A Parquet for the Books in Lavish Home’s Library

“The floor was supposed to fit like a puzzle,” says Luis Ramos of West Palm Beach, Fla.-based Absolute Hardwood Flooring. “It didn’t fit like a puzzle.” For that slight hiccup in creating this masterful parquet, Ramos had Florida’s infamous humidity to thank. The 1,200-square-foot floor featured in this new high-end residence’s 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 home’s castle-like accoutrements of Italy—along with the fierce humidity of Florida. “Every piece had to be cut and adjusted in the field” due to the expansion of the wood, Ramos says. “The humidity we have in Florida is night-and-day compared to Indiana.” 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, “‘I promise you, they’re paying for every cut that you’re making!’” 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 “over-the-top,” 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 craftsmen’s feelings: “Bring me more jobs like that one.”

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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