Barnwood Furniture - In a Class all its own
Barnwood furniture is becoming very popular in homes these days, and with good reason. This unique and lovely furniture is well-made, stands the test of time, and adds a rustic touch unlike no other type of furniture out there. What makes barnwood furniture so attractive to people is the fact that the materials used to make it are actually recycled from old barns and other wood buildings that are otherwise unusable and dilapidated. A lot goes into the making of reclaiming old barnwood and turning it into something beautiful and functional for the home, but the end result is absolutely gorgeous.
Before any cutting or other work can be done with the wood, it has to be cleaned. Some of the barns have been around for a hundred years or more, so there's lots of dust and dirt on the timbers, not to mention manure, hay and other farm-like things. Sometimes all that's needed is a wire brush and some good old fashioned elbow grease, but when the wood is really dirty, power washing works the best.
After the wood is cleaned, it's time to pull all the nails out. This can be tedious work because there are often thousands of nails holding those old barns together. Some nails are quite visible and easy to pull out, but others may be deep within the wood so a metal detector is used to cover every square inch of wood to be sure all nails are removed.
Next, the wood is cut to length. The type of furniture being made determines how long or short the barnwood is cut at this stage. Once cut, the wood is placed in a kiln to dry for several days. We know what you're thinking. "If the wood's been around for over a hundred years, shouldn't it be dry enough?" The answer is no, it's not dry enough. Even though it's definitely drier than new wood, it' still contains about 15-18% moisture and that's too much when it comes to making furniture.
After the wood is finished drying, straight edges are cut to make for a good glue seam and the wood is ready to become whatever wonderfully unique piece of furniture the craftsman has in mind.
The Barnwood Furniture Process
The very first step in making barnwood furniture is finding the wood. Simply taking a drive along a country road will often yield several possibilities. Old falling-down barns usually contain a lot of material for making the furniture, and most owners are glad to have the eyesores taken down. A lot of thought and discretion goes into choosing just the right boards because not all will work for making furniture. Once all the wood is "harvested" from the old building, it is taken back to the mill for processing.Before any cutting or other work can be done with the wood, it has to be cleaned. Some of the barns have been around for a hundred years or more, so there's lots of dust and dirt on the timbers, not to mention manure, hay and other farm-like things. Sometimes all that's needed is a wire brush and some good old fashioned elbow grease, but when the wood is really dirty, power washing works the best.
After the wood is cleaned, it's time to pull all the nails out. This can be tedious work because there are often thousands of nails holding those old barns together. Some nails are quite visible and easy to pull out, but others may be deep within the wood so a metal detector is used to cover every square inch of wood to be sure all nails are removed.
Next, the wood is cut to length. The type of furniture being made determines how long or short the barnwood is cut at this stage. Once cut, the wood is placed in a kiln to dry for several days. We know what you're thinking. "If the wood's been around for over a hundred years, shouldn't it be dry enough?" The answer is no, it's not dry enough. Even though it's definitely drier than new wood, it' still contains about 15-18% moisture and that's too much when it comes to making furniture.
After the wood is finished drying, straight edges are cut to make for a good glue seam and the wood is ready to become whatever wonderfully unique piece of furniture the craftsman has in mind.