Key takeaways
- Square nail holes point to older construction than round wire nails.
- Curved arcs mean a circular saw, straight lines mean a band or frame saw.
- Scalloped faces show hand work with an adze or broadaxe.
- Patina and wear build slowly and cannot be convincingly faked.
Nails, pegs and holes
Square, tapered nail holes were left by cut nails, common before the late 1800s. Round holes mean wire nails, used in newer buildings. Wooden pegs and mortise pockets show timber framing.
Dark stains around a nail hole are iron reacting with the wood's tannins, a mark of age and moisture.
Saw and tool marks
Arcs on a board's face were left by a circular saw blade, while long straight lines come from a band saw or older frame saws. Scalloped dips and chisel-like facets were cut by hand with an adze or broadaxe.
A board can carry more than one set of marks, showing it was re-sawn or reused in a new building.
Color, checks and worm tracks
Silver patina comes from decades of sun and rain. Checks are splits that open as wood dries. Worm tracks are the trails of insects that fed on the wood long ago.
These marks tell a story and set real reclaimed wood apart. Our Read the Wood tool lets you tap through each mark.
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Quick answers
Can I tell a board's age from the marks?
Roughly. Marks suggest a period, but only records or testing prove age.
Are worm holes active?
In properly dried reclaimed wood they are old and inactive. Suppliers heat treat boards to be sure.
Ready to talk it through? Get a free quote or call 615-357-7797.