The construction industry is responsible for roughly 40% of global carbon emissions. That number is driving a wave of innovation and change in how we build — and reclaimed lumber is riding that wave.
Mass timber is having a moment. Cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glue-laminated timber (glulam) are being used for mid-rise buildings that would traditionally have been steel and concrete. While most mass timber uses new wood from sustainably managed forests, we're starting to see interest in reclaimed timber for exposed architectural elements in these buildings.
Circular economy thinking is gaining traction. The idea that building materials should be designed for disassembly and reuse — rather than demolition and disposal — is becoming mainstream in architecture. Reclaimed lumber is the original circular building material. We've been doing this for over 15 years.
Embodied carbon is becoming a design criterion. Architects and developers are increasingly required to calculate and report the embodied carbon of their buildings — the carbon emitted in producing and transporting building materials. Reclaimed lumber has among the lowest embodied carbon of any structural material, making it an attractive option for carbon-conscious projects.
Local sourcing is valued more than ever. Supply chain disruptions during recent years reminded everyone that distant supply chains are fragile. Reclaimed lumber is inherently local — our wood comes from within 200 miles of our facility, not from a forest on another continent.
Building codes are slowly catching up. More jurisdictions are accepting reclaimed lumber for structural applications when it's properly graded and certified. This has been a barrier in the past, but we're seeing progress as awareness grows and testing data accumulates.
The future we see is one where reclaimed materials are the first choice, not an afterthought. Every building that comes down should be a source of materials for the next building that goes up. We're working to make that vision a reality, one board at a time.