A reclaimed wood dining table can be made from an amazing array of objects and scrap wood types. It can be created from distressed wood from an old building, from wood scrap left from other sorts of construction, wood slabs that have been sanded and treated, and even from wood pallets or barrels. Old doors can be remade into tables quite easily.
Reclaimed wood is the ecological choice. It can come from a variety of sources. One source is discards from a sawmill that makes specific sorts of items. For example, the leftovers from cutting wood into the sorts of shapes needed for chairs can be pieced together to create a surface. Slab wood, often discarded, can be finished and the cut side used as a table top. Such wood also makes a good back for glued together small pieces that would not otherwise hold together. Old pallets can be taken apart and made into a continuous surface. Doors are practically no work at all, especially smooth surfaced hollow core doors. Barrels can be used to create amazing tables, including ones that have a nice bit of storage.
Reclaimed wood is an ecologically sound choice. It makes use of wood scrap and discarded material that would otherwise find its way into our landfills.
The best part, however, is that reclaimed wood has amazing character. All those dings, nicks, nail holes and bumps can be lightly sanded then stained to reveal the distressing. It is perfect for shabby chic projects as well as rustic or country décor. But it is not limited to those sorts of design. An incredibly beautiful sort of dining room table is the live edge design, which depends upon using cut slabs that might be too knotty or irregular for commercial lumber. This enables using all parts of a tree, no matter how twisted or gnarled.
Making or purchasing a reclaimed wood dining room table is the ecologically responsible way to furnish your home. It shows respect for the trees that are the lungs of our world and slows the rate at which landfills mound up.