Len Kuipers Homes is strongly committed to the environment and the wise use of its resources. We believe that using reclaimed materials makes sound environmental and economical sense and today many of our custom homes and commercial structures are crafted out of reclaimed woods.
Building with pre-used materials not only gives our clients peace of mind in knowing that new trees were not harvested for their project but that the end result, because of its former use, is rich in personality and unique character.
Additionally, in the case of reclaimed woods and wooden structures, the wood (typically Douglas Fir) tends to be from old-growth forests harvested hundreds of years ago. Because of this, the wood quality is more dense with tighter growth rings than new woods harvested today.
Reclaimed Douglas Fir is stunning and possesses rich reddish hues with a pronounced, bold grain. These timbers are accented with marks and blemishes from its former use and this, in itself, makes for an overall aesthetic appeal.
Examples of sources where we have found and reclaimed timber frame for construction in homes:
- Old Barns
- Graineries (Saskatchewan)
- Heinz Ketchup plant (Leamington)
- Sheppard/Yonge subway (Toronto)
- Distillery District (Toronto)
- Weisers Whiskey Distillery (Belleville)
- Strathcona Paper Mill (Toronto)
Point of interest ..... On several projects, we have counted the rings and found the wood to be at least 200 years old when cut to timber. When you add the time these timbers served in a factory (over 100 years in several of the abovementioned cases), we now have wood from trees that began growing in the 1700s. Definitely "Old Growth Forest" .......