current dome dates to 1792, when the capitol’s original dome was expanded under the direction of Joseph Clark, a local architect and builder. Although a great deal of Clark’s structure remains in place, it was badly in need of waterproofing, structural repairs, and sensitive restoration of the original roofing, windows, and traditional wooden shingling.

When work on the $7.5 million dome refurbishment project was given the go-ahead in early 2022, restoration experts, The Christman Company, tapped E.T. Moore to source and mill cypress shingles to match the original old-growth shingles covering the sides of the dome tower.

The Challenge

Renovation of the State Capitol dome was just the first part of a complex long-term restoration of the entire building expected to cost $34 million and work needed to be done on time and on budget to avoid contractual penalties and keep the larger project on track.

The Maryland Board of Public Works required work on the dome to be wrapped up within the year following project approval in January 2022. Project general contractor Christman has undertaken several high-profile historic renovations for the state and understands the need to deliver high-quality work that respects the skills and intentions of the original artisans.

At the same time, planning, budgeting, and completing historic restorations can be complex, because renovation almost always reveals additional damaged materials or structures that also need to be upgraded, putting pressure on timelines.

Christman contacted E.T. Moore in February 2002 and requested a match of the original old-growth tidewater cypress shingles used on the dome with suitable reclaimed wood of a similar age, and source enough lumber to allow the project to be completed on time.

The contractor also needed E.T. Moore to mill the replacement shingles to replicate the existing traditional building techniques used on the building, which involves mingling shakes of several different widths to cover the surface of all four sides of the dome tower with a distinctive pattern.

With the final contract signed and the deposit paid in June, E.T. Moore had four months to deliver the replacement shingles to keep the project on track.

The Solution

Work by the original project researchers had identified the wood used in the existing shingles as tidewater cypress from the original coastal old-growth forests of the Eastern Seaboard.

Fortunately, E.T. Moore was able to use established techniques to match sample shingles to treated reclaimed cypress stocks on hand in their Richmond, VA-based facility.

However, E.T. Moore also knew from previous experience sourcing replacement wood shingles for James Madison’s historical home at Montpelier that matching the grading and milling of the original lumber would be a complex task.

The team started by asking the contractor to measure the exact widths of a sample row of 35 shingles on all of the sides of the dome tower. It was discovered that each row of 35 required shingles of varying individual widths to cover the entire width in a regularly repeating pattern.

E.T. Moore used this pattern to create a larger graded sample including shingles in six different individual widths from 2 ½” to 7”. Almost 10,000 shingles were needed, each exactingly milled, to partially replace the original shingles on the dome.

With suitable lumber already treated and on hand, E.T. Moore’s expert craftsmen got to work using techniques similar to those who created the original cypress shingles.

True to our promise of sourcing quality reclaimed hardwoods quickly and affordably, E.T. Moore delivered a full batch of replacement shingles for the Maryland State House Dome in September 2022 – on budget and a month ahead of schedule.

The Results

When Maryland Governor Larry Hogan raised the flags of the nation and of Maryland over the capitol dome on January 10, 2023, it marked the end of the first stage of a restoration project that recognizes the past while ensuring the future viability of America’s oldest operating state capitol.

“Our historic State House has been an important part of the Annapolis skyline for 250 years, making it and its dome a national treasure,” Governor Hogan said.

“We mark the culmination of its restoration and ensure this landmark will continue to stand strong for generations to come.”

E.T. Moore’s large in-stock inventory, traditional woodworking skills, and deep knowledge of historical coastal hardwoods allowed the original materials of this historic building to be supplemented with carefully stewarded resources of the same age and origin.

In fact, it’s possible the trees used for the original shingles might have been growing alongside those from which their replacements were made – an amazing testament to the longevity of this unique American resource, and the value of preserving it by keeping it in use.

It’s hard to think of a better material to protect the home of Maryland’s democracy for the next 250 years!

Let E.T. Moore Supply Your Next Project

Founded in 1969, E.T. Moore is one of the largest reclaimed wood suppliers on the East Coast. Our extensive facilities and deep on-site inventory mean that we can match any sample and provide your historic renovation or new project with premium reclaimed wood. Learn more by contacting E.T. Moore today.

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Salvaged wood is a popular renovation material, offering many aesthetic and practical benefits. However, finding a reliable source of quality reclaimed wood isn't a matter of luck; it requires a solid understanding of how to make the proper selection.

Adding to the challenge is that many online sellers may be unable to meet your quality or authenticity standards. Navigating this market is crucial because the wood you choose has long-term implications—it could elevate your room or leave you with regret.

Read on to learn how to source high-quality salvaged wood that will transform and add value to your living space or room.

5 Reasons to Opt for Reclaimed Wood

For several reasons, reclaimed wood is an excellent choice when planning a home renovation or improvement project.

Here are a few compelling arguments to make the leap:

1. Sustainability: Choosing reclaimed wood not only looks great but also reduces waste and saves trees, making it an eco-conscious choice.
2. Durability: Old-growth reclaimed wood often exceeds the hardness and resilience of newer lumber.
3. Aesthetics: Reclaimed wood's unique, rustic appeal gives your space an unmatched, timeless beauty.
4. History: Incorporating salvaged wood into your project provides an interesting story and adds unparalleled character.
5. Property Value: Using quality reclaimed wood could raise your home's resale value.

High-Quality Salvaged Wood from E.T. Moore

For top-tier reclaimed wood, E.T. Moore stands unmatched. Our meticulous processes ensure our salvaged wood exceeds the highest quality and durability standards. Whether your project is big or small, our expertise and diverse inventory make us your one-stop solution for all your reclaimed wood needs.

Ready to elevate your space with premium reclaimed wood? Click below to explore our salvaged flooring and lumber options:

• Reclaimed Wood Flooring
• Reclaimed Wood Lumber

Maintaining the original beauty of your antique wooden floor can sometimes seem like an uphill battle. It's as if dust bunnies, scraps of food, and pet hair have declared it their favorite gathering spot.

At E.T. Moore, we are often asked how to clean reclaimed wood floors. The short answer is that maintaining an antique floor is very similar to traditional wood floors. However, there are a few tricks to help ensure your reclaimed wood floors keep their unique character.

How to Clean Old Wood Floors

Sweep or vacuum with a soft-bristle attachment to remove loose debris, then use a pH-neutral cleaner with a well-wrung-out mop or cloth to gently clean the surface, avoiding excess moisture. This helps protect the wood from damage while maintaining its finish.

Over time, you may have to deal with certain accidents such as spilling a glass of wine or candle wax dropping onto the floor. Read on to learn about how to properly clean your antique wood floors in these more nuanced situations.

First Steps in Cleaning Reclaimed Wood Flooring

Reclaimed wood floors are environmentally friendly and add a rustic charm to your interiors. However, their distinct characteristics require a specialized approach to cleaning.

Start by removing loose debris or dust that could scratch the surface. Sweep the floor with a soft-bristle broom or vacuum cleaner with a hardwood floor attachment.

This first step is vital because the rough texture of reclaimed wood tends to trap dirt and debris in nooks and crannies. Take your time, and pay close attention to any areas that may be particularly dirty.

Use a pH-neutral cleaner specifically designed for wood floors. Other products have harsh chemicals that could strip away the natural oils or damage the finish. Use a well-wrung-out mop or cloth for cleaning, as excessive moisture can harm the wood.

Preventative Care for Reclaimed Wood Floors

Preventative care is the first line of defense for maintaining your investment. The finish and unique patina are susceptible to damage from various elements. Here are several tips to take into consideration:

Humidity

Certain types of reclaimed wood, such as antique heartwood, have excellent moisture resistance and “move” very little with seasonal changes. Other wood species require indoor humidity from 30% to 50% and temperatures from 60° to 80°F. Staying within these ranges helps to prevent warping and movement throughout the year.

Food, Wine, and Liquid Spills

Clean up food and liquid spills as quickly as possible. Use a slightly damp mop and gently wipe the wood dry of any residual water or liquid—the less time liquid spends on your floor, the less likely for long-term damage.

Candle Wax and Chewing Gum

Use a few ice cubes to freeze chewing gum or candle wax. A credit card or plastic scraper will gently scrape it away without leaving a permanent mark or stain.

Rugs and Carpets

UV rays from the sun shining through the windows can slightly alter the color of the wood over many years. It’s essential to occasionally move rugs and carpets to avoid getting different rug-shaped spots over time.

Avoid using plastic, rubber, or foam-backed mats, as they could cause discoloration. Instead, use a high-quality vinyl rug underlay to prevent rugs and carpets from slipping when you walk over them.

Furniture

Apply soft felt pads on the feet of your furniture and chairs to avoid scratching the floor finish. Ensure the pads are free from harsh chemicals or “wonder materials” that could ruin the rich patina.

Reclaimed Wooden Floor Maintenance

There are several things to avoid when cleaning your reclaimed wood floors:

• Avoid using Swiffer cleaning products, as they make it almost impossible to refinish the wood.
• Don’t use hardwood flooring cleaning machines or steam cleaners.
• If you want to restore the gloss, refrain from using “2-in-1 cleaning solutions” with polish that may contain acrylics or urethane.
• Stay away from oil soaps and liquid or paste wax products. Also, don't use heavy-duty cleaners containing citrus oils, lemon oil, tung oil, silicon, or ammonia.

Daily and Weekly Cleaning

Regularly sweep your floors with a soft-bristle broom. Fine sand, dirt, or grit from your pet's paws or kid's soccer cleats can act like sandpaper and scratch the floor. You might not see it right away, but these tiny scratches can reflect indoor light and appear ten times larger.

Placing doormats at entry points will help remove some dirt and debris. However, shoe soles can easily trap tiny grains of dirt, gravel, or sand particles that may still be carried inside. As people walk across the floor, these particles can cause scratches.

It’s best to ask everyone to remove their shoes, cleats, and high heels before entering your home. Establish a designated area near the entrance for shoe storage, making it convenient for guests and family members.

Additionally, the nails of dogs and cats are often sharp and can easily scratch the floor. Regularly trim your pet's nails and ensure their paws are dirt-free. An absorbent doormat for pets can help reduce the amount of debris they track into your home.

Mixed hardwood flooring can be an eye-catching addition to any space, providing movement and interest where a more consistent texture and tone might be overwhelming or dull. Choosing high-quality reclaimed or antique woods adds depth, texture, and unbeatable durability to the complex original story your mixed wood floor is telling.

What Are Some Mixed Wood Flooring Design Trends?

Here are some of the most common techniques that are used to combine mixed woods into a coherent flooring pattern or design idea.

1. Herringbone Pattern

The herringbone pattern is a classic design that involves arranging rectangular planks at a 45-degree angle to create a zigzag pattern.

This design can be created with reclaimed wood flooring to add a touch of elegance and sophistication to any room.

2. Wide Plank Flooring

Wide plank flooring is a popular choice for those who want a rustic or farmhouse-style look.

Using reclaimed wood planks in varying widths can create a charming, textured effect that adds character and warmth to any space.

3. Random Width Pattern

A random width pattern involves using reclaimed wood planks in varying widths to create a random, yet harmonious pattern.

This design can give a room a relaxed and casual feel, and it's a great option for those who want a floor that looks natural and organic.

4. Chevron

A chevron layout is similar to herringbone, but the planks are cut at a sharper angle to create a V-shape. This design is often used to create a modern and stylish look.

What Goes Into Designing a Mixed Hardwood Floor?

Mixed hardwood floors are always about contrast, eclecticism, and parallel stories, but unless randomness itself is the aim, there always needs to be a few guiding principles behind every great floor design. Here are some pointers to bear in mind as you consider options for your project.

1. High Key or Low Key?

First, ask yourself, do you want your floor to be understated and nuanced with subtle graduates of tone and texture or a standout study in contrast, with sharply different wood colors? If contrast is not your aim, do you want your floors to be lighter or darker?

Keep in mind that lighter woods will reflect light and darker woods will absorb it. Therefore lighter spaces seem larger and darker spaces smaller.

2. Choose Your Range

Now create your color range by picking out the lightest and darkest woods you will use in your design. Ideally, you should have an even spread of woods within this range, depending of course on how much contrast you want.

3. Keep Something the Same

Create a sense of coherence by choosing a feature that will bind your design together. This can be the color of your wood if you are creating a low-contrast design, or it can be consistent board width and size, or perhaps a similar grain or knot pattern between wood types.

4. Make Something Different

Increase interest by adding some randomness to your design. This could be boards of different widths or ones with unique cracks, nail holes, or saw marks. The more you add, the more eclectic your design will be. But beware: too much variability will affect the coherence of your design.

In short, a good mixed hardwood floor is a balancing act between coherence and contrast, between light and dark, and between randomness and consistency. Getting it right can be tricky, so consider working with a professional designer to help you realize your vision.

What’s the Best Wood for Mixed Hardwood Floors?

The best woods for mixed hardwood floors combine visual appeal with toughness and durability. Woods used for flooring need to be able to stand up to daily wear and tear including foot traffic, spills, and regular cleaning. They also need to be strong and stable enough to withstand temperature and humidity changes without warping or bending.

Slow-growing hardwoods are always a good choice for flooring. However, premium reclaimed heart pine, spruce, and cypress from America’s original old-growth forests are hard to beat. The strength and stability of these woods made them the ideal choice for structural beams, joists, and floorboards in mills, warehouses, and factories.

These ancient woods are also coveted for their rich natural beauty and the unique character each piece has developed over centuries of use. E.T. Moore salvages and remills vintage hardwoods into quality flooring that continues this long tradition of American craftsmanship.

While the supply of true old-growth heart pine and cypress is limited, reclaimed second-growth stocks of eastern white pine and other historic hardwoods like spruce, hemlock, and fir offer similar durability and a range of different hues and grains to add character to your flooring.

Sustainably grown supplies of red oak, cherry, and new-growth pine are less durable than true antique woods but offer beauty, character, and warmth at an affordable price. Like any quality hardwood, they will last for generations if maintained properly.

The beauty, durability, and grandeur of reclaimed hardwood flooring are undeniable, making it a highly sought-after option for homeowners and designers alike. By taking the time to acclimate your flooring correctly, you can ensure long-term stability and performance while preserving its unique character and charm.

Read on to learn more about the process of acclimating hardwood flooring and why this critical installation step is so important.

How to Acclimate Reclaimed Hardwood Flooring

Follow this step-by-step guide to acclimate your reclaimed hardwood flooring properly:

Step 1: Timing and Climate

The optimal hardwood floor acclimation time is at least 5-7 days before installation and even longer for thicker or wider planks. Acclimation should take place during a season that has relatively stable humidity and temperatures, so try to avoid acclimating when the forecast calls for extreme weather conditions.

The species and variety of wood can impact the length of acclimation time. Some species of wood are more stable than others and may require less time, while others may be more prone to movement and require a longer duration.

Additionally, wider planks and thicker boards may require longer acclimation than narrower and thinner boards. This is because wider planks and thicker boards have more surface area and therefore more potential for movement.

Step 2: Preparation

Before you bring the wood indoors, ensure the storage area is dry, well-ventilated, and clean. Finish painting or other wet work at least seven days before acclimation to ensure proper drying.

Step 3: Measure Indoor Temperature and Humidity

Use a hygrometer to measure humidity and temperature levels in the installation area. Maintaining a relevant humidity level between 30-50% and a temperature range of 60-80°F (15-27°C) is recommended.

Step 4: Bring the Wood Indoors

Bring the wood inside and remove any packaging materials. Store it in the room where it will be installed, stacked with spacers between the boards to allow air to circulate. Stack the flooring in a cross-grain pattern, with each layer perpendicular to the previous one. This process helps to promote even acclimation.

Step 5: Monitor the Environment

Continue to monitor the temperature and humidity levels throughout the entire acclimation period. Utilize a humidifier, dehumidifier, heater, or AC to make any necessary adjustments to keep the wood in the recommended range.

Use a high-quality wood moisture meter and check levels daily to ensure moisture content stabilization. The moisture content of the flooring should be within 2% of the subfloor for solid hardwood and 6-9% for reclaimed hardwood flooring.

Acclimate Your Hardwood Floors and Achieve Long-Lasting Results

As you embark upon your journey to transform your living space with reclaimed hardwood flooring, remember that patience and diligence during the acclimation process will lead to a stunning, timeless result that you can proudly showcase in your home.

At E.T. Moore, we have one of the largest reclaimed hardwood inventories on the Eastern seaboard. Our expansive 5-acre facility in Richmond, VA., allows us to create stunning hardwood flooring with highly desirable grain patterns. Contact us today or click below to learn more about our flooring products.

Reclaimed Wood Flooring

“Rustic” wide-plank hardwood flooring instantly sets your renovation or upgrade apart with timeless beauty and old world charm. Choosing professionally reclaimed antique hardwoods adds lasting value and unmatched durability to your project and connects you to a long tradition of quality American craftsmanship.

Read on to learn more about the unique appeal and practical benefits of reclaimed hardwood flooring and how to find the ideal historic woods for your space.

What Is Wide Plank Flooring?

Technically speaking, wide plank flooring is any original wood plank product wider than the 2.5 to 4-inch solid or remanufactured wood board products commonly used for commercial “hardwood” floors. In practice, most buyers and suppliers consider true wide plank flooring to be original wooden planks that are at least six inches wide.

The actual width of the planks is often a good indication of the age of genuine hardwood flooring, as large trees became more scarce when the original old-growth forests along the eastern seaboard were logged.

At the same time, the trunks of even the oldest local eastern pine species favored for making floorboards seldom allowed planking wider than 12 inches to be cut.

What Makes Vintage Wood Floors Unique?

Hardwood flooring brings warmth and natural texture to any space, but genuine reclaimed woods add an unmistakable sense of character, depth, and connection that you will recognize every time you walk through the door.

Natural Qualities

Reclaimed woods are a window to the past. These sometimes rare woods feature unique natural colors and grain patterns that are seldom found in modern commercial lumber. Examples are the dark heartwood found in genuine old-growth heart pine, the long and straight grains of genuine reclaimed yellow pine, or the telltale tinge of true tidewater pine from the mid-Atlantic coast.

Unique Features

Reclaimed wood always comes with a human history. From the irregular textures of a hand-hewed surface to the distinctive swirls of early circular saw milling, every piece of reclaimed wood bears the imprint of the past.

Add to that the singular warping, wear, nail holes, and rust staining any hardworking piece of lumber must bear and you have a singular story right under your feet.

A Living Legacy

The best part about owning a reclaimed wood floor is that the story is not over. These woods might be all we have left of long-forgotten pre-colonial forests since they were once part of the factories, mills, warehouses, and barns of an earlier America. By making them part of our busy everyday lives today we honor that legacy by continuing it.

Pros of Reclaimed Wide Plank Flooring

While the beauty and historical legacy of quality reclaimed wood are easy to appreciate, there are many practical reasons for choosing it for wide plank flooring.

1. Durability

There was a reason our ancestors chose these woods and why their work is still with us today. These slow-growing first- and second-growth woods have a strength and durability you just won’t find in modern commercial softwoods.

2. Flexibility

At the same time, the size of these early trees gave boards sawn from them a unique flexibility that gives a well-constructed reclaimed wood floor a unique “sprung” quality.

3. Stability

More importantly, the tight grain of genuine antique hardwoods is remarkably stable, meaning the boards are more resistant to swelling, warping, or cracking as moisture levels change with the season and years. That means less creaking, gaping, and unevenness even after years of use.

4. Finishable…

Good-quality reclaimed wood can be finished in many ways using simple stains, durable varnishes, sealants, or (if you must) paint. Start with good materials and the results will speak for themselves.

5. … And Refinishable

Premium reclaimed wood flooring rewards careful renovation, from repeated staining and waxing to full sand-down renovations. Quality always shines through!

6. Fewer Planks, Fewer Seams

While wider floorboards will usually cost more, you won’t need to buy as many planks and you’ll have less pieces to nail down. It also means fewer seams, which will add to the visual appeal of your floor. This also makes it easier to clean and maintain plus minimizes potential trip hazards as the floor ages.

7. Sustainability

Reclaimed wood is a finite resource therefore good quality, legacy woods will cost more. At the same time, choosing to include it in your construction extends the life of a valuable product and keeps it out of landfills. It also helps reduce demand for modern commercial forestry products that are in many cases far more carbon-intensive and much less durable.

Cons of Reclaimed Wide Plank Flooring

Despite its obvious appeal, reclaimed wood is not ideal for every flooring project, especially if you have limited time or a tight budget.

1. Cost

High-quality, responsibly reclaimed wood simply costs more. Reclaiming, cleaning, and grading this lumber is very labor-intensive. Premium reclaimed wood will cost you more up front but will pay off over time. That said, skimping on quality with cheaper wood can mean expensive do-overs, repairs, and maintenance work for years to come.

2. Availability

There’s only so much good-quality reclaimable wood out there so it can be harder to find the exact quality and size of lumber you need.

For best results work with an established, reputable wood reclamation company like E.T. Moore. We have the widest selection of quality reclaimed lumber on hand as well as the knowledge, experience, and connections to source specialty orders.

3. Inconsistent Size

Along with limited availability comes inconsistent sizing. Not only were older boards not cut to the same exacting standards as modern lumber products, but job lots tend to include pieces of many different sizes. At E.T. Moore, we’re known for our consistent grading and we have the milling and finishing equipment to bring your order to specification if necessary.

4. Inconsistent Quality

Reclaimed wood comes with a personality of its own. That’s why we love it—but warping, bending, and staining as a result of historic use is part of the challenge and charm of working with a legacy product. At E.T. Moore we work hard to keep quality and character consistent, but if absolute uniformity is important then reclaimed wood is probably not for you.

5. Maintenance

Reclaimed wood is a responsibility. Keeping antique woods in use means taking care of them with regular cleaning, maintenance, and sometimes refinishing. If you’re not ready for a long-term commitment, then you might be better off with a low-cost, low-maintenance softwood or a manufactured wood product.

Own the Room: Buying Reclaimed Wood Flooring

If you’re serious about making reclaimed wood flooring part of your life then it’s worth taking the time to make smart choices that will deliver value over the long term. Here are some important things to consider:

Choose Quality

Not all reclaimed wood is the same. While lightweight, reclaimed barn wood is popular for decorative use, this is rarely suitable as flooring. If you’re in it for the long haul, genuine reclaimed pine, hemlock, cypress, and spruce are good choices. That said, the tried-and-true durability, stability, and visual appeal of genuine reclaimed heart pine are hard to beat.

How Wide Is Wide Plank?

The wider the planks you choose for your wide plank floor, the more you will pay. At the same time, reducing the number of seams in your floor and the nails and substructure needed will yield some savings. Remember also that wider usually also means longer. Choose longer length boards the wider you go to maintain a sense of visual harmony and proportion in your floor.

Consider Mixed Width

You can keep costs down by opting for a mixed-width floor that intersperses wider and narrower floorboards. Be sure to choose wood that has a very similar grain to avoid a “striped” effect. For best results, work with a professional installer.

Go With the Grain

Also, think about the overall visual effect of the grain in your floorboards. For consistency, choose the long, straight, combed grain of yellow pine. For interest, however, you may prefer the elegant cathedral-arch lines of heart pine. Consider how these lines will work with the width and length of your boards, particularly in narrow or elongated spaces like hallways or bathrooms.

Moisture Control

A critical factor in any original wood flooring is the amount of moisture in the wood you are buying and installing. Moisture content should ideally be very low but also needs to be consistent throughout the job lot you purchase to prevent shrinking, swelling, or warping as your floor is installed.

Be sure to work with a supplier who knows how to handle and store wood correctly. At E.T. Moore, we kiln dry reclaimed wood to ensure consistency and store all of our inventory indoors.

Grade Points

Reputable suppliers like E.T. Moore grade all the wood we handle according to the number of board faces that meet a particular standard. The more matching faces that wood in a lot has, the higher the grade assigned.

Raw reclaimed wood lots vary in quality and the size of individual planks or boards, meaning more pieces in a lot will be considered “out of grade.” The more “in grade” a lot is, the more of the original reclaimed wood will have to be discarded or milled. Lots are also graded according to color, grain, knotting, rust staining, and nail holes.

Professional grading helps to protect buyers. The knowledgeable staff at E.T. Moore will be glad to explain how our grading affects quality, consistency, and price.

Matchmaker

If you are undertaking a repair or restoration work or adding an extension on an older building you may have to find planking that matches existing floorboards. As one of the largest wood reclaimers on the East Coast, E.T. Moore has more than 50 years of experience in identifying, matching, and sourcing the rare antique hardwoods used in historic construction.

E.T. Moore: Your Quality Reclaimed Wood Source

Reclaimed wood is not always what it seems to be. To ensure you get the lasting quality and appeal you are paying for, work with a reputable partner.

At E.T. Moore, we’re working hard to put quality historic hardwoods into homes and workspaces where they will be used, preserved, and cherished for generations to come. We specialize in turn-of-the-century reclaimed heart pine flooring and other high-quality antique hardwood products. We offer:

• A wide selection of quality off-the-shelf reclaimed wood floorings
• Custom matching from our unrivaled on-site stock of reclaimed lumber
• Custom milling and molding services
• Decades of experience in sourcing and grading the best reclaimed woods

Talk to us about your reclaimed hardwood flooring needs. We’ll provide grading advice, expert millwork, and we can usually source special orders within two weeks. Contact us today or click below to learn about our reclaimed wood flooring products.

Reclaimed Wood Flooring

The durability, toughness, and strength of high-quality reclaimed wood make it a smart and practical choice for a wall covering. Its natural warm and timeless character makes it a beautiful material to surround yourself with. Here are some reclaimed wood wall ideas to get you started.

Reclaimed wood barn doors have become a popular design feature in apartments, lofts, and homes in recent years. Mounted on sliding hardware, barn doors offer a great way to separate spaces while adding visual appeal to any interior — especially when teamed with the natural charm of reclaimed wood.

Get Style on Track With a Genuine Reclaimed Wood Barn Door

You don’t need a straw hat or a room big enough to drive a wagon through to appreciate the charm and practicality of a barn door. This robust design option has as much to offer in a small apartment as it does in an expansive room. Here’s why choosing a barn room for your space is a great choice straight out of the gate.

A Barn Door?

Yes, that’s right! This is a door of almost any size mounted on wheels or rails so it slides aside horizontally to allow access to, well, almost anywhere. Originally designed to enclose the full width of a working barn, the indoor versions are especially popular for separating dining and living areas or closing off a bathroom or walk-in closet from a bedroom.

Versatile, Practical

There are a couple of reasons why barn doors can be such a smart and versatile choice for many different spaces:

• Any size: The sliding design of a barn door means it does not need to fit into a frame. In fact, a door can be built almost any size, provided there is space for it to slide into.
• Compact: This also means a door does not need to swing into a room to open, freeing up valuable usable floor space for furniture.

As a result, barn doors are a great way to close off larger entryways or areas in more expansive spaces or anywhere you’d usually have to use double swing doors. You just need enough space on one side of the entryway for the entire door to slide into, or half the space on either side for a split door solution.

Barn doors are also a smart way to free up valuable usable space around doorways in small apartments or en-suite bedrooms where every square foot counts.

Brace Yourself

So, aside from the practical advantages, what makes a barn door special? The distinctive cross-bracing of a traditional barn door adds both strength and style to a frame of any size. For the full “down home” farm effect, choose between:

• A "Z-Brace" or "Z-Style" barn door, which features diagonal planks in a "Z" pattern on the front of the door, held together with a diagonal brace on the back.
• A "Double X" or "Double Crossbuck" design featuring horizontal planks with two diagonal crossbars, creating a distinctive shape on both sides of the door.

Not ready for that much farm charm in your midtown loft or understated new build? No problem. The natural strength and relative lightness of wood mean barn doors are now available (or can be built) without the traditional visible bracing.

Style and Substance

That said, it’s the distinctive use of materials that makes a classic barn door stand out. Above all, it’s a design that calls for the effective use of wood, and nothing adds a touch of authentic rural or post-industrial charm like high-quality reclaimed wood.

A reclaimed wood barn door is not only a practical addition to your home but also a sliding pallet that adds natural texture and visual appeal to your living space. The look of your barn door is a combination of the wood you choose, the way it is painted or treated, and the hardware you use to mount and move it.

Whether you are buying your reclaimed wood barn door or having it built from scratch, the story it tells is up to you. Here are some other popular styles to get you started.

• Traditional Rustic: This design features a simple, classic look with a rustic touch. The door is made from natural wood and may have a weathered or distressed finish. The hardware is often made of wrought iron and can be simple or decorative.
• Modern Minimalist: This design is sleek and simple, with clean lines and a minimalist aesthetic. The door is often made from natural wood with a smooth, polished finish and the hardware is usually simple and understated.
• Farmhouse Style: This design has a cozy and charming feel, often featuring painted wood in a pastel or muted color, with decorative molding or trim. The hardware is often decorative, with black or bronze finishes.
• Industrial Chic: This design features raw materials such as reclaimed wood and metal, with a more industrial and edgy look. The door is often made from a combination of wood and metal and the hardware is usually black or dark metal with an industrial feel.
• Barn Style: This design is meant to mimic the look of a traditional barn door. The door is often made from natural wood and may have crossbars or decorative details. The hardware is often a sliding track system with large, visible wheels.

The Right Design for You

These design styles are just starting points. Ultimately, the design of the barn door should reflect your personal style and preferences. It's important to choose a design that you love and that you'll be happy with for years to come.

Here are some important considerations to bear in mind as you plan your door and the space it will fit into:

• Timelessness: While some designs may be trendy now, it's important to consider whether the design will remain popular in the future. Choosing a timeless design that will stand the test of time can be a smart choice. For example, a simple, classic rustic design or a traditional paneled one may be more timeless than a trendier industrial or minimalist design.
• Coherence: It's important to consider how the design of the barn door will fit in with the overall aesthetic of the space. Will the design complement the existing decor or clash with it? Make sure the barn door design aligns with the style and tone of the room or home.
• Durability: Since barn doors are often used frequently, it's important to ensure the design is sturdy and durable enough to withstand regular use. Choosing a high-quality reclaimed wood and hardware will help ensure the barn door lasts for years to come.
• Functionality: Consider the functionality of the barn door design and whether it will meet your needs. For example, a barn door with a large amount of glass panes may not provide enough privacy, while a door with intricate carvings may be difficult to clean.

Once the backbone of warehouses, mills, and agricultural buildings throughout our region, quality reclaimed woods provide unmatched strength, stability, and beauty for your project or renovation.

Whether used structurally or purely decoratively, traditional hand-hewn beams, rough-sawn beams, and resurfaced beams bring timeless beauty to the heart of your home, especially when used with an ideal wood beam finish that matches and enhances your interior aesthetic.

Here we describe the main styles of reclaimed wood beams available for your project, some of our recommended finishes or treatments, and how different finishes work with various interior designs or styles.

Wood Beam Styles

At E.T. Moore, we’re working to preserve the past by making it part of our modern everyday lives. We are experts at reclaiming old-growth beams recovered from disused early industrial buildings, docks, and historic barns so that we can continue to benefit from the irreplaceable strength and natural presence of these structural woods.

Original reclaimed heart pine beams still provide a level of structural strength, stability, and flexibility unmatched by many modern materials. At E.T. Moore, we offer single beams up to 40 feet long and 17 inches thick for your most demanding interior and exterior structural applications.

Our reclaimed beams are also available in a range of smaller original and custom sizes for both structural and decorative use. They also come in a variety of finishes that reveal these woods’ unique legacy.

Original Finish Beams

Our original finish beams pay tribute to the resilience and durability of these industrial timbers by preserving aspects of the wear, weathering, and markings that the woods received during their “working” lives.

While grain and color ultimately depend on the original wood species, much of the texture and character of these woods, from saltwater exposure to nail hole staining, is a direct result of their former lives. This makes every piece, in some way, unique.

The rougher finish of these timbers is best preserved in structural and decorative applications such as roof trusses or ceiling treatments. That said, the “honest” textures of these working woods can be softened by sensitive hand finishing and treatment with recommended oils, stains, or varnishes.

Hand-Hewn Beams

Before there were sawmills, our ancestors hewed wood with hand-made axes or adzes and used chisels to cut mortises. These techniques are still found preserved in older timbers or in wood buildings in more remote locations and bring an irreplaceable sense of connection to the past.

The unique human touch applied to these woods is best highlighted in decorative beams that celebrate this legacy of craftsmanship and connection to the natural world. E.T. Moore sources original hand hewn woods and can also assist with specialist treatments to match and recreate existing woodworking on historic buildings and restoration projects.

Rough Sawn Beams

The advent of large-scale timber harvesting brought with it the use of large hand-drawn blades and circular blades in the first steam-powered lumber mills. These early industrial techniques left their mark on historic timber.

Rough sawn beams feature either the distinctive irregular straight lines of original band saws or the graceful scalloped patterning left by early circular blades. These markings are preserved in the wood with sensitive milling and finishing techniques.

E.T. Moore respects the legacy of past woodworkers and therefore we do everything we can to preserve these marks when handling wood. We can also replicate some historic effects such as circle sawing on reclaimed wood to complement existing woodwork or recreate a desired effect.

Surfaced Beams

Reclaimed surfaced beams have been planed smooth to provide a clean and touch-friendly surface while still retaining the wood’s authentic texture and unique features like original nail holes and natural staining. Surfaced beams provide a more subtle and versatile “palette” for use in a wide range of modern or classic wood applications.

Depending on the source of the original reclaimed wood, surfaced reclaimed beams can also be trimmed and edged to provide a more standard finish and include decorative finishes like angled corners and ends. Surfaced beams are a great way to add quality decorative wood to a space in a simple and understated way.

Wood Beam Finishes

E.T. Moore supplies and recommends a wide selection of approved sealers, stains, and finishes to preserve and protect antique woods in both exterior and interior applications.

Sealers

Wood sealers provide the highest level of protection to woods by providing a plastic-based or varnish coating, making them great for exterior use or high-wear interior applications. However, once a varnish sealer is used, no further treatments can be applied on the wood without fully reconditioning it

Sealers do not change the color of wood, although they are sometimes combined with stains that do. That said, the amount of varnish in a sealer affects how glossy the finished wood appears. This can range from a high sheen to a softer “velvety” finish, depending on the look you are trying to achieve.

E.T. Moore supplies the following approved sealers for reclaimed woods:

• Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish: A versatile sealer combined with a tung oil finish that provides a protective, elastic coating that resists surface moisture and wear. Ideal for “oily” exotic hardwoods like teak, rosewood, and ipe.
• Waterlox Original Marine Sealer: A hard-wearing, medium-sheen sealer ideal for exterior projects or beams exposed to high levels of steam, heat, or moisture.

Stains

Stains penetrate the grain of the wood to change its color while preserving or enhancing the visual appeal of the grain. Stains provide some protection but do not include varnish to provide an impervious surface coating like sealers do.

Stains can dramatically change the color of the wood and should be carefully chosen to match the original color, grain, and texture. At the same time, most stains can be diluted for increased coverage and a more subtle effect.

Stains are also more effective on softer woods like pine because they are able to penetrate deeper into the grain than in hardwoods. That said, the tight grain, weathering, and natural aging of antique old-growth reclaimed woods like heart pine often makes them behave more like traditional hardwoods when stained.

With this in mind, E.T. Moore supplies the following approved stains for our wood products:

• Sutherland Welles Light Heart Pine Stain: The best stain for heart pine, this concentrated stain gives your heart pine flooring or wood project a sought-after “Old World” look
• Sutherland Welles Dark Heart Pine: This deepest-colored stain for heart pine provides maximum color intensity, especially when used undiluted.
• Sutherland Welles Medium Oak Stain: Made to enhance the natural beauty of oak and most other woods while bringing out the added depth of classic antique reclaimed wood.
• Sutherland Welles Warm Pine Stain: Add warmth and depth to the classic clean lines of genuine long-grained antique heart pine. Great for smooth-planed reclaimed woods.

Finishes

True finishes are meant to provide a beautiful luster to woods by penetrating deeply into the grain rather than simply adding a surface varnish. While more time-consuming to apply in multiple coats, a finish will protect your wood from the inside, while allowing you to sand down and add additional coats when your wood needs it.

By choosing to finish rather than seal the wood, you respect the natural weathering and breathability of it. This makes finishing an ideal choice for ultra-stable reclaimed wood, allowing you to refinish and protect it as time goes by.

E.T. Moore supplies the following quality finishes for use with our reclaimed wood products:

• Waterlox Original Satin Finish: An easy-to-apply low-gloss finish that protects and celebrates your wood’s natural beauty.
• Waterlox Original High Gloss Finish: Highlight the beauty of your reclaimed beams with this ultra-glossy finish. Use in conjunction with Waterlox Original Sealer/Finisher for ultimate shine and protection.

Wood Beam Finishes

While reclaimed wood is highly durable, there are only a few approved finish products on the market. At E.T. Moore, we carry the following finish options:

Waterlox Original Sealer and Finish

This Tung oil finish creates a protective and elastic barrier against moisture, foot traffic, and common household spills. This is Waterlox's oldest interior finish—it was originally formulated in 1910 and provides excellent adhesion to reclaimed wood beams.

Waterlox Original – Satin Finish

This low gloss level formulation offers a sturdy and elastic barrier to everyday household spills and foot traffic. There is no preparation needed—you can use this product straight out of the can with applicators such as lambswool.

Waterlox Original High Gloss Finish

This high gloss finish tung oil is meant to be used in conjunction with Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish. It provides a high 85° gloss level and is very easy to apply.

Waterlox Original Marine Finish

This traditional exterior Tung oil spar varnish offers a high gloss finish and provides excellent protection against moisture, harsh weather, and sun/UV rays.

What Finish Works Best With Your Style?

While hard-wearing glossy finishes and sealers are required for exterior beams, the finish you choose for your interior woodwork should highlight the natural beauty of your reclaimed beams while complementing your own chosen style.

Modern Styles

For bright, light Scandinavian-inspired spaces, choose smooth-finished beams or make a feature out of some heavily-distressed or hand-hewn pieces—but keep all your surfaces light and clean.

Treat beams with a simple, clear oil-based finish or at most just a light treatment with Sutherland Welles Light Heart Pine Stain—but keep the wood smooth, lightly textured, and tactile. Above all, avoid overly shiny sealed surfaces.

Rustic, Spanish, and Western Styles

These styles draw directly from the natural hues of classic heart pine. If your original reclaimed beams are already mid-hued or have original woodworking textures you want to accentuate, then simply compliment them with Sutherland Welles Light Heart Pine Stain to protect and accentuate.

If your reclaimed pine is relatively pale or very smooth, then add warmth with Sutherland Welles Warm Pine finish. However, consider using this in dilution to avoid overwhelming any subtle iron staining or the natural contrast between the heart and sapwood.

“Old World” Styles

If you are looking for the gravitas and warmth of a genuine old world interior then start with high-quality reclaimed oak or dense-grained single-tone heart pine beams, then treat them with Sutherland Welles Warm Pine finish at full strength. Team with heavy furniture and rich tones to create a warm, intimate, and welcoming space.

Provided your room has enough light, you can achieve the authentic feel of an English country pub by giving your beams a darker ”smoked” finish with Sutherland Welles Dark Heart Pine Stain. Complete the look with whitewashed walls, stonework accents, and wrought iron details.

Farmhouse Styles

The classic American farmhouse style features plenty of pastels and painted/natural wood combinations. You can bring depth and quality to what might otherwise be a rather off-the-shelf look by adding genuine reclaimed woods to the ceiling space or wall accents.

Choose clean smooth-cut or circle-cut beams over hand-hewn or heavily distressed reclaimed beams and treat them with a Light Heart Pine or Warm Pine finish to match exposed pine table legs or accents elsewhere in the room.

Industrial Styles

If you’re going for a modern loft or industrial style then choose an original finish or heavily distressed reclaimed barn beams. Treat these with a combination of dark or mid-hued stains, depending on how much light you have.

Experiment with using multiple layers of finish to slightly darken the color of some elements for a piecemeal “postmodern” effect. Team your beams with stainless steel furniture and neon or track lighting.

The durability, toughness, and strength of high-quality reclaimed wood make it a smart and practical choice for a wall covering. Its natural warm and timeless character makes it a beautiful material to surround yourself with. Here are some reclaimed wood wall ideas to get you started.

Wood Paneling Techniques

Traditional wood paneling techniques were developed wherever wood was used to line the interior of buildings to help improve insulation and provide an appealing surface. While originally dependent on the type of woods that were locally available, more modern styles were developed with the arrival of industrial-scale forestry practices and machine milling.

Board and Batten

Where only narrower boards were available, these were often installed in a style now often known as board or batten. Usually used with vertical boards running from floor to ceiling, the style included narrower strips to cover the seams between the main boards to improve insulation and add visual appeal.

Shiplap Walls

Named to recall the watertight sides of a wooden boat, shiplap walls are made up of parallel boards with tongue and groove edges that achieve a smooth, almost seamless effect. Most often done with boards running horizontally, handcrafted shiplap paneling in fine timber is the hallmark of a master artisan.

Beadboard Paneling

Beadboard is a term for wood paneling made up of parallel identically edged boards that provide a decorative effect with grooved seams. All the boards used need to be identically milled to achieve this look, which means it is a relatively modern technique.

Framed Panels

Where larger wood panels were available, these were framed up against the wall using narrower lumber in a grid of identical rectangles. In the finest homes, these panels originally showcased elegant split and matched heartwood patterns, but the availability of cheaper softwoods and pine veneers has made this technique more common.

Chevron or Herringbone Walls

Chevron and herringbone paneling uses boards or wooden strips laid out in parallel or interweaving diagonal shapes. Mainly used as an accent in other fine work by skilled craftsmen, the wider availability of uniformly milled lumber has seen this technique being used more in flooring and in decorative wall displays.

Wood Slats

Wood slat walls are made up of thin precision-milled strips. Installed vertically, horizontally, or both, this design trend creates a modern, sleek, and stylish look.

Vertical Strips

With deep roots in the mid-century modernist tradition, this technique of lining up thinly-spaced strips of narrow wood was perhaps overused in the 1970s but is regaining popularity now. While elegant and versatile when professionally carried out, it can be hard to keep in good shape over time.

3D Wood Designs

Wall displays made up of superimposed wood pieces can make for interesting and appealing accents in a room but need to balance originality with restraint. They also tend to attract dust over time and can be hard to clean.

Reclaimed Wood Wall Ideas With Modern Applications

While many of these paneling effects can now be achieved using popular mass-produced prefabricated wood fiber products, using high-quality wood is instantly recognizable and has a long-lasting appeal that will endure fleeting trends.

If you are serious about investing in a wood wall design that will stand the test of time, then you should also consider using genuine reclaimed wood from a reputable supplier. As experts on historical hardwoods, E.T. Moore recovers these irreplaceable woods from the beams, joists, and floorboards found in early industrial-era mills, warehouses, and factories.

Once part of the original old-growth hardwood forests that covered the eastern seaboard, these woods provide a living link to America’s industrial past. Here are some “mix and match” ideas to help you include this long tradition of fine woodworking in your everyday surroundings.

Full Walls

We don’t often panel entire rooms anymore, but in many spaces, a full paneled wall can add warmth to a sterile space without being overwhelming. Choose an understated wood texture and a smooth shiplap design for enduring appeal.

Wainscotting

Wainscotting brings a timeless classic feel into your home and can make dining rooms, hallways, and entryways feel more welcoming. Wainscotting is usually a traditional frame or board and batten design that extends up the wall to waist or shoulder height, with a painted section above.

Alcoves

If you are concerned about overwhelming a space with too much wood or you need to differentiate areas in an open-plan or multi-use area, a wood-lined alcove could be the answer. Set off a breakfast nook or a couch with warm, welcoming wood tones that highlight your stainless steel appliances or stone countertops.

Fireplaces

Add warmth and focus to your den or renovated basement with a beautifully appointed fireplace. Here’s the place to let loose on vibrant yet understated herringbone, chevron, or modernist wooden slat designs.

High-Traffic Areas

The secret of high-quality reclaimed hardwoods is that, while they cost a little more up front, they’ll outlast most modern materials and look better doing it. That makes them perfect for high-traffic areas like entryways, mud rooms, or around stairways. Reclaimed wood will shrug off everyday fingermarks, spills, and bumps—after all, it’s already seen worse!

Enduring Styles

A well-chosen wood provides a great pallet for whatever style you prefer, but to keep your overall design looking current for longer, it might help to base your ideas on one of a few established interior design themes. It will also make it easier to find matching accessories.

Traditional Rustic

Make the most of your natural wood with plain or lightly stained surfaces with plenty of weathering, nail stains, or other distresses. Inconsistencies in milling and woodworking are more accepted. Wrought iron hardware and accessories match well and can be utilitarian or more decorative.

Modern Minimalist

Drawing directly on the iconic modernist designs of the last century, this look favors clean lines and a minimalist aesthetic. Woods are in natural or mid-toned hues with a smooth, polished finish. Accessories are usually simple and understated.

Farmhouse Style

This classic American style has a cozy and charming feel, with wood in paired tones and plenty of molding or trim. The hardware is often decorative, with black or bronze finishes.

Industrial Chic

Think midtown loft or rust belt renaissance. This style features raw materials such as heavily distressed reclaimed wood and chunky accessories for a more industrial and edgy look. Woods are generally darker or heavily stained and accessories are in dark metals.

Reclaimed wood flooring brings natural beauty, warmth, and a unique character to any interior space—but will it stand up to the everyday rigors of kitchen use? Yes! Here’s why choosing quality reclaimed materials can give you the best wood floor for your kitchen.

Put Down a Marker for Quality

Whether you’re installing original recovered flooring, a more engineered solution, or E.T. Moore’s custom-milled tongue and groove products, here’s why well-sourced and treated reclaimed wood is a great material for your kitchen floor.

Durable

Reclaimed woods are by definition durable woods. Chosen originally for their strength and toughness as heavy-duty flooring or construction materials, these are often higher quality, old-growth woods that have stood the test of time over decades or even centuries. Treated properly, they will continue to handle years of everyday kitchen use.

Stable

The best reclaimed woods, such as original East Coast heart pine, boast tight grains and long fibers that give flooring superior year-round stability. When treated and installed properly, these woods offer resistance to swelling, shrinking, or movement unmatched by many other natural materials —even when exposed to the elevated heat and moisture of the kitchen environment.

Healthy

The natural spring and slight give of genuine elevated hardwood flooring provide a surface that is a delight to walk on and more forgiving on the back and legs, especially if you spend long hours on your feet preparing food in the kitchen. Look for long pieces of high-quality reclaimed wood for the best results.

Easy to Clean

High-quality reclaimed pine and other smooth, tight-grained reclaimed woods make a naturally easy-to-clean flooring ideal for kitchens. When treated with durable modern finishes, most floors can be vacuumed or swept and treated with a damp mop as required. Use a light natural cleaner to remove minor scuffs.

Easy to Maintain

The more you invest in a wooden floor, the easier it will be to maintain. Investing in good quality wood flooring will increase the durability of both traditional treatments and modern finishes as well as give you a surface that’s suitable for refinishing in the future.

Warm and Inviting

Wood adds a delightful touch of nature to any interior. In a kitchen, it’s ideal for softening the exposed steel or hard edges of contemporary appliances and modern design.

Timeless and Always in Fashion

Kitchen design is constantly changing and once hip concepts can fade quickly. But premium wooden flooring never goes out of style, especially if it comes with the built-in pedigree of reclaimed wood. Choosing genuine reclaimed wood flooring helps to “future-proof” your kitchen design and therefore is a great long-term investment in timeless style.

Wood Wears Well

Good reclaimed wood offers great durability and resistance to wear but is not impervious. It’s important to realize that even the best quality woods will begin to wear over time, especially in a busy area like the kitchen. Part of the unique appeal of reclaimed wood is this record of everyday life, both past and present, left behind in the texture of the wood itself.

That said, there are a few things you can do to keep your reclaimed wood kitchen flooring looking better for longer:

• Choose a matte rather than high-gloss finish to hide minor scratches and marks
• Choose engineered or precision-milled products for maximum durability and stability
• Choose a reputable supplier like E.T. Moore who knows how to source, treat, and finish the finest quality reclaimed woods.

The Best Wood Floor for the Kitchen

Reclaimed wood flooring brings to your home both proven durability plus a particular beauty and patina that reflects its unique past. When you choose to install reclaimed wood flooring at the heart of your home—and to use, maintain and even restore it over the years—you’ll be adding your own chapter to an ever richer story.

E.T. Moore is one of the largest reclaimed wood manufacturers on the East Coast. We specialize in turn-of-the-century reclaimed heart pine flooring and other high-quality antique hardwood products. We offer:

• A wide selection of quality off-the-shelf reclaimed wood floorings
• Custom matching from our unrivaled on-site stock of reclaimed lumber
• Custom milling and molding services
• Decades of experience in sourcing and grading the best reclaimed woods

Click below to learn more about how E.T. Moore can help you find quality reclaimed flooring that meets all of your expectations.

Reclaimed Wood Flooring

Reclaimed wood beams offer unparalleled beauty and durability. They can transform an otherwise dull room into something of interest. When selecting the right beams for your project, several finish and style options are available, such as hand hewn and rough sewn.

This guide will help you better understand wood beam finishes and styles and how to pair them with a reclaimed wood beam.

Wood Beam Finishes

While reclaimed wood is highly durable, there are only a few approved finish products on the market. At E.T. Moore, we carry the following finish options:

Waterlox Original Sealer and Finish

This Tung oil finish creates a protective and elastic barrier against moisture, foot traffic, and common household spills. This is Waterlox's oldest interior finish—it was originally formulated in 1910 and provides excellent adhesion to reclaimed wood beams.

Waterlox Original – Satin Finish

This low gloss level formulation offers a sturdy and elastic barrier to everyday household spills and foot traffic. There is no preparation needed—you can use this product straight out of the can with applicators such as lambswool.

Waterlox Original High Gloss Finish

This high gloss finish tung oil is meant to be used in conjunction with Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish. It provides a high 85° gloss level and is very easy to apply.

Waterlox Original Marine Finish

This traditional exterior Tung oil spar varnish offers a high gloss finish and provides excellent protection against moisture, harsh weather, and sun/UV rays.

Top-quality materials can turn a great project into a timeless classic, but how much does a premium product like reclaimed heart pine flooring cost? In this article, we take a look at what goes into determining your heart pine price per board foot.

Bring Home History: Reclaimed Heart Pine Flooring Cost

Reclaimed heart pine flooring comes with a history and character all its own, while its strength and durability mean it will only get better with age. While you will pay more for genuine reclaimed heart pine woods, you’re nailing down a product that will add value to a property for decades to come.

Let’s take a look at some of the factors that go into pricing reclaimed heart pine.

Limited Stock, Unlimited Possibilities

Heart pine from the original longleaf pine forests of the eastern seaboard was prized for its strength, stability, and durability. From the 1700s through to the early 1900s it was used to build the mills, factories, schools, and homes that became America. Today those ancient forests are gone, but their wood is increasingly prized for its beauty and historical significance.

Reputable wood reclamation companies like E.T. Moore are always excited to discover a new source of quality reclaimed wood. It’s one more chance to preserve a unique part of our heritage by making it part of our lives today. That said, two factors play a big role in determining how much any collection of raw reclaimable wood is worth:

• Rarity and Size: The highest-quality heart pine is often the oldest, harvested when large trees were still plentiful. Large pieces of undamaged old-growth timber are increasingly rare and fetch a premium price.
• Grade-ability: Raw reclaimed wood comes as large beams, round and square columns, and floor and roof decking. This needs to be turned into lumber that can be easily installed and used in modern construction^[a]. Up to 55% of a reclaimed lot can be lost after the wood is sawed, straight-lined, end-trimmed and milled, meaning we buy twice as much wood as we sell.

Wood reclaimers also need to estimate how much any demolition work will cost, as well as the cost of cleaning the recovered wood, removing nails and bolts, and eliminating any rot.

Top Grades for Quality

Once raw reclaimed wood has been sorted, cleaned, and milled, a number of other factors become important in pricing a lot for sale.

E.T. Moore: Your Partner in Quality

E.T. Moore offers the largest selection of reclaimed heart pine woods in the country. We hold a vast inventory of top-quality precision-milled grades at our facility in Richmond, VA.

While you will always pay more for genuine heart pine it is always “cheap at the price” to add your own chapter to a true piece of American heritage.

Prices for our classic Number 1 Grade start at about $12.50 per square foot, while our premium Select and Select Edge Grain heart pine start at about $16 per square foot and $19 per square foot respectively.

We also currently offer a sale price of $7.25 square foot for our Number 2 Grade Heart Pine.

Learn more about E.T. Moore’s unmatched range of reclaimed heart pine products below.

Many people turn to the internet when searching for sources for reclaimed wood. With a few clicks of the mouse, you can find and buy it at major hardware stores, Craigslist, Etsy, and other online retailers.

However, you often don’t get what you think you’re paying for—and in many cases, you get useless wood that won’t stand up to the test of time. Rot, discoloration, and poor quality control are a few of the many issues you can run into.

Read on to learn more about the potential pitfalls of buying reclaimed wood online and how to ensure you’re getting the real deal.

Caveat Emptor

It’s no secret that reclaimed wood that’s harvested, processed, and sold by reputable dealers can be pricier than other sources. As with all things expensive in life—scammers will find a way to profit off unsuspecting people. Scams range from gluing reclaimed wood veneer over cheap lumber to high-quality polyurethane replicas from overseas.

There are several reasons why reclaimed lumber tends to cost more. For starters, it gets harder every year to find new sources of reclaimed lumber to meet consumers' insatiable demand. It also takes considerable time and the skills of a master craftsman to harvest and process old barn wood into usable reclaimed lumber.

If you find an online reclaimed wood deal that seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Quality Control Problems

You might think you’re getting a bargain when you search the internet for “free barn wood Craigslist” or “free reclaimed wood near me.” However free is never truly free.

You’ll need to hire someone to process the “free” wood or do it yourself. Reclaimed wood is often chock full of nails that you’ll need to remove before you can cut or mill it smooth—and that will require using an industrial milling machine for the best chances of success.

It’s not unusual for old, dilapidated barns and buildings to have holes in the roof that leak water. The wood soaks it up, leading to bug infestations and higher-than-expected moisture levels. Reclaimed wood with high moisture content will shrink when installed in your home, leaving very noticeable gaps in your flooring and woodwork.

The lower-cost material you order will often show up on the job site at a far lower quality than the original design specified. As such, you’ll wind up having to order more to replace what was rejected. Most people don’t realize that when purchasing raw materials, there is a 50% loss in converting them into a finished product.

Inventory Problems

Buying reclaimed wood from Etsy or another internet source can lead to inventory issues. For example, many smaller dealers will take a deposit and physically go out into the field to find the raw material.

The grade depends on the luck of the draw and what they happen to find—not what you expect and paid for. Often, the product description will not match the delivered material, and the lack of inventory also does not allow for consistent grades.

Ultimately, you may have to change the design you want to fit the limited supply of materials they have on hand.

Delivery Problems

Most Craigslist and Etsy reclaimed wood sellers have an actual day job and consider their “reclaimed wood business” as a side venture that they only work at on nights and weekends. This means they often don’t have the storage space to hold on to your material—you may be forced to take an early delivery and rent storage space until you’re ready to install.

Like all lumber, reclaimed wood is heavy. Shipping costs to a job site can be expensive, and smaller dealers often can’t deliver or arrange delivery. At E.T. Moore, we get up to a 65% shipping discount and pass those savings on to our customers.

Tips for Getting High-Quality Reclaimed Wood

Reclaimed wood is very popular due to its beauty and rugged durability. The premium price you pay covers raw material sourcing, transport, and proprietary processing into something of value and beauty.

Here are a few tips on how to ensure you’re getting genuine and high-quality reclaimed wood that will last for generations to come:

• Ask for pictures of the facility and raw materials. A red flag should go up in your mind if they can’t provide photos of where they process and store the materials.
• Ask to see current orders in production—Google “EXIF Viewer” to find a free online tool that will allow you to upload the photos they send to view the timestamp to ensure it wasn’t taken several years ago.
• Look at their Google/etc. reviews. Consider the number of people who have reviewed their business and look for pictures that customers have posted of the facility. These unedited photos will give you an excellent idea of the supplier.
• Look for modern equipment at their location. Milling machines, sanders, saws, forklifts, buildings—this will indicate if you’re working with a serious operation or a part-timer.
• Forklifts are expensive, and many smaller companies use cheaper skid steers or pallet jacks to move the lumber around. This is a very inefficient way of moving, grading, and sorting lumber; these inefficiencies will often carry over into other production areas.
• Don’t trust pretty finished job site photos. Everyone in this business has worked on high-end projects fitting for major magazines.

Reclaimed Wood From E.T. Moore

A lot of time, money, and effort goes into sourcing, processing, and storing reclaimed wood. To eliminate nasty surprises and potentially spending more than you originally bargained for, avoid buying reclaimed wood from online suppliers. It’s just not worth the risk.

At E.T. Moore, we’re one of the largest reclaimed wood manufacturers on the East Coast. We can get you the size, quality, quantities, and grades of lumber that you need to complete your project. Click below to learn more about our reclaimed wood flooring and lumber products.

The beauty of both reclaimed heart pine and sustainable yellow pine make both woods popular choices for flooring. But what’s the difference between these two woods and what are the relative advantages of either one when it comes to your renovation or new build project?

Different Strokes: Reclaimed Heart Pine vs. Yellow Pine

Both reclaimed heart pine and yellow pine offer appealing qualities for use in flooring. Each however has unique qualities that are better suited for particular contexts.

Appearance

Good quality heart pine offers a mix of golden sapwood and darker heartwood. Most heart pine today is reclaimed wood, meaning it has been recovered from older buildings when they are renovated or demolished.

Genuine reclaimed heart pine comes with a particular history that adds to its beauty, including nail holes, oxidation, or even the distinctive swirls left by early circular saws.

Yellow pine, however, is usually all sapwood, and its color brings a warm glow to every room it’s used in. Since these trees are usually younger and smaller than the original longleaf pines, they generally have fewer knots than heartwood and their growth lines aren’t as dense.

Durability

Reclaimed heart pine is significantly harder than yellow pine because of its tighter grain and greater age. Heart pine measures around 1225 on the Janka scale for assessing the hardness of wood, compared with around 870 for yellow pine.

Hardness and durability are why heart pine has been the go-to choice for centuries for everything from shipbuilding to construction, and why heart pine lasts so well, even after decades of punishment.

The softer sapwood of yellow pine will not wear quite as well as heart pine, but well-aged and seasoned wood will last for decades if well cared for. Its softness also gives yellow pine more flexibility, making it a popular and affordable choice for flooring.

Sourcing and Availability

Heart pine is available mainly as reclaimed wood, therefore its supply is finite. While wood reclaimers like E.T. Moore are always working to recover additional supplies of heart pine, there is simply less of this wood to go around, especially in longer lengths of wider grades.

Yellow pine is commercially grown and widely available in a range of lengths and grades. However, quality can vary so again, it pays to work with reputable reclaimers who can access stores of older, better seasoned yellow pine that will age with your building.

Cost

Reclaimed heart pine is never cheap, although some varieties, such as those with historic nail holes or darker knots are more affordable. Prices for heartwood generally run from two to four times that of a similar grade of quality yellow pine, if available. And, if you insist on custom milling boards of heartwood to your specifications, the cost can be many times higher.

Yellow pine is an affordable choice that outperforms many cheaper woods. Maintain it well and it will serve you for many years while acquiring a luster and character all of its own.

Matching

If you are renovating or adding to a house dating from the 1940s onwards, it is likely any pine flooring is yellow pine (although possibly also white pine or fir). E.T. Moore will be able to match this well with a suitable grade and color of new growth yellow pine.

If your project dates from the 1920s or older, we will match this with a suitable grade of heart pine. It’s not possible to match a yellow pine with a heart pine in any grade.

E.T. Moore: Your Source for Quality Heart Pine vs. Yellow Pine

At E.T. Moore, we offer an unrivaled ability to match both reclaimed and new growth pine with quality stock—it's why we’re called in to source flooring for historical restoration projects. The difference lies in our experience in sourcing hard-to-find woods and the depth of our huge on-site inventory of carefully stored reclaimed wood.

We can match several varieties of quality reclaimed heart pine in different grades for your special construction or restoration. We also supply sustainably grown and harvested yellow pine and custom milling to provide a premium option for new build projects.

Click below to learn more.

Reclaimed Wood Flooring

Sourcing great quality reclaimed wood for your flooring project is only half the job. Reclaimed wood flooring installation is an art in and of itself. Here are some common installation mistakes to avoid.

Reclaimed Wood Flooring Installation: 6 Mistakes to Avoid

You’ve sourced just the right grade of beautiful reclaimed wood for your renovation or new build flooring—but that’s only the first step. Just as important is a deft, meticulous installation job that brings out the unique character of your reclaimed wood floor.

Reclaimed wood flooring installation is a combination of art, careful planning, and execution. Whether you’re working with a professional or doing the work yourself, here are six common wood flooring mistakes to avoid to make the most of your investment in reclaimed wood flooring.

1. Don’t Skimp on Your Subfloor

Your subfloor is critical to making sure your reclaimed wood floor presents as beautifully as it should. So take the time to ensure your existing subfloor is solid, undamaged, and not warped or subsiding. For new build projects, don’t think you can skimp on subfloor quality just because you won’t see the subfloor!

Use the best quality wood products you can afford to avoid swelling and warping when exposed to moisture. Work with professional installers or structural engineers to ensure your subfloor is sound. This will help extend the life of your reclaimed wood floor by avoiding problems such as creaking, sinking, and uneven surfaces.

2. Moisture Content: Make Sure to Manage It

Wood is a living product that swells and shrinks as it absorbs and releases moisture. A well-executed installation needs to take this into account at every step. It’s most important to ensure that your entire reclaimed wood stock and sub-flooring contain consistent moisture contents during installation.

Forgetting to account for moisture levels in wood can cause several problems, including:

• Gapping — While small gaps will widen and close slightly as your floor “breathes,” permanent gaps can appear if moisture levels are inconsistent during installation.
• Compression set — Boards that swell against others can become crushed. When the boards dry out and shrink, this deformation remains, leading to uneven gapping.
• Panelization — A section of floor can develop abnormal gaps related to movement or swelling in the sub-floor beneath it, especially around heating vents and water pipes.
• Sidebonding — Inconsistent gaps between boards that have shrunk but are still partially bonded together by finishes, particularly by water-based products or adhesive used in glue-down installations.

Moisture levels can be kept consistent by:

• Installing floors in the spring and fall when humidity levels are not too high or low
• Acclimatizing flooring by storing it on-site for several days before installation
• Using a moisture meter to check that wood stocks have similar moisture contents

3. Don’t Assume Your Rooms are Square

While good milling will make your reclaimed floor as square as possible, that doesn’t mean the rest of your house is. Every building has slightly bowed walls and angles that aren’t square, which can be severe in older homes. The long straight lines of hardwood flooring can accentuate these imperfections if not placed thoughtfully.

Measuring rooms carefully can help avoid:

• Sight-lines that call attention to bowed or out-of-square walls
• Unsightly angles where board ends meet
• Awkward rip cuts to make boards fit

4. Crooked Boards

Even with careful measuring, you can still end up with flooring that doesn’t line up with your walls. This can happen if:

• Flooring slips out of alignment during installation; small errors can quickly be compounded as boards are added
• Foot traffic is allowed onto glue-down installations before the adhesive has had time to set
• Flooring is added to an existing floor without checking it is straight
• Reclaimed wood flooring is poorly milled with crooked edges or board ends

5. Bad Racking

Racking refers to the order in which boards are laid and is the heart of the wood floorer’s art. A good racker will plan out an entire project before nailing down a single board to allow the whole floor layout to be seen ahead of time. The racker will then use a mix of standard and shorter beams to create a seamless, seemingly random placement of beam ends and intersections.

Among other problems, bad racking can often result in:

• Beam ends that line up too closely
• Groups of right angles or beam ends in conspicuous places
• Boards laid crossways rather than lengthways in narrow spaces

6. Too Few Nails

Think you have enough nails laid? Think again! Even if it seems solid today, the floor will expand and shrink with the seasons. The more nails you have in place, the better to keep everything locked down for years. Trust us and do the extra work now—you’ll be grateful every time you don’t hear a creak!

Reclaimed wood has seen a massive surge in popularity over the past few years, and it’s easy to see why. It’s environmentally friendly, has unique characteristics, and is extremely strong and durable.

You might have noticed that the cost of reclaimed wood tends to be somewhat on the expensive side—this is due to the labor of love and expert craftsmanship that goes into creating it. Read on to learn why is reclaimed wood so expensive.

The Demolition Process

Demolishing a building to obtain reclaimed wood is no easy task. You first need to find a suitable building and then examine it to ensure the original wood is in salvageable condition. It then takes several weeks to several months of hard, backbreaking labor.

As the building comes down piece by piece, workers take special care to identify and salvage desirable pieces of wood that they will eventually turn into beams, paneling, and flooring. Once the demolition is complete, the salvaged wood is then loaded onto a truck and shipped to the E.T. Moore warehouse, where it will undergo a series of processing and refinement steps:

Denailing

The salvaged wood often has many rusted nails sticking out of it. Before processing work can begin, a team of workers will spend upwards of 50 to 60 hours removing the nails. There’s no machine in the world that can perform this task—it’s all done by hand.

Sawing

After the nails have been removed, a team of expert graders will visually inspect each piece of wood and use a proprietary formula to determine the best way to maximize the yield for standard 4/4, 5/4, 6/4, and 8/4 lumber. Customized Woodmizer and Esterer saws are then used for rough-sawn products.

Defects in the edges and ends are trimmed to maximize each board's widest possible width and remove any remaining blemishes. Once finished, the boards undergo a secondary grading process that includes re-checking for moisture for quality control purposes.

Kiln Drying

Depending on the species or type of reclaimed wood, it may undergo further processing. For example, Old Growth Tidewater Red Cypress Lumber gets slow cured outside for six months and then moved to a passive solar kiln for another six months of treatment.

Product Creation

Finally, we send the reclaimed wood through our state-of-the-art molder machine to create molding, custom flooring, and paneling.

Reclaimed wood offers a unique, durable, and environmentally friendly alternative for flooring, woodwork, or building. However, there are some problems with reclaimed wood you should be aware of before you embark on a project.

Problems to Look Out For With Reclaimed Wood

Beautifully restored reclaimed wood adds something special to a building or room, but sourcing good quality stock comes with some serious potential hazards and pitfalls. Working with a reputable professional wood reclaimer can help you avoid problems.

1. Nails and staples

Old nails, pegs, and staples are time-consuming to remove and can cause cuts and scrapes and put you at risk of a tetanus infection.

At E.T. Moore, denailing is a top job for us as professional reclaimers. We spend hours inspecting “new” wood with hand tools and even metal detectors. We know a missed nail can seriously damage a saw and even endanger the operator.

2. Termites

Not only do wood-eating pests like termites damage wood, but bringing untreated reclaimed wood into your house risks spreading the infestation to your existing furniture and walls.

Avoid barn and pallet wood in particular in favor of higher-quality recovered woods.

3. Mold & Mildew

Reclaimed wood may also contain less visible hazards to your health: Mold and mildew: Reclaimed wood that has been exposed to high levels of humidity or moisture may expose your family to mold or mildew spores.

This can lead to respiratory problems, especially among children, elderly people, or asthmatics.

• Bacteria: Wood that has been used in barns may be contaminated for decades with bacteria from animal waste. Exposure to untreated wood can cause bacterial pneumonia or other illnesses.
• Reclaimed wood that could be infested with mold or mildew or contaminated with bacteria needs to be professionally treated. It is important also to work with companies that can store reclaimed wood long-term in dry conditions, preferably indoors.

4. Cupping and Warping

Excess moisture also has the potential to cause reclaimed wood to warp or cup. Make sure the wood you choose is a good-quality stock that has been dry stored since it was reclaimed.

At E.T. Moore, we specialize in recovered long-leaf yellow pine and other high-quality heartwoods that are naturally resistant to warping.

5. Variable Grades and Quality

The biggest challenge in using reclaimed wood is sourcing enough wood of a consistent grade or quality to meet your project needs or to match existing stock.

• Higher-quality woods can be hard to find in wider grades
• Milling techniques and standards may have changed, and
• Woods acquire a particular grain or patina as they age, weather, or wear that can be difficult to replicate. To have the look of that era, it needs to come from that era!

The Best Source for Flooring and Lumber

As the world’s largest producer of vintage heart pine products, E.T. Moore can work with you to source the best products for your project, depending on your particular needs:

• Flooring: Stock of rare woods such as white oak can be hard to find. An 1850’s floor will be very different from a 1950’s floor. With a huge inventory at our five-acre Richmond site, it’s likely we can replicate what is needed for the best possible match.
• Lumber: Lower-quality lumber can sometimes be poorly milled or not be available in the grade you need. We are experts at sourcing rare or obscure lumber products. And, with more quality lumber in stock, our customers know what they are getting at the start of a project, allowing them to deliver work of the highest quality on time.
• Beams: Finding large beams or varied lengths for large projects is a challenge, especially high-quality old-growth timbers that have been properly stored. We know the value of old timber, which means we can supply significant numbers of 30-40 foot structural beams — turning architectural impossibilities into possibilities!
• Mantels: it takes time to source and finish just the right piece of wood for an eye-catching mantel. While other suppliers may be able to source largely unfinished pieces, we have mantels up to 11 feet wide ready for final finishing to meet your needs.

At E.T. Moore, our experience and our deep inventory of well-seasoned reclaimed heart pine and other woods allow us to match the needs of the most complex and demanding projects for our customers, again and again. We’d love to help meet yours.

Click below to learn more about our reclaimed flooring and lumber products!

Reclaimed Wood Flooring

Reclaimed Wood Lumber

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E.T. Moore completed a high-profile, challenging, and complex renovation project for the Wright Brothers National Memorial Visitor’s Center. This job required strict adherence to an unprecedented 11-page spec sheet that called for large quantities of extremely rare wood delivered under very short lead times.

Wright Brothers National Memorial

Managed by the National Park Service (NPS), the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, commemorates the first flight achievements of Wilbur and Orville Wright. The on-site Visitor’s Center was originally built in the 1960s and had fallen into disrepair over the decades.

The NPS hired the contracting firm Group 3 to remodel the Visitor’s Center back to its original specs. Group 3 reached out to E.T. Moore to undertake the massive job of providing rare and specialized wood for the internal/external siding and wood benches while ensuring compliance with strict LEED standards.

The Challenge

This job presented E.T. Moore with several concurrent challenges. For starters, the National Park Service wanted the new Visitor’s Center to receive a coveted and hard-to-obtain LEED Certification, which certifies environmental friendliness. This meant that only old-growth and local Cypress trees could be sourced.

However, there was a catch—the trees used in the restoration could only be found reclaimed. This meant that the buyers at E.T. Moore had to procure old-growth, local Cypress, and LEED-Certified lumber within a 500-mile radius of the job site.

The Visitor’s Center required extensive wood siding, so much so that delivering it all in one shot would be impossible due to the limited onsite space. The siding also required an exact match of a very old style and unique shiplap pattern.

The LEED Certification inspectors also placed heavy demands upon E.T. Moore. They were required to adhere to a very strict set of rules and material requirements. All materials had to be LEED-Certified Green Materials; otherwise, they could not be used.

The Solution

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E.T. Moore perfectly matched the interior and exterior Cypress shiplap samples and produced 7,500 lineal-feet of siding for the renovation project. Due to the large size of the E.T. Moore facility, they manufactured everything at once and then stored it for incremental shipments to the job site.

This process meant they could easily adhere to the strict timelines and provide as much wood as the project required. If something were to go wrong, the depth and inventory of the facility would enable a very quick turnaround.

The team at E.T. Moore decided upon delivering a few weeks’ worth of wood at a time. Because it was a restoration, they didn’t know exactly how much wood needed to be replaced until the project was completed.

As it turns out, more wood was required than they had originally anticipated. Thanks to their large inventory and streamlined shipping processes, E.T. Moore was easily able to meet this increased scope of work.

The buyers at E.T Moore sourced the rare Cypress wood from trees that had fallen into a nearby swamp 600 to 1,200 years ago. Over the centuries, the wood pulled from the swamp had developed a substance called cypressene, making them extremely durable and ideal for LEED Certification projects.

The Results

Throughout the 5-month project, E.T. Moore continually met the rolling deadlines with multiple shipments. The project came in on budget and the renovation moved forward as planned. In total, the Visitor’s Center at the Wright Brothers National Memorial required over 1.5 miles of reclaimed wood!

Shortly after completion, the Wright Brothers National Memorial received a LEED Gold certification. Group 3 and the National Park Service were very pleased with the results, and the renovated Visitor’s Center at Kitty Hawk now stands as a proud testament to the accomplishments of Orville and Wilbur Wright.

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Let E.T. Moore Supply Your Next Project

Founded in 1969, E.T. Moore is one of the largest reclaimed wood manufacturers on the East Coast. Our large facilities and extensive inventory mean that we can match any sample and provide your project with premium reclaimed wood. Contact us to learn more!<

To celebrate 50 years in business, we’ve scoured our warehouses to find some very special items to make available to our past customers at never before seen savings.

We will be offering these specialty items over the next few months starting with Tidewater Heart Pine. I hope the unique historical character of these fine, mater crafted wood products will inspire you with ideas you can use to add to the character of your home.

Sale

Tidewater
Heart Pine

$6.25 sq. ft. (23% off!!)

This reclaimed Heart Pine Flooring grade is in limited supply. It is very popular for flooring, walls, ceilings, and paneling. In the early 1900’s, the material was originally used as pilings for the US Naval Pier in Washington D. C. and was salvaged in 2001. The earth tone colors impregnated into this lumber tells the story of its past service to our country.

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Sale

Hickory

$7.25 sq. ft.

Our Hickory Flooring was sourced from logs and timbered in New Kent County, Virginia. This gave us the ability to control the entire sawing process from logs to flooring. Noted for it's durability, wear resistance and character with it's deep brown heartwood to a creamy white sapwood makes hickory flooring an excellent choice in family homes.

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View Lumber Selection

Sale

Number 2 Grade
Heart Pine

$7.25 sq. ft.

This excellent antique Heart Pine grade is popular in cabins, beach houses, and homes built with a Rustic or country look The blend of colors with its varying knots and nail holes reminds you of its past history. This is one of our most economical grades of reclaimed heart pine.

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Our designers can help you explore how you can incorporate this material into your home enhancement project. Give them a call at 804-231-1823

E.T. Moore Manufacturing Inc. and the National Wood Flooring Association have partnered to bring customized training to you with their “Jigs and Medallions” master class!

Enhance Your Knowledge and Technical Training Close to Home

Master Craftsmen Training For the artists and enthusiasts in the wood flooring industry- a course taught by the industry’s most prestigious instructors along with Dr. Daniel Cassens, Professor of Wood Products at Purdue University.

Prerequisite

Three years experience and previous attendance of an Advanced level training.

Receive four CCU’s

Receive four CCU’s upon successful completion of training NWFA Training Events At E.T. Moore Manufacturing Inc.

Registration Fees:

Master Craftsmen Training: November 2-6 Registration Fees:

• $975 for non members
• $875 for NWFA members
• Early Bird discount before October 19th

Register Today

Call 800.422.4556 or Visit: https://nwfa.users.membersuite.com/home

Dr. Dan Cassens, Professor of Wood Products at the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources from Purdue University to present for us at the November school at ET Moore. Dan has a Ph.D from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in wood science. He worked at US Forest Products Lab with Regis Miller, the predecessor to Dr. Alex Wiedenhoeft. He has quite the Vitae, and will be an excellent opening to the school we have scheduled.

This home is designed by William E. Poole, from Wilmington, North Carolina. He is a well seasoned architect who by trade has visited and studied all forms of early American architecture from Natchez, Mississippi thru and to Nantucket, Massachusetts. He is the only architect in America to be licensed to copy and interpret Colonial Williamsburg Buildings for today’s modern living advances, while being true to classical design.

This Nantucket shingle style home is reminiscent of an eighteenth century New England Coastal home that could withstand harsh winters as well as sun, sand and water year round, but architecturally practical, orderly, and pleasing to the” eye”, as they used to say.

This home is being crafted by E. T. Moore Homes, LLC which is a small family owned business that specializes in creating “one of a kind” custom homes that bring together timeless design and a multitude of reclaimed building materials, modern technology, tried and true old world technology, and lastly, a lot of hands on workmanship and attention to detail to achieve a finished product that is seldom seen in today’s super paced society. The founder, E. Taylor Moore, Jr. (who lives only four miles away) visits the project almost every day. He will work with any homeowner or personally select and, in house, manufacture all of the homes finest millwork materials. Mr. Moore has forty years experience in the building and reclaimed wood business.

A sampling of specialty building products include:

• Reclaimed wood mould sand cast handmade bricks
• Specialty 16″ wood siding shingles
• Repurposed heart pine porch columns and beams
• Brazilian walnut porch steps
• Custom mahogany doors with beveled glass
• Custom exterior fascia, soffit, window and door trim
• All Flashing to be 16 oz. copper; custom site bent.
• Reclaimed and custom flooring of heart pine, spruce, hickory, lyptus, oak and or cherry accents
• Stairs to be antique heart pine and mahogany
• Interior reclaimed ceiling beams in kitchen and great room
• Moulding including base, shoe, flooring, chair rail, window and door casing, all custom profiles of various reclaimed woods
• All stainless kitchen appliances
• Custom shop made cabinetry out of reclaimed woods

Square Feet
5,000 s.f.

Directions
From Richmond: 64 East to exit 211. Go left off of ramp and follow signage 1.5 miles to Viniterra.

OPEN HOUSE – MAY 7th

Attend the E.T. Moore’s Open House and see product demonstrations from NWFA manufacturers, meet company representatives, and win prizes.

There is no cost to attend the OPEN HOUSE and no RSVP required.

NWFA Intermediate Installation and
Sand & Finish School - MAY 6-9

E.T. Moore Manufacturing Inc. partners with NWFA to provide you with quality training.

E.T. Moore Manufacturing Inc. has partnered with the National Wood Flooring Association to bring customized training to you. Enhance your technical skills with training close to home.

Intermediate Installation and Sand & Finish is a four-day training event covering different topics and hands-on experiences at an intermediate level.

Sharpen your installation skills, including job-site evaluation and preparation, installation techniques, safety, custom entry-level borders, and medallion installations.

Training features a hands-on approach to installing unfinished and factory finished wood floors, including thorough training of installation methods for nail-down, glue-down and floating floors.

Learn how to incorporate simple design elements, allowing you to offer your client a custom wood floor while increasing your portfolio. Learn basic job-site tool set-up and maintenance.

See You There!

VIDEO

Watch last year’s NWFA Expert Sand and Finish School at work!

E. T. Moore Manufacturing, Inc. hosted the NWFA Expert Installation / Sand & Finish School at our facility on Dec 4 – 12 2012. We supplied American Cherry, Lyptus, and End Grain Heart Pine to create the field. The center medallion was created with Hard Maple, and Black Walnut. The finish is Synteko conversion sealer, Synteko Best 20, Synteko Best 50.

E. T. Moore Homes is a wholly owned subsidiary of E. T. Moore Manufacturing, Inc. and turning your dreams into reality is what we set out to accomplish from day one. We listen to your desires, needs, and ideas and then with beautiful designs by one of our recommend, award-winning architects or by a designer of your choice, combine them with exceptional value and long-lasting quality materials.

Our goal was to choose a European old world style home that we could freely and liberally incorporate many of our own specialty building materials. All of our employees that worked full time on the project have an average of 25 years’ experience with construction and antique building materials. We feel as though the unique combination of old world materials and craftsmanship created a finished product that is unparalleled.

Exterior Site

• Lot Selection
• House Orientation
• Pool; wrought iron fenced
• Outdoor kitchen with fireplace
• Circa 1810 hand cut granite English flower station
• Professional landscaping
• Mature trees

Exterior Home Features

• Roof – Old growth, quarter sawn red cedar shingles with 5″ exposure (instead of 10″)
• Metal Flashing – Custom Made; All 16 OZ pure copper, open valleys, hips, cheeks, sills, headers, transitions, and window framing
• Rafter-tails – Custom designed old growth reclaimed red cedar ogee decorative soffit supports. All roof eves “kicked up” 15° in the European manner with timber terminations.
• Siding, Vertical – Reclaimed rare Atlantic White Cedar boards covered with red cedar battens.
• Siding, Horizontal – Custom made juniper “live edge” lap; reclaimed – applied with handmade wrought iron nails. Please Note: Both siding applications are more costly than typical brick applications.
• Windows – Custom made Weather shield European style casement; aluminum exterior, triple mullion and insulation. Custom maple interior.
• Dormers – Oval top, copper covered; cheeks covered with handmade “fish scale” shingles
• Porches and Veranda – Reclaimed heart pine oversized columns and beam supports braced by hand cut mortise and tenon curved braces. Floor surface, reclaimed fire brick surrounded by South American cumaru wood.
• Steps – Circa 1896 hand cut sandstone, reclaimed
• Exterior Doors – 8 Sets; 1 3/4″ thick x 6′ 8″ tall mahogany French doors. All glass insulated and beveled. All jambs custom made with reclaimed heart pine.
• 3-Car Garage – True custom made raised panel, remote operated doors with arch tops. Reclaimed wood. All wood mold sand-cast brick reclaimed (c. 1830′s) laid in true Flemish bond and raked joints covering entire garage with copper covered reclaimed wood lentils.
• Garage Accoutrements – European gable end “birdhouse overhang”; Copper lined, handmade flower box supported by protruding ogee brackets; Copper cupola – 11′ tall 3 stage hand rolled, crimped, and soldered copper.
• Roof Vents – 8 European attic hand crafted functional copper vents.
• Chimney Caps – Imported from France; 24″ x 36″ handmade vented copper, integrated with massive 3′ x 6′ Flemish brick chimney.

Interior Home Features

• Flooring – All reclaimed plank heart pine, South American lyptus and cherry incorporating boarders, feature strips and rhombus patterns in contrasting grain orientation by nationally known flooring installation and finish expert.
• Great Room & Master Bedroom – Vaulted 18′ x 15′ ceilings accented with 6 x 6 reclaimed beams.
• Doors – All doors solid mahogany, two double raised panels with European arched top. All premium figured wood. All jambs custom made heart pine.
• Wall Thickness – All exterior walls 6″, interior walls 4″, 6″ and 12″ thickness for old world feel and additional insulation.
• Wainscot – Master bedroom, great room, and dining room finished with circular-sawn reclaimed original finish heart pine paneling.
• Casing – All window and door, two member custom milled trim with back band, heart pine.
• Trim – Base, shoe, chair rail, all reclaimed custom milled.
• Closets – All custom made with local reclaimed eastern aromatic red cedar.
• Kitchen – Sub Zero refrigerator, Bosch dishwasher, icemaker, wine cooler, microwave, imported French “CornuFe” cast and enamel professional cook stove.
• Kitchen – Custom fabricated copper hood and backsplash, custom designed cabinetry with antique wood, soft close hardware, under counter lighting, tree member crown tops.
• Kitchen – Counter Tops – Butcher-block style (reclaimed rock maple from bowling alleys) with walnut double profile edge treatment, copper sink and faucet ensemble in massive island.
• Kitchen – English two tiered beamed ceiling over kitchen and breakfast nook.

Summary

We will work with your builder or architect to provide the industries finest materials.

For more information visit our website, etmoore.com or call Ashley Moore or David Jackson at 804-231-1823.

We will be posting images here that would be interesting on Pinterest

This Surfboard was built by our customer to be displayed in a Nags Head Beach House

Our customer’s can create anything

Hotel Side Entrance door to Grande Real Santa Eulália Hotel

We supply material to restore and replicate many of the outbuildings and structures on George Washington’s estate

Cumaru Deck in Va. Beach

The New Kent Winery was built by E. T. Moore Homes with 80% reclaimed materials

heart pine timber-frame and select edge grain flooring

The sales center at Viniterra was built created with antique heart pine timbers and reclaimed heart pine number 1 grade flooring

Reclaimed Heart Pine Trestle Table

Reclaimed Heart Pine Trestle Table

Heart Pine columns and beams frame the entrance to the dining hall

The View from the Grande Real Santa Eulalia Hotel Door in Algarve Portugal

The Grande Real Santa Eulalia Hotel Room Door in Algarve Portugal

This is Reclaimed Brown Board Heart Pine Table Top that we custom made for a client. Our Cabinet Shop can turn dreams into reality!

E. T. Moore MFG was asking to pit saw 400 SQ FT of Reclaimed Long Leaf Heart Pine flooring for a museum. This is all vertical reclaimed heart pine flooring, the pit sawn face was gauged and undercut facing the floor joist and not walked on. To reduce the number of cuts, we cut the lumber on our German Sash Gang Sawmill to 3 inches and pit-sawed them in half to the desired 1 1/2 inches. Here at E. T. Moore, anything is possible

We are proud to deliver this house over to the homeowners. We are currently looking at designs to start a second house in the near future. Not only do we manufacture all of the building components from antique heart pine flooring, reclaimed beams with antique connection hardware, cabinets, siding, and shingles, our constructions division, E. T. Moore Homes can build the entire package for you. The relationship of manufacturing and building gives us insight and flexibility that few reclaimed lumber dealers and general contractors could ever achieve at the same budget levels.

The antique brick, and heart pine timbers blend beautifully together.

Front Exterior Elevation

These kitchen cabinets were custom designed with select edge grain heart pine rails and styles, original finish panels, and reclaimed bowling alley for the counter tops

A rhombus patterned floor with antique heart pine and lyptus

End grain flooring made from reclaimed heart pine beams

Our select grade heart pine flooring blends beautifully with reclaimed timbers and original finish wainscot

The original finish floor blends beautifully with the reclaimed beams and custom cabinets

The counter top is reclaimed bowling alley. The darts and dot are visible on the end.

Custom designed and built kitchen

Our original finish flooring and antique heart pine beams

John K. George did an amazing job transforming Rothesay’s Kitchen for the 2010 Richmond Symphony Designer House. We donated and helped design all of the material to build the Coffered Ceiling. Be sure to look at the before and after pictures.

TraditionalHome.com

The antique heart-pine beams match well with the antique fir paneling. The fir paneling is only 3/8″ thick.

The Model home, in Viniterra, is nearing completion. The artisans of E. T. Moore Homes are reviving lost traditions in home building and design. Not being satisfied with the quality of many material and components, we choose to manufacture them our self. In the kitchen we custom designed and built the cabinets, and even the copper vent hood above the stove. The counter tops were made from recycled bowling alleys and incorporated the original dots and arrows. In the foyer we installed the floor using a pattern of three diamonds, to create a hexagon; Cad programs were utilized to manufacture the perfect sized diamonds, resulting in even spacing around the perimeter of the foyer. The front and rear steps were reclaimed sandstone window lentils. Throughout the house, we incorporated a very popular product, Original Finish Antique Heart Pine. These boards are specifically chosen for the patina and rustic look to coincide with the French Country architecture. We are proud of this home’ s materials and construction as it sets the standards for the Viniterra Community.

Strike up your next meal while sipping on award winning NKW merlot

Original Finish Heart Pine trim with a Medium Back-band

Details of our custom made cabinets

Antique Sandstone Lentils repurposed as steps

This antique heart pine was hand selected especially for the armory project. We are very proud to help Colonial Williamsburg save and restore a piece of American history.

Webcam of the armory construction

This Antique Heart Pine laptop used for writing in the field during the 1700′s and 1800′s. The portable desktop measures 20″ x 36″ and weight’s only 2 pounds. It’s surprisingly comfortable to use. Long Leaf Heart Pine was the wood of preference to use because of resistance to warping. Rediscover the past and stop by our showroom to see the uses of this reclaimed lumber throughout history.

We have some great shots of our Western Red Cedar Roof and Juniper live edge siding. We are applying a specialized oil, on the roof shingles, that was referred to us by Mt. Vernon

We are proud to donate distribution space Meals on Wheels Feedmore. They are currently running 12 routes serving an average of 15 meals per route, that’s 900 meals per week right here in Richmond, Va.

We will be delivering Reclaimed Antique Heart Pine materials to George Washington’s Mt. Vernon Estate tomorrow to rebuild slave quarters and gates.

This is just one of many Historical treasures that E.T. Moore supplies premium materials.

This will not be part of any “stimulus package” as they did it the old fashion way; they EARNED it.

We are breaking ground in Viniterra. We are excited to be a part of this great project. Our new home for sale on lot 88, will be custom created by E. T. Moore Manufacturing, Inc., from the footers to the roof shingles. We plan to use a combination of Antique Heart Pine, Reclaimed chestnut, Chinese Elm and other rare woods for Flooring, Beams and millwork. Old growth sinker cypress and live edge Juniper for siding and exterior trim framing the antique brickwork. Please check for progress on this magnificent home.

Viniterra Blog

We are proud of the New Kent Winery being published in the national magazine Traditional Building. See how our construction and manufacturing company’s team up to build this green building out of reclaimed materials