Wood panel walls were popular in the mid-20th century, but in 2020, our ideas of wood walls are a bit more creative. The rustic, earthy style has come back into fashion, but today it’s often less vertical panels and more horizontal boards with rich character and variation. That’s why reclaimed wood makes such a good option for a wood wall. It’s not only attractive in that there’s plenty of character, but it’s eco-friendly, as you’ll need less raw material in order to install the wall.
Can You Install Your Own Reclaimed Wood Wall?
Reclaimed wood walls can be installed DIY, as long as you know everything you need and have the right safety equipment. Because it’s wood, you’ll want to make sure that you have gloves to avoid splinters, as well as a safety mask and goggles while you trim the wood to fit your needs. If you use a nail gun or electric saw, make sure that you use ear plugs.
How to Install a Reclaimed Wood Wall
Before installing the wall, make sure the wood has 2-5 days out of the box to adjust to the temperature and humidity levels in the room. In order to install a reclaimed wood wall, you will need an underlying structure that is flat, structurally sound, and cleaned of any dirt, dust, or debris. Use a laser to level the wall, and trace the trajectory of the laser with a pencil to stay that way throughout the project.
You’ll need construction adhesive glue to stick each board to the surface of the wall. From there, hammer a nail through each of the four corners of the wood board. Then repeat the process until the wall is covered and your rustic look is properly achieved.
Styles of Reclaimed Wood Walls
Reclaimed wood has so much character, carried over from past lives as a cargo box or a railcar plank. Reclaimed wood varies in color and even texture. It’s for this reason that it’s often used as a rustic accent wall. The most common way to arrange a reclaimed wood wall is with staggered horizontal planks that fill up the wall. However, some might like something a little more stylistic, such as tilting the wood diagonally to create an arrow pattern. Occasionally, homeowners will install reclaimed wood walls in a purposefully uneven way to give it a rougher, more eclectic texture. You might paint over the reclaimed wood wall, but most choose to let the natural color shine.
Finally, where do you find the reclaimed wood for your home improvement project? The answer is simple: Reclaimed Wood Solutions. We offer vintage reclaimed wood from railcar planks and cargo planks. These can be used to create wood beams, doors, or the perfect reclaimed wood wall. We are located in Keller, Texas, but we ship throughout the country. Contact Reclaimed Wood Solutions today for more information or to order your own reclaimed wood.
