9 Ways to Reuse Wood From an Old Deck
A portion of the deck midway through demolition
Two weekends ago my husband and I decided to tear out the massive deck on the side of our new home. What appeared to be a nice outdoor space when we purchased the home was revealed to be in rough shape as the snow melted away. The previous owners attempted to patch it up and make it look presentable, but as we tore into it, we confirmed our suspicions that the structure was failing. Over 20 years of weather had taken its toll.
With the grueling part of ripping out all the layers of wood with various types of screws and nails complete, the yard looked more like a scrap yard than a backyard. It would have taken numerous trips to the dump to get rid of it all and that would have been the wasteful route. So I listed all the projects we had in mind to use the wood, then I started combing the internet and Pinterest for more ideas. Here’s what I came up with.
No. 1 Recycle the Wood
I first thought there was no way to reuse the wood because it seemed to be in rough condition so I tried to find places that might reuse it. Turns out there is a company, Hofeling Enterprises, not to far away that for a small price would take it and turn it into mulch. While a good option, I chose to set that aside unless absolutely necessary.
No. 2 Make a Work Bench
Simple, but functional work bench
The first real project with the deck wood was creating a work bench. How I have gone so many years without one is a mystery, but I’ve been cutting wood using my miter saw on the ground or just stacking up totes to use as a makeshift work area. Only a small amount of the deck wood was used for my table, but I made use of four 4x4 posts for legs and four 2x4’s as the frame for the top. I found a 4x8 piece of plywood out in the back shed that when cut in half completed my rough, but functional work bench.
No. 3 Build Raised Garden Beds
New garden box using only salvaged wood
I had already built one garden bed before we decided to go all out and tear the deck apart, but I was able to use some of the wood to give it a nice finishing touch with a top plate. When combined with the two pieces of cedar fence posts I cut down to frame the corners it gave it a nice touch. Since I had so much extra wood, a pile of dirt hanging out behind our garden shed, and the space I decided to add a second 2’x8’ raised garden bed. I cut out 8- 2x6x8 pieces and 8-2x6x2 pieces, screwed it all together, then gave it the same finishing touch with a top plate.
Existing garden box with the decorative additions
No. 4 Spruce Up an Outdoor Recycle Bin
Recycle bin using recycled 2x6 lumber
The previous owners left a plastic garbage can by the side of the house that I decided to upcycle into the backyard recycle bin to go with our future outdoor kitchen. For this project I cut the 2x6 boards down to match the height of the trash can when standing vertically. I screwed them all together, wishing the whole time I owned a pocket-hole jig (which now after all these projects have been completed I do). I then cut four smaller pieces for the lid and attached them with a set of hinges and screwed on an old handle I had hanging out in the garage. Its nothing special, but its a nice rustic looking bin that wont blow away.
No. 5 Build Shelves
These next ideas have yet to come to fruition, but will be done eventually since I have a nice little stack of wood remaining up front. My husband is taking over a business that sells and installs window coverings which I’m told requires ample storage space. Until we really figure out exactly how best to tackle storing all the shipments that will be coming in and out we figured using scrap wood to build some shelves would suffice.
No. 6 Frame an Outdoor Kitchen
A decent amount of the wood was only a year old and was pressure treated for ground contact. Since it is still in good condition my plan is to rip it down from 2x6 to 2x4 and use it to frame out the base cabinets for the outdoor kitchen. Luckily I have a nice new work bench from number 2 above to make it much easier to do.
No. 7 Make a Decorate Feature
In addition to all the 2x6 material, the hand railing surrounded three sides of the deck, resulting in a lot of cedar railing that is only a year old. The plan is to take all these pieces and reinstall them as an accent wall on the back side of the pergola that will shelter the new outdoor kitchen.
No. 8 Build a Bird House
This is a simple and relatively small project that likely will not result in a lot of wood reuse, but a fun one nonetheless. Someday when I have extra time again I plan to use the scrap wood to build a few birdhouses. From the looks of it we have a very bird friendly neighborhood, filled with blue jays, cardinals, and a variety of other winged friends. I figure they might like to have an upcycled new home.
No. 9 Give It Away
When all else fails, give it away. There were some pretty rough pieces of wood, whether they were partially rotten, had a dozen nails stuck in them, or were just massive beams bolted together. So we hauled a bunch of it up front and I listed it on Facebook Market Place and NextDoor as free, giving fair warning of how rough some of the pieces were. My husband was skeptical, but I knew the power of free on Market Place. Within about 2 hours all of it was gone.
Stack of lumber given away
This should hopefully take care of roughly 500 square feet of lumber that once served as an outdoor hang out space for the previous home owners. With the deck removed and all the wood out of the way we can turn to making the space more sustainable with a rain garden, rain barrel, and fescue grass.
