Using pallet wood – a step by step guide

Using pallet wood in a campervan conversion can be a great way to save money and we personally love the look of a pallet campervan interior. Furniture made from pallets can also be a great addition to your house or garden.

As with most things though, there are pros and cons to working with pallet wood. On the plus side, reclaimed pallet wood is incredibly hard-wearing, easy to work with, looks good and (most importantly) pallets are usually free. They can be heavy though, they can be a faff to break apart and some pallets are treated with nasty chemicals, so it’s worth bearing all this in mind when using pallet wood.

If you’re interested in creating a pallet wood camper interior or some of your own pallet furniture, this is our 3-step guide to using pallet wood.

Follow Driving and Skiving on Facebook or Instagram

Step 1: Choose your pallets

Before you can start building with pallet wood, you obviously need to get your hands on some pallets! This step is not to be taken lightly – finding the best pallets for your needs will make everything else so much easier. Have a walk around some industrial estates to get a feel for what’s around.

As a rule we always avoid using pallets that have been treated with chemicals. This is particularly important if you’re going to be using them in a small space (such as a campervan conversion) as some of those chemicals can be quite toxic. It’s also not a good idea to use chemically treated pallets anywhere near food, including raised vegetable beds, kitchen units, worktops and drawers.

To err on the side of caution, we avoid chemically treated pallets altogether. Instead we always seek out pallets that have been heat treated by looking for a stamp on one of the blocks that says ‘HT’.

Also go for pallets that are in reasonable condition (look out for signs of rot, mould or excessive damp).

Pallets come in a range of shapes and sizes, so choose pallets that are the right size for your needs. If you want long, clean, unbroken strips of pallet wood then try to find a pallet to suit. This is usually easier than patching smaller pieces together.

Get permission! This is important – don’t just take what isn’t yours. Pop your head in during working hours to ask if the pallets are being chucked out, and whether they’re happy for you to take a couple. If the answer is no, then respect that and move on.

Step 2: prepare your pallet wood

Getting free timber comes at a cost… and that cost is prepping it. There’s no denying that this is a faff, but having the right tools will make it infinitely more bearable.

You’ll need the following:

Pallet breaker. This handy device does exactly what its name implies – it helps to break apart pallets. I say ‘helps’ because you’ll inevitably still end up splitting some sections as they stubbornly refuse to part with their kin, but it’s far easier than trying to use your hammer / chisel / spade / bare hands.

Good quality hammer. Once you’ve split your pallet, you’ll need to painstakingly remove every single pesky nail. Having a good quality hammer for this is essential. Tap the nail from the base and then as soon as you have enough purchase, wrench it out. Again, you might end up with some wastage if nails simply refuse to budge.

Belt sander (+ work benches and clamps). Your pallets are likely to have lived a hard life before they met you. They’ll need a thorough going over before you introduce them to your living space by sanding every surface (not just the ones that will be on show). A decent belt sander with coarse grit paper will make light work of this. It’s a good idea to clamp each strip of wood securely to avoid firing it across your patio (talking from experience…)

Step 3: build!

Once your pallet wood is prepped, simply saw it, drill it and build it into whatever you want!