Numerous companies across the country offer reused wood flooring for sale. This may be either wood that was originally flooring, or beams and other larger wood pieces that have been remilled to make flooring. In addition to these retail sources for reused wood flooring, local remodeling and deconstruction jobs may provide reusable flooring material. School gymnasiums in particular can provide large quantities of reusable wood flooring. Warehouses and other industrial buildings contain large framing members that are good candidates for being remilled into flooring, or reused intact as framing.
Reused flooring is often available in sizes and species that are difficult to obtain, or even unobtainable, today. Long leaf pine and chestnut are some of the woods available in reused flooring. Wide plank flooring is also more readily available in the reused flooring market. Expect to pay a premium price for a rare product. Most of the used flooring retailers sort their product into different grades, based on the size and quality of the wood and the number of nail holes the pieces contain. "Rustic" or "Character" grades with visible nail holes tend to be the lowest-priced options.
Salvaging flooring for reuse can be extremely labor intensive, depending on how the floor was originally installed, and what kind of finish(es) are on it. Finding environmentally responsible products to strip and refinish the floor can also be a challenge, although more options are becoming increasingly available.
Bottom line:
Reused flooring is usually resource efficient, particularly when it is obtained from local sources, with little transportation involved.
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