All wood has a story to tell. Of course, it always starts with a tree. It could be a Douglas fir from Oregon, a Redwood from California, or a Teak from Burma, but every single stick of wood ever used for anything, started off as a tree. The best wood, such at that used for hardwood flooring, any clear grades, beams and timber and fine cabinetry, comes from trees are hundreds of years old when they are harvested. Thus, the beginning of the story of wood is actually the end of a very long story of an ancient, living tree.
Most of the wood used today has a pretty short story. It is harvested from a forest, shipped to a mill, processed into lumber, flooring, etc and shipped to a building supplier or flooring dealer, purchased and incorporated into a building project. End of story.
Reclaimed wood, on the other hand, is wood with a much longer and deeper story. Reclaimed wood is wood has been salvaged and re-purposed. It is wood that is on it’s second, sometimes even its third chapter in the wood storybook. Of course, it started as a tree, went through the milling process and was used in a structure. But that’s just the beginning. At some point, the structure becomes obsolete and is slated for demolition. Instead of burning or landfilling the wood in the structure, it is carefully salvaged, cleaned of metal and re-purposed / re-manufactured for a new lease on life.
At Elemental Republic, we have been finding old structures, recovering the wood from them and turning that wood into new products, rich in history and character, since 1991. We have turned Redwood wine and water tanks into superior decking, siding and outdoor furniture, Oak barns into cabinets, tropical hardwood railroad ties into stunning floors and Teak warehouses into showcase homes and resorts.
We got started in the nineties when we salvaged millions of board feet of Douglas fir beams and timbers from the defunct lumber mills of the Pacific Northwest and re-milled them into new products. Today, that wood graces the interiors of hundreds of homes, stores and hospitality facilities. The bolt and nail holes, seasoning checks and the occasional carved initials telling the story of a prior life.
In 2000, our quest for old wood took us to Asia. We launched there with a project that converted over half a million tropical hardwood railroad ties into stunning hardwood floors. No, the RR ties were not treated. They didn’t need to be because they were made from very hard, durable tropical hardwoods. The plugged spike holes told a rich story of hardwood jungles felled to make way for the 20th century railways of Asia. This was just the beginning. Our story has led us to the backwaters of Asia and South America where we find a multitude of old structures, built with local, exotic, hardwoods. We have found beautiful Teak in the most amazing places and structures such as tobacco warehouses, bridges and old ships. We found Rosewood in old railroad ties, Merbau from old schools and factory buildings and Peroba Rosa in old houses.
For you, the homebuilder, architect or designer, we offer stunningly beautiful flooring, siding, paneling and custom millwork and architectural packages in a variety of tropical species. Each piece of wood has a distinct story to tell, a unique journey that leads from a distant land to your corner of the world.
Using reclaimed tropical hardwoods adds a distinct, exotic and historic feeling to your project. There is a reason that these woods are some of the most sought after woods on the planet. They are both beautiful and durable. Unlike domestic softwoods, most tropicals will resist the rigors of time and the elements for centuries with a sense of timeless beauty. It also makes a statement to the world that you care about the future of the planet, that, by re-using old wood, you are doing something tangible to preserve the remaining forests.
Elemental Republic offers a standard line of flooring, siding, paneling and lumber all produced from reclaimed tropical hardwoods. Our deep resources and decades of experience allow us to deliver superior products and exceptional prices to the markets.
Erika Carpenter and Richard McFarland founded Elemental Republic in 2012. They have been pioneers and leaders in the reclaimed wood industry since 1991. They are passionate about promoting wood as a truly re-usable resource and are continually seeking new stories, sources and products to share with their clients.
The Elemental Republic Team