DEBORAH LYNN FERRIER - RECLAIMED BARN WOOD
Deborah Lynn Ferrier - Reclaimed Barn Wood
Barn components: Most wood used in the construction of older
American barns has value, assuming a particular species and
condition. The parts of the barn that are most commonly reclaimed
are carrier and sleeper beams (these carry a higher value), upper
frame beams (which carry a lower value when mortises are
frequent), weathered barn siding, interior boards, and decking.
Certain species are inherently more valuable than others, and a few
carry arbitrarily inflated prices due to trending aesthetics or values.
Generally speaking, if your wood is old-growth timber unavailable
on the new wood market, you possess something of value. If your
wood is only a decade or two old and is commonly available, it has
very little value. American chestnut and longleaf pine are more
valuable than spruces, hemlocks and loblolly pine, for example.
Dismantling: This must be handled very carefully. Breaking,
chipping, cracking, or otherwise damaging material during the
demolition process is the easiest way to lose the value of your
antique wood. Even scratching the surface of barn board reduces
the value of the product. Barn board, in particular, must always be
salvaged by hand. Think ‘dismantling’, not ‘demolition’.
Deborah Lynn Ferrier