Hardwood Floors October/November 2024

Wood Stock

By Burt Bollinger FOREST TO FOYER FROM

“The homeowners had all this wood stacked up – 5,000 square feet of it – and they wanted to use it for their new home,” recalls Russell. “Heartpine is our specialty, but with its tight grain and the sap content, it is just a different kind of wood. That said, it’s my favorite to work with.” Unfortunately, working with wood that Russell didn’t procure himself came with its challenges. The heartpine had been milled roughly and required significant and unforeseen preparation before installation. “When I first saw the wood, I realized it was only roughly milled. Nothing was perfect at all,” Russell explains. “We had to go through it all, chop it, cut out the bad parts, and re-groove everything. It was a lot of work, but it was necessary to ensure the floor would turn out beautifully.” As the project progressed, the homeowners expressed their desire to incorporate large live edge slabs they had stored in their carport into the floor design. This idea led to the creation of a stunning basket weave pattern bordered by these live edge slabs.

Patrick Russell of All American Floor Sanding and Installation, based in Ocala, Florida, recently undertook a remarkable project that showcased the uniqueness of heartpine. Set in a newly built home, the project used pine harvested directly from the property on which the home stood. The wood, with its dense grain and tight patterns, presented a one-of a-kind opportunity for Russell to create a floor that was as personal as it was stunning.

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