Photos by John Christopherson
Ignoring a wood flooring contractor's typical aversion to water, John Christopherson, owner at Olympia, Wash.-based Christopherson Wood Floors, had to get creative when tasked with displaying a river in the wood floor at his hometown's Hands On Children's Museum, which opened in November. The museum directors wanted something visually engaging to teach kids about Earth's interconnected waterways, so the stream winds through the museum's differently themed play areas from rain forest to ocean. With three coats of finish down on the floor, the company, which donated more than 600 hours of labor and $5,000 in materials for the project, cut a ¼-inch-deep riverbed into the maple planks using a router. Then an artist painted the waterway blue, and next Christopherson's crew poured a clear slow-dry epoxy over it. Last, a glossy finish coat was added over the river to make it shine. Now the kids can learn about waterways and fine woodworking.
