Every Board
Deserves a
Second Life
North Iowa's premier source for reclaimed, recycled, and sustainable lumber. We buy, sell, process, and transport salvaged wood — keeping it out of landfills and into beautiful new projects.
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The Complete Reclaimed Lumber Solution
From sourcing to delivery, we handle every step of the reclaimed lumber journey — so you can focus on building something extraordinary.
Reclaimed With Purpose
Old Wood. New Possibilities.
Environmentally Responsible
Every reclaimed board is one fewer tree cut down. We divert thousands of tons from landfills annually.
Superior Character
Decades of aging create tight grain, rich patina, and unique markings that new wood simply cannot replicate.
Proven Durability
Old-growth lumber is denser and more stable than most commercially available wood today.
Unique Story
Each piece carries history — from century-old barns to decommissioned factories — making your project truly one of a kind.
The Lifecycle of Reclaimed Wood
Trusted by Builders Across the Midwest
From custom home builders to commercial architects, our customers rely on North Iowa Lumber for quality reclaimed materials that make their projects stand out.
We've used North Iowa Lumber on over a dozen custom home builds now. The quality of their reclaimed oak is unmatched — every homeowner who walks across those floors falls in love. Their team takes the time to hand-select pieces that match our specifications perfectly. We won't source reclaimed wood anywhere else.
For the Farm & Table restaurant project downtown, we needed 14 massive hand-hewn beams with authentic character. North Iowa Lumber sourced them from an 1890s dairy barn in Floyd County and delivered them kiln-dried and ready to install. The beams became the signature feature of the entire space. Our client was thrilled.
As a furniture maker, I need wood with soul — tight grain, rich color, the kind of character you can't buy off the rack. The mixed hardwood bundles I get from North Iowa are a treasure trove. Last batch had century-old white oak, chestnut, and hickory. My customers always ask where I source my material.
When we renovated our 1920s bungalow, we wanted materials that honored the home's history. North Iowa Lumber helped us choose reclaimed barnwood siding for the accent walls and wide-plank oak for the living room floor. Marcus even came out to our house to take measurements. The personal service was incredible.
We contracted North Iowa Lumber for structural timbers on a 6,000 sq ft brewery expansion. They provided full engineering documentation on each beam's load capacity, and their delivery was right on schedule. The exposed timber ceiling is now the most photographed feature in the entire taproom. Exceptional quality and professionalism.
I've specified reclaimed wood for dozens of high-end residential projects, and North Iowa Lumber is my go-to supplier. Their custom milling is precise — we ordered 3-inch-thick walnut counter slabs and they arrived perfectly planed and sanded. The grain patterns are breathtaking. They understand that designers need consistency and beauty.
Our Process
From the moment we identify a salvage opportunity to the day your reclaimed wood arrives on-site, every step is handled with care, expertise, and respect for the material.
Sourcing & Acquisition
Our scouts identify demolition sites, aging barns, decommissioned factories, and other structures across the Midwest. We evaluate the wood species, condition, and volume before making a fair offer to the property owner. We work with local demolition crews to carefully deconstruct rather than demolish, preserving every usable board and beam.
Careful Deconstruction
Unlike traditional demolition, we practice selective deconstruction. Our crews hand-remove siding, flooring, and framing piece by piece. Beams are rigged down with cranes rather than knocked loose. This slow, deliberate approach means more material is saved in usable condition — and nothing of value goes to waste.
Inspection & Grading
Every piece that arrives at our Mason City facility is individually inspected. We check for rot, insect damage, embedded metal, and structural integrity. Lumber is then sorted by species, size, and quality grade. Pieces that meet our standards move to processing; anything that doesn't is diverted to composting or biomass fuel rather than landfill.
De-nailing & Cleaning
Reclaimed wood arrives full of nails, screws, staples, and other hardware accumulated over decades of use. Our de-nailing crew uses industrial metal detectors and hand tools to remove every piece of embedded metal. Surfaces are wire-brushed to remove dirt, loose bark, and surface contaminants while preserving the authentic patina underneath.
Kiln Drying & Milling
Clean lumber enters our biomass-fired kiln where it is dried to a stable 6-8% moisture content — critical for preventing warping and ensuring dimensional stability. Once dried, boards are milled to customer specifications: planed, profiled, tongue-and-grooved, or resawn to precise thicknesses. Our sawyers have decades of experience reading grain and maximizing yield.
Packaging & Delivery
Finished products are carefully banded, wrapped, and palletized to prevent damage during transit. Our fleet of flatbed trucks delivers across Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, South Dakota, Nebraska, and beyond. We coordinate delivery windows with your project schedule and can arrange crane or forklift unloading for heavy timbers.
Species We Carry
Our inventory includes a wide range of North American hardwoods and softwoods, each with unique characteristics shaped by decades or centuries of growth and use. Availability varies by season and salvage operations.
White Oak
American Chestnut
Heart Pine
Douglas Fir
Hickory
Eastern White Pine
Black Walnut
Red Elm
Recent Projects
See how builders, designers, and homeowners across the Midwest are using our reclaimed lumber to create extraordinary spaces with character and history.
Farm & Table Restaurant
14 hand-hewn white oak beams, 2,400 sq ft of reclaimed oak flooring, barnwood accent walls
A farm-to-table restaurant in the East Village wanted an interior that reflected its sourcing philosophy. We provided the structural ceiling beams from an 1890s Floyd County dairy barn and milled the flooring from reclaimed oak salvaged from a Des Moines warehouse demolition. The barnwood accent walls behind the bar came from a Kossuth County farmstead. The result is a space that feels authentically rooted in Iowa's agricultural heritage.
Lakeview Custom Residence
3,800 sq ft heart pine flooring, reclaimed walnut kitchen island, Douglas fir mantel beam
This 4,200 sq ft lakefront home required premium materials that would complement its modern-rustic design. We supplied wide-plank heart pine flooring throughout the main level, a 4-inch-thick live-edge walnut slab for the kitchen island, and a massive 8x12 Douglas fir mantel beam for the great room fireplace. The homeowner wanted every room to tell a story, and the reclaimed materials delivered exactly that.
Prairie Bluff Brewing Co.
Structural timbers, bar top planks, wall paneling from mixed reclaimed hardwoods
When this craft brewery expanded its taproom by 6,000 sq ft, they chose reclaimed timber for the exposed ceiling structure. We supplied 22 Douglas fir timbers — each one individually graded for structural capacity and documented with species identification and source history. The bar top was crafted from 3-inch-thick reclaimed white oak planks, and the walls were clad in a mix of barnwood from three different Iowa counties, creating a patchwork of color and texture.
Heritage Office Building Renovation
Reclaimed oak conference table, hickory flooring, chestnut wall cladding, elm reception desk
A medical technology company renovating a historic downtown building wanted to preserve its heritage character while modernizing the workspace. We supplied reclaimed hickory flooring for the open office areas, American chestnut tongue-and-groove cladding for the feature walls in the lobby, and a 14-foot reclaimed oak conference table slab. The reception desk was built from reclaimed elm with a live edge. Over 4,800 board feet of reclaimed lumber went into this project.
Sustainability Commitment
Sustainability is not a marketing label for us — it is the foundation of every decision we make. From how we source our lumber to how we power our facility, every aspect of North Iowa Lumber is designed to minimize environmental impact and maximize the useful life of every board.
Landfill Diversion
The EPA estimates that wood waste accounts for roughly 6% of all municipal solid waste in the United States. Every ton of reclaimed lumber we process is a ton that avoids decomposing in a landfill, where it would release methane — a greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than CO2 over a 20-year period. Our partnerships with over 40 demolition crews across six states ensure a steady pipeline of salvageable material.
Carbon Sequestration
Wood is nature's carbon storage device. A single cubic meter of wood stores approximately one ton of CO2. When we reclaim lumber and put it back into use in buildings, furniture, and flooring, that carbon stays sequestered for decades or centuries longer. By contrast, burning or landfilling that same wood releases its stored carbon back into the atmosphere. Our operations extend the carbon storage life of every board we handle.
Resource Efficiency
Of every log or board that enters our facility, 92% leaves as a usable product. The remaining 8% is not wasted — sawdust and wood shavings fuel our biomass kiln, small cutoffs are sold to local artisans and craft makers, and bark and debris are composted. Our solar panel array provides 40% of our facility's electrical needs, and our water recycling system captures 100% of processing water for reuse. We are continuously investing in equipment and processes that push our utilization rate even higher.
Serving the Midwest
Based in Mason City, Iowa, we source, process, and deliver reclaimed lumber across a wide swath of the Midwest. Our fleet of flatbed trucks makes weekly runs to these states, and we coordinate custom deliveries for larger projects.
Iowa
Our home state and the heart of our operations. We source from barns and farmsteads in all 99 counties and deliver statewide. Mason City, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Dubuque, Sioux City, and everywhere in between. Same-week delivery available for most Iowa destinations.
Minnesota
Our largest out-of-state market. We make weekly deliveries to the Twin Cities metro, Rochester, Mankato, and southern Minnesota. We source heavily from the dairy barns and agricultural buildings of the southern tier counties. Typical delivery time: 2-4 business days.
Wisconsin
We serve Madison, Milwaukee, La Crosse, Eau Claire, and the western Wisconsin corridor. Wisconsin's rich agricultural heritage means excellent sourcing opportunities — we've salvaged lumber from cheese factories, tobacco barns, and lakefront lodges across the state.
Illinois
Regular deliveries to the Chicago metro area, Rockford, the Quad Cities, and northern Illinois. Many of our commercial clients are Chicago-area architects and designers sourcing reclaimed materials for urban renovation projects. We also source from decommissioned grain elevators and industrial sites across the state.
South Dakota
We serve Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and communities across the eastern half of the state. South Dakota's ranching heritage provides excellent sourcing from cattle barns, homestead structures, and historic railroad buildings. Delivery time: 3-5 business days for most destinations.
Nebraska
Deliveries to Omaha, Lincoln, and communities across the eastern Nebraska corridor. We've sourced impressive old-growth timber from decommissioned Union Pacific railroad structures and historic Omaha stockyard buildings. Delivery time: 3-5 business days.
Don't see your state listed? We regularly ship to Missouri, Indiana, Michigan, North Dakota, and Kansas on request. Contact us for a delivery quote.
Request a Delivery QuoteOur Yard & Facility
From outdoor lumber yards to our indoor processing workshop — here is where reclaimed wood gets its second life.
Our Lumber Yard
Processing & Logistics
Organized Inventory
Hands-On Processing
Reclaimed Lumber & RecyclingReady to Build With History?
Whether you're looking to buy, sell, or process reclaimed lumber — we're here to help every step of the way.