Going for recycled floorboards in the home

Recycled floorboards are a sustainable alternative to traditional floorboards, but while their history can be one of the best things about them, it can also throw up some problems.

Types of recycled floorboards

There are two recycled floorboards generally available: 'salvaged' boards, which are pulled up from old buildings and resold, and 'remilled' boards. "They might be secondhand building materials, but they'll be torn out and dressed and come out pretty much like a new board, with a fresh profile," says Thor from timber company Thor's Hammer.

The remilled boards should fit together neatly, but the salvaged boards may be hard to lay or there may be gaps in the boards. Some people actually prefer this more 'earthy' style, but if you want the pristine look of new floorboards, remilled boards might be a better choice.

Salvaged flooring for the home

Salvaged boards can also have broken pieces that the reseller may or may not remove before packaging up the boards to sell on. Obviously, given the money you'll be spending, it's preferable that there are no bits of tongue and groove, so check with the dealer as to whether they have removed them from the pack. Also, check that all nails have been pulled out of the boards.

"People should also watch out that the salvaged boards haven't been sanded too much before, because then they won't have very much thickness left above the tongue, and you can get cracks appearing above the groove," says Thor. "Imagine where the groove is - if it's too thin above the groove that little piece of wood will crack."

Inspect the recycled flooring

As with new floorboards, it's important to check that recycled hardwood has been stored correctly before you buy them. "For example, find out if they've been under cover, or if they've been rained on in the demolition process," says Thor.

Salvaged floorboards might also be quite dirty, and this means they will be hard to lay. Some recycled timber companies have cleaning machines that remove dirt, while others don't.

Price expectations for recycled floors

Remilled floorboards are generally more expensive than traditional floorboards because of the process of removing them from the building, milling them and making them into new flooring. The boards can cost anything between $80 and $200 per square metre.

Contact a recycled floorboard retailer in your area to find out how you can install recycled flooring in your home: