The popularity of hardwood flooring

For the past 20 years or so, we have seen the popularity of hardwood flooring on the rise in North America in both hardwood and engineered wood. The carpet sellers started to feel the bargain so they started selling lumber.

The carpet sellers started to feel the bargain so they started selling lumber. Then the different hardwood floor manufacturers offer different colors that become the new products of the day / month / year.

Then the popularity of interior designers grew exponentially and now almost everyone gets help from an interior designer. The profession of interior designer has become very “ glamorous ” and these, helping us to arrange the decor of our homes, think outside the box more with each project and this is what advances design in our life.

The floor, no longer just for walking

Now, the floor is no longer just for walking but also to put on the walls like a canvas of a Picasso or Riopèle. Let’s talk about the wood flooring on the walls, which is more and more popular. Over our years of manufacturing custom hardwood flooring, we have contributed to several residential and commercial projects and have seen several designers put flooring on the walls. Often a continuity of the floor covering or only an accent wall in a room of the house. The practice is increasingly done in North America and the end results vary according to the species, colors, lengths and widths of the wood chosen.

We worked with a designer in our area a few months ago to provide her with 7 ” oiled engineered black walnut in a kitchen as a backsplash. The result is superb thanks to the different lengths of plank and the look is very matt due to the fact that it is oiled walnut.

Wood and the continuity of the floor on the wall

We also partnered with a designer from Montreal for another project where she used natural hickory flooring of good width with an authentic grade. Showing a few knots and the heart of hickory we can see a nice variety of colors in the wood and the continuity of the floor on the wall presents a breathtaking result.

So we say yes to this new wave of design and we fully support designers and architects in their creative process. We believe that the hardwood flooring should also end up on the walls and ceiling in some cases. That said, you have to be careful not to get too excited about using it because too much of a beautiful thing becomes bad for your mental health. Just because you have 4 walls, a floor, and a ceiling, doesn’t mean they should all be covered with wood flooring!

When it comes to barn wood, many people believe that “trend” is running out of steam. The truth is that the sale of boxed barn wood planks used to create beautiful projects like walls, furniture and ceilings is increasing.

What needs to be understood is that more and more people are moving from the countryside to the big cities. On the other hand, humans will always miss the forest and the warmth it provides. Having a beautiful authentic barn wood wall brings people closer to that feeling. Owning a wall barn wood project is like having Quebec history in your home.

In today’s world people have less and less time, with that in mind we have created a product that is easy to install, but still a real barn wood product, boxed barn wood.

The most beautiful barn wood in Quebec

Plancher Solū has the finest product in Quebec when it comes to boxed barn wood. Our boxed barn wood comes in several colors: brown barn wood, gray barn wood, and mixed barn wood. We also offer white barn wood and red barn wood which is not in the store, but which can be produced on demand.

Solū Flooring barn wood has been cleaned, cut, edged, sliced thinner for ease of installation and boxed easily transportable and for easy delivery, this way we are able to deliver them anywhere in North America for free.

The 5 strengths of Plancher Solū barn wood are numerous:

Authentic product: Plancher Solū works with a partner who dismantles barns all over Quebec and Ontario, the knowledge of this partner in the field of barn wood allows us to have access to wood of a hundred years of age, top quality and in many different colors.

Easy to install: When we started selling barn wood it was raw. Rough wood is as beautiful as worked planks, but is much more difficult to install and has some disadvantages such as splinters. The technique we have developed makes it possible to have boards 3/8 of an inch thick, which allows everyone, using a hammer and finishing nails, to build a magnificent barn wood project. Creating a barn wall has never been easier.

Several colors available: We have been in the barn wood business for several years, we have listened to our customers and we have adapted to their needs and their project. When customers say they’d like a cozy reading nook, we share our brown barn wood with them. When a client tells us they want a touch of modern in their condo, then we lean towards a beautiful gray barn wood wall. Finally, if a client tells us that he had something unique, then maybe we will tend to send him to a red barn wood. No matter what your decor is, our different barn wood colors will match it perfectly.

Unlimited Quantity: No matter how much you need, whether you are an individual or a business, we are able to supply you with the quantity you need.

Free Shipping: We tested several sizes of boards and boxes to finally find the perfect fit for our customers to receive free delivery of our barn wood boxes. Since we obtain the wood directly from the source, that is to say in the fields of Quebec and Ontario, we can offer our barn wood at competitive prices while offering delivery, this is what demonstrates our experience and our know-how.

For any questions regarding our barn wood products, contact us or start the online discussion. The representatives at Plancher Solū have their heads full of ideas and will be happy to assist you.

Much harder than you think?

Yes, because the options on the market are limitless! Here are some tips to help you make the right choice. Early in my career as a hardwood flooring salesperson, I believed I knew about wood from the world of custom solid wood furniture. I quickly realized that I didn’t know wood like the flooring specialists at Solu Flooring. In my past world, a brown was a brown, a beige a beige and a few essences to offer, mainly black walnut. But what was my surprise to embark on this world of hardwood flooring.

So if you’ve had any floor covering for several years that you don’t like, whether it’s carpet, vinyl or old wood that has yellowed over time, you can feel stuck, with no options, no matter how many rugs you have. you pile up on this floor which hurts your heart every day. But if you have floors that you love, walking on them will be a pleasure that you can repeat daily.

Home decoration

Keep in mind that the floor is the base on which all decorating decisions are made. Change your floors and you will change the character of your entire home. It’s that simple.

It’s no surprise that most people look to solid or engineered wood flooring on their home improvement or new build list. However, not all wood floors are created equal or will be appropriate for every living space.

Whether it is a renovation or a new construction, the choice of colors, walls, windows, kitchens, stairs and others must be taken into consideration when you want to change your floors. In the 80s and 90s, birch and maple in French Canada were very popular with very narrow planks, but over the years wide engineered floors have appeared on the North American market which offers even more. possibilities for the customer, especially when the house space is large and spacious.

Wood species and color
Let’s start with the essence of the wood and the color. We can choose a closed grain wood such as maple or birch or an open grain such as oak, hickory or ash. Maple and birch will give you less impact in the look being more uniform and oak, hickory and ash a more intense look with the grain of the wood. Also we can stay with the natural color of the wood or put a stain to change the color. Keep in mind that the same brown applied to maple or white oak will not have the same result because the initial color of the wood is not the same.

With our over 2000 colors developed over the years, we can certainly help you with the color choice from bleached to ebony black.

Wood grain and grade

The trend is for natural colors which leaves the grain of the wood showing and if you are having a hard time choosing a color you should always consider other woodwork you have in the house. If you already have a walnut kitchen, choosing walnut for the floor will be perfect.

Next, consider the grain of the wood and the grade. We offer a few grades such as: select and best, clean without color variation or knots, natural select with color variations and authentic with color variations and knots. Each grade offers a different appearance so take this into consideration in your overall look. Then, the cut of the wood, flat which will give a look with vague in the grain of the oak for example and a rift & quarter cut which will give a more linear look to the grain in the oak. In maple we can find pique and “curly”, rarer wood but which gives an extraordinary look and these rarer looks can be incorporated into an overall floor to have something unique that catches the eye. Perfect to impress the gallery. Remember, a beautiful floor will be a feast for the eyes for years to come.

Pre-varnished or oiled
Now the finish of your floors, also big decision because it will have repercussions for the years to come. Being a manufacturer, we recommend varnish or oiled because we do it directly in the factory and the finish is much more durable than on site.

For the varnish finish, we offer a UV cured polyurethane varnish, 7 coats with aluminum oxide and anti-yellowing. This means that your floor will have a nice finish keeping the natural color for the next 20-30 years. A super tough finish that looks a bit like the analogy of putting glass on a dining table. It protects but it will scratch over time. Then, when life has come to the end of the varnish, you will have to sand it on site and redo a varnished or oiled finish.
The advantage of buying a pre-varnished floor is that you can install it quickly often in 1 day depending on the number of square feet to be covered.

We also offer an oiled floor. The look is very different from the pre-varnished floor. Oiled floors give you protection but will need to be re-oiled every 5-7 years as the oil will have dried out over the years. That said, when you have graffiti on the floor, you can easily repair them with a little oil on the spot.

The choice between massive and engineering

Solid lumber says so, we offer 3/4 thick lumber straight cut from the log. An engineered floor is a one-layer construction of wood in your chosen species over a Russian birch plywood backing. The advantages of engineered flooring are numerous. Much more stable over the years. Can be used in basements and on concrete slabs therefore commercial and condo towers. It can be installed like a solid wood floor with nails and can also be glued.
Engineered flooring can be sanded at least 1-2 times in the life of the floor so the average customer is at least 75 years old with their floor before they need to completely change it.

The width of the boards

We talked a bit about board widths at the start of this article. We offer 2 ¼” to 5 ” hardwood because beyond this width, the wood will tend to work too much. And we offer 2 ¼” to 12″ in engineered flooring. Note that the wider your boards, the higher the price will be. When deciding on the width of the boards, take into consideration the dimensions of your rooms. The wider you are, the more appropriate wide planks will be.

You now understand why I said at the beginning that choosing your hardwood floor can be complex. The combinations of choices are incredibly wide, so I who thought I knew wood because I made solid wood furniture for a few years hadn’t prepared myself for the complexity that flooring can offer. Remember the goal is to create a look that will stand the test of time, not that you hate for the next 75 years.

1. La Grange octagonal Adolphe-Gagnon: located in Bas-Saint-Laurent, in Saint-Fabien. This barn which dates from 1888 is unique in its kind, it is distinguished by its octagonal architecture as its name suggests. Its planks are a beautiful pale gray to dark gray. This four-storey barn was converted into a museum in 2009.

You can take a guided tour here to immerse yourself in the life of a farmer in the 1900s. You can also participate in various activities throughout the year such as storytelling evenings, wine and cheese and family days.

2. The Priests Chaumont barn-stable: located in Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines and built in the 19th century, in the Lower Laurentians, this barn-stable is classified as a historic monument. Much smaller than the previous barn, it is no less surprising with its asymmetrical roof and gray planks. It happens to be the annex of the house of the Priests-Chaumont, also classified as a historical monument.

3. The Alexander-Solomon Walbridge barn: located in Montérégie, in Saint-Ignace-de-Stanbridge and built in 1882, it is also a one-of-a-kind barn with a ruff-shaped roof. Its 12-sided shape and its beautiful red barn planks make it in my eyes one of the most beautiful century-old barns in Quebec. This barn has 2 floors, the first which housed the cattle and a second which housed the hay which was thrown through a hole in the ground. The Alexander-Solomon barn holds the title of the oldest polygonal barn built in Quebec.

4. The Damase-Amédée-Dufresne circular barn: located in Estrie, in Austin, it was built according to a plan popular in the United States in 1907. It differs from its sisters by its circular shape, its construction entirely in gray and white wood, its three floors and its roof in the shape of a broken cone. It’s surprising to think of the fact that in those days buildings were constructed in circles to prevent the devil from hiding in corners. A nod to our ancient religious culture, now forgotten.

5. Lajoie barn: It is located in Charlevoix, in Saint-Urbain and was built in the second half of the 19th century. It has a thatched roof. An ancient construction technique used under the French Regime, but also after the conquest. It has sublime brown and gray planks and was built piece by piece. Its fairly standard gable roof looks more like other barns in Quebec than the other barns on this list.

Solū Floor takes off its hat to the municipalities that have opted to protect these historic monuments. It was completely restored, but not all barns in Quebec are so lucky. We also believe that while destroying these ancient buildings, it is best to recover them and offer people all over the world to be able to enjoy this beautiful board inside their homes.

Wall unit or barn wood wall

As you know, barn wood projects are making a comeback and at Solū Custom Hardwood this does not surprise us at all. Besides looking great and adding a nice touch to your home, here are 5 reasons why you should have a wall unit or barn wood wall.

Reason # 1: He’s warm

Today’s society pushes us to perform, accumulate material and forget to live in the present moment. We surround ourselves with plastic, things that only serve a few weeks before we forget them, and items that we have to replace every 2-3 years. These objects are cold and take us away from what we are at the base, beings that come from nature. Barnwood is on the other side of the spectrum. It is warm and reminds us of where we come from, of nature. The barn wood wall therefore adds this warmth to the hearth and calms us down without even noticing it.

Reason # 2: It comes from recycled materials

Reason # 3: It helps save Quebec’s heritage

If you have walked a bit in the countryside of Quebec, you have also seen many barns that are no longer used and sometimes even abandoned. Several farmers have even set fire to these buildings so as not to have to pay the taxes attached to them. Solū Custom Hardwood’s mission is to collect as much of these materials as possible to bring them to your living rooms. Yes, this Quebec heritage would still be appreciated in our countryside, but having barn wood in Quebec homes is the best solution when this first is no longer possible.

Reason # 4: It is a 100% Quebec product

Several products are assembled in Quebec with raw materials from all over the world. Some people believe that this makes them Quebec products, but not entirely. Barn wood comes from trees that grew here, that were cut down by farmers across Quebec and used them to protect their livestock. When we buy barn wood, we get a 100% Quebec product, from the start of the chain to the end.

Gray barn wood

Brown and gray barn wood

Reason # 5: He will impress your brother-in-law

A little humorous touch to end this article. Yes it will impress your brother-in-law, but above all it is easy to install. The brown barn wood sold in a box has been thinned for ease of installation. At Solū Custom Hardwood we have worked these boards to make sure your project doesn’t give you too much trouble. Unlike rough lumber, our lumber has been cut, edged, treated and thinned so you can lay it down with simple finishing nails. If you are having trouble figuring out a step, we have an experienced team available to answer your questions and assist you.

Do not hesitate if you would like information on our barn wood products. Whether it’s our gray barn wood or our brown barn wood to our new products like white barn wood or red barn wood, we can help you find what will compliment any room in your home wonderfully.

Ash

With the emerald ash borer, we hear a lot about this tree which was rather unknown until then.

Ash is a superb wood with roughly the same hardness as red oak and with a grain very similar to white oak.

Ash has been used for decades for solid and engineered wood flooring throughout North America. Really interestingly, it smells great when cut. Ash is elastic and hard so it absorbs shocks well. The advantage with ash and its very pronounced grain is that the marks of time do not appear too much because they merge.

The natural colors are very varied also from a very pale yellow to a dark brown, which gives it much more character than maple.

An unknown wood

In general, ash is a wood unknown to the population for making flooring. Its appearance is somewhere between a white oak and a hickory.

The bad news is that wood is becoming increasingly scarce as the American ash, especially on the East Coast of North America, is attacked by an insect called the emerald ash borer.

Tens of millions of trees have died in recent years. As the insect eats the outside of the tree, its larvae tunnel under the bark and feed on the living cells between the bark and the sapwood, cutting off the flow of nutrients and water. going to the top sections of the tree.

Emerald ash borer kills trees within 1-4 years of infection. Usually, when the insect arrives in an area, it dissipates there within 6 years and kills over 99% of standing trees.

Most large cities in eastern Canada cut down infected or endangered ash trees, but the insect is spreading quickly.

With the decrease in the number of healthy and available ash trees, the price of the raw material will increase considerably in the coming years.

That said, ash is a tree that grows and spreads quickly. Surprisingly, the data from 2014 indicates that the growth and spread of the number of ash trees still increased more than the cuts, despite the emerald ash borer!

There is still a very nice option

So ash remains a great option for your hardwood floors, both solid and engineered. It will be our pleasure to work with you to present our 2020 colors on this wonderful wood.