Michael Black, who was working as a carpenter when he noticed the waste of resources in building projects, turned his passions for building and conservation into Black's Farmwood, a new company that reclaims old barn wood for building.

The cost of reclaimed wood varies, sometimes running half the price of new lumber, sometimes costing double. Wide plank flooring remanufactured from barn timber can cost as much as $12.68 a square foot for high-end chestnut.

most of the recycled wood so far has come from the midwest and the East Coast. In the East, old barns and buildings are often made of hard woods such as oak and walnut. A supplier in New York disassembles old structures for the company. Black's is also beginning to acquire old boards and beams from the West Coast where Douglas fir and redwood is common. Vice President Lance mcCardle even has his eye on a few old barns in Santa Cruz County. "It is not only sustainable, but rich in history."