RECENT PROJECTS
| Crocker Ave., Piedmont
The owner on this project had one word for us: Dark. We used a quarter-sawn oak to avoid the “wavy” grain common to flat-sawn oak, and then stained it. Dark stains are some of the most challenging for a finish-in-place floor, because any imperfection in the sanding will be accentuated.One of the big advantages with installing oak is that if you decide in 10 or 15 years you want a different color, all that is required is a refinishing job. This isn’t an option with floors that can’t be stained (such as Maple), or with floors that are fairly dark to begin with (Brazilian Cherry). Broderick St.., San Francisco Although this floor looks on the surface like a traditional 5/16″ top-nailed oak floor, there is more than meet the eye. In order to meet the LEED Platinum requirements of the project, the floor had to be FSC Certified and use a zero-VOC natural oil finish. More difficult was having to go over a radiant heat subfloor. As a rule hardwood floors should not be nailed down over radiant heat., as the risk of damaging the radiant heat system is too great. It is also uncommon to install solid wood over radiant heat, as most manufacturers will not warrantee their product (engineered floors are usually recommended). The project called for maintaing the traditional Victorian design, however, and 5/16″ white oak floor was the most appropriate choice. Although difficult, this kind of installation can be done with the proper techniques. In this case it allowed a turn-of-the-century look to be married with 21′st century technology. Infinity Condominium This 100% FSC Certified Nicoyan Nogal floor was installed over 3000 sq. ft. in this stunning penthouse unit. Most South American woods are very photo-sensitive, and darken considerably over the first 6-8 months. With the windows in this living space this process happened considerably faster. Bay St., San Francisco Our client wanted us to install a traditional Quartersawn Oak herringbone pattern, but with a sleek dark stain. The design objective was to serve the modern feel of the furnishings and kitchen, while still paying tribute to the traditional Victorian architecture. Hertz Hall, Berkeley This renovation of the performance stage in Hertz Hall on the UC Berkeley Campus was completed over winter break in 2010/2011. The old stage was completely demolished, and a new stage was built. We helped develop a clean installation pattern that complemented the design of the entire hall. This included a custom-made radius nosing that spanned over 50 feet, which ran parallel with the radius of the orchestra pit. We finished the floor with a zero-VOC natural penetrating oil. One of the advantages of using natural oil in a high-traffic commercial area is that the floor can be “renewed” with a fairly simple re-oiling process. Industrial and commercial janitorial crews can often be trained in this process, making it possible for the floor to be revived without the need for an expensive professional service. Edwards Ct., Lafayette This pre-finished engineered, hand-scraped, stained Hickory looked stunning side-by-side with the stone. We sourced 5 ½” widths and 7’ lengths for the floor to accentuate the open layout of the house. This was also installed over a hydraulic radiant-heat system, which can be done successfully with the right precautions. Maoli Dr., San Rafael This project called for FSC Certified Cumaru and Brazilian Cherry. The wood was sourced by us, installed, sanded and finished on site. In addition to installing a border, we created a custom medallion that was created by combining both woods. Sylvan Way, Piedmont For this project we created a 100% custom-made floor. We specified the board lengths (some boards were 12’ long!), the width and the grade. We also specified that the client wanted a beveled-edge (the little grooves between the boards), which adds a rustic character to floor. |
