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| Nothing rivals hardwood flooring to add an atmosphere of warmth and richness to a home. Whether it is the classic feel of Oak or the unmistakeable appearance of Elm. Coillte Wood Products can offer a hardwood flooring solution to enhance any living space.
A typical Irish Hardwood floor has a lively and individual appearance due to variations in colour, grain, and timber characteristics that are a distinctive feature of home grown hardwoods. Among those species offered by Coillte are oak, ash, elm, spanish chestnut and beech. Because timber is a natural material, appearances can vary considerably even within a species. Therefore no two floors look exactly the same, making each floor truly unique.
(The above picture shows an elm 80mm wide floor.) |
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Ash is a tough, dense, hardwearing timber. The grain pattern is clean and pronounced. Sapwood colour varies from white to cream, and light to dark brown in the heartwood. The wood finishes to a high lustre with a textured finish. Flooring boards are available in 80mm and 135mm widths. This Ash floor has found its home in Grange, county Louth. |
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Beech wood is strong, durable and lustrous. Neither the grain pattern nor the sapwood are readily discernable. As a result, the predominating feature of Beech is its color. In this respect, Irish Beech differs from the common European'White'Beech, in that the colors are warmer, varing in hues from tan to red. It has a fine, smooth texture and finishes well. Beech flooring is available in 80mm widths only. This floor was laid in the conservatory of a house in co.Tipperary. |
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The old Irish Ogham Alphabet was based on the names of trees. The first letter, "A" corresponded to Ailim or Elm in English. Clearly, the Elm was highly regarded and flourished throughout the island.
However, a severe outbreak of Dutch Elm Disease, first detected in 1974, has proven catastrophic for the Wych and Common Elms.
Research to find resistant varieties continues, but the likely canditates bear no resemblance to the Elms which one time pre-dominated the Irish landscape.
Coillte continues to harvest stricken Elms, but stocks are becomming increasingly scarce. It is unlikely that Elm floors will be available within 5 years. These floors are testament to a vanishing part of Irish Heritage.
Width options are offered in 80mm and 135 mm. This Elm floor covers the enterance hall and reception rooms of a home in Carlow. |
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Oak is a strong, hardwearing timber, replete with the grain, small knots, pips and burrs that charachterise a Real wood floor. It is light tan to biscuit in colour and usually straight grained. Both Native and European oak are available to order. The native flooring is offered in 80mm, 135mm and 182 mm widths, with lengths ranging up to 3.0m. The picture opposite shows an 80 mm Irish Oak floor in Rathcool, Co. Dublin. |
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Spanish chestnut is light to yellowish brown in colour. It is normally clean and straight grained. To the untrained eye, it resembles Oak. Natural oils occouring in the wood render it remarkably Durable. The timber is of low to medium density and machines easily to a semi lustrous textured finish
Flooring boards are available in 80mm and 135 mm widths. This floor forms an attic dormitory in Saggart, Co.Dublin. |
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