Salvaging operations are an integral part of many commercial and residential demolition operations, and the money raised by selling valuable salvage (such as metal piping and roof flashing) can be a great aid when it comes to balancing your demolition budget. If you are planning to demolish a barn on your farm or rural estate, however, you may assume that such simple, rustic buildings have little in the way of worthwhile salvage.

However, if your barn is made of timber it may be holding far more value than you ever thought possible. Timber reclaimed from barns is highly sought after by timber merchants, building renovators and other businesses in need of high quality wood, and selling salvaged wood from a demolished barn can save you an enormous amount of money.

Why is the timber in my barn so valuable?

It should be clarified at this point that not every timber barn is worth salvaging, and more recently-constructed timber barns, usually made from plantation woods of average quality, may not net you much in the way of cash. However, if your barn is an older structure and its timbers remain in good condition, it can be much more valuable to you. Many parts of these older timber barns, particularly the strong, sheltered timber used for internal structural support, come from old-growth trees, logged before modern forest preservation laws were put into place. These trees can yield wood of extremely high quality, which can be used for a wide variety of purposes.

In many cases, they can be reused in their original roles, providing structural strength to a new building. However, these old-growth woods are also highly prized for creating ornamental timber products, such as mantlepieces, furniture and dashboard trims. This is because old-growth woods tend to have more prominent and aesthetically pleasing grains than younger, plantation-grown trees. Popular ornamental woods, such as chestnut, hickory and native jarrah, are particularly valuable in old-growth form.

How should I go about salvaging barn timber?

If you suspect that the timber in your barn may be worth salvaging, you should have the timbers inspected by experienced demolition and salvage crews before the demolition begins. In many cases, demolition companies will conduct a demolition for free in exchange for ownership of any valuable timber they find, but this service will not be offered unless the timber is of sufficient quality. Ensuring that the timber in question is free of structural damage, mould and insect infestation is vital.

If your timber is not valuable enough to warrant a free demolition, you can still recoup some of your demolition costs by selling suitable timber to salvage crews and timber merchants. Demolition crews may also be willing to grant partial discounts in exchange for smaller quantities of timber, and many run their own salvage operations which can make reselling your wood much easier. Once again, the timber must be in suitably good condition for this to be worthwhile, so make sure to have your barn wood inspected before the barn is destroyed.

For more information, contact companies like Roach Demolition & Excavations.