Brooklyn-based Madera recently launched Titan, a sustainably harvested and locally made white oak floor. Titan is crafted of Pennsylvania White Oak, custom milled on a project to project basis. The logs are sawn and milled using traditional woodworking techniques, extracted from the forests by logging horses, rather than mechanical skidders which often damage the forest floor. The 12” wide board finishes well over 1-1/8” thick and up to 16 footlengths. The floorboards, once installed, are sanded and finished on site using natural clear oils that enhance the natural look of the oak.

The White Oak trees themselves are part of the ecological restoration of western Pennsylvania, an area that was decimated by the oil industry until the mid-19th century. These mature trees need to be properly harvested for the overall health and diversity of the forests. This forest-to-floors approach is modeled after the farm-to-table movement of the food industry, creating a direct link between the architect and client to the source of the wood.

As an alternate to Titan, Madera also provides Titan Balanced which is a 3-ply engineered European Oak hardwood floor. Titan balanced offers the same dimensions as Titan but with higher stability. These trees are sustainably harvested from Germany’s Black Forest. German oak has a more open grain with less variation, simple textures and cooler, more subtle tones. This floor can be finished in advance at a floor finishing facility. The German Oak top and bottom surface is balanced by a softwood interior, which can prevent bowing and shifting as temperature and moisture levels change. These planks are up to 13’x14”, and over 3/4” thick. Titan Balanced is stocked locally for projects with shorter lead times and design constraints and is most suitable for projects with more varied climates.

For more information, visit www.madera-trade.com.