Replies

1. 
   dloc | Sep 21, 2004 07:00am | #1

   Think twice. What look do you want? Will be the equivalent of air dry lumber so should be kiln dried. Lightly plane both sides until you get the look you want. Both sides need to be solid - one for the floor and one to walk on. Don't forget to scan for nails, wire, etc. before planing. Do this for all of the boards to see what your maximum thickness for all of the boards will be. Then run the rest of them through a thickness planer to reduce everything to the lowest common denominator, saving the side you want to show. Square up one edge (probably by tacking a straight board to the potential flooring board) and then run them through the saw again to get a parallel edge. Finally, run the boards twice through a molder to put a tongue and grove edge on. If the lumber is pine, the pitch was probably never set so expect some finish problems. Biscuit the ends so you don't have to run T&G there. Bottom line, if money is the object, buy new flooring. If you are going for the look or the story, go for it. Did a Great Room with haymow flooring out of a barn; and salvaged hand forged nails. Looks great, great story and gets rave reviews from many. Not certain that I would do it again. But then, the second time would be easier. If your boards are wide, make yourself a bunch of tapered wedges. You'll need them. For a finish, water based polyurethane. Sanding & surface prep is your choice depending upon look.

1. 
   Biscardi | Sep 22, 2004 04:00am | #2

   I always wondered if you had to kiln barn wood. Most of it has to have some carpenter ant or termite larve in it and you are bringing it into the house. It always seemed a little risky to me.

   Frank

1. 
   badoyn | Sep 22, 2004 04:25am | #3

   I would definitely kiln dry it for the pest reason alone.

   Michael

1. 
   CarpenterJC | Sep 22, 2004 06:15am | #4

   I have over 600bdft of 1x12 barn siding as well as a few Zbeams..I build alot of stuff from it..99% of the siding is usually Pine..the stuff I have is over 175 yr old..its been in My shop for quite awhile..I have never had a problem with its movement with anything I have built,,its gotten to its stable point I think..just fifnished up milling parts for a shaker style nite stand this week-end hope to finish it this week...the wood color is an orage/amber..its gorgous wood...and easy to work with...good luck!

                                                                            JC

2. 
   DANL | Sep 24, 2004 12:25am | #10

   Several years ago, in the Midwest it was very popular to get old barn wood and install it in dens and rec rooms as panelling. A finish carpenter I worked with said he knew of several cases where this wood was infested with bugs and they spread to the whole house! So, kiln drying might be a good idea just for that reason!

   Edited 9/23/2004 5:27 pm ET by Danno

2. 
   MarkRoderick | Sep 22, 2004 07:56pm | #5

   In my youth I worked on a farm in the summers and spent time cleaning the barn. I believe that chicken droppings are extremely high in ammonia - try digging into a pile and see if you can still breathe. Over the years I'd think this smell would penetrate right through the wood. I'd hate you to finish the beautiful floor and have your wife say "Honey, what's that funny smell?"

1. 
   gpasewicz | Sep 22, 2004 08:26pm | #6

   I've got no experience with farming, but I thought exactly the same thing:  what's gotten into the wood after all those years that you want to bring into the kitchen?

1. 
   nikkiwood | Sep 22, 2004 08:57pm | #7

   I don't think smell will be a problem -- after the wood has been machined and finished.

   Sometime ago, I came by a cache of old growth cedar that had been used for pickling vats. The shop filled with the odor when I worked the wood, but once finished (with oil/varnish wipe-on), the smell was completely gone.

1. 
   MarkRoderick | Sep 22, 2004 09:15pm | #8

   I don't know. That ammonia is an incredibly strong smell. And it may be one thing to build a piece of furniture but having the entire floor. . . .

3. 
   knothole | Sep 23, 2004 03:43am | #9

   Afew years ago I was given about 500 ft of oak that came out of a chicken house, it was white oak and had turned almost black. It did smell when I ran it through the planer but after it was all finished there wasn't any odor. Talk about fumed wood, chickens do a very good job of it.

4. 
   RickL | Sep 24, 2004 04:48pm | #11

   Speaking from actual experience and not specualtion on the subject. We are a antique lumber yard and do recycled wood, flooring etc.

   We just did the flooring for four college dorms of recycled chestnut that was 5/8" thick. It was wood removed from some old campus building and that was the maximum thickness we could get from the recycled stock.

   Your wood will have to be kiln dried to bring it to around 8% even though it will go higher after it is laid. We use a Nyle L200 kiln to dry the wood. Takes about a week with recycled wood and by kicking the temperature up to about 160 degrees for a short spell we kill any bugs and can set pitch in heart pine.

   
   

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   Edited 9/24/2004 9:49 am ET by rick3ddd

5. 
   mariadelgado | May 22, 2015 06:34am | #12

   You can use hardwood flooring which has sufficient thickness. You can also contact to some flooring contarctor, that will help you to decide better for your kitchen.