About
Ironwood Recycled Timbers Ltd puts new life into old seemingly useless wood. Old growth Australian hardwoods are amongst the strongest and most durable timbers in the world. Traditionally they were imported into New Zealand for use in heavy outdoor construction such as wharves and railway bridges.
We recycle these beautiful timbers and have been the industry leader in New Zealand for 30 years. We're proud to work with this special wood, which has been weathered astoundingly for over a century. As each piece offers a unique history and natural character from years of use which can not be recreated in a factory, it elevates the meaning and aesthetics of your project.
As the overwhelming and necessary demand for environmental stewardship continues to increase, so too does the demand for sustainable building practices. Recycled timber is one such practice which greatly mitigates our environmental impact. Not only does this responsible choice combat the issue of deforestation on the front end, but also serves as waste management on the back end.
With the experience to achieve any type of vision Ironwood can help your next project become an artistic and environmental success.
Our Story
The best things in life are free and for Carl Livingston - the saw milling apprenticeship he earned while working for nothing has set him up for the future.
Now a New Zealand leader in repurposing timber for the housing and landscape markets, he turns old Australian hardwood into trusses, bridges, gates and pergolas.
His first job was pulling apart the Kingston Flyer bridge and selling it to Sir Michael Hill in Arrowtown.
Then he came up with the genius idea of milling power poles. People told him he was mad. But he’s since proved that Australian hardwood can be repurposed perfectly.
“These old things that have held up trains, trucks and cars come to us and get a spa and a sauna and then go back out again to these beautiful houses,” he said.
He said it was like the old wood was now living in luxury and finally being given the respect it deserved.
Originally starting in Shotover Country, Carl moved to Earnscleugh in 2010 and set up along the banks of the Clutha River, where cyclists on the nearby river track stop off and visit him.
The former ski-field access road groomer loves the bush and joined the saw milling industry in the late 1980s to change people’s perspective on it.
“I started thinking about the world and running out of resources, so I started to look at the timber.”
Thirty years on and he’s still the market leader in buying and selling Australian hardwood, to restore and repurpose.
Our Products
Rustic Timber
Our Rustic product is made up of 17 different types of hardwood which has been previously part of an old structure, either a bridge, wharf or building. Over many years the wood becomes weathered and shaped, creating a very unique look, emphasising the beautiful density of grains that comes with Australian hardwood. No single piece is the same.
01
Sawn Timber
Our sawn product is created with the use of typical milling techniques. The main difference is we only use recycled wood, mainly old powerpoles. The process includes salvaging, denailing, debolting and then picking the best possible log to create specific timber sizes. After milling, the timber is then buffed to give it a smooth, touch friendly surface, also enhancing the brilliant natural Australian hardwood colours.
02