TIANLICHUJU — PERSONAL VERIFICATION WORKSHEET
Reclaimed Wood without a Rustic Overload
https://tianlichuju.com/journal/reclaimed-wood-without-a-rustic-overload/

PROPOSED CHECKS — NO MEASURED RESULTS SUPPLIED
Date: __________________  Units: __________________
Room / product reference: __________________

1. Known condition and treatment
Where: At the actual reclaimed timber or finished object before purchase or fabrication.
Record: Record documented source where available, previous treatment information, visible condition and intended indoor use; distinguish known facts from an appealing unverified history.
Your observation: ______________________________________________
Interpretation: Age and character do not establish material suitability or justify inventing provenance for the room.
Alternative: Seek competent assessment or choose another piece if treatment and condition cannot be established appropriately.

2. Contact and construction
Where: At tabletop edges, joints, supports and any part brushed during daily movement.
Record: Inspect an appropriately prepared sample; note rough areas, projections and structural questions, with relevant dimensions and units for the intended route and use.
Your observation: ______________________________________________
Interpretation: Visible irregularity is welcome only when the furniture remains sound and comfortable to touch and operate.
Alternative: Have suitable preparation or repair completed, or reject the object rather than cosmetically hiding a problem.

3. Finish and material relationship
Where: Beside the existing floor, upholstery and the actual location of meals or other contact.
Record: Compare real undertones and grain, exact finish care, expected exposure and repair method; list what the resident would need to do after ordinary use.
Your observation: ______________________________________________
Interpretation: One characterful anchor can enrich a modern room without repeating roughness or accepting an unmanageable surface.
Alternative: Reduce the application or use a suitable smoother finish while retaining deliberate contrast elsewhere.

PRACTICAL TRIAL
1. Handle a properly prepared sample and view it in the room before committing to a full custom surface.
2. Ask the maker to resolve support, edges and accepted variation in writing rather than approving a romantic description.
3. Compare complete finished and delivered options, retaining care information and a realistic repair contact where available.

COMPARE THE SAME SCOPE
- A sound existing reclaimed object with appropriate preparation
- A custom piece with an agreed material and construction brief
- New suitable timber when unknown history adds unacceptable uncertainty
Cost drivers: Selection, treatment investigation and preparation; Machining, finishing and sound joinery; Delivery, repairability and maintenance over ordinary use
Choose another route when: Reject reclaimed timber whose condition or treatment cannot be established for its intended use, regardless of the story or apparent bargain.

EVIDENCE BOUNDARY
The worksheet separates documented provenance from design preference; it provides no contaminant test, structural certification or invented material history.

PHOTO REFERENCE
A table and chairs sit within a glazed enclosure, with a timber-toned floor and garden visible beyond.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ARRIERE.jpg

DECISION CONDITIONS
choose: Choose a limited reclaimed element when its origin, preparation, condition and intended use can be established and its contact surfaces work comfortably in the room.
alternative: Use a suitable new timber or retain a sound existing piece when uncertain coatings, preparation work or repair obligations outweigh the specific character wanted.
stop: Stop adaptation when old treatment or structural condition remains unknown, particularly before sanding or disturbing a coating that requires appropriate assessment.

PUBLISHED REFERENCES
EPA: Reduce the Risk of Lead Exposure at Home
https://www.epa.gov/lead/reduce-risk-lead-exposure-home
EPA explains that disturbing old lead-based painted surfaces can create hazardous dust and identifies older U.S. housing as a relevant context. This supports investigating an old coating before sanding reclaimed building material; it does not imply that every reclaimed board contains lead or identify one by sight.
Scope: U.S. lead-paint guidance is a specific coating-risk boundary, not a complete reclaimed-timber assessment or a rule for all countries and materials.
Photographer: Luminal véranda
Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

Notes: ________________________________________________________