by Kimberly Lapham

Every time a house is demolished, and every time a branch falls to its death, potential is born. Salvaged wood, no matter how big or small, is growing in popularity with construction companies, recycling plants, and organically-inspired designers.

Small-scale items such as branches and log remnants are available in more places than your backyard or local park. Searching classifieds sites such as Craigslist can produce a plethora of listings, many offering all sorts of free wood, from fence posts to felled tree trunks. For branches, Nettleton Hollow has an excellent selection of varied and exotic decorative specimens. They may be more expensive than your park variety, but when was the last time the park was littered with Mitsumata and Kuwa?

Those looking for reclaimed household elements such as doors, floorboards, and beams have many options, thanks to companies that are reclaiming materials from demolition sites and sunken logs from early 20th century logging endeavors. American Antique and Specialty Woods, Inc. Crossroads Recycled Lumber, and Krantz Recovered Woods are a few of the companies fashioning high-quality and high-character consumer products from would-be waste.

When it comes to recycling, many landfills and independent companies incorporate green recycling centers for yard debris. It may be worthwhile to check if your local facility allows public access to items before recycling. Green Waste Recycle Yard is doing this on a larger level, recovering downed or cleared municipal trees from the San Francisco Bay Area. Also located in the Bay Area are Building Resources, and Urban Ore, recycling and materials exchange facilities offering all manner of salvaged wares to customers ranging from conscientious contractors to fine artists.