| Parquet and General Flooring Co. Ltd. Grange Lane, Winsford, Cheshire, CW7 2PS Tel: +44 (0)1606 861 442 Fax: +44 (0)1606 861 445 floors@wideboards.com |
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French Walnut
| David Gunton supplies French Walnut, steamed or unsteamed,
in boards in several qualities from many sources and in blocks, strip
and parquet, but, most especially, wide long boards. By clicking
on most pictures on this site you can see a larger version.
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How do you describe the pleasure we gain from making floors like this? Today, the words fail me, so let me try to explain the process of creation. The task begins when a customer has the courage to specify something unusual and to invest some faith. A whistle stop 2500 mile tour of sawmills specialising in French Walnut was necessary to establish who had the right quality of stock. A second visit to France was needed to make the selection of the boards. Walnut is not grown for its lumber, but for the nuts. Thus the growers are not concerned to produce straight, tall large girth logs. It is easier to collect walnuts from low growing trees, so most are pollarded when young to produce lots of low branches. Approximately 4 times the quantity which was fitted to the floor was bought to ensure that there was enough for the waste and plenty to choose from.
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French walnut boards up to about 9" wide surrounding a marble draining plinth supporting a free standing family sized bath. The boards are fitted over underfloor heating. They are drilled, countersunk, screwed and pelleted. These are finished in oil and wax. Are they beautiful? |
| This corridor leads from an elegant circular stone staircase to bedrooms through the door ahead and a bathroom on the right. This is all set in a traditionally built extension to an ancient stone built mill. The boards in this picture beautifully demonstrate the varied and tortuous richly coloured grain patterns typical of French Walnut. |  |
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| These French walnut boards provide a rich background to rugs and furnishings. |
French Walnut is often used in parquets, as here with this Greek Key pattern border. You can see how French Walnut looks as a large herringbone pattern by clicking here |  |
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