Insist on These 6 Things When Buying Reclaimed Wood

If you’ve spent any time watching HGTV or scrolling through your Instagram feed the last few years, there’s no doubt you’ve seen a major home décor trend taking over! Thanks to Chip and Joanna Gaines, we’re seeing more people than ever adding shiplap and reclaimed wood walls to their list of home décor improvements. But not all wood is created equal, so before you buy, you should insist on these 6 things from any company. (Spoiler—Stikwood meets all 6).

  1. Your planks are made from authentic reclaimed wood.
  2. Your wood is safe for your family and doesn't emit any volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
  3. Your wood is certified sustainable.
  4. Your wood planks are made with quality materials.
  5. Your wood is made (and sourced) in the USA
  6. You are buying directly from the maker.

1. Your planks are made from authentic reclaimed wood.

Real reclaimed wood is beautiful, with a finish that only years of exposure to harsh winters and hot summers can create—it's look is unique. If someone says their wood is reclaimed, make sure it is authentic and that each piece of reclaimed wood has been ethically sourced. Many companies use machines to create the reclaimed look, or even are just a veneer or a digital print of wood on an engineered substrate.

Our goal at Stikwood is to put as little as possible between you and the beauty of our real wood planks. In the case of our reclaimed naturally weathered planks, this mean just cleaning them up and touching them as little as possible, so you get authentic reclaimed wood. Nature has already created the most beautiful finish possible. For our sustainable woods, our finishes are meant to bring out the beauty of the wood, not cover it up. with heavy stains and laquers that hide the wood and are unhealthy.

2. Your wood is safe for your family and doesn't emit any volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Bringing wood into your home should be like a walk in the forest—beautiful, safe, and healthy. The internet is full of charlatans and liars, which has made it difficult and time consuming to know if what you buy and expose your family to is safe. So who are you to trust? Make sure the products you purchase are certified by a reputable third party.

At Stikwood, we don't ask you to take our word for it, we have SCSglobal (the international leader in the field of sustainability standards) come and certify that our products are safe (no VOCs) and sustainable. All of our products are Indoor Advantage™ Gold—Indoor Air Quality Certified.

3. Your wood is certified sustainable.

We are seeing more and more challenges facing our planet’s future. One of the ways that you can be a force for good in the world is by choosing sustainable products when you have the option. But don't take people's word for it, insist on a higher level of certainty in your purchase—insist that the claims made by manufacturers be backed up by third party certification. This holds the company accountable and ensures that your money is actually making a difference.

Stikwood believes that the solution to part of these challenges is smart, ethical manufacturing. We’ve taken the extra steps and refused to cut corners when it comes to ensuring we’re doing everything we can to protect our planet, which means ensuring our products are third party FSC® and SCS® Certified.

4. Your wood planks are made with quality materials.

When done right, a peel+stick wood plank is amazing. Lightweight yet strong, beautiful and simple to use. But creating a peel+stik real wood product is not simple. It requires the right balance between wood preparation and adhesion. If the wood is too thick, it may overpower the adhesive and pull away from the wall. If the adhesive is cheap, it may result in the same. Skimping on the adhesive is the easiest way to lower cost. Make sure the product you purchase is designed well by a knowledgable company that uses the best quality materials.

Stikwood invented Peel+Stik wood. Since we’ve been doing this longer than everyone else, we know what works—and what doesn’t. We have taken the time to carefully test and retest each and every product to make sure our customers are receiving the top-of-the-line luxury reclaimed wood they deserve.

5. Your wood is made (and sourced) in the USA

If you are concerned about our environment, your health and the sustainability of our communities, you will insist on products made as locally as possible. Just because a product says made in the USA, it doesn't mean that all of it's components are sourced here. When you buy products that are sourced and made locally you can be more certain that the products don't contain any unhealthy chemicals and that they were sourced in a manner that didn't harm the environment. Along with this, you reduce the carbon footprint with less shipping and most of all, you are putting your money back into communities near you at every level.

Stikwood is 100% made in the USA, in our Grand Rapids, MI factory, from materials sourced here. We take pride in our committment to you and our communities. We know exactly what is in our products, who made them and how they were made.

6. You are buying directly from the maker.

The internet has given you direct access to the people who invent and manufacture products, so if they offer, you should buy directly from them. Middle men only serve to raise cost and muddy your relationship with the people who are in the best position to help your project succeed.

While it might be easy to buy from companies like Amazon, the internet is filled with fakes and charlatans and these platforms encourage off-brands to sell you substandard products (many times using the original brand's images and marketing material!!!) and make unsubstantiated claims that make it harder for you to understand what you are getting.

We sell directly to you via our website because it connects us with you. Without a middle man, we are able to offer better service, better prices and have a more genuine connection to our community and be a part of your cool new project. If you need help, or something goes wrong, you know you can talk to us directly and we can respond quickly.

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