Used Roof Timber - Should I scrap it?

[rjb]

Hi,

We're having an extension built over the next few weeks and it involves taking the roof off part of the house and having a new roof built. I asked whether any of the timber could be re-used in the new roof but the builder said they would have to use new. It's a fairly high pitched roof measuring about 7m x 5m so there's a lot of timber in it and it seems an awful waste to me. Can it be used for anything or sold or should I just scrap it?

Thanks,

Richard.

 

[compo]

Hi Richard

Whatever you do... Don't scrap it!

Whereabouts are you? If you're near I may be interested.

Sean

 

[cambournepete]

How old is the roof/wood?
What sort of wood is it?
As compo said, don't scrap it!

 

[rjb]

Thanks for your replies. The roof is 20 tears old, I couldn't say what type of wood it is, it's all sawn timber joists, but they all look the same to me. I'm in East Sussex.

Richard.

 

[9fingers]

Certainly don't scrap it but be aware that it may well have broken off nail ends embedded in it. Use of a cheapo hand-held security type metal detector and digging out the offending metal will save precious planer knives as saw blade tips.

Bob

 

[Guy Forks]

JRB

Here’s my old roof timber.

.
and

And this is what I’ve done with it.

Keep it!!

Glynn

 

[Raggy]

Very nice bit of work, must take you ages to remove all those nails. But it sure is worth the effort.

 

[dennis]

Glyn

Did you put any filler in the nail holes in the picture they just look like small knots.

Dennis

 

[Guy Forks]

All

Thanks for the complement Chris.

There’s no filler in the one pictured just half a gallon of French polish.
Others I’ve made have half a pound of wax in them (I’ve tried oil but it just keeps running through).

It takes about 8 hours to de-nail and fuzz (there’s a thin layer of cement on the other side of the boards) enough boards to make a box but then you have to try to marry the boards up so they look half decent.
Then 9 times out of 10 you find you don’t have enough good wood due to cracks and splits and faults you can’t see until you’ve cleaned them up.

It’s also hard on the thicknesser I have a Jet PT260. After about 8 passes of all the wood for one box. There ready to be resharpend.

NOTE to jrb.

Keep’em off the ground a metal detector is good for nails but it wont tell you about embedded stones (trust me I know).

Cheers

Glynn.