From Waxahachie to Frisco, Abilene to Canton, do-it-yourselfers are calling reclaimed barnwood expert Ron Carlson for help with their creative projects. The rustic or farmhouse effect is easy to achieve with barnwood originally cut by pioneers in the 1800s.
Ron is having the time of his life helping people achieve their dreams using wood that brought the pioneers’ dreams into shape. The de-nailed hardwood beams Ron starts with were hewn from oak, hickory, maple and walnut trees within about 40 miles of barns in Missouri, Arkansas, Pennsylvania and Indiana. “Different barns are made differently,” Ron said. “Most of the wood from the Midwest and Northeast was squared off with hand tools by the Amish pre-Civil War.” Some beams he makes available are 17 feet long, which contractors and individuals can use to handcraft some mighty long mantels or dining tables.
“These woods sand and stain better than a softer wood,” said Ron, who customizes all the raw wood he sells and can install or finish the wood out, as well. Ron treats all his finished pieces with the food-safe, microporous, plant-based sealer and oil wax called Osmo. He also pre-mills pieces, giving them three smooth sides, so they’re easier to install on walls.
The main attractions of his wood are its beauty and history. “A lot of people like the style it adds, or they just want the story of the 170-year-old barnwood that is authentic and cut by hand,” Ron said.
In his 30-foot-tall shop west of Mansfield, Ron has several tons of wood from barns built in the 1870s. Customers can select beams with mortises or tenons. “The pioneers raised these beams with oxen, donkeys, horses and men, and had to haul the wood from somewhere,” he explained. Hand-hewing the beams with an adze produced slashes. Marks made by the original sawmill in the 1800s can be emphasized for the sake of character. “Finishing, sanding and then coating the marks with polyurethane or wax makes the marks pop out.”
With a background in flipping houses, he and his wife, Heather, have owned a construction company that remodeled old houses. “Growing up in Minneapolis, my dad was a new homebuilder. When I was younger, he and I remodeled a house built in the 1800s. I learned a lot of construction even before I graduated high school,” Ron said. Because of his construction knowledge, Ron can answer customers’ questions when, for instance, they are unsure how to mount the mantel they are building with materials from Buy Barnwood.
His family-operated shop is at his home, so Buy Barnwood’s prices for authentic barn wood are affordable. Ron’s 7-year-old son, Summit, sweeps floors, cleans up sawdust and moves wood around for his dad. “My wife helps with the customers a little bit
and comes out to pray with people. It’s fun,” Ron said, adding that their two youngest — 4-year-old Valor Grace and 2-year-old Caliber — are too young to work. They also have one, who is on her way in January.
When you are ready to work on something fun, whether crafts for Christmas or larger items like pergolas, benches, farmhouse tables, bookshelves, floating shelves, headboards, countertops or cabinets, check out the boards Ron imports to Mansfield. Make an appointment for a tour of the many beams available, and then let your inner pioneer start to dream.
Buy Barnwood
8640 CR 612
Mansfield, TX 76063
(817) 566-4346
[email protected]
www.buybarnwood.com
Hours:
Monday-Saturday: By appointment only.
Written by Melissa Rawlins
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