What is reclaimed wood or barn wood and where does it come from?

Reclaimed lumber is wood that has been recovered from old buildings, typically built in the late 1800's. Common sources of reclaimed lumber include old barns, factories, warehouses, bridges, or even boxcars or wine barrels. These old buildings were typically built from trees that were more than 100 years old. The wood was hard, beautiful and straight. Perfect for fine wood working and building.

Deconstructing old buildings to recapture and use the lumber is time consuming and labor intensive. After the building has been taken down, the wood must be sorted, the nails must be removed and the lumber should be pressure washed or wire brushed to remove the years of dirt and dust that has accumulated.

People who are looking for a cheap alternative to old growth, reclaimed wood may consider using shipping pallets. Pallets are typically made with rough cut, cheap lumber that is around 4 feet in length. If you're using the wood for a craft project this may suffice, however, for most other projects, you will want authentic, old growth, reclaimed lumber. 

What type of wood does The Old Grain Co. carry?

The Old Grain Co. sells reclaimed lumber and barn wood including Douglas Fir, White Oak, Red Oak, Red Elm, American Elm Ash and Maple. We occasionally have Black Walnut, Chestnut and Rock Elm available. If we don't have what you're looking for in-stock, we can usually locate and quote you a price for anything we don't have on site. 

We have hand-hewn beams, barn boards, antique dimensional lumber and old live edge boards. All of our wood has been de-nailed and pressure washed so it's clean and ready for your project. 

What is so special about reclaimed wood?

Lumber used to construct American buildings in the 1800's came from trees that were 100 - 200 years old. The wood has tight rings and a beautiful aged patina that can't be replicated. Some people try to recreate the look using various staining techniques or hacking away at new wood with hammers, chainsaws or chisels, however, there really isn't a substitute for the real thing.

Old Grain Co. sells reclaimed lumber and barn wood from our storage facility in Mound, MN. We offer delivery service to customers in Minneapolis and St. Paul as well as the following suburbs in the Twin Cities.

We sell reclaimed wood to the public

We are happy to sell you a single board for a craft project, but we also work with interior designers, builders, architects, furniture makers, contractors, hotels and restaurants.

We can help with your reclaimed lumber project

If you have an idea for a project using reclaimed lumber and are not sure where to start, contact Dave Huston at 952-406-0749. He is one of the owners of The Old Grain Co. and has more than 20 years of experience in construction. Dave has worked with reclaimed wood on many projects and can help you to choose the right material for your project. If you need an installer or contractor for your project, we can recommend a crew for your job. 

We service Minneapolis/St. Paul and the surrounding suburbs

Old Grain Reclaimed Lumber and Barn Wood is located a short drive from Minneapolis in the western suburb of Mound on Lake Minnetonka. We offer delivery service throughout the Minneapolis metro area and can deliver to your home or job site. We have a $50 delivery fee. If you prefer to pickup your material, you are welcome to visit our storage facility in Mound at 3037 Drury Lane.