We had similar worries when we built our deck from reclaimed barn wood. We ended up giving the beams a thorough cleaning and sanding, then applied a borate-based treatment to fend off insects and prevent rot. It wasn't too expensive and gave us peace of mind. As for splinters, gloves were a must for me—I learned that lesson quickly after the first few painful encounters, haha. Good luck with your project...reclaimed timber can be tricky but totally worth it in the end.
"reclaimed timber can be tricky but totally worth it in the end."
Couldn't agree more with this. I've worked on a few projects using reclaimed wood, and while it definitely has its quirks, the character and warmth it adds to a home is unmatched. Your approach with sanding and borate treatment is spot-on—I've recommended similar methods to clients who were hesitant about reclaimed materials. One thing I'd add from experience: always double-check local building codes before diving in too deep. I've seen some beautiful remodels halted mid-way because of overlooked regulations (like your neighbor's unfortunate situation). It's usually minor stuff that's easy to address upfront but can become a real headache later on. Sounds like you're already on the right track though...and trust me, once it's all done, you'll be glad you stuck with it.
I think you're making the right call here. When we renovated our place a few years back, reclaimed timber was something I really wanted to incorporate, but I was worried about exactly this kind of issue—city regulations can be a real headache if you don't check ahead of time. Fortunately, we did our homework first and avoided any major hiccups.
That said, even with proper planning, reclaimed wood does have its moments. We had a batch of beams that looked perfect at first glance but turned out to have some hidden rot spots once we started cutting into them. It definitely added some extra time (and cost) to the project, but honestly...the final look made all of that stress worthwhile. There's just something about the warmth and authenticity reclaimed wood brings to a space that's hard to replicate with new materials.
Your sanding and borate treatment is exactly what I'd recommend too—great way to protect your investment without compromising the integrity or character of the wood. And you're definitely smart to learn from your neighbor's unfortunate experience; it's always better to spend a bit more time upfront making sure everything checks out rather than dealing with costly delays down the road.
Keep us posted on how things go—I bet when it's finished, you'll appreciate it even more knowing all the effort and thought you put into it.
We ran into something similar—thought we'd covered our bases until the inspector found lead paint on a batch of reclaimed doors we planned to use. Total headache, had to get them professionally stripped and sealed, which wasn't cheap. But no regrets, honestly. You're smart to plan ahead with the sanding and borate treatment...wish we'd thought of that earlier, would've saved us some stress (and cash).
We had a similar hiccup when we redid our kitchen cabinets—thought we were golden until the inspector flagged asbestos in the old flooring underneath. Total nightmare, had to pause everything and get a remediation crew in. Felt like overkill at first, but looking back, it was worth it for peace of mind. Sounds like you're on the right track with the preemptive sanding and borate stuff...wish we'd been that proactive, would've saved us some headaches down the road.
