The Backbencher – Recycled Australian Hardwood
Timber:
Recycled Australian Hardwood, 80mm x 30mm.
Project Details:
The proprietors of Wellington’s iconic Backbencher Pub wanted a hardwearing wooden floor that would fit with the modernised theme in their historic building.
The building had suffered two fires, the second resulting in the original Matai wooden floor being removed.
The brief: find us a wooden floor, more economic than recycled Matai, hardwearing, something that will give the impression that it might have been the original floor in the building, and still look sharp.
We had in stock recycled Australian hardwood flooring that had been recovered from a factory building in Lower Hutt. We made sample panels for approval by our clientâs interior designer. She approved a black* stain followed by polyurethane.
Flooring Details:
The original Matai floor was removed as part of the insurance company investigation of the second fire. **
The joists were removed and a concrete slab was poured as part of the re-strengthening of the building.
We sealed the slab with Selleys Liquid Nails VBS vapour barrier, and tested to confirm that an adequate seal had been achieved.
We laid 50mm x 50mm batons on packers over the concrete.
The recycled wooden floor boards were fitted to the batons using Selleys Liquid Nails Direct Stick flooring adhesive and secret nailing.
The recycled floor was sanded and coated with two coats of stain followed by two coats of moisture-cured polyurethane.
Unique Aspects:
The short-notice and speed at which this happened.
Our crew started at 4pm on Friday 21 Dec 2012, when others on site were packing up for the holidays. We had Christmas day off, and by working on every other day we completed by 18 Jan 2013. Our specialist sanding and coating crew followed and completed the finishing by Friday 25 Jan 2013.
The introduced recycled wooden floor gives the impression that it might have been there since 1890.
Client Comment:
Very pleased with the new floor.
Building Contractor:
Aspec Construction – well organised and a pleasure to work with.
Note:
* Talk to us about the exact colour, or to make a sample for your approval.
** We were contracted by the building owners insurers to lift the original Matai floor, as a separate contract.