Reclaimed floorboards. A gamble?

[Coles]

I have been reading previous posts on the forum regarding reclaimed floorboards, how 95% of ebay listings are not what they claim and reclamation yards being just as bad.

I was about to spend £275 on 5m2 of reclaimed pine flooring from a reclamation yard but wonder if its worth it.

I planned on having exposed floorboards after a light sand but a section by the window is damaged and different boards (put in during the 1980s).

I guess nothing is going to be the quality of floorboards from the early 1900's but I also don't want to go down the Wickes quality route either.

Is there a decent quality newer alternative I could opt for?

 

[a twig]

I’d suggest finding a proper timber merchant near you and going to see what they have on offer, there’s a lot more on the market than Wickes wavey rubbish and they often work out cheaper

 

[Stevers]

I had a few metres of Ex 7" red deal boards made up by my local joiner finished at 21mm so that they were the right thickness - his stock was probably 'Unsorted' - so the good stuff not picked out. I just needed a few lengths to replace the most damaged boards as I was planning to carpet afterwards, as the 'just moved in' or 'just moved out' look of bare softwood boards (with all the draughts and them not wearing well) does not appeal to me. On the other hand parquet and other sorts of hard wood floors I could definitely live with! A good timber merchant like Robbins of Bristol, or Sydenhams of Poole would sell you good quality redwood boards that finish at 21mm so might be a better match for yours - eventually.

In price comparisons my local stockist of Robbins' timber always comes in cheaper than Wickes' knotty whitewood rubbish!

 

[Cubist]

I think I've said to you before - never, ever, not on your Grannies life should you ever buy reclaimed timber from eBay or another site like it.

It is possible to buy replacement boards from a reputable reclamation yard BUT only if you can personally inspect the boards to ensure a good colour match, that there is no significant damage - in terms of splits, large knots/holes, lost tongues, no indications of rot or old worm infestation, spillage stains - and of course that ALL dimensions agree with your needs. BUT, you will have to pay a premium in the shape of a higher cost per square metre than new stock AND have the face to haggle.

I was going to suggest you consider Redwood Pine as this a commonly available softwood used in construction. Redwood is commonly available from hardware stores and is a superior product to the cheap white-wood (aka matchwood) boards you might find beside them on the shelf in the same stores. Usually it is slightly darker in colour BUT its inherent quality also makes it more resistant to dyes and stains so matching to your old boards may prove difficult. However, there are several things that can be done before they are ever laid to the floor to get the colour closer to your needs. That said, 5sq mt's of Redwood floorboards could cost you around £400!

That £275 price you have might just be a little better than you think.

 

[Coles]

I think I've said to you before - never, ever, not on your Grannies life should you ever buy reclaimed timber from eBay or another site like it.

It is possible to buy replacement boards from a reputable reclamation yard BUT only if you can personally inspect the boards to ensure a good colour match, that there is no significant damage - in terms of splits, large knots/holes, lost tongues, no indications of rot or old worm infestation, spillage stains - and of course that ALL dimensions agree with your needs. BUT, you will have to pay a premium in the shape of a higher cost per square metre than new stock AND have the face to haggle.

I was going to suggest you consider Redwood Pine as this a commonly available softwood used in construction. Redwood is commonly available from hardware stores and is a superior product to the cheap white-wood (aka matchwood) boards you might find beside them on the shelf in the same stores. Usually it is slightly darker in colour BUT its inherent quality also makes it more resistant to dyes and stains so matching to your old boards may prove difficult. However, there are several things that can be done before they are ever laid to the floor to get the colour closer to your needs. That said, 5sq mt's of Redwood floorboards could cost you around £400!

That £275 price you have might just be a little better than you think.

Thank you. I thought 5m2 was such a small amount it would be cheap. Maybe redwood is the way to go. There is a place Toby Newell recommends but again quite costly and on the otherside of London.

I will explore redwood locally and see what they come up with.

 

[Cubist]

There a maxim you might sometimes hear when in conversation with operators of Reclamation Yards - Less is More. Meaning, the less you want the more it will cost.

 

[Coles]

After looking at red wood boards I decided on the reclaimed ones, not much cost difference.

I took a piece of mine to match it at the reclamation yard. Hopefully they are authentic, I did choose ones with the old style nail holes.