What a great experience! I went to Great Lakes Yard in search for lumber to build out a set of shelves. I looked online and only found over-priced new lumber made to look old, but never really doing the job. Arriving at Great Lakes Lumber I found Meegan the founder, who was extremely supportive of my project and helped me find the best pieces of old growth lumber and gave me great suggestions for how to finish it. Milled over 100 years, I not only have the perfect shelves but a wonderful story of taking classic pieces of wood and repurposing them to be shelves I will have the rest of my life.1. sanded with an orbital sander (150 Grit)2. Sanded with an orbital sander (220 Grit)3. Water-Based Polyurethane - 3 coats (using 330 Grit between coats)It was that simple.THANK YOU GREAT LAKES YARD!

I can’t say enough amazing things about working with the staff at Great Lakes yard- I was looking for very specific sized wood for shelves and meegan came through like a champ!!! She helped me create the most beautiful shelves for our renovated kitchen - need rustic wood? this is the place :)

I cannot say enough about the great experience I had at GLY.Meegan and Adam are exceptionally nice and super knowledgeable. I gave them dimensions for an island base piece that needed to fit up to an existing portion of counter, no small task. I was a bit concerned as the measurements needed to be exact so we could fit a butcher block on top without any gaps or being not level. The piece fit perfectly! Adam does great work! He gave me some of the leftover midcentury wood which I turned into bookshelves, see picture. They met my deadline two days sooner than expected and their pricing is very fair especially for a custom piece. I highly recommend GLY!

The team here goes out of their way to make sure that we have an awesome selection to pick from and that they have the highest quality products available. They always know the answers to any questions we have and are always more than willing to help. I cant say enough about the selection and unlike some other reclaimed suppliers, take very good care of the product and store everything inside. its definitely the place to go for high quality reclaimed lumber!

Great Lakes Yard has a great vibe for the professional craftsman and the DIY crowd as well.Meegan has a well rounded knowledge base of her materials and the applications they can be used for.Great Lakes Yard also has some great house salvage pieces she comes by in her travels in the midwest. Corbels, House accents and some nice lighting while it is in stock, it so nice it will usually be bought because of the great prices.Her lumber selection which I primarily use is top notch for woodworking specialty items that I primarily build.Give her a try and you wont be sorry..The aura of Great Lakes Yard will stay with you for the rest of your project and you will meet a amazing young lady and her wonderful companion Steve the Wonder Dog, give it a try .

This place is so cool! Meegan, the owner, has built a beautiful warehouse and workshop with an amazing collection of salvaged lumber, fixtures, trim, and randoms. Everythings well organized and so neat to browse, with Meegan giving the backstory of each board perused. Plus theres Steve--the resident canine--whos a big sweetie once you get past his hard candy shell. The place isnt generally open to public but its a must see if you get a chance to check it out.

Coolest wood place in the city...It has to be. I’ll never go anywhere else. I’m hooked. Changed my perspective on rustic old looks. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Friendly, knowledgeable, helpful people, and a fun experience. Looking forward to returning for future projects!

Meegan was awesome to work with and had exactly what I was looking for in some old growth 2x12s for some industrial shelving I was installing in my home. She even skip planed and finished the boards for me which was awesome as my shop at home is a little on the smaller side.Couldn’t be happier with the experience of working with Great Lakes yard. Have recommended them to other millworkers, builders and hobbyists.

Went in a few weeks back and they have a nice selection of rehabbed wood. Not a giant selection of hardwoods but building grade in abundance. Overall good vibe and good service!

Went to Great Lakes Yard for help with a feature wall. Meegan is awesome! Very knowledgeable and extremely helpful. Prices are fair and they will plane/rip as needed.

Great Lakes Yard has been AMAZING to work with! Truly went above and beyond to really work with us on what we wanted for our build out. The quality and care put into everything they do there truly shows and i would highly recommend them for any size project. Whether you are looking to build a small bookshelf or build a giant bar, Great Lakes Yard handles all their customers with the same enthusiasm and passion for reclaimed materials.

Lots of reclaimed lumber. Great service. Female owned business.

Ive had the pleasure of working with Great Lakes Yard on several projects for CLIF Bar. Meegan is great to work with and has great vision to translate our ideas into impactful furniture pieces for event activations. Its great to work with a partner like Great Lakes Yard that cares so deeply about reusing resources and materials and giving them a second life!

Meegan was great helping us find everything we needed, and was very knowledgeable.

They have the best old wood, denailed and organized, plus the proprietor is super helpful and knowledgeable about reclaimed wood, and Chicagos history of lumber.

A really cool place with a great mission!

Meghan is awesome! Helpful and kind!