In the snow-capped mountains and lush farmlands of Europe, winters can be long, brutal and cold. Summers don’t offer much relief as temperatures can soar to unbearable humilities. It’s these hard conditions that also create some of the worlds most beautiful and fertile soil, creating the most beautiful European Oak you can find. The only thing better is when that oak is reclaimed from the farmlands of Europe which are littered with hundreds of old farmhouses, barns and chateau’s that have weathered the harsh conditions, in some cases, for hundreds of years.
The old-growth European Oak that was used to build these structures was cut from old-growth trees that grew big and strong over the years, not only surviving those hot summers and freezing winters but thriving as well.
That weather helped create the tight cell structure of the old growth oak, that strength is also one of the reasons reclaimed oak is so desirable for builders. Another reason reclaimed wood is so desirable is that 99% of the time, the old boards stay straight and true and all warping and bending had long since worked itself out. Today, designers, architects and homeowners looking to create a truly unique living space have made reclaimed oak one of the most popular choices for flooring.
As our team of designers scoured the farmlands in Northern Europe this past summer, they searched for the finest beams and boards in old barns and structures that were once used as cattle ranches and farms. We even came across a few old chateaus that have housed families for over 200-hundred years and discovered stacks of oak boards that have been sitting covered in the elements just waiting for us to find them. The grass, rain, even the hooves of animals, left the patinas so rich… so beautiful, that we knew it was time to branch out from our teak wood products and offer something truly unique.
For us, reclaiming the wood we use is as important as putting out the finest quality products possible. The thought of old buildings made out of amazing wood that has withstood the test of time being torn down, thrown away and ending up as firewood or a landfill just doesn’t sit well for us. The reason we love reclaiming wooden beams is that there is strength in the old wood that new-growth just doesn’t possess. But most of all, it’s the patina that has us under its spell.
Hundreds of years of families living in these structures and extreme weather on the boards of a barn just cant be recreated. To let it fall to the wayside would be a crime.
Besides the beautiful patina, there is a look and feel to the old boards that just cannot be duplicated. Most, if not all, reclaimed beams and boards were hand hewn, done long before modern saws and mills. These unique boards are desirable to architects and designers alike. The warmth and soulfulness of this wood has a tremendous story; one that has seen families grow up, survive wars, lice through depressions, fires, births, deaths, floods, drought, good times and bad. The reclaimed Oak adds something to a home that is impossible to recreate. It brings with it a real story of history, beauty, endurance and now, in its final iteration- Luxury and warmth in your home.
Our 100% reclaimed European Oak is an eco-friendly alternative to harvesting new trees which depletes our forests. By purchasing reclaimed wood, you are supporting a clean environment as well as committing to a green environment. That choice means something to the planet and is something to be proud of.
While reclaimed European oak is nothing new, we have added a unique take on the construction that separates it from any others in the marketplace. So what do offer that nobody in the world can? That would be our engineered flooring technique that stands alone in terms of quality and durability.
Most reclaimed Oak flooring is laid up on plywood substrate. This helps keep costs lower but offers little else in terms of strength and durability, especially during any type of flooding. The weakness of plywood substrate is a result of its open cell structure that allows for water and moisture to permeate the substrate, which creates warping, separation and cracking.
This was one of the challenges we faced early on when we first started pursuing an environmentally responsible company. We wanted to produce a strong product that used every piece of reclaimed wood possible as to encourage leaving zero-waste behind. With that in mind, we would mill the largest pieces of wood for flooring and as the pieces of wood got smaller, we would use them for paneling, tile and eventually the smallest of scraps were used to create the substrate in our engineered flooring.
This helped us create what we like to call our “bulletproof” flooring. While we know that it couldn’t actually deflect a hail of wayward gunfire, we do know that it will survive floods without warping or losing any of its beauty. After years of perfecting the process of our teak wood substrate, we decided that we would send our reclaimed oak from Europe to our facility in South East Asia to utilize the same incredible process as our reclaimed teak flooring. In the end, the results were well worth the effort.
Our engineered reclaimed European oak flooring is stunning, soulful and gorgeous while also being strong, lasting and durable. Never worry a day about warping or moisture that could compromise your floors or your investment.
Why Is Reclaimed European Oak better than new growth?
How do we get our reclaimed European Oak?
We have people on the ground throughout Europe who let us know what inventories are becoming available. All the wood has been carefully sourced and extreme care is taken when we reclaim the vintage wood from old barns or similar structures.
The structures we find were slated for demolition or to be torn down and sent to a landfill. We step and make sure that every board, plank and beam is carefully dismantled, inspected, graded and sorted. After we have selected our wood, we send it to our factory over seas to prepare the wood where it gets cut and turned into gorgeous flooring all while keeping the beautiful patina and textures.
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