Every solid reclaimed beam we sell is one of two kinds, hand-hewn or rough sawn. Both come out of old barns, both are hand selected, and both can be cut into a fireplace mantel. What separates them is how the timber was shaped in the first place, and that decides how it looks in your room.
How a Hand-Hewn Beam Was Made
A hand-hewn beam was squared by hand with an axe and an adze, usually a century or more ago, and the tool marks are still in the face.
That is why the surface is uneven and why no two hand-hewn beams carry the same pattern. The marks run deep, and the face catches light in a way milled lumber does not.
How a Rough Sawn Beam Was Made
A rough sawn beam was cut at a mill with a circular saw. The blade left arcing marks across the face, which is why these are also called circular sawn beams.
The face sits flatter than a hewn beam, and the beam squares up more cleanly. The saw marks, together with natural checking, notch pockets, and weathered grain, are what keep it from looking like new lumber.
Side by Side
Here is one of each above a kitchen range. The differences come down to three things:
- Surface: hand-hewn is uneven, with deep axe marks. Rough sawn is flatter, with arcing saw marks.
- Look: hand-hewn reads older and more rustic. Rough sawn reads cleaner.
- Fit: rough sawn squares up cleanly, which suits a more finished installation. Hand-hewn is irregular by nature.
Choosing a Mantel
The same choice applies over a fireplace. If the room already has stone, exposed brick, or other old wood in it, the deep texture of a hand-hewn mantel has company. If the room is more finished, a rough sawn mantel squares up cleanly and gives a straighter line. The photos show hand-hewn on a stone fireplace and rough sawn on painted white brick.
Either kind is cut to your length, height, and depth at our yard, and priced by the foot with the finish included. The fireplace mantels page has the price calculator.
Choosing a Ceiling Beam
On a ceiling the trade-off is the same: hand-hewn beams for age and texture, rough sawn beams for a flatter, cleaner run. We cut either one to your project's length and width.
Both are solid timbers. They carry weight, and they need real structure behind them. If the beam is there for the look rather than the load, a wood box beam is hollow, goes up over a ledger board screwed into the ceiling, and weighs a fraction of a solid timber.
Three Finishes for Either Kind
Hand-hewn and rough sawn beams both come three ways:
- In the rough, just as it came out of the barn
- Cleaned, with the dirt, debris, and mud removed
- Cleaned and color corrected, worked with nylon brushes back to its original brown while keeping the character and surface defects
Mantels are finished at the yard instead, in a natural finish, a clear coat, or a custom stain matched to what you send us.
Still Deciding?
Photos only get you so far with reclaimed wood, so the best way to choose is to see both. Our yard in Hopewell Junction is open by appointment only, so call (845) 232-8943 before you come. If you cannot make the trip, send a photo of the room through the contact form and tell us what you have in mind.
