Acquiring the material is merely the beginning of the process. Once the building has been deconstructed, the reclaimed timber is transported to a finishing mill. The initial step involves a thorough inspection for metal contaminants—this typically includes searching for nails and fixings, although occasionally pieces of shrapnel may also be discovered. The antique oak is then meticulously sorted according to its potential uses, beginning with an assessment of what can be salvaged while preserving its original face. This leads to the careful separation of the boards and beams.
Reclaimed oak beams are generally used in their natural form or trimmed down to create either solid or engineered reclaimed parquet flooring, which may be square or shaped in a chevron pattern. We supply this reclaimed parquet flooring fully prepared for installation.
Following this, the reclaimed oak wood flooring is categorized into two distinct groups: one containing floorboards that can retain their original face, and the other comprising those that require dressing. This stage demands considerable skill, years of experience, and a deep understanding of the material’s behavior during further milling.
The boards are then processed—either sliced or regularized. Based on various factors inherent to each board, we determine whether they will be transformed into solid oak flooring or engineered floorboards. The solid oak floorboards are sanded meticulously to eliminate any potential splinters, ensuring a smooth and polished finish. Thus, we achieve a finished Solid Oak Floorboard, available in either Rustic or Dressed Face.
The engineered reclaimed wood undergoes additional treatment. A 10 mm thick piece of oak board is prepared, with the side intended for adhesion to birch plywood meticulously smoothed and rendered dust-free to ensure optimal bonding.
Both components are then sealed in a vacuum chamber to guarantee perfect adhesion. After some further sanding, the dressed wood floor is ready for installation.
The processes outlined above closely mirror those employed for our reclaimed wood versailles panels and reclaimed oak parquet flooring.
To discover more about these offerings and our other products, we invite you to explore our website or reach out to us directly.