Are reclaimed materials suitable?
Q. I'm thinking of extending my Cotswold stone-built home. I like the
idea of using salvaged building materials to complement its character,
but might they be prone to problems?
A. You can achieve marvellous results by using reclaimed building
materials. I find they're popular among three different groups.
Firstly, there's the 'architectural antiques' set, who
enjoy salvaging lovely bits of old buildings, such as fireplaces and
timber flooring. Generally, these are expensive decorative items that
will add quality to your home, but won't be fundamental to the
construction of the building. That means there should be little in the
way of 'hidden dangers' that wouldn't be obvious to the
eye.
The second group chooses salvaged materials because it's more
ecologically responsible to re-use rather than renew. They might also
opt to do this because reclaimed items are more in keeping with the
look of an historic building. While this is certainly commendable,
it's always important to check that the quality of the items is
reliable.
Thirdly, there are some who salvage 'second-hand' building
materials indiscriminately in a bid to cut costs. This can be a risky
practice if undertaken without due care, especially when it comes to
structural elements. Joists that have come from an unknown source,
for example, may not be of a suitable quality.
As a rule, you can use salvaged materials for decorative purposes and
for situations where their quality can be clearly assessed as fit for
the task in hand. But be cautious when using potentially unreliable
materials for structural or constructional elements of your project.
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