We’re pleased to announce our newest addition to the Real Wood Floors lineup of flooring with The Eighteen Seventy-Five Collection. Eight new choices of engineered flooring made from white oak and maple hardwood. The 6” wide planks have a 1.5mm sliced veneer over a multi-ply core and lengths up to 6’, making a ⅜” overall profile.
The technique of slicing wooden veneers first began in the early 19th century by Marc Brunel in London, England. The process made possible a way to obtain the maximum amount of usable veneer from the natural resource, hardwood logs. Distinct from rotary peeling, sliced veneer maintains the appealing look of sawn-cut lumber, but without the loss of any material as happens with sawing.
We’ve selected five colors on European white Oak. Four of them are variations of natural and weathered natural oak and the fifth is a neutral gray tone. Two of which have a light white wash across them. The three other colors are on maple hardwood. Two of them are dark browns and the third is a light-colored grey. The five oak selections are lightly brushed to reveal the natural grain and the three maple colors are smooth faced. As inspiration for the color names we looked to the area of Battersea, the part of London where Brunel housed his veneer-slicing machines.
The mechanical process for slicing hardwood was perfected in 1875, the namesake for our collection, and this most efficient and effective method began to change veneer cutting around the world.
With the Eighteen Seventy-Five collection, Real Wood Floors celebrates the revival of sliced veneer hardwood flooring. The use of this technique enables us to preserve the natural look of solid hardwood flooring, with the advantages of an engineered design. Plus, we’re able to create a more value-minded product because of the efficiency of utilizing nearly 100% of the hardwood lumber, while retaining the authentic charm and warmth of solid hardwood. The Eighteen Seventy-Five collection is a beautiful floor for any home.