What Type of Wood SHOULD YOU USE?

There are plenty of options out there for your wood wall. The decision will come down to how much

money, time and effort you want to put into the project.

FINISHED RECLAIMED WOOD. Companies such as Wall Concept USA provide prefinished reclaimed wood boards. The benefit here is that you know the quality is very good, and because of that, the wood will last a long time.

You also don’t have to do any prep with the wood once you get it—you can just install it directly to the wall. The downside is that you’ll pay more, since the material has already been sourced and prepped for you.

NEW WOOD. You can go to your local lumber or home improvement store and buy new wood to use in your project.

The benefit of this method is that it will be cheaper than choosing prefinished boards, but it will also require more effort. You’ll need to sand and finish each piece in addition to installing it. You’ll also be getting new instead of reclaimed wood, so this is a better option for painted walls such as shiplap.

PALLET WOOD. This is the cheapest option, but it also has the highest risk.

You can get wood pallets for free from your local grocery store (always ask first), but the wood will also require lots of prep, and is often in poor condition. You’ll need to take the pallet apart, remove the nail heads and inspect each piece for rot and insects. You’ll also need to wash each piece thoroughly with a pressure washer and let it dry before you sand and finish it.