
âThe floor was supposed to fit like a puzzle,â says Luis Ramos of West Palm Beach, Fla.-based Absolute Hardwood Flooring. âIt didnât fit like a puzzle.â For that slight hiccup in creating this masterful parquet, Ramos had Floridaâs infamous humidity to thank. The 1,200-square-foot floor featured in this new high-end residenceâs library is made of walnut, oak, wenge, rift-and-quartered white oak and curly maple, all passed through the creative hands of Daniel Antes of Nashville, Ind.-based Distinctive Hardwood Floors. Antes carefully measured the room before assembling the parquet in Indiana, face-taping it and transporting it to the site. On site, Ramos and his crew encountered the homeâs castle-like accoutrements of Italyâalong with the fierce humidity of Florida. âEvery piece had to be cut and adjusted in the fieldâ due to the expansion of the wood, Ramos says. âThe humidity we have in Florida is night-and-day compared to Indiana.â Fortunately, Ramos and his team were up to the task and worked long hours to ensure it all fit perfectly, with Ramos assuring his team along the way, ââI promise you, theyâre paying for every cut that youâre making!ââ Once the parquet was adjusted and installed, they sanded with the big machine, followed by the multi-head sander. Then they applied three coats of satin water-based finish. The building, which is filled with masterful wood floors by Antes and Ramos, is delightfully âover-the-top,â says Ramos, and fittingly required a bit of extra craftsmanship to bring to life a floor that could match. They were also given all the time they needed to get it right. A text from Antes to Ramos after the fact perhaps sums up both craftsmenâs feelings: âBring me more jobs like that one.â
SUPPLIERS:
Abrasives: Norton Abrasives | Big machine: American Sanders | Multi-head sanding machine: Lägler Trio | Finish: PoloPlaz | Wood flooring: Distinctive Hardwood Floors
See an article about the beautiful dining room parquet flooring in this luxurious Florida home here.
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