You can achieve marvellous results by using reclaimed building materials. I find they’re popular among three different groups. Firstly, there’s the ‘architectural antiques’ set, who enjoy salvaging lovely bits of old buildings, such as fireplaces and timber flooring. Generally, these are expensive decorative items that will add quality to your home, but won’t be fundamental to the construction of the building. That means there should be little in the way of ‘hidden dangers’ that wouldn’t be obvious to the eye.

The second group chooses salvaged materials because it’s more ecologically responsible to re-use rather than renew. They might also opt to do this because reclaimed items are more in keeping with the look of an historic building. While this is certainly commendable, it’s always important to check that the quality of the items is reliable.

Thirdly, there are some who salvage ‘second-hand’ building materials indiscriminately in a bid to cut costs. This can be a risky practice if undertaken without due care, especially when it comes to structural elements. Joists that have come from an unknown source, for example, may not be of a suitable quality.

As a rule, you can use salvaged materials for decorative purposes and for situations where their quality can be clearly assessed as fit for the task in hand. But be cautious when using potentially unreliable materials for structural or constructional elements of your project.