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Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Innovative Flooring -Thermowood The Next Generation of Wood






The Thermowood Collection- No Chemicals Needed

What's Old is New again. I have been importing and selling Thermowood to my clients in the United States for many years. Both for indoor flooring and outdoor decking and cladding. My clients, especially those in wet areas are ecstatic with beauty and durability. The wood is transformed and strengthened by a carefully measured heating process, practicedy the Vikings to increase the durability and longevity of their ships.

It's curious.. during these hard times, fashions and styles will rebel by becoming more refined and decadent. Perhaps it is a desperate attempt to preserve the best of civilization. As always high quality flooring is in demand. The refined look is always in style, whether in London, Paris, New York or Monaco. That which is cherished, unique and elegant is once more taking its rightful place in the home.

Thermowood: Heat, not Chemicals. Our forefathers knew an extremely simple and natural way of giving wood lasting protection from outside influences – heat treatment, with no chemical additives! It works like this: heat the wood to between 180-220° C, and a kind of ‘caramelization’ takes place, producing a dark brown coloration. Parts of the (hemicellulose) cell walls are broken up and ejected in crystal form, and the hollow spaces left behind filled up by the remaining elements. This process stops the wood absorbing water, so it no longer swells when exposed to damp and also loses its tendency to warp and split. Thermowood is therefore an ideal material for things that often get wet.
  • Moisture content is reduced by up to 50% - low susceptibility to moisture & rot.
  • Exceptionally increased dimensional stability over normal softwood – swelling and shrinkage are greatly reduced.
  • Increased strength over untreated timbers by up to 20% - reduced bending & splitting.
  • High resistance to warping & twisting.
  • Greatly increased durability – life expectancy as long if not longer that that of chemically treated timbers.
  • Reduced heat conducting properties – ideal for underfoot applications like poolside or hot tubs.
  • Richness of colour – heat treatment darkens the colour all the way to the core.
  • Can be worked like any other timber but is much lighter in weight and easier to handle.
  • Reduced maintenance – stability & durability eases the burden of regular maintenance

    The exceptional durability of Thermowood makes it particularly suitable for exterior applications such as decking, cladding, fencing and trellis work, garden furniture and other outdoor constructions such as pergolas and car ports. As no chemicals are added to the timber, it is an ideal material to use in organic gardens.
    It’s increased stability also makes it suitable for indoor use such as interior cladding, flooring, saunas, door & window frames and indoor furniture.
    As no chemicals are added to the timber, any waste produced when working can be simply burnt without any pollution.

    Thermowood: Heat, not Chemicals.
    Our forefathers knew an extremely simple and natural way of giving wood lasting protection from outside influences – heat treatment, with no chemical additives! It works like this: heat the wood to between 180-220° C, and a kind of ‘caramelization’ takes place, producing a dark brown coloration. Parts of the (hemicellulose) cell walls are broken up and ejected in crystal form, and the hollow spaces left behind filled up by the remaining elements. This process stops the wood absorbing water, so it no longer swells when exposed to damp and also loses its tendency to warp and split. Thermowood is therefore an ideal material for things that often get wet

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

BABA Antique Wooden Floors

BABA ANTIQUE WOODEN FLOORS OPENS SHOWROOM IN LOS ANGELES
Located at DESIGN HARDWOOD FLOORING . 6053 West Third Street. Los Angeles. Ca 90036 323-930-1330 - http://www.designhardwoodflooring.com/

BABA has been in business since 1982. Producing beautiful aged wooden floors for 27 years….now showing their complete collection at DESIGN HARDWOOD FLOORING in Los Angeles.

BABA has worked for the finest architects and designers…. Bray-Schaible Design, Clodagh, David Easton, Allan Greenberg, Architect, Mimi London, Peter Marino, Polly Osborne, Architects ,Kevin Roche & John Dinkeloo, Architects, John Saladino, Stephan Shadley, Michael S. Smith, Bunny Williams

BABA is the largest supplier of original surface aged wooden floors in the world. BABA is known for superb quality – consistent production and grading of the finest original aged wood. All BABA products are available to view at DESIGN HARDWOOD FLOORING.

BABA FLOORS HAVE ORIGINAL SURFACES – rarer, with more character and depth than floorboards cut from beams. Skilled craftsmen repair the original surfaces to preserve the grandeur of their wide widths and long lengths – painstaking work, but the only way to produce floors with up to 20’ long floor boards.

FLOORBOARDS ARE DIMENSIONED by planning to thickness only from their undersides – leaving the aged contours and surface patina untouched.

BABA AGED OAK IS FUMED deepening its natural aged color so that later, when finishing, the grain remains crystal clear and a homogeneous color is attained without the heavy use of stain. This process is historically reserved for fine furniture.

Samples are available from DESIGN HARDWOOD FLOORING 6053 West Third Street. Los Angeles. Ca 90036 323-930-1330 - http://www.designhardwoodflooring.com/

BABA REFERENCES….

BABA has supplied the floors for the owners of….
Chanel
Estee Lauder
Starbucks….

BABA has worked for the finest architects and designers….
Bray-Schaible Design
Clodagh
David Easton
Allan Greenberg, Architect
Mimi London
Peter Marino
Polly Osborne, Architects
Kevin Roche & John Dinkeloo, Architects
John Saladino
Stephan Shadley
Michael S. Smith
Bunny Williams

BABA TESTIMONIALS….

“Thank you for the beautiful wooden floors you fabricated for our house in New Jersey. You will be pleased to know that the owners are more than satisfied with the very fine floor you provided…”
Kevin Roche, architect

“Dear Jonathan,
I should have told you long before now how much Jo Carole and I love the floors. They add so much to the wonderful feeling of the rooms, and they fit into the décor as though they have always been there. They are truly beautiful.
I know how much thought and effort and time you have put into the selection of the right floors for our house, and Jo Carole and I are so grateful to you.
I know that there will always be another project, and I know that we will be working with you at some time in the future. In the meantime, I want you to know how very much we appreciate all that you have done for us.
With my very best wishes,”
Sincerely, Ronald S. Lauder

“Dear Jonathan,
It is rare in this time of mass production that a firm actually delivers that which they have promised. I just wanted to take a minute and sincerely thank you for the floors (which totaled more than 3100 square feet) you provided and installed. They are far better than the samples. Your installers were true craftsmen and a pleasure at all time. No matter how complicated we made things by adding detail as they went, they always responded.
The whole process was a pleasure.
Now that some time has passed since the installation, I just wanted to let you know that every time we look at those floors Robin and I smile. You are correct – when you do God’s work, He continually smiles on you. We cannot thank you enough.
If you ever want to show someone the quality of your work, you are more than welcome to use our home as an example.”
Sincerely, Paul Greenwood