They Give New Life To Old Barn Wood

They Give New Life To Old Barn Wood BUILDINGS Miscellaneous “We are passionate that if a barn can’t be saved we’d like to at least save the wood and find a second use for it ” says Tadd Morris owner of 2nd Chance Wood Company in Corunna Mich Since he and his father Joe tore down their first barns in 2010 the business has expanded from 6 000 to 22 000 sq ft in an old manufacturing plant “We started as a place to sell reclaimed wood in an area of the country that didn’t have anybody doing that yet we are surrounded by old buildings that are coming down ” Morris says He points to the tight grain on a board cut from a barn beam and notes that the 1860 to 1910 barns his business rescues were made from virgin timber in Michigan “We love the old woods and they are worth the added time and expense to get them ” Morris explains Customers love them too from homeowners who appreciate preserving local old wood in their homes to architects and developers who include old wood flooring walls and other accents in their blueprints for commercial projects While his father leads the barn crew tearing down a barn about every 3 weeks Morris designs pieces for the woodworking crew to build Instead of discarding spalted wood pieces or filling in insect holes mice-chewed and cattle-rubbed boards they enhance them with clear resin or other finishes Original ax cuts and saw lines are preserved whenever possible “We aren’t trying to make an antique We want to make heirloom pieces ” Morris says Thick beams become stair treads for a casino Slabs cut from beams become a log wall blended with polished concrete and galvanized tin for an Internet company’s office Planks create an office desk for a minister and a Mackinac bridge-style conference table with a piece of shipwrecked wood for another business Old barn doors are rented for wedding photos One door with a wood slider in place of a window built in 1863 may become part of the décor for an in-home theater designed to look like an old mine shaft In addition to barn wood 2nd Chance rescues wood doors and furniture from old homes or businesses and even polishes up old semi-trailer floors for everything from bar tops to stair treads There’s a lot to preserve Morris’s father has a waiting list of 100 barns to check out in a 20-mile radius Sometimes his crew does the tear down in exchange for the wood Other times there is a nominal fee for removing shingles and other parts that can’t be recycled When they find barns in very good condition 2nd Chance Wood Co works with the Michigan Barn Preservation Network and can provide materials for repair Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Tadd Morris 2nd Chance Wood Company 503 Shiawassee St Corunna Mich 48817 ph 989 472-4488; 2ndchancewoodco@gmail com; www 2ndchancewood com

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