Michael Deakin of Hertiage Salvage in Petaluma was early to the salvaged wood business; he built his first home out of reclaimed wood in 1970 and he has been running his salvage business for 11 years.
His showroom is a yard stacked with piles of wood salvaged from old barns, water tanks, warehouses, and other sources from California and beyond. He's become a resource for not only architects and builders but also DIY-ers looking to fix up their homes, and even artists looking for that perfect piece of wood (a selection process that he has seen take up to five hours for the latter). When asked what his favorite type of wood is, it's akin to asking him to pick a favorite child. He says, "Every pieces of wood evokes more than the sum of it's parts. How you treat it typifies what it's going to be. One wood that everybody wants is weathered barn siding. It's what they have in their head when they come in here." It's not necessarily what they leave with, as Deakin is a master at steering people towards what it is they really need, not what they think they want. For more, go to Heritage Salvage.
Photography by Mimi Giboin for Remodelista.
Above: Deakin is a proponent of reclaimed ship lap for flooring, which unlike tongue and groove is easier to install. The technique was first used by ship builders where the boards are butted together and attached with a lap joint.
Above: Planks of wood. Lumber yards typically paint the ends of wood red to seal it and stop the wood from checking.
Above: Deakin's wood covers the gamut from oak, elm, and ash to redwood and douglas fir. He likes to offer the latter as a flooring option as it is the most affordable wood. It's a soft wood, but as he points out, if it's reclaimed it will have many marks on it anyway, "so one more ding won't matter."
Above: Deakin's showroom features architectural salvaged elements as well as more exotic pieces of wood such as reclaimed Chocolate Acacia and Spalted Mango.
Above: Samples of oak with examples of finishes.
Above: Salvaged corrugated metal.
Above: The wooden pyramid at the entry to Heritage Salvage has become a landmark. It was built from the remnants of a burnt down warehouse. It made it out to Burning Man and back, and is now a permanent piece in the yard.
Above: The entrance to Heritage Salvage.
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