Did You Know? Each year wood equivalent to 250,000 single-family homes is incinerated or buried in landfills. The USDA estimates that from an annual total of 70 million tons of wood waste, 30 million tons were of a quality to be reused. Tip of the Month Looking for reclaimed lumber sources in your area? Just Google "reclaimed lumber" and your city and state. A quick search for "reclaimed lumber chandler az" returned several reclaimed wood and salvage yards, building material recycle businesses, and reclaimed hardwood floor suppliers. Talk to Us Have a question, feedback, or want to see a specific topic covered in our newsletter? Write to us!

May-June 2010

Welcome to the May-June edition of the CK Valenti Designs Newsletter.

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

A ... Water Tower?

Happy Summer! This month we're showcasing our first project using reclaimed lumber. When we were approached by a Phoenix couple looking for a unique sofa table for their living room, we were very excited at the prospect of getting to try out some reclaimed lumber. We pulled a few samples from our local wood supplier: old beams, flooring, and wide planks from an old wooden water tower. The character, size, and story of the water tower excited our clients the most, so we transformed the planks into the functional and stylish table you see above.

Our client specifically wanted the character of the wood to show through, but being that the table is meant to be a functional surface, we planed the wood smooth (taking care to leave nail holes and knots exposed), and finished it with varnish to make a watertight surface. As the top of the table is meant to be the focus point of the piece, we mounted it on a simple metal frame, open in the front to accept stools for seating, and finished the legs with an antiqued black patina. The result: a beautiful, one-of-a-kind table - and conversation piece.

WEBSITE NEWS

Customer Feedback

"The craftsmanship of the benches and wine rack for our game room is like no other to be found – absolutely amazing! Every time someone new enters our home, they are in amazement and want to know who built them for us. The professionalism and knowledge of the owners of CK Valenti is un-matchable. I would highly recommend them to everyone!" Business and Home Owner, Chandler

We have new customer feeback posted on our site! Click for our testimonial page.

EDUCATION CORNER

Using Reclaimed Lumber

Projects as diverse as wood flooring, furniture, millwork, and architectural accent pieces all can be built from reclaimed lumber. Why consider using reclaimed lumber?

1. Environmental benefits: recycling wood doesn't require new wood to be harvested and keeps the old wood out of the landfill.
2. Aesthetic reasons: reclaimed lumber often has character that cannot be achieved with new wood. Reclaimed lumber also has "a story" and a link to history that some people find appealing.
3. Wood types: depending upon the wood you want you use, you may have to use reclaimed lumber. Certain types of wood, such as American Chestnut, can only be found from reclaimed sources. (To find out what happened to the American Chestnut, click here).
This month in the This Old House Magazine there is a section for salvage and reuse of materials for home projects, with a corresponding section on the TOH website. Some of the projects involve wood; all are interesting! Check it out at https://youroldhouse.thisoldhouse.com/salvage/index.jsp.