Open the Door to Greener Options III

Posted on October 28, 2008 by Joyce Benson Add a Comment |
Tag(s): Green Furnishings, Greening the Home, Greening the Office

Whether you are upgrading your old, damaged interior doors, or building new construction, there are many options out there for the environmentally-minded consumer looking to add some character with reclaimed wood doors. A great option is to visit your local architectural salvage shop where you’ll find solid wood doors in need of a little renewal (perfect for do-it-yourselfers or possibly to have refinished on site), while others in good condition proudly show a beautiful aged patina. There are also companies that incorporate reclaimed wood from old barns and buildings into new doors for timeless appeal.

Most reclaimed timber was originally sawn from old growth trees which were much larger, slower growing and had tighter growth rings than trees cut today. When that wood is re-milled, it provides rich colors and beauty generally not available from today’s faster-growing timber. The price of these doors may be about twice the price of stock doors you’ll find in big box retailers, but the quality and character are unsurpassed. The following includes companies that offer new doors made from reclaimed wood that are suitable for residential and commercial applications.

California-based Liberty Valley Doors offers a Rediscovered Wood Door collection of new unfinished doors constructed of 100% reclaimed wood, mainly Douglas Fir beams, joists and timbers (pre-finishing is available).

Crossroad Recycled Lumber offers custom crafted doors from reclaimed, re-milled Douglas Fir, Redwood, or Western Red Cedar all made in its North Fork, California facility.

In an article I posted in January, I described some other manufacturers of reclaimed wood doors including: Albany Woodworks, of Albany, Louisiana which custom crafts fine doors from antique heart cypress and antique heart pine; and Alternative Timber Structures, of Tetonia, Idaho which offers a beautiful line of doors that utilize reclaimed species such as Fir, Cypress, Oak, Cedar, and Redwood, to name a few.