04 Feb Reclaiming Lumber & Timbers from a Prineville Potato Barn
We recently visited an old potato barn in Central Oregon with the hopes of reclaiming lumber and large timbers. The barn owner plans to tear down the structure because it is in disrepair and is a safety concern and a liability. Our hope is to save the douglas fir and ponderosa pine for structural and decorative applications in the Desert Rain Project.
Old barns, mills, other industrial buildings are amazing sources of wood that is appeal to green builders for a variety of reasons. Of course reclaimed lumber doesn’t require the cutting of live trees and the resulting environmental impact, but it also offers qualities that can’t be easily duplicated in a new lumber. It is typically more stable,the drying and twisting having ceased many years ago. It has patina and distressed qualities created by real use that can be mimicked but not duplicated. Additionally, reclaiming wood is the highest use for material that would otherwise it would be burned, composted or possibly end up in a landfill.
We hope to work with a third party who is deconstructing the barn and, if purchased, will transport the lumber to Bend and where it will be stored in a warehouse. The lumber is already in a variety of sizes including 6×6, 6×8, and 8×8 beams and posts, 1×12 1×8 boards that could be used for flooring or siding or trim, 2×10, 2×12, 2×6 that can be used for many applications. All of these can also be re-milled and shaped for decorative applications like, paneling, soffits, wainscot.
