Wood is a renewable resource. This is evident as logged or burnt stands start to regenerate new life, growing the next generation of building materials straight from the ground. But lumber’s life doesn’t end when it’s harvested, milled, and used for building materials. Old fences, decks, and siding can often be repurposed for a variety of home projects.

To help protect the earth, Marks Lumber recommends nontoxic LifeTime Wood Treatment. But treated wood hasn’t always been so eco-friendly. As you renovate and take out old boards, you may find it difficult not to let your imagination run wild. Often times, old exterior wood may have been treated with harmful chemicals. If you are repurposing chemically treated wood for a project, you should take precautions, wearing a mask, gloves, and safety glasses when you cut or sand. It’s also important to consider how you use the wood, staying away from food and water sources if it may have been treated with heavy metals or arsenic.

With that in mind, there’s no other limit to what you can make. To help you narrow it down, here are five ideas to recycle old wood products.

Build Planter Boxes

Take the opportunity to turn old exterior wood into new beauty when you build planter boxes for flowers and other garden plants. Just avoid using treated wood for any beds that you plan to plant veggies or other edible goodies in. You wouldn’t want those chemicals in the soil if you plan to eat your harvest, but it shouldn’t pose a problem for decorative planting.

Make Outdoor Furniture

An outdoor bench or greenhouse shelving will make good use of reclaimed wood. An Adirondack chair, a side table to perch potted plants outside your front door, or a bench where you can pull on your boots, all make great projects that let you reuse some of that old lumber.

Craft Some Sawhorses

Have one project help you on the next project. Put together a few sawhorses with the discards, and you’ll be ready to take on more woodworking projects in no time. You know that if you’re recycling lumber, it’s likely already proved it’s durability. Why not give it a new purpose that helps you create even more sustainable products.

Take on Landscaping Projects

If the material you’re reusing was chemically treated, it will certainly hold up against rot if you repurpose it for landscaping. Create a rustic pathway with circle sawn timbers laid down end to end. Or put up a retaining wall or cribbing to help slow erosion on a hillside.

Cleverly Disguise Your Trash Bins

Stow unsightly trash cans and recycle bins behind a rustic enclosure made from recycled lumber, and give some new life to old wood. You can keep your yard looking tidy without having to sacrifice space in your garage. A few support pieces, a bit of siding, a lid with a couple hinges, and a hatch on the side that swings open to pull the cans out on pickup day, and you’re all set.

For all the assistance and ideas on your next project, Marks Lumber can help. Get in touch, and we can give you the guidance and materials you need to get it done.