Project Spotlight: University of Virginia uses reclaimed hardwood sourced from St. John’s River – June 2024

By Joe Hamad, co-owner, Touch of Color Flooring

At the beginning of 2023, the University of Virginia (UVA) kicked off an extensive renovation project for a large four-story building on campus. When it came to the flooring selection, the university had a specific vision in mind for a unique hardwood that would create a stunning first impression, while delivering durability and functionality for years to come. Touch of Color Flooring, headquartered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was brought on to spearhead the flooring installation, which included hardwood as well as other flooring elements.

HARDWOOD WITH HEART
Touch of Color was selected by Hourigan Construction, which knew the flooring company was the right partner for a job that would require a high level of expertise and creative problem solving. Beginning in June 2023, Touch of Color started by installing ceramic tile, then progressed to the hardwood portion of the project.

Hardwood was to be installed on the first and third floors in the studio areas, a total of 16,000 square feet. The university desired a statement flooring of reclaimed wood that would be the crown jewel of the design. Having seen heart pine (also referred to as heartwood) used in other school institutions and museums in Virginia, it was drawn to the aesthetics and the history behind the wood.

Sourcing heartwood takes a lot of patience and perseverance-and time. According to the USDA Forest Service book, “Longleaf Pine,” it takes 200 years for a longleaf pine to become mostly heartwood and to be considered antique. Scientists say any wood from a tree less than 200 years old is “new heart pine.” A 75-year-old tree will average only 30% heartwood, and even a 130-year-old tree yields wood that is not as hard or rich in color as antique heart pine. U.S. Forest Service specialists report that even a 200-year-old tree will average only 65% heartwood.

The wood chosen for the UVA project was reclaimed antique heart pine from Goodwin Company, sourced from trees 200 to 500 years old. But it’s not as simple as shipping the wood in from a warehouse. In fact, the wood desired for this project was lying at the bottom of the St. Johns River near Jacksonville, Florida.

A UNIQUE CHALLENGE
The wood was originally used to build bridges. When logging companies would transport the ancient longleaf pine logs downriver, many logs fell in due to their sheer weight. The cold temperature and conditions in the rivers allowed the logs to remain in pristine condition with no rot or decay. The retrieval process takes a bit of effort, but it yields incredibly durable and beautiful wood for reclaimed use.

Never to be deterred by a unique and challenging flooring request, Touch of Color worked hand in hand with Goodwin and various other hardwood professionals to source, dry, prepare and install the heartwood exactly as desired by the university. The wood went through an extensive milling process that included drying, sawing it into boards, kiln drying and cutting it to the size specifications. The wood was then shipped to North Carolina to apply backing before finally being shipped to Virginia for installation.

The Touch of Color team carefully applied Woca Diamond Oil Active finish for a beautiful effect. Before installation, the team thought through the placement of every piece, inspecting each for its unique qualities and laying out the boards to create the perfect aesthetic that demonstrates the product’s character and quality. Touch of Color also worked with a rubber mounting company, plumbers and electricians to ensure a careful and correct installation.

In total, there were 11 revisions on the project before it was finalized and all the flooring materials was installed. Touch of Color is highly experienced at installing hardwood-even with many steps in the process and “pieces to the puzzle,” most everything about the installation process ran smoothly. But this project did stretch the team to new heights.

Thanks to many skilled hands and creative minds, the end product is a masterpiece that will be enjoyed by the university for many decades to come.

Copyright 2024 Floor Focus

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