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What is Reclaimed Timber?
Reclaimed timber is a sustainable building material that carries with it a rich history and unique aesthetic. This type of wood is typically hardwood and is salvaged from various sources including historic infrastructure like railway lines, old bridges, and wharves, then repurposed for new uses. Often a worn and faded bridge beam may have lost the rate able integrity we now require for long-term heavy applications for public or commercial use, but it can still retain an enormous amount of strength and integrity for simpler applications like interior architectural features within a residential setting, for instance.
Here is an overview of the life cycle of reclaimed timber, focusing on historic common Australian hardwoods that were made into railway sleepers and bridge beams.
History & Origins
Initial Use in Infrastructure: Historic Australian hardwoods, known for their durability and strength, were commonly used in large-scale infrastructure projects. These timbers were widely available in the land of Aus, with a booming milling industry and manufacturing sector.
Railway sleepers made from these hardwoods were essential components of the railway networks, supporting the rails and maintaining the track alignment, especially in remote areas and damp, shady sections of the railway line.
Similarly, massive hardwood beams were used in the construction of bridges, enduring decades of environmental exposure and mechanical stress with minimal input during original manufacture.
Salvage & Reclamation Process
Retirement from Original Use: After many years of service, these robust timbers eventually reach the end of their usable life in their initial roles. Factors like exposure to the elements (aka rustic weathering), technological advancements, changes in infrastructure needs, as well as progression in design requirements and structural regulation, along with the use of other, more modern materials like concrete lead to their replacement. However, due to the irenduring quality and the history embedded in each piece, these timbers are far too valuable to be discarded or used as firewood.
The salvage and reclamation phase include the careful dismantling of structures and the collection of the old timbers, ensuring minimal damage during extraction as well as the safety for all those involved. Specialists in reclamation assess the integrity of each piece to determine its suitability for reuse and may evaluate the timbers to be sorted into suitable grades.
Big heavy infrastructure, even though many decades old, still requires big heavy machinery, nous, and expertise to carefully dismember the intricate designs of the past. Having an end destination established at this stage of the life cycle is very helpful in maintaining the quality of the dismembered pieces, keeping what we can raised off the ground, undercovers where needed, and secured for future processing.
The timber is then tidied, often by hand, to remove any loose rusty bolts, nails, other metal fixtures or attached timbers, maintaining the rustic surface weathering and faded colouring.This process preserves as much of the original wood as possible, upholding its character and strength, ready for storage or to be assessed for what further methods (wire brushing; sand blasting) may accentuate and refresh each piece for future decades.
Repurposing in Architectural design and Landscaping
Once reclaimed, these hardwoods find new life in architectural and landscaping projects. Architects and designers value reclaimed timber for its unique aesthetic, texture, and patina that new materials cannot replicate. In residential settings, reclaimed railway sleepers can be transformed into stunning features like benchtops, rafters, or even doors. In landscaping they are popular for shaping a setting with the use of retaining walls, garden beds, edges, and borders, as well as unique garden furniture.
As with anything huge and heavy, utilising a reclaimed hardwood beam requires careful, and sometimes delicate consideration. For clients and others in the industry it can be easy to envision a robust 6-meter spanning ceiling feature made from circa 1950 Aussie hardwood, though for architects and foremen alike it is often an exercise in adaptation and balance of availability that accommodates such pieces practically into a design. Fine tuning millimetre adjustments to fit in place a one-off beam, which is ‘approximate’ to specification, but not exact requires patience and flexibility on site, as well as understanding from designers and end users.
Often incorporating reclaimed timber into a design means making concessions, working with what is available, like using timbers that have off-square dimensions, minor chips, and cracks, instead of perfectly symmetrical, clean, and new wood that lacks the warmth and character.
Sustainable Impact & Benefits
Using reclaimed timber is a sustainable choice. It reduces the demand for new raw materials, minimizes waste, and lowers the environmental impact of both deforestation and landfill use. Additionally, incorporating such materials into home design adds a narrative element of history and conservation, aligning with growing consumer interest in sustainable and ethically sourced materials.
The cycle of reclaimed timber, from its origins in Australian bush, onwards to New Zealand infrastructure, then to its repurposing in modern homes and gardens, illustrates a powerful journey of transformation. This practice not only preserves the environment but also enriches our living spaces with natural materials that have a storied past and aesthetic value that new materials cannot match. As more architects and homeowners recognize the benefits of reclaimed timber, its role in residential design and landscaping continues to grow, blending history with modernity in sustainable development.
