Reclaimed Barn Beam Mantel

I love the look and feel of old wood. Especially wood that's spent a century or so working to hold up a barn. So, when I get the chance to work with old working wood, I jump on it. I was commissioned to make a custom mantelpiece, from an old oak beam!
​I worked hard to clean and refresh the wood,  but not destroy its character. After I tracked down a suitable beam, I washed it with wood bleach, scrubbed and rinsed, then let it dry in the hot summer sun for a couple days.