Expert: Eileen Cronk - 3/14/2009

Question
etc.,

My husband and I would like to take some old barn wood extracted from a falling down barn and put it up in our basement.  We have been given several ideas/suggestions/warnings about what to put on the wood to seal it, prevent bringing insects into the house ect.  

Can you please give any advice on the best method to treat barnwood to be used for interior wall siding?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Answer
Hi Susan
Nice to hear from you.
Surprisingly the answer to this question is "do nothing".
Over the years I have worked with a lot of this old barn board.
I also know several folks who have used it on interior applications.
In all my years I have never seen or heard of bugs of any kind being in dried barn boards. Please keep in mind that I am up in Canada where a bug in a barn board would not survive the winter LOL.
As far as treating the boards, any chemical you would have to use to destroy bugs I feel would be toxic to people because it would penetrate so deeply into the wood just by the old woods very nature.
I have heard of having these old boards placed in a kiln to destroy anything that may be present and I feel that idea has some merit and is preferable to poisons. Its not hard to find places that do kiln drying.
And having this done would put your mind to rest.
If your up for the challenge bring them to Canada for a winter LOL.
Seriously Susan I understand your concern.
As far as anything else to do to the boards, the aged look can be accentuated with a wire brush rubbed with the grain over the board face. This looks pretty nice.
This sounds like a great project.
Kind Regards
Eileen