Notes on Working with Driftwood and Reclaimed Wood in Canada
A collection of field notes, build walkthroughs, and sourcing guides for woodworkers and makers who use beach-gathered or salvaged lumber — from British Columbia to Nova Scotia.
Reclaimed Lumber Carries a History That New Stock Cannot Match
Barn boards, factory floors, and century-old pier timbers all hold decades of compression and weathering that make them dimensionally stable in ways fresh-sawn wood rarely is. That stability matters when you are building a dining table meant to last another fifty years.
Read: Preparing Reclaimed LumberRecent Articles
BC Coast Finds
The Pacific shoreline between Tofino and Campbell River deposits some of the largest driftwood pieces in Canada — cedar and fir logs that have spent months in the open ocean.
Great Lakes Salvage
Decommissioned fishing boats, dock planks, and warehouse floors in Ontario and Manitoba yield dense hardwoods — ash, maple, and elm — that are rarely available through conventional suppliers.
Atlantic Barn Wood
Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have a quiet market in dismantled barn boards. Century-old spruce and pine, often untreated, arrives with a surface patina that no stain can convincingly replicate.
Every Piece of Reclaimed Wood Has a Documented Source — or It Should
In Canada, provincial regulations on removing driftwood from beaches and waterways vary considerably. British Columbia requires a permit for commercial quantities; Ontario treats shoreline wood differently depending on whether it sits above or below the ordinary high-water mark. Knowing the rules before collecting saves significant trouble downstream.
Read the Sourcing GuideA Note on Kiln-Drying vs. Air-Drying Driftwood
Driftwood gathered from saltwater beaches carries dissolved salts deep into the grain. Air-drying alone does not remove them — the wood must be soaked in fresh water, dried slowly, then allowed to equilibrate to interior humidity before any finish is applied. Skipping this step causes efflorescence under oil or lacquer finishes within a single heating season.
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