The beauty of wood in an intended natural state is unmatched and used for a variety of decorative and construction applications throughout homes and businesses everywhere. Most recently, reclaimed wood has been extremely in demand due to the second nature and purpose for many applications, creating an even more beautiful piece or focal point in a room or home.

The reclaimed wood utilizes a reinvention of the product typically taken from a variety of outdated sources but refurbished and transformed into incredible pieces of art or structural focal points. These pieces can be anything from a small serving tray, useful chopping block, or entire dining room table to constructional beams and siding in a room. The process of reclamation not only extends the life of a wood product but adds a distinct sense of flare and rustic decor when applied and designed correctly.

Known by a variety of names, reclaimed wood is often referred to as antique, distressed, or recovered timber or lumber. While the benefits of reclaimed timber are many, the fact that only so many older structures and pieces exist from which to extract the wood for use makes sourcing the lumber a tedious task in some instances. For these reasons, some manufacturers will attempt to recreate the aged wood look and pass off new wood as an alternative to reclaimed wood when certain reclaimed woods are not available in the time frame necessary for a project.

Some of the most utilized sources of securing old wood for reclaiming purposes include each of the following.

Barnwood

One of the more traditional uses for reclaimed wood comes as a source from old barns, sheds, and buildings found either on property or elsewhere. Individuals who purchase a home with older structures occupying a portion of the land may like to reuse these buildings to create incredible displays inside their new home adding an instinctive piece of history and tradition to their magnificently created rustic decor.

For example, repurposing a barn door for use as a bathroom door or kitchen pantry sliding cover can be especially appealing. These have become increasingly popular over time and utilizing an actual door for the same purpose now inside a home fits beautifully with the reclaimed wood incentive. However, the same uses do not have to be a part of the repurposing for the lumber. Barn walls or lofts can be torn down and the wood repurposed to create siding inside a home or even furniture.

The wood could also be used for creating a mantle that once was the main beam across a barn or hand rail for a staircase that once led to a loft inside the older structure. These benefits not only add interesting conversation pieces in and around the home but also serve to increase the homely feel and setting of a room. Learn more about Barnwood at Sears Trostel.

Snow Fence

Another useful source of antique lumber comes from the wooden snow fences that stretch for miles across landscapes throughout Colorado and Wyoming and other parts of the United States. These snow fences still serve a purpose and are extremely cost beneficial to landowners where applied, but can also be a significant source of reclaimed wood utilization.

Much like barn wood, snow fences reclaimed from one’s own property can come with a history and story associated with them, but even when applied to a new home or into an entirely different area the beautiful wood sends a message to all who come into contact with the new use.

Due to the construction type of snow fences, this repurposed lumber is most appropriately used into the new construction of either siding, accents, or even hardwood floors. The ever changing colors and patterns applied by the outdoor weather over time can create unique rustic designs and change the initial appearance of any home or office, inside or out. Learn more about Reclaimed Snow Fence at Sears Trostel.

Live Edge Slabs

These pieces are in direct contrast to the typical paneling style and plank board components of pieces reclaimed from barns or old snow fences. Live edge slabs come directly from large trunks or sizeable branches depending on their intended use and provide a unique look at the interior markings of the tree.

Also unlike the previous uses, live edge slabs are more traditionally used as tables, bars, or cutting boards. The tables can range in size depending on the initial wood product extending from large board room type pieces to a smaller dining room table top. The bars can be entirely constructed with a top created from a live edge slab and underneath paneling from perhaps an old wooden snow fence and cutting boards come in an extended variety of shapes and sizes.

All of these uses from reclaimed wood help to create a unique and exciting rustic decor wherever they are applied. This look began as a necessary application extending from having to use wood in its’ most natural state for the purposes of building homes, barns and sheds but has now transformed into an organic composition for those hoping to achieve the look of natural beauty provided by one of nature’s most incredible products. The rustic decor achieved from utilizing reclaimed wood not only tells a story but transforms a room and its’ occupants back to a simpler time with a more easy-going and peaceful way of life.

For decades, Sears Trostel has served our community with quality and integrity. We are proud to offer the best value without compromising quality or customer service. Our manufacturing processes allow for unrivaled flexibility in custom profiles, and our commitment to quality has earned us the trust of our customers through Colorado, Wyoming, and the surrounding areas. Feel free to contact us today with your needs or visit our retail sales and showroom located at 1500 Riverside Avenue in Fort Collins, Colorado. For commercial and residential sales please call 970-482-1928 or for wholesale and manufacturing, 970-482-0222 or 800-950-1928 with any other general questions about our products and services. We can also be reached by email at Sales@sears-trostel.com as we look forward to showing you the effects quality beautiful natural woods can have.  See the Sears Trostel Live-Edge Wood Slab Gallery.

The mountain pine beetle is a species of bark beetle native to western North America, inhabiting forests from Mexico through the western United States and into the central portions of the Canadian province, British Columbia. An integral insect in the forests’ ecosystem, mountain pine beetles feed on older trees assisting in the youthful development of a natural forest state, allowing the maturation of younger saplings while preventing older, dead or decaying trees from robbing them of needed nutrients. A rise in the earth’s average temperature over the past few years coupled with extended dry conditions and plenty of lodgepole pine trees have caused an epidemic and feeding frenzy of sorts from the mountain pine beetle community. The beatles lay eggs underneath the bark of an infected tree while introducing a blue stain fungus onto its’ new home. The fungus provided by colonization inhibits the housed tree from transporting water and essential nutrients inside and around to all areas of the tree, ultimately resulting in an untimely death for the endangered host.

Typically within two weeks, an attacked tree will be rendered lifeless as the beatles continue their attack while living out their life cycle. Once an attack is rendered a signal is sent to surrounding pine beetles in the area drawing even more insects to a specific tree under attack. Mountain pine beetles live approximately one to two years, much of which is spent beneath the surface of an inhabited tree’s bark except when emerging for attacks on a newly found subject.

A meaningful and beautiful use of a casualty tree involves the now discolored wood being repurposed in some form or fashion. Most often an infected tree will produce a wood with a natural grey or blue hue filled with distinct characteristics and a beautiful finish provided by the combination of a previous infestation and release of the blue fungus.

While the integrity of the wood is uncompromised the discoloration provides a shockingly beautiful color which can then be used for a variety of purposes. One of the more popular choices has been to use beetle kill wood in home construction. By utilizing the wood in every aspect from the framing to flooring in addition to accents and ceilings those leading the way in a useful repurpose of the pleasing and creative blue stain pine. Repurpose, may in fact be an inaccurate use of the term as the wood is often used just for its’ intended purpose but provides a unique look as opposed to the normal beauty and characteristic of regular pine. The beetle kill wood remains just as versatile and strong, providing a sustainable and suitable replacement depending on the desired purpose and look for construction.

Benefits of Beetle Kill Blue Stain Pine

The infestation and epidemic created by warmer and dry conditions that led to the demise of countless acres of pines throughout the inhabited region does come with a few benefits. While the destruction of trees is never a good thing, an ability to find a silver lining in the midst of a bad situation has helped to save other landscapes and benefit those who elect to use beetle kill pine for their construction projects.

If harvested within a five year period following an infestation and demise of the once live tree, all wood retained can be used for any number of projects including: paneling, flooring, cabinets, doors, and furniture. These pieces will have the unique blue hue which can often appear grey, purple, and a variety of different shades created from the fungus passed to the tree from the mountain pine beetle.

These varying shades allow wood projects completed with blue stain pine to exists in a natural state without any stain or paint to modify the color of the wood. Individuals concerned about the care of their wood and that of the environment can reap the benefits from a number of factors by electing to construct with blue stain pine as opposed to natural pine modified with a stain. Especially when attempting to reach a natural shade or darker colored aspect from the piece, wall or floor being made.

Further, by harvesting the pines that have been infected the trees are removed from the forest thinning out a potential catastrophic danger for the natural environment. Removal eliminates the dead wood early from the forest keeping it from becoming fully rotten and falling to the ground. These older trees serve little purpose except in a negative aspect providing a ground layer of kindling for potential forest fires if not removed. By both taking the wood out and then using it as intended the bonus created from the magnificent colors also makes the best of a bad situation created from the insect infestation.

This availability can help enhance any door, furniture, or room when wanting to create a natural looking state or environment without the needed use of chemicals. Artisans and designers everywhere are trending with the use of blue stain pine all provided from the natural state of its’ environment and resulting from an insect attack. What has transpired into an inordinate amount of attacks, resulting in acres of dead trees has been transformed into as much of a good thing as possible through innovation and design.

For decades, Sears Trostel has served our community with quality and integrity. We are proud to offer the best value without compromising quality or customer service. Our manufacturing processes allow for unrivaled flexibility in custom profiles, and our commitment to quality has earned us the trust of our customers through Colorado, Wyoming, and the surrounding areas. Feel free to contact us today with your needs or visit our retail sales and showroom located at 1500 Riverside Avenue in Fort Collins, Colorado. For commercial and residential sales please call 970-482-1928 or for wholesale and manufacturing, 970-482-0222 or 800-950-1928 with any other general questions about our products and services. We can also be reached by email at Sales@sears-trostel.com as we look forward to showing you the effects quality beautiful natural woods can have.

Wood itself has a long and storied history, being used for and in construction dating back thousands of years or more. The uses extend beyond building structures however, as boats, weapons, and protective pieces or barriers like shields and fences also often used the natural component. Uses even extended into everyday needs and still does today by providing fuel as a heat source, furniture for the home, and is even a major component of paper. The beauty of wood extends beyond its’ natural state and can still be utilized in the modern era by adding character and value to almost any project.

Whether you are contemplating an addition onto your home or office, building a brand-new structure from the ground up, or updating an existing interior and/or exterior considering wood as the basis for the project can pay immediate dividends. Depending on the overall goal of a project, wood provides a means by which many different factors can each be accomplished simultaneously. 

From the floor to the ceiling, wood can change the outlook of a room or even an entire building almost immediately. Changing existing fixtures and surfaces into wood offers a variety of positive features both pleasant to the eye and pocket book. The wide array of available choices in wood is often surprising as modifications both small and large can be utilized when choosing wood as the base component on a project. Various colors and designs are all attainable with the different types of wood naturally available and on the market today.

The following are a few examples of areas where natural wood can take your home or office to the next level both inside and out:

Mouldings

Used in a variety of areas, wood mouldings can provide immediate improvements to a particular space or entire home when used correctly. Wooden  types of trim used in homes literally varies from the floor to ceiling and is one of the most beneficial aesthetic improvements available.

From outlining doors and windows to providing a protective barrier for the wall, wooden trim and mouldings serve a variety of purposes. Most individuals are familiar with baseboards but crown molding is less common. While it can be used to cover imperfections in the drywall, crown molding serves the primary purpose of improving a room’s appearance.

Flooring

Choosing custom hardwood flooring provides a variety of benefits extending beyond an increased resale value of the property. In today’s market, having custom hardwood floors is often an immediate selling point, giving your home a one of a kind look and typically raising the purchase price past any cost of installation. But the benefits do not end there. 

Hardwood flooring is also much easier to clean, providing a quality appearance to everyone who walks into your room. Depending on the wood used and color decided upon, dust, dirt, and debris is also often less noticeable when on a hardwood floor as opposed to a carpeted surface.

Beams

Solid wooden beams offer many positives including providing solid support while being extremely versatile. Exposed beams are also a trending consideration in real estate and having natural wood creates both a conversation piece and solid engineering design in many homes.

Box beams provide the desired look of solid wood beams but at an affordable price.  Box beams are perfect for remodeling or adding to existing rooms because they are relatively easy to install and quickly adds character to a room.    

Custom Millwork

Used both on a building’s interior and exterior, custom millwork adds a decorative aspect to any project. The appearance of millwork is much like the use of crown molding, as it enhances the outward look of a building or improves the feel of an interior room. Often, the special attention to detail in the characteristics of millwork can significantly raise both the price at resale and selling potential itself by providing a unique look not readily available in most real estate markets.

Millwork is also extremely flexible in its’ use and finished design. In many occurrences, the millwork will be sold unfinished so that a buyer can apply their own colors, finishes, or paints to match where the piece or pieces are to be added within the structure or project area. Creating custom millwork today also extends beyond the prototypical “railing” frequently seen above fireplaces and doors to include extra detail on garage doors, plank ceilings, wall paneling, cabinets, and other encasement around architectural details in homes and buildings. 

Wainscot

Essentially millwork on a much larger and less detailed scale, wainscoting provides both an improved appearance to an interior wall or hallway while serving the purpose of a high-end appearance. Similar to paneling, as the two are often used in relation, wainscoting typically appears on the lower portion of a solid wall and serves solely as a decorative feature in today’s home or office.

Butcher Blocks

These unique pieces can spice up a kitchen simply from their immediate addition on top of an existing counter, built-in countertop, or a separate kitchen island cart made from all-natural wood. Serving a two-fold purpose, natural wood butcher blocks provide a pleasing sight and conversation piece in addition to providing a functional apparatus in the kitchen for your cooking enjoyment.

A wooden butcher block provides one of the best options for both durability and cleanliness inside a kitchen. Hardwood butcher blocks provide a clean, safe and beautiful surface. 


For decades, Sears Trostel has served our community with integrity and quality. We are proud to offer the best value without compromising quality or customer service. Our manufacturing processes allow for unrivaled flexibility in custom profiles, and our commitment to quality has earned us the trust of our customers through Colorado, Wyoming, and the surrounding areas. Feel free to contact us today with your needs or visit our retail sales and showroom located at 1500 Riverside Avenue in Fort Collins, Colorado. For commercial and residential sales please call 970-482-1928 or for wholesale and manufacturing, 970-482-0222 or 800-950-1928 with any other general questions about our products and services. We can also be reached by email at Sales@sears-trostel.com as we look forward to showing you the effects quality beautiful natural woods can have.

Until you begin the process of planning your remodel or build, you often don’t think of the options and weigh the benefits of one type of product versus another. When it comes to choosing the right type of moulding, businesses or homeowners would have the option of incorporating either MDF mouldings or solid hardwood mouldings. While you could determine your needs based solely on cost – this is not generally the smartest option for you, as most renovation or build projects have associated costs to consider long-term, like the durability of the product as an investment. Typically, hardwood offers many options for finishing - staining, clear coat finishes, or paint are possible. When using MDF, paint is the only option and is necessary in order for the product to be properly sealed. In addition, making a choice to use hardwood will expand your design and moulding profiles to an endless number of custom designs.  MDF however, is usually only available in mass quantities of limited stocked profiles. To help you determine the right product for your needs, Sears Trostel can offer the benefits of hardwood and detriments of MDF along with our strong recommendation to use hardwood moulding in Denver for most construction projects

Environmental Impact

MDF (medium-density fiberboard) is similar to particle board in a way, because instead of a solid piece, it is formed out of many fine fibrous pieces of wood bound into one. Most people would automatically think that this would be environmentally sound, as it can use wood waste, but the chemicals used in the binding process are actually quite harmful. Typically resin and formaldehyde is used in the binding process, which is known to be a carcinogen. Formaldehyde has a chemical reaction that results in continuous gassing-off for lengthy periods of time – months, or even years.
Generally sealing it with paint can help alleviate this issue, but won’t completely, and all MDF should be sealed and painted before installing to reduce the potential of these serious issues. MDF is not a sustainable product the way it is used now. It is usually not recyclable, so once used, it will remain in a landfill and continue to release these harmful chemicals, which can have adverse effects over time. Most wood products have some formaldehyde in then, but hardwood will not come with any added formaldehyde, so in terms of satisfying an environmental responsibility, MDF is not your best option.

Installation Issues with MDF

The base structure of MDF can seem strong and solid, but typically will not be as strong as solid hardwood mouldings. Woodworkers and installers have to be very careful when cutting MDF as it quickly dulls the blade, and can cause your miter saws to run into issues getting a clean cut.  Perfectionists will not be all too keen on the final look or the installation process, as MDF often buckles or creates a indention when nailed into, which looks messy and is much more difficult to fix then dealing with hardwoods. More sanding and filling is usually required for MDF installations, as well as a lot more cleanup in the dust department. Because MDF is made of fibers – basically a lot of fine wood fibers glued together – the resulting dust from sanding is increased by the simple nature of the product. It can take many attempts to install MDF moulding professionally, without any bumps, warping, misalignment, splits or non-smooth surface, which really contributes to more waste in the process as well.

Durability of MDF vs Hardwood

Probably the most important and easily measured benefit of using hardwood moulding over medium-density fiberboard is its wear and tear over time. Solid wood is much more durable and lasting than MDF in many ways. The natural fibers in hardwood provide a more lasting hold on nails and other fasteners as opposed to MDF, which typically loosen after installation and over time. MDF moulding is not water resistant and typically will swell in size when introduced to water or humidity, so in this Colorado climate, your investment could easily be ruined by water alone. General durability also becomes an issue with scratching, chipping, or denting – the material is less dense than most hardwoods, so it is easy to look worn and old in a short span of time without taking a lot of care in maintenance and protection. Hardwood moulding tends to be a lot more resilient in terms of durability – its hardness allows for a lot of wear and tear before it becomes noticeable, and beyond that, can typically be refinished to look like new over time.
 
If you have pets, it is a much smarter choice in terms of your investment to choose hardwood over MDF. Unintentional scratches will always happen, especially with children or animals, and knowing that your investment is safe from everyday use and occasional accidents can offer great peace of mind when making the decision to use hardwood. While generally more expensive than MDF, hardwood moulding will always last longer, in better condition, proving to be worth the investment years down the road. Above all, hardwood is going to look more professional than MDF giving you rich looking trim for years to come.

Which is Right for You? 

While the benefits of hardwood moulding heavily outweigh the positive aspects of MDF, as every project has different requirements and your needs may change over time. Consider working with hardwood to save yourself a headache down the road – we recommend using hardwood for most installations. Although MDF is cheaper in terms of cost, that cheap quality is passed along to the product itself. While MDF is easily dented, can crumble easily when drilling or nailing in close proximity, and not environmentally-friendly, it can provide a low-cost solution for projects that don’t require high quality or lasting durability.
 
If you are leaning toward using MDF in your construction project, consider talking to the experts at Sears Trostel before making your purchases. Our team can help walk through the potential outcomes for your space and weigh in environmental factors that may have an effect on things over time. Our team is well-versed in all things regarding mouldings and can direct you toward your best options across the board.
 

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Looking for more specific information? Read more about the types of moulding we offer and the many varieties available to you. Because we are the leaders in Colorado millwork, we can assist in producing the right solutions for your renovation, remodel, new construction project, or commercial build.
 
Contact our team today to get started and truly understand the benefits or detriments of the materials you intend on using. From moulding to furniture, Sears Trostel can provide unique materials of the highest quality, with the service to match.