Got Old Wood Co. breathes new life into reclaimed barn wood
Apr 22, 2025 12:32PM ● By Rebecca Olds
Julie Adler-Birch (left) and Tammy Barrow (right) took over Got Old Wood Co. in mid-2024. (Rebecca Olds/City Journals)
For Julie Adler-Birch, old barn wood has a rich history that deserves to live on in people’s homes.
It’s something that encouraged her to take over Got Old Wood Co. in 2024 when the previous owner was looking to retire and sell the shop — now the South Salt Lake storefront is her ultimate passion project.
Her mother Tammy Barrow helps run the business side of things, while Adler-Birch does what she does best: get creative. It’s a mother-daughter shop that is unusual for the woodworking world.
The company, located at 2870 S. 300 West tears down old barns across the state and salvages the wood, which will eventually be given new life as someone’s barn door, accent wall, mantelpiece, furniture or whatever else a homeowner can imagine. It’s also used to create smaller pieces of work including wooden chess boards, seasonal decor and more.
“When customers come in, they have a vision in their head as far as what they want: the color they want, the look they want,” Adler-Birch said. “My expertise and my creativity is to make that valid and make it tangible for them.”
Though the bulk of the work the shop does is by commission, Barrow did say that the occasional “DIY-er” makes their way into the shop and wants to “make it themselves.”
“Julie is very good about giving them instructions if they need help, and how to process some of what they do, but most of the people when they come here, they prefer to let her do it because they don't have to go buy all the tools that we have,” she said. In addition to private customers, larger contractors have also visited the shop to do full exteriors of cozy, character-rich cabins or office spaces with the old barn wood that mixes rustic and modern styles popular today.
No matter the project, Adler Birch ds in the barns. One recent customer chose wood salvaged from a barn in Randolph (just south of Bear Lake) for a new shelf in his home because his wife is from there.
“You want to make that connection with them, with the wood, and where it came from because that's a special mark,” Adler-Birch said.
“That's where it was last set, and now it's here. I want to feel the history behind the wood, where it came from, and make sure they know it’s special.”
“She has torn this barn down, she knows what's in it, she knows where it was, and she knows the history behind it,” Barrow said, “and she likes to share that with our customers.”
The crew treats each piece of wood as if it’s a historical treasure and special in its own right. When someone calls in a barn they’d like torn down, each one is inspected by Adler-Birch before moving forward. If she approves, the disassembly begins.
“The cool thing is going into these older buildings, and being able to be the one to reclaim it and tear it down is such an honor to me as a person because these old-timers built these buildings so that's why they're still standing today,” she said.
She and her team take the time to de-nail each piece and remove any foreign objects, then thoroughly clean it with a power washer.
For every barn torn down, Adler-Birch estimated about 90% of the structure is retained for their warehouse, making the practice extremely eco-friendly. The other unsalvageable pieces (10%) are thrown away.
When the wood has been picked by the customer and a design is imagined, Adler-Birch begins sanding and filling any holes that threaten the integrity of the wood. Adding the finish is the last step to seal the finished work making the already durable wood last a lifetime.
Old barn wood is meant to last in the elements and has done so “up to 100 years,” Barrow said. “We figure the wood is not going to perish anytime soon.”
