going green with reclamedwood
woodby mary lancaster •independent writer R
Reclaiming wood from buildings being restored or taken down is not a new practice, nor one new to Nantucket, but with today's emphasis on recycling it is an excellent way to obtain handsome flooring for your

home that is deeper in tone and richer in character and history than

new products.

Eastwood Trading Company owned by Linda and Chris Yates specializes in purchasing and custom milling wooden flooring and other wood features such as beams that can be made into flooring and bringing the product to Nantucket customers.

"You are not taking down any forests," said Linda Yates, adding, "Every source is unique so every floor has its history. Obviously, it's beautiful material."

ChrisYates estimates that the average new home built anywhere in the country requires approximately 88 trees, a figure that makes environmentalists shiverin disgust.

"Anytime you can eliminate the use of our natural resources - and you're talking about thousands of feet that go into flooring - that's as 'green'as it gets," he said.

It is important to distinguish the difference between a building being deconstructed and one being demolished. In a demolition there is no regard for the building's materials, whereas in a deconstruction, reusable elements such as beams, floors, wall and ceiling materials are carefully removed to prevent damage. Eastwood, founded 15 years ago when Linda Yates was using salvaged wood from a collapsing Pennsylvania barn to build a house, has a network of people who through word of mouth, the Internet or by having started their own deconstruction companies, let the Yates's know when wood is becoming available. Once it is purchased it goes to custom mills in Pennsylvania and Ohio. The wood is stored in those locations until it is time to bring it to an island customer. Chris Yates said because inventory for each project is specific to meet the taste of the homeowner and architects and designers, reclaimed wooden flooring cannot be kept "on the shelf" locally. Instead, the company maintains a portfolio of examples and wood samples clients may choose from.

"Initially, the process of selection can be involved or easy," he said. "Customers today are pretty wellinformed."

The species of woods available through reclaiming are next to endless, said Yates. Common woods from the east coast include oak and pine, whereas woods from the west coast are usually Douglas fir and redwoods. In the mid-west, common species include hickory, walnut, beech and elm, and southeast Asian woods available include teak and other tropical varieties. The key, said Yates, is to find hardwoods that are in excellent condition and are known to be durable.

The milling process allows for desired board widths and retention of characteristics such as pine knots and natural ding marks that make the flooring interesting and unique. Another point in support of reclaimed wood flooring is that the material is already seasoned and dried, so expansion and contraction are not issues when the boards are installed.

"In the end, when you factor everything that is involved, [reclaimed wood] is more cost effective and of superior quality," said Chris Yates. "And it's the green initiative people are gravitating to that has a huge impact on the environment."

Islander Greg Mehringer is also involved in recycling home materials no longer wanted through his relatively new nonprofit called Nantucket Recycleworks. He has already saved beautiful, old oak flooring from a Nantucket house that was being replaced with tile, along with wooden kitchen cabinets that were installed in a friend's house.

"Eighty percent of a house that we send to the dump can be recycled," said Mehringer. "With the economy slowing there will be a need for this. There is some beautiful old flooring out here. It's a win/win for the homeowner and the stuff stays in circulation. It's all beautiful stuff, there is enough, and there is a definite need

for recycling flooring." I