Board - Reclaimed

18th and 19th Century English Oak reclaimed from the West Country. These boards come in a range of mellow browns and light greys with lightness in the sap and with darkened patches in the heartwood.The annual growth rings are handsomely marked in this Quarter Sawn batch and show as a glistening flame like pattern through the grain in what are known as 'Medulary Rays'. The grain itself is straight, with a coarse, variegated texture providing stability and strength. English Oak is famously hard and resistant to rot and decay. It is at once attractive and hard wearing which makes it suitable for decorative purposes in high-traffic situations such as public rooms, hallways and commercial premises. The cultural and historic associations of the English Oak, including it's status as king of the British woodland, have ensured its use throughout British history in vernacular architecture and joinery from Shakespeare's Globe to Hardwick Hall to Nelson's cabin on HMS Victory. Oak floorboards mixed with small amounts of Beech, as conventional for the period. Prices are per square metre.

Random lengths. Boards priced according to width with the widest batches being the dearest. Widths from 4" - 7".   Victorian baltic pine is an adaptable and characterful timber whose lightly distressed patina lends itself to use in a wide variety of interiors. Traditionally the timber was used in factories, warehouses, terraced housing and even stables. It's a softwood with hard wearing character. Although the timber does mark and scratch more easily than hard woods, it's this ability to develop a unique patina that is sought after by patrons of the most sympathetic restoration works.   As our boards are often sourced from factories, warehouses and mills more often than not it is our Victorian Baltic Pine batches that have the longest lengths. So although our customers are not able to specify long lengths when ordering, with Victorian Pine floorboards you can be assured that there will be more long lengths than short.   The recent conversion of many historic industrial buildings for new updated purposes is something that those of us concerned with English Heritage might consider a shame, however one way to ensure that our proud industrial heritage is not forgotten is through the re use of flooring like this Victorian Baltic pine. The increase in desirability of the warehouse-loft look has meant that there is an increased amount of original pine boarding available for our customers, so good supply can always be ensured.   If you are lucky enough to already own a Victorian property then you may have noticed that almost all pine floorboards in Victorian homes look similar. And you would be right, most Victorian pine ranges from 5 1/2 inches to 6 3/4 inches wide. The same can be said for the batches we most commonly have in stock. This similarity of construction enables our customers to patch in small areas rather than replacing entire floors. The retention of original features where ever possible is a desirable factor when undertaking the restoration of period properties.   A characteristic of Baltic pine which is favoured by the Scandinavian aesthetic is how well the material responds to bleaching or white washing. The porous, absorbent qualities of this timber in relation to other harder woods mean it takes well almost all finishes, dark or light. However the use of finishes with most LASSCO reclaimed boards is not advised. We try to source batches of timber for their original finish and often turn away batches of timber that are recently finished or yellowing as a result of poor finishing in the past. Our Victorian pine boards are chosen for their naturally aged character and appearance and should be lightly matte waxed and sealed.