Cork is different to all other types of wood flooring in the sense that the Cork Oak Tree is never cut down; it is simply peeled for its bark! Harvesting the bark takes place every 8-10 years removing approximately 8 inches of bark. This means that the actual tree lives on and up to 200 years old!

• Hypoallergenic, mildew, moisture and dust resistant.
• Considered anti-static – an excellent flooring for home offices
• Provides acoustical and thermal insulation
• Comfortable on the feet
• Available in a wide array of stain colors, patterns and finishes

Feel free to Contact Us to find out if Cork Flooring is right for you and your family.

Today harvesting trees from the forest is much different. Tembec’s
(Vintage’s parent company) certified experienced forest management team
analyses what areas of the forest need to be taken down to protect and assure that the remaining trees will receive better sunlight to continue to grow to their best quality. The trees that are dying or that are diseased are also removed and sold as firewood. 30% of the canopy is removed (the top feather part of the tree) to allow room for new growth of healthy trees to expand and grow to their maximum capacity.

The wildlife of the forest is also an important consideration of the
forestry process. If animals are living in the tree or area, they will not remove that tree. Small pools of water formed by rain or melting snow become nesting spots for the tree turtle. In the event if these pools of water are in the path that the loggers haul the trees out of the forest, a new route is found. Loggers are fined if any trees or wildlife are unnecessarily disturbed or damaged. We walked through forests that were harvested 7 years previously. They were not clear cut and they had a great mix of young, medium and old growth trees.

For the Brazilian hardwood, Vintage only uses timber that comes
from suppliers who harvest in a responsible manner to protect the world’s
other resources such as wildlife, water, soil and vegetation.

Our main supplier of hardwood flooring, Vintage Flooring is a member of
this program and adheres to the doctrine of being “green”. The stains they
use are all waterborne and do not contain formaldehyde; sealers and topcoats are 99% VOC free and do not contain any volatile solvent; pigments and dyes used for stain are heavy-metal free.

99% of the sawdust and wood off-cuts are recycled into particle board,
heavy density fiber board and other products that are utilized for other in-
dustries. They recycle all cardboard, paper, plastic
polyurethane strapping and UV lamps. They also recycle
waste water from their prefinishing line so that it never
reaches a landfill. Kudos to Vintage for doing their part!

Touchwood Flooring installed 2400 sq.ft. of 5” wide Handscraped Black Walnut Flooring with a 
Notre Dame Stain. A Beautiful hardwood floor for such an elegant home.

Before using a cleaning product sweep or vacuum the hardwood floor removing dust, grit and sand. Clean one section of the floor at a time.

A hardwood floor cleaner is useful in removing occasional scuffs or heel marks. Simply spray some cleaner on a cloth and lightly rub the stained
area. Sticky spots can be cleaned with a damp towel or sponge.

Do not use ammonia cleaners or oil soaps on a wood floor, as they will dull the finish and performance of your floor. These products will also
affect the ability to recoat your floor later.

Since wood naturally expands when it is wet, never use excessive water to clean your floor. Large amounts of water can cause the wood to
swell and may cause your floor to crack or splinter. A damp mop is ideal.

Being a natural product, hardwood will expand and contract due to moisture level changes. Minimize water exposure to hardwood floors and clean
up spills as soon as they happen.

Touchwood Flooring sells manufacture recommended hardwood clients and public.

Some of the Vegas products showed a very heavy scraping and others featured more of a softer, traditional texture. Some had distress marks that looked like they had been damaged by years of wear and others were “Character Grades” showing lots of color variation and knots. The wood had been sanded, stained and finished in today’s fashion colors.

Majority of products featured wide boards – up to 7” wide! Any Albertan wanting to achieve this look would be advised to choose an engineered product so that gapping between the boards would not be an issue during our dry winters. Stable woods such as ¾” Ash, Cherry or Walnut would work in our climate up to 4 or 5” wide. – providing good humidification is available. These floors do not tend to show wear or dust as much as other wide dark floors.

Hand Scraped Products to check out in our Showroom:

• Vintage Authentic Hand Scraped – 3 ply, Solid Sawn, ¾ x 7” available in 3 colors on White Oak and 1 color on Merbau.
• Kentwood
• Bruce – American Originals – 3/8” x 3” or 5” distressed maple, oak, hickory, cherry and walnut.
• Tarkett

Contact Us to learn more.

Exotic hardwoods available for viewing in our showroom are: Curupau, Tajibo, Tigerwood, Cabeza de Mono, Andiroba, Jatoba, Timbor, Tatajuba, Maria Rosa, Macaranduba, Jaca, Ipe, Purple Heart, Gombeira, Mirindiba, Merbau, Cumaru, Tamarindo, Teak Honey, Cubreauva, Tauari, Sirrari, and Tarara Amarillo

Stained Jatoba
Do you or your clients want a dark wood that is rich and deep in appearance? Consider a stained Jatoba. (Brazilian Cherry). Jatoba is an extremely hard wood that is 82% harder and 23% more stable than Red Oak. Now available from Vintage Prefinished Hardwood, Jatoba wood in Natural and 4 stains. The stains are Orinoco, (appears as an aged Jatoba), Amazonia, (Deep burgundy), Renaissance (Light Brown) and Venetian Brown (Deep Chocolate Brown). Contact Us to learn more.

Yes! In our own Touchwood Flooring showroom, we have natural Hickory floor that is “OILED” and UV cured, direct from the manufacturer!

An oiled floor gives you a finish like no other; the most natural looking wood floor that can be installed in your home or commercial area! An oiled floor has a low sheen/matte finish showing off the natural beauty of the wood.

Oiled floors were most commonly seen in commercial settings as they are among the easiest to maintain with little disruption. With an oiled floor you can bring the wood back to life by simply cleaning the area and applying the oil product yourself; it will look brand new again!

In order to increase the longevity, not only of your hardwood floors, but your whole home, here are some tips.

If asked would you know what the humidity levels in your home should be?

We recommend the humidity levels to be between 35%-47%. Any higher and you would have condensation build up on your windows. Too much condensation can lead to mould and bacteria growth.

When hardwood planks soak up moisture, they expand and swell. When humidity levels drop below 35%, any moisture
within the hardwood dries up.

Think of how trees are designed. They have vessels that allow them to absorb water from the ground. Even after a tree has been cut and milled into planks, these vessels are still present in the wood and
require moisture.

Another important fact: besides your hardwood needing moisture, so does your furniture, cabinets, baseboards, casings and your body. They all demand moisture!