Hardwood Floors August/September 2019

WFOY WINNER SPOTLIGHT:

From Water Damage to Wonder

FEATURED CATEGORY: Best Restoration/ Makeover

Ralph Brookens originally started in the work world as a computer operator, but soon realized it was not

his long-term career choice. “You just punched cards in

computers and you ran programs. I mean it was a simple job, but at the end of the day, there was nothing to show for what you did. Zero job satisfaction,” says Brookens. “That's what is so nice about getting into the trades. You get to build something and stand back to see what you've done. It's incredibly satisfying.” Fast forward to today: Brookens Wood Floors Inc., based in Springfield, Illinois, has been in the hardwood flooring business for more than 40 years. Brookens and his team of eight specialize in hardwood floor installation, repair, and refinishing services, skills that were recently utilized to repair the dining room floor of a historic 1880s house. The homeowner currently lives in California, and when he suddenly received a $3,000 water bill, came to realize that there was a broken water line in the house. The water went through the dining room and into the basement, and also did some damage in the adjacent room. The floor consisted of a 3/4" x 11/2" plainsawn maple field with a birdseye maple outside border and an elaborate parquet border, much of which was missing or loose. The parquet border was 5/16" material, 34 pieces before the pattern repeated, on 1/2" pine boards. All of the border pieces were salvaged and reglued or recreated using a table saw sled. The entire field was replaced with new wood due to excessive compression set gapping and water staining. Salvaged maple from the field was later used in the border.

Photos courtesy of Brookens Wood Floors Inc.

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