cade Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 new to woodworking bought my first house a year ago been building @#$%^^%$ everysince got some funny stories but now the learning curve is taking off (thanks to mark found this site two weeks ago )anyway going to demo a warehouse with lots of red wood beams im going to take some home myself but is it profitable to slow down the demolition and and harvest the wood ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harryangel69 Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 Reclaiming wood out of old houses can be profitable. There has to be a good market and great wood. In my local market there are houses everywhere that are being torn down. Almost all of them have rough cut oak studs, joists, and rafters. Seems like a good deal but a couple of nails can ruin profits real quick. Blades are expensive and I only reclaim for myself any more. I use a high end metal detector before I run anything through my planer. Save a few of sets of blades for my DW735 and it paid for itself. But it can be profitable, just be careful. Ruining someone elses equipment is a bad argument I don't want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronaldtibbs Posted February 7, 2011 Report Share Posted February 7, 2011 A Google search for companies that specialize in reclaiming planks, timbers and beams from old barns will give you an idea of whether your particular site would yield a payoff worth your efforts. Personally I feel any chance to salvage these beams and planks should be taken full advantage of. Our landlords have several businesses here in the Swedish country that include forestry and farming. I don't know the total number of acres (hectares) and old structures they own but the numbers are staggering. Last year I "educated" them on the importance of reclaiming once I found out they had hired a team of migrant workers to dispose of an old collapsed sawmill that had to have been at least 140 years old. They went in with chainsaws and pry bars and destroyed two shipping containers full of wood before I could put a stop to it. My heart was broken. I will be the first person they call now if they have a building to be evaluated for potential salvage and resale of materials. Claiming first dibs on what i want of course. Take your time and make sure all of the mortise and tenon joints are preserved so they can be reassembled and the wood is not rotted or moldy. You may find a local builder interested in buying for a new house or remodel. Of course storage is an issue if you take this on. Good luck with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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