Round Rock Edition | May 2022

BUSINESS FEATURE

BY CARSON GANONG

This Old Wood crewmember Thomas Cowling works on a project.

CARSON GANONGCOMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

This Old Wood built a countertop and swings for Austin bar The Cat’s Pajamas.

Je Spector took ownership of This Old Wood in 2017 and relocated the business to Pugerville in 2019.

CARSON GANONGCOMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER

COURTESY THIS OLD WOOD

This OldWood Pugerville-based workshop breathes new life into reclaimed materials M ike Draper founded This Old Wood in 2006 as an Austin-based business that are set for demolition. Spector said This Old Wood

From there, This Old Wood team members stay in contact with the client throughout the building process to ensure the project turns out as the client imagined. “We’re always going back and forth, texting pictures and stu like that,” Spector said. “It can be hard to get the communication right, but ... clients really like that.” Another advantage of building with reclaimed wood, Spector said, is the process requires cutting down far fewer trees than working with all new lumber. By Spector’s estimate, the process at This Old Wood helps save approximately 2,500 trees per year through the method of using reclaimed wood. Spector said one of his favorite parts of building new projects using reclaimed wood is getting to breathe new life into old materials, something the company’s clients also appreciate. This Old Wood occasionally secures lumber from historic Texas buildings. Two examples include Gruene Hall and the Texas Military Institute. “Something old has character,” Spector said. “I nd people in Austin are really big fans of Texas history and stu like that.”

mostly takes apart barns but may be able to handle larger buildings such as warehouses as the business continues to grow. “SOMETHINGOLDHAS CHARACTER. I FIND PEOPLE INAUSTINARE REALLY BIG FANS OF TEXAS HISTORYAND STUFF LIKE THAT.” JEFF SPECTOR, OWNER OF THIS OLD WOOD With the lumber collected and sorted, sta members can start putting it to use in custom projects. Clients meet with Spector and other team members to iron out the details of their project, whether it be ooring, a mantel or a dining table. Clients also have the option to choose pieces of wood from the lumberyard themselves. “It’s kind of cool to be able to put your hands on it and everything,” Spector said. “Most of the people that sell reclaimed wood have a place out in the country some- where, and they’ll just ship it to you.”

that primarily used reclaimed lumber to replace ooring. Today, This Old Wood, now based in Pugerville, uses reclaimed and recycled lumber to build all kinds of custom furniture, walls and ooring. In 2017, owner Je Spector took over This Old Wood from Draper. Two years later, This Old Wood relocated to Pugerville, having outgrown its 1,000-square-foot workshop in Austin. Spector is in the process of adding a new workshop to the existing property that is more than twice the size of its existing 2,400-square-foot workshop, and said he expects to move in some- time next year. Spector said he is just as excited about the opportunity to make a custom workspace as he is about the increased size. “It’s silly things like having the right outlet in the right place to run everything,” Spector said of the advantages of the addition to his facility. This Old Wood’s process starts with obtaining the lumber, mainly from pre-20th century buildings

This OldWood 13313 Old Gregg Lane, Pugerville 512-288-1194 www.thisoldwood.com Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-3 p.m., closed Sun. GOING GREEN This OldWood’s lumber usage translates into less tree usage: • 200 : the board-feet yielded by an average tree • 500,000 : board-feet of reclaimed lumber This Old Wood uses in a year • 2,500 : approximate number of trees This Old Wood saves in a year by using reclaimed lumber Tables made from reclaimed wood are a popular item. COURTESY THIS OLD WOOD

E. HOWARD LN.

OLD GREGG LN.

COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER • COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM