Recycled timbers for your home

Recycled timbers can increase the appearance of your home and contribute to sustainable living in Australia. Read our checklist on choosing the right quality hardwoods for your renovation.

1. Using recycled timbers

Recycled timbers have generally been used for flooring or structural purposes, but once they have been lifted and re-milled, they are suitable for other uses, such as timber furniture. Secondhand timbers are recycled materials that have also been lifted from an existing building but are resold in their original condition, usually for the same purpose, meaning you can make a sustainable living choice for your building or renovation project.

2. Origins of recycled timbers

Found across Australia in both commercial and domestic sources, recycled timbers were mostly logged by hand during the 19th and early 20th centuries and were used in places such as old wool stores, bridges, wharves and factories.

3. Available recycled timbers

There is an extensive range of quality hardwoods available from all regions of Australia, including Spotted Gum, Ironbark, Jarrah, Brushbox, Blackbutt, Karri and Redgum. All are suitable as flooring, but some such as Mountain Ash and Messmate are better for furniture, while Karri and Redgum will also work well for construction purposes. Other Australian recycled timbers will become available as old structures are demolished.

4. Types of recycled timber finishes

There are a number of processes that recycled timber can go through. For flooring it can be re-machined, so the boards look like new but retain the nail holes from their old life. Re-milled flooring is timber that has been cut down from larger sections and sliced into planks, while rough-sawn timbers retain the finish left after passing through different types of saws. Dressed-all-round (DAR) timber has the smoothest finish and is used for furniture or flooring.

5. Using recycled over new timbers

Recycled timbers have great character and charm, often retaining the marks of their history, such as nail holes, gum veins and the unique marks of weathering, as well as having a great depth and range of natural colours.

Also available are lengths and widths of boards that are not found in new timbers. The age of the timbers also means they are more structurally stable - they have already been seasoned, with ideal moisture content of around 10 per cent.

6. Recycled timber costs

The cost of Australian recycled timber can vary widely - some sustainable timbers are cheaper than new timbers, while others can be more expensive because of the cost of their salvage. As the rustic look becomes more popular in interior designs, expect the cost of recycled timbers to rise.

Contact a recycled timber supplier to discuss hardwood options for your home: