Yeah, reclaimed wood definitely has its quirks. We went with salvaged barn doors for our pantry—looked amazing online, but sanding them down revealed some serious insect damage. Still happy overall, but it was way more work than I bargained for...
Did you end up treating the wood for insects after sanding, or just leave it as-is? I've run into similar issues with reclaimed beams—looked great initially, but once I started cutting, found tunnels everywhere. Ended up using a borate-based treatment to be safe. Curious if you took any precautions or just rolled with it...
I definitely wouldn't skip treating reclaimed wood, especially if you're seeing tunnels. Had a client once who insisted on leaving beams untreated because they loved the "authentic" look... fast forward a year, and we had to rip out half the ceiling due to insect damage. Borate-based treatments are my go-to as well—effective, safe, and doesn't mess with the wood's appearance. Better safe than sorry, right?
"Had a client once who insisted on leaving beams untreated because they loved the 'authentic' look... fast forward a year, and we had to rip out half the ceiling due to insect damage."
Yeah, I've seen something similar happen. A few years back, we picked up a property where the previous owners had gone heavy on reclaimed wood accents—looked fantastic at first glance, but they hadn't bothered with any treatments. Within months, we were noticing tiny piles of sawdust and suspicious little holes everywhere. Ended up costing us way more than expected to replace affected sections.
Still, I'm curious, does anyone have experience with alternative treatments besides borate-based ones? I've heard good things about heat treatments, but never personally tried them. Are they really effective long-term, or is it just marketing hype? Always skeptical about new methods until I hear some real-world experiences...
"Within months, we were noticing tiny piles of sawdust and suspicious little holes everywhere."
That hits way too close to home. We had a similar issue when renovating our old farmhouse—went all-in on reclaimed barn wood for that rustic charm, but skipped treatments thinking we'd save money and keep things natural. Big mistake. Ended up with a full-blown beetle invasion that turned into a costly nightmare.
Heat treatments caught my eye too, but when I looked into it, the upfront cost was pretty steep. The upside is it's chemical-free, which I love, and supposedly kills everything living inside the wood. But from what I've gathered, it doesn't offer long-term protection against reinfestation unless you pair it with proper sealing or regular maintenance afterward.
Honestly, if budget's tight, I'd stick with something proven like borate solutions or at least a good penetrating oil finish. You can still achieve that authentic look without sacrificing durability or your wallet... just gotta get creative about it.
