Holland, MI, May 20--Puzzles are known to give people headaches. Straining to visualize the final picture, people spend hours fitting the pieces, according to the Holland Sentinel.
Don Klaasen can sympathize. Along with his son, Steve, and a pair of other helpers, the Zeeland men spent hundreds of hours building a 450-square-foot floor puzzle.
The efforts yielded a mix of colors from more than 120 different species of wood from around the globe. It also brought national recognition when the floor was honored as showroom of the year by the National Wood Flooring Association.
Among the 146 jigsaw pieces is a 6-by-3-foot world map. Each country and island is a different wood type.
Don and Steve Klaasen, owners of Authentic Wood Floors in Zeeland, built the floor for De Young Builders in Holland.
The intricate job was far from easy. Using a plywood background, the Klaasens used a saber saw to shape 2-by-2 1/2-foot-wide boards into jigsaw pieces.
"There is always a piece or two that doesn't fit," Don Klaasen said with a laugh.
The puzzle pieces do not make any specific picture but highlight a wide array of wood colors and appearances, such as wenge, a black African wood, and satinwood, a yellow Brazilian type.
The pieces of wood were bought from Don's son, Rick Klaasen, owner of Three Trees Hardwood Distributors in Holland.
Don Klaasen said the plan was originally to build a floor for De Young as a contract. But the companies agreed to a different deal. Authentic Wood Floors would build a more intricate floor for free. In turn, the company could bring over potential customers to De Young builders, at 496 Lincoln Ave., to show off its ability. The building also features about 500 square feet of other flooring built by the Klaasens.
Steve Nyland, operations manager for De Young Builders, said the final job was impressive.
"It certainly met our expectations," Nyland said.
