The variety of decor and construction materials is more vast now than ever before. As the world is gradually growing to be more environmentally conscious about all purchasing and building decisions, innovative ways to use every day, recycled, or plant-based products for construction are emerging. While there are quite a few alternates to wood, keep in mind that all of our wood products are reclaimed from barns that no longer serve a purpose; we couldn’t agree more about recycling to save.
Bamboo
Some people actually consider bamboo to be wood, but its qualities and appearance are much different from natural raw wood. Bamboo is also interestingly considered a grass. In fact, it is one of the fastest-growing plants in the world. Bamboo can range in softness and hardness and is often used as a material for flooring in homes; but, because of the range of textures it has, it can actually be very risky to use for flooring.
Hemp
Most people don’t realize how versatile hemp actually is. It is not just a part of the cannabis plant used in drugs and oils. It is actually a very fast-growing crop that is substantially stronger and lighter than wood. Hemp has started to replace wood in many instances due to its economically friendly qualities. Its strength is accredited to its extremely long fibers.
Soy
It isn’t just a plant used in vegetarian foods. Soy is a plant of great strength and adhesive qualities. Soy could be used in conjunction with wood, but it could also be considered an alternative to other wood adhesives that can be harmful to your health. It can be used for insulation purposes, as well!
Recycled Newspaper and Cardboard
Cardboard is essentially made up of recycled paper, and it can be used as an alternative to thinner woods, like plywood. Similarly, newspapers can be used to make alternatives to wood for roofing and even some other construction materials used in walls, counters, and more.
While we would love for you to use our reclaimed barn wood, we can’t say using recycled cardboard and newspapers is a bad idea. We love recycling! That is why all of the lumber we sell is salvaged from abandoned barns - we give the wood a purpose again! Visit our website for more information about our wood kits and place your order today.