If you're pursuing LEED certification for a commercial or residential project, reclaimed wood can be a powerful contributor to multiple credit categories. Here's how to maximize the benefit.
MR Credit: Building Product Disclosure and Optimization — Sourcing of Raw Materials. Reclaimed wood directly qualifies under this credit as a reused material. The credit rewards projects that use products sourced from manufacturers who practice sustainable extraction and have third-party verified corporate sustainability reports.
MR Credit: Construction and Demolition Waste Management. By using reclaimed materials instead of new, you're reducing the amount of new material entering the construction waste stream. This credit rewards projects that divert at least 50% of construction waste from landfills.
MR Credit: Building Life-Cycle Impact Reduction. Reclaimed wood has a dramatically lower embodied carbon than new lumber. Projects can earn this credit by demonstrating a reduction in at least three environmental impact categories, including global warming potential — where reclaimed wood excels.
To earn these credits, documentation is essential. We provide material certificates that include: species identification, source documentation (where the wood was salvaged from), chain of custody records, and processing documentation including kiln-drying certificates.
We work regularly with architects and builders pursuing LEED certification and understand the documentation requirements. If you're planning a LEED project that includes reclaimed wood, contact us early in the design process — we can help you specify the right materials and prepare the paperwork from the start.
Several recent projects using our reclaimed lumber have achieved LEED Gold and Platinum certification. The wood didn't do it alone, of course, but it contributed meaningful points across multiple credit categories — while also making the finished building look incredible.