We are remodeling an unfinished basement. In the basement was a large storage room, original to the house, with wood paneling and trim pieces. All of the paneling and trim pieces match the house and will be kept. What about the 2x4s? Most are in very good condition. Should those be kept just in case we need them. The house was built in 1947 / 1948.
I would, old growth dimensional lumber cannot be found anymore. If they're in as good of shape as you say they are, they definitely could be repurposed
Absolutely keep them. If they're in good condition, not wriddled with nails/screws and not warped, definitely keep them.
Hey James. If you have lots pf free time it is worth your while to salvage your old lumber. As a contractor the time involved with pulling nails etc. seldom makes the effort worthwhile. At least your old lumber is dry and will not twist and warp like fresh lumber can.
You will probably find that lumber that old is not easy to drive a nail into so you might want to check that first (in addition to the other respondents concern regarding viability of pulling nails). It also may not be graded to meet current Code; however that probably isn't terribly important.
Also, interior finishes in homes are required to have a flame spread rating of 150 and probably the paneling would fall short.
I suggest discussing these technicalities with your local authority even though a building permit is not necessarily required (i.e. a minor project less than $5,000 in value).
Ian Derksen Safety Codes Officer - Building
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