Recently we did an apartment refit. In order to expand the valuable floor space, in this tiny apartment, a mezzanine floor was added, and the plan was to leave the floor joists exposed....
Recently we did an apartment refit. In order to expand the valuable floor space, in this tiny apartment, a mezzanine floor was added, and the plan was to leave the floor joists exposed. After researching for compliant structural timber, we settled on Kingfisher Spruce from ATS Timber. Firstly, this feels like real timber, unlike the normal pink coloured framing usually pushed on us. The spruce has clean straight grain and is neatly milled with crisp sharp edges. Being available in almost any size is a massive advantage. We have used the 70mm thick joists which are solid and feel like they have minimal deflection.
The next task was how to finish the timber. We wanted to lighten up the ceiling but still keep all the grain. After some unsuccessful samples, I paid a visit to Design Denmark and received a quick education from Darin Kitching on the Woca range of oils. We ended up using the Woca white bench top oil, the slightly white colour helps to hold out the yellowing effect of the timber as it patinas. We are very pleased with the finish and how it has kept all of the natural colour variations.
The Woca products could be a game changer for timber finishes in the construction sector. For a long time, timber finishing on large scale items such as housing has been quite limited. Polyurethanes have been the staple finishing product used, giving a very plastic appearance and making on-going maintenance difficult. The Woca oils really tick all the boxes with ease of use, natural appearance, cleaning, maintenance and the environment. They are made in Denmark so that carries some credibility for high quality and functionality.
I am a new user but so far I have been impressed enough to purchase the clear product and experiment on some furniture timber. The results on a bit of European beech and walnut, have been very promising in appearance and feel. So if you are looking for an impressive and easy finish, have a chat to Darin at Design Denmark or check out their site www.woca.co.nz
