Yet people need big timbers for some of its popular uses, like decks. Logs recovered as sinkers are generally from tall, branchless trunks, meaning they can produce long boards with few or no knots. And the greater density of old wood allows the milling of wide planks with more stability, fans say. Then there's the panache of having an interesting tale to tell. We all love to tell friends how we snagged our vintage chandelier at a garage sale or salvaged a stained glass window from a demolished church.
Divers can recognize some old timbers by their ax-cut ends.
Floor Stories Mountain lumber in Ruckersville, Virginia, gives homeowners who purchase reclaimed flooring a written and illustrated history about its source. Drake has recovered wood from as far away as St. Petersburg in Russia, where Russian oak intended for use in Trans-Siberian Railway cars was stacked in a warehouse for some 80 years. Some customers make their choice based on these histories. D.C. Baseball fans get excited about the heart pine from Baltimore's Camden Yards, now home to the Orioles. Finally, investing in antique flooring makes many feel more environmentally responsible.