The Wooden Post

The grain of a piece of wood

2005-06-14T22:05:00.000+02:00

I WAS looking recently into the number of different uses of the word “grain” and it is clear that it is versatile to say the least.

The word grain is used to describe the cells that make up the bulk of the wood tissue, or fibres, within a piece of flooring for example.

People often refer to wood splitting along the grain, meaning parallel to the fibres, whilst across the grain means perpendicular, or at 90°.

When looking at a piece of flooring from the factory of Parquets Castagné it is possible to see the grain and the direction it takes.

The word grain is also used when taking into account the position of growth rings in relation to the plane of cut and the appearance produced.

For example a tangential surface, one that runs parallel to the growth rings, is said to have tangential grain, if the surface is perpendicular then it has radial grain.

How a bug changed the chainsaw

2005-06-06T16:24:00.000+02:00

In 1946 a logger and inventor named Buford Cox conceived a radical new design for a chainsaw’s saw teeth, while sitting at a wood pile and observing a timber-beetle larva – a wood-boring insect approximately the size of a human finger.
Source: How a Wood-Boring Insect Revolutionized the Logging Industry

Varnished parquet flooring

2005-05-29T12:00:00.000+02:00

HERE are some pictures of the varnished parquet flooring we produce.

Natural varnish finish

Our fume finish

Opaline finish

Our varnished parquet flooring comes in two different widths of 70 and 90 mm, and is 15mm thick.

The flooring is suitable for gluing to the floor and if you would like an example popping in the post please feel free to email me.

Quality of quatersawn flooring

2005-05-25T11:03:00.000+02:00

THE parquet flooring we produce in the factory is manufactured from chestnut logs that are commonly quartersawn.

A log that has been quatersawn is usually much more stable than a piece of wood sawn any other way and this is due to the make up of the wood.

If you look at the end of a log you can see the rings and a quartersawn board takes its strength from this by being cut perpendicular to them.

So if you were to look at the end of a cut piece of flooring then the lines of the rings would be approximately at right angles to the surface of the piece of flooring.

Whilst on the surface of the flooring itself there would be lines running the length of the board and parallel to each other.

And from this comes the strength, because the surface of a quatersawn floorboard will wear evenly and any movement within the piece will be vertical, and naturally very small.

Quartersawn wood is a little different from normal so some suppliers may charge more for it, others may not, and you could buy some strong and lovely looking wood quite cheaply.

The basics of drying wood

2005-05-25T11:02:00.000+02:00

WHEN wood is dried it dries from the outside producing an imbalance with the interior of the piece.

But if this imbalance is controlled then any moisture from the interior will be drawn out to the surface and evaporate away, ensuring a balanced drying period.

Should the drying time be rushed then the exterior may dry much quicker than the interior, causing stress and defects within the wood.

Removing the moisture from wood naturally shrinks it so it is important that the moisture is removed allowing any shrinkage before, rather than after, any work is undertaken.

It is important that the drying period is not extended too long as fungi or other damage could occur, so controlling humidity, temperature and air circulation is a key element.

One of the problems faced when drying wood is that the ends dry quicker than the interior and produce small ‘cuts’ in the ends that can ruin the piece.

That is why it is important to control the drying by careful stacking of the timber before being placed in a kiln that is then regularly monitored.

Promoting wood in France

2005-05-23T14:02:00.000+02:00

IT was interesting to see this morning on French television an advertisement promoting the use of wood within the construction of homes.

Under the catch line ‘Wood it’s essential’ the advert featured a house being built around a young family and highlighted the different sections made of wood.

The advertising campaign has been funded by bois.com which is an industry body that promotes the use of wood within France, especially in the construction of housing.

On the site there are a number of case studies and features about smaller businesses and the work they undertake.

One article has a Q&A with Robert Eriani who is a specialist in the construction of homes from wood and he answers the question, wooden homes are more expensive than brick built houses.

Other articles look at the education of young people in using wood as well as some practical tips on restoring items and using wooden features around the home.

Using autoresponder services

2005-05-23T13:51:00.000+02:00

ONE of the things you should consider when using a website to promote your business is to automate as much of it as possible.

But one of the most time consuming features of your site will be answering emails, which often ask the same old questions.

Well it is possible to set-up an autoresponder on your website that will give potential clients an instant reply if they email you or complete an online form.

And the beauty of this bit of web wizardry is that you can appear to be ‘in the office’ when you could well be ‘sat by the pool’.

It is a simple process to set-up.

You can either buy a small program that you run from within your own site or have a company host the service for you – this is the easiest way.

And it works by someone sending a request to an individual email address you have defined, the autoresponder accepts the message and will reply with your pre-written message.

This could highlight more of what you have on offer at your business, news on late deals or details of the conferences and dates that you will be attending.

Or you could simply say many thanks for your message we will reply within 24 hours.

Consultation paper launched

2005-05-21T12:28:00.000+02:00

A CONSULATATION paper has been launched this week to look at how EU proposals for a new licensing scheme to control timber imported into the Europe will affect the UK.

The Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Action Plan sets out a new and innovative approach to tackling illegal logging.

One of its measures requires the European Commission to legislate to prevent imports of illegally logged timber into the European market and negotiate agreements with other wood-producing countries.

These agreements will require partner countries to establish a scheme to license legally produced timber (harvested according to relevant national legislation) exported to the EU.

This would mean that timber which came from a partner country could not be imported into the EU without such a license.

Over one hundred organisations in the UK will be invited to comment within the three month consultation period ending on the 11th August 2005.

Environment Minister Elliot Morley said: "This is another positive step towards the eradication of this wholly unacceptable trade. Consumer countries must act in partnership with producer countries if we are to make effective progress."

Timber sent to help Indonesia

2005-05-16T19:27:00.000+02:00

The U.S. timber industry and two major environmental groups will send wood to Indonesia to prevent depletion of that country's tropical forests by post-tsunami reconstruction, the groups said on Wednesday.

Conservation International and the World Wildlife Fund signed a pact with the American Forest & Paper Association to provide U.S. wood to help Indonesia's Aceh province rebuild homes and schools destroyed in last December's tsunami.

Source: Reuters AlertNet - US timber, green groups team up to help Indonesia

Fitting the flooring

2005-05-11T19:28:00.000+02:00

Fixing with glue
THE instructions for the particular glue chosen should be followed to ensure the product is used safely.

The surface should be clean and dry and polyurethane glues can be used as well as vinyl non-water based glues.

It is important to remember that concrete based flooring should be fully dry before gluing occurs.

The humidity level of the concrete must be less than 3% before fitting.

On average a two-week drying period for each centimetre depth of concrete is required.

Fixing with nails
It is easy to fit the parquet flooring with nails, screws or glue to wooden batons attached to the existing floor.

The distance between the batons should be no greater than 45 cm especially if the flooring is to be used in a room with constant use.

The parquet flooring can be gently tapped into place and then attached to the baton beneath using 55 mm nails.

In both cases of fixing a gap of around 1 cm should be left between the end pieces and the surrounding wall to allow for any expansion. A skirting board is fitted to finish off.

History of Parquets Castagné

2005-05-11T19:23:00.000+02:00

THE family run Castagné and Sons has been established for over 80 years in the heart of the Dordogne countryside, in the south west of France.

The business was established by Gustave Castagné to manufacture pit props and staves for the coalmines of northern France from the abundant trees in the surrounding forests.

In 1955, as the business grew, it began manufacturing parquet and hardwood flooring and today it employs 45 people, delivering products to wholesalers and merchants in France and Europe.

The factory is still found beside the railway line that once was used to transport the props and staves, but today it is trucks from Spain and Holland that are loaded up not steam trains and wagons.

Illegal logging in Europe

2005-05-11T19:19:00.000+02:00

I HAVE recently written about the impact of illegal logging and now the BBC highlights the problems that exist in Bosnia.

The article covers how EU peacekeeping forces are being used to stop the trade which sees much of the wood reach western Europe via Serbia and Italy.

EU peacekeepers (Eufor) have decided to act.
Helicopters with advance surveillance equipment are being used to track the illegal loggers. Random road checkpoints have been set up across the country to intercept wood lorries. Their loads are examined and papers checked.

And the peacekeepers hope that if they tackle this problem it will lead them to war criminals, many of whom are protected by gang leaders.

Impact of illegal logging

2005-05-07T16:34:00.000+02:00

A REPORT into the effect that illegal logging has on the US timber market found that prices were driven down and that the industry's reputation was tarnished.

The American Forest and Paper Association (AF&PA) hired Seneca Creek Associates and Wood Resources Institute to write ‘Illegal Logging and Global Wood Markets: The Competitive Impacts on the U.S. Wood Products Industry’.

The paper looks at illegal logging in Brazil, Central and West Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Russia and at suspicious forest product imports into China, Europe, and Japan.

It also produces findings from a simulation model that analyses the effect of illegal logging on world trade.

The authors found:

Economic analysis based on simulations from the Global Forest Products Model (GFPM) suggests that illegal material depresses world prices by 7% - 16% on average,
Illegal forest activity (of the type that rises to a level of international concern) represents between 5% and 10% of global industrial roundwood production – approximately 4% for softwood, but 15% for hardwood.
Smuggling, money laundering and other criminal activity in the forest sector have been alleged in some countries and, in some cases, prosecuted.

The paper says that the impact on the public perception that ‘wood is good’ is damaged by the use of illegal lumber and that this should concern the whole industry.

Use your email to boost business

2005-05-07T16:02:00.000+02:00

IF you send out a lot of email are you using it to promote your company website and ensure potential customers find out more about you.

A simple way of ensuring your website is seen by people is to put a small ‘signature’ at the end of each email you send.

You can set this automatically if you use Microsoft Outlook, if you don’t just save a text document to your desktop with your ‘signature’ in it.

Then every time you send a message just copy and paste it into your message after you have signed off.

But to set it up in Outlook follow these steps.

Decide what you want to say, make it short and sweet, spell it correctly and make sure the website link is correct.

Save this to a document and then go to Tools, Options in Outlook.

On the tabs across the pop up window click on signature and then tick the small box that says ‘Add signatures to all outgoing messages’.

Then click on New and in the window to the left will appear Signature #1 default signature.

In the box below click the small circle by Text and then in the window to the right paste your short message and website address.

Then click OK.

To test if it has worked, and how it looks, click on New Message and your signature should appear.

So next time you send a message to anyone, your website will be just one click away.

Wood could meet heating needs

2005-05-04T15:23:00.000+02:00

THE forthcoming Wood Energy 2005 Conference in Ireland will hear that the country has the potential to develop an alternative fuel supply from forestry and wood industry waste.

David Taylor chief executive of Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) said that wood fuels could be meeting around 5% of Ireland’s heating needs.

Mr Taylor said: “Given the continued threat of climate change, the volatility of oil prices, Ireland’s rising energy demands and the need to find additional secure and affordable sources of energy, refined wood fuels in the form of wood pellets are an attractive fuel for the Irish heat market.”

Wood Energy 2005 takes place at the Marriot’s Druid’s Glen Hotel and Country Club, Co Wicklow on May 19-20, 2005.

House with a sustainable difference

2005-04-30T16:17:00.000+02:00

A HOUSE with a difference has been built in Scotland which uses grassed turf to insulate the roof, straw bales to insulate the walls and Scottish timber almost everywhere in between.

Part of a local regeneration project led by Fife Council, the new building is serving as an example of ‘low-carbon’ construction techniques that is also helping to train five young joinery apprentices in sustainable construction techniques.

The building, in Dunfermline, features a post-and-beam frame of oak and Douglas fir timber, Sitka spruce in the roof, walls and floor joists, and larch for the external wall cladding.

It is being built by the charity Community Self-Build Scotland (CSBS) and will house offices for CSBS itself and local community organisations or small businesses.

CSBS has calculated that by maximising the use of ‘carbon-neutral’ materials such as wood and straw the building will generate 25% less carbon-based greenhouse gas emissions than a similar-sized building made of traditional materials such as brick and concrete.

The work of the PEFC Council

2005-04-24T11:26:00.000+02:00

HERE at Parquets Castagné one of the things we have safely filed away is our certification from PEFC France showing our commitment to forest management.

The PEFC Council (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes) is an umbrella group that promotes managed forests through independent third party certification.

So for example, they will assess the certification process of the French body to provide an assurance mechanism to purchasers of wood products from outside of France.

But because they are able to work with other organisation across the world, the current membership total is 31 independent national forest certification systems; they are able to promote mutual recognition between the different systems.

The PEFC website outlines its aims as:

- Definition of minimum requirements that produces a framework for development of national or sub-national forest certification schemes.

- Assessment and endorsement (mutual recognition) of national or sub-national forest certification schemes.

- Administration of PEFC Logo usage rights.

- Promotion of PEFC recognised forest certification, of sustainable forest management and of consumption of wood as a renewable, environmentally friendly raw material.

Welsh call for bio-fuel support

2005-04-24T10:39:00.000+02:00

THE NFU in Wales is calling for more support to be made available to producers of bio-fuel crops to help ‘kick-start’ alternative methods of energy production.

Stephen James, chairman of NFU Cymru in Pembrokeshire, has written to the Welsh assembly to say that biofuels could provide a real alternative to farmers.

He said: "NFU Cymru believes biofuels offer an exciting opportunity for farmers to develop new land use and market opportunities post CAP reform.

"Biomass production for example provides Welsh agriculture with a chance to become involved in electricity and heat generation at the same time as helping to tackle climate change."

The UK Government sees biomass-derived energy as one of the ways that it can achieve its obligations to the Kyoto Climate Change Protocol of reducing gas emissions.

In England an Energy Crops Scheme is available that provides a planting and establishment grant of £920 per hectare for Miscanthus and £1,000 per hectare for planting Short Rotation Coppicing Willow.

"We ask that the Welsh Assembly Government consider making money available to allow a similar grant scheme to the one in England be set up in Wales," Stephen James said.

"This would give the industry the kick start that it needs and NFU Cymru sees this as a real opportunity to establish a vibrant new environmentally sustainable industry in Wales."

Converting files to Acrobat format

2005-04-20T10:15:00.000+02:00

I HAVE just uploaded our price list so that people can quickly and easily see what we offer in a .pdf format, which will open in Adobe Acrobat; the link is in the left hand column.

But here’s a tip if you send quite a few documents via email, as you can’t be sure that everyone has Microsoft Word, for example, so they may not be able to open the file.

Adobe Acrobat is found on most computers so it is a good idea to send documents in this format, however the software that converts your original file into the Acrobat format is expensive.

But on the Neevia Technology website you can convert Word documents, and other types of files, into .pdf files that Acrobat can open, for free.

It is a very simple process, just upload your document, fill in your email address so that you can receive a link allowing you to download your document once the conversion is done and that’s it.

There are no extra words advertising the Neevia website added to your document, it comes out exactly as it went in.

So go on click on this link for our price list and see just how useful this could be for your own business.

Call to stop illegal felling

2005-04-18T16:22:00.000+02:00

AN environmental group has highlighted the illegal trade in hardwood flooring that has seen the export of over 300,000 cubic metres of logs from Indonesia.

An investigation by the non-profit Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) found that hardwood flooring destined for the US market was being manufactured from illegally felled trees.

EIA has documented how 300,000 cubic meters of stolen merbau logs were exported from the Papua province of Indonesia each month.

Most of these logs went to feed China's massive timber processing industry whose factories export merbau flooring to North American distributors.

Allan Thornton, EIA president, said: "The US and Canadian timber industry need to stop turning a blind eye to the massive illegal timber and wood imports flooding into North American markets.

"We need to fast track commitments made by the US and Canada at last month's G8 meeting to stop imports of illegal timber and to do that we need the timber industry to stop selling timber and wood products stolen from Asian rainforests."

British wood prices heading up

2005-04-18T14:52:00.000+02:00

IS the price of wood heading back up, is the question posed by a recent Times article.

The newspaper reports that those involved in woodland investment have seen the price of timber rise from the doldrums of recent years.

Although you may say, well they would say that, the article does go on to highlight how a turn around in both the UK and world economy is having an impact as well. A real change from the past.

A big determinant of British competitiveness is the exchange rate. Over much of the past decade, the price of European timber has been falling in sterling terms, forcing UK prices lower.

But also the increasing use of wood-burning power stations and recycling efforts may also be having a positive influence.

The development of wood-burning power stations in the UK has been particularly welcome for the timber industry; 21 projects are in the planning stage and three are up and running.

The article also highlights the tax benefits of investing in woodland as many use it to beat inheritance tax and capital gains tax.

But others are doing it to ensure that woodland is managed and can be enjoyed in the future.

Nature provides spark for new glue

2005-04-11T15:30:00.000+02:00

MUSSELS and tofu provided a scientist with the inspiration for producing an adhesive that could revolutionise the wood products industry.

Kaichang Li, an Oregon State University assistant professor, wondered how mussels were able to stay attached to rocks despite a battering from ocean waves.

He discovered a protein produced by the mussel was the source for the incredible adhesive qualities the animal possessed.

And when he looked at a method of recreating the protein the answer came to him during lunch – when he was eating tofu.

"Soy beans, from which tofu are made, are a crop that's abundantly produced in the US and has a very high content of protein," Li said.

“Soy protein is inexpensive and renewable, but it lacks the unique amino acid that provides adhesive properties.”

Li's research group was able to add these amino acids to soy protein, and make it work like a mussel-protein adhesive.

Then they began to develop other strong and water-resistant wood adhesives from renewable natural materials using mussel protein as a model.

The first commercial application of the adhesive will be to make decorative hardwood plywood for high-quality interior uses. But the adhesive can also be used in making softwood plywood, particleboard and medium density fibreboard.

A gold medal in complaining

2005-04-08T14:47:00.000+02:00

I SOMETIMES wonder if there should be a new sport in the Olympic Games – champion moaner and complainer.

The beauty and character of a wooden floor has come under the scrutiny of the ‘noise police’ who say people are suffering from so-called, impact noise.

The National Society for Clean Air and Environmental Protection (NSCA) say impact noise from poorly insulated hard flooring is causing increasing nuisance and disturbance for the UK's flat dwellers.

The NSCA are calling for a non-technical guide to be made available to people and that the industry, local authorities and landlords work together to ensure people aren’t disturbed.

Oh come on please!

Whatever happened to personal responsibility? Whatever happened to a bit of common sense? Whatever happened to just having a chat with your neighbour?

Most of the apartments in the UK are built in towns and cities where the ebb and flow of life is constantly going on outside 24 hours a day.

I wonder what the NSCA will do about police sirens, maybe a tea-cosy style hood for when they pass apartment blocks?

And how about giving drunks large toffee apples when they leave the pub so that they don’t sing Knees Up Mother Brown at the top of their voices and disturb the city-dwellers?

A wooden floor is something that should be cherished, not demonised.

So if anyone has the phone number of Seb Coe just drop me a line, this new sport could clinch the 2012 Olympics for London.

Shot in the arm for NZ industry

2005-04-06T11:20:00.000+02:00

THE New Zealand forestry industry is to receive an $18million (£6.8m) boost from government to promote the sector.

The country’s Forestry Minister Jim Anderson said the move was in recognition of the increasingly important role the forestry industry plays.

"Forestry is a very important industry for New Zealand. It has long been a major export earner, it is New Zealand's third largest in terms of the contribution to our merchandise exports and employer in the regions,” he said.

“It has the potential to become even more important economically and socially."

Interestingly some of the money is to be spent on research into construction design with the intention of increasing the amount of wood used in non-residential buildings.

The government will support the creation of two design posts at two New Zealand universities to try and increase awareness of timber use amongst engineering students.

Other areas within the industry that will benefit from government cash include marketing, bio-energy and skills and training.

Latvian timber makes ground

2005-04-06T10:46:00.000+02:00

I WAS recently talking to a supplier who was telling me about the work he was doing in Latvia.

Only a couple of days beforehand I had read a piece on the Eubusiness website that was taking a look at the timber industry in the country.

The new European Union member state has seen its timber export market increase and play an increasingly important role within the country’s economy.

And it is interesting to note that 80% of its export market is to other EU members, and its most popular trading partner is the UK.

Tree power may be the future

2005-04-04T20:22:00.000+02:00

COULD wood manufacturers soon become electricity producers? That is the question being asked by a recent study.

Texas A&M University has studied the practices of Scandinavian manufacturers, who gather up what is left after trees are felled to use as a bio-fuel.

Although using the waste produced from within the factory to power other parts of the plant is common, gathering the wood that is left behind is not often undertaken.

Dr. Darwin Foster, a US forestry specialist, said: “In Sweden, they're already bundling up what we're leaving in the forest after a timber harvest and using it as bio-fuel.

"Bio-fuel is an all-inclusive term that includes any renewable resource used to generate energy. As with ethanol distilled from small grains by-products and methane from animal-waste, wood refuse is another renewable energy source.

“The key word is ‘renewable’ because compared to fossil fuels that takes hundreds of millennia to create and is not renewable.”

But the use of forest bio-fuel is not limited to energy production in forest industry plants.

With prices of natural gas, crude oil and other non-renewable sources rising, scientists are looking at using bio-fuels for residential consumption, Dr. Foster said.

Parquets Castagné newsletter

2005-04-03T10:36:00.000+02:00

THE Wooden Post features a regular newsletter that you can sign-up to in just two easy steps.

Just pop your email address in the subscription box in the right hand column and press 'Go'.

And that's it, then I'll keep you up to date with all that's happening on our site, as well as the world of wood, through the newsletter.

You can be sure that your email address will never be lent, hired out or sold - I dislike spam with a passion!

I hope you enjoy what you read and if you do make sure you tell a friend.

Our parquet products

2005-04-03T09:57:00.000+02:00

Three different varnished finishes, Parquets Castagne.

WE produce a range of parquet hardwood flooring and panelling within our factory.

Our varnished products come in three different finishes and two different widths of 70 and 90 mm.

The first has a natural, clear finish whilst our fume varnish is darker in colour.

We also produce a varnish finish with a contemporary feel called opaline, which is perfect for today's modern home and loft apartments.

Our customary range of flooring, called Les Traditionnels, can be varnished, treated with oil or waxed.

There are two different qualities within the range, which are dependent upon the number of knots in the wood.

Our top of the range Prime Parquet will have very few knots within the wood, if any are present they will be small.

Our Select Parquet will have a slightly higher number of knots in the wood.

Both these come in lengths between 30 cm and one metre, with a width of 100 mm.

Skirting boards and cornices are also available to match the wood chosen.

Our wall and ceiling panelling is available untreated or varnished and comes in widths of 50, 60 or 70 mm.

Finishing and caring for your flooring

2005-04-03T09:30:00.000+02:00

Finishing the parquet
THE natural resistance of chestnut means there is no need to treat the floor with insecticide or fungicide once laid.

If natural flooring is laid down then a light sanding with 120grit sandpaper should be done and then the desired finish applied.

Before varnishing a sealing treatment should be applied; if a wax finish is desired again a sealing treatment should be used first; or two coats of light oil can be applied.

Using a clear finish of any of the treatments will accentuate any knots, or features in the wood, giving an authentic rustic look.

Ongoing care
On no account should ammonia based products, silicone or abrasive treatments be used.

The simple passing of a vacuum cleaner and damp mop is the best method.

Periodic re-treatment can be used, for example, a polish can be applied to varnished floors to restore any lost sparkle.

For waxed floors an occasional re-application of wax and polish will suffice, for oiled floors a top-up coat and polish will bring back a shine.

Renovation
After a number of years’ use it is possible to sand back to the underlying wood should a change in finish be desired.

Using an industrial sander, often available to hire, the top surface can be removed allowing the application of a new finish, or the re-application of the existing style.

Other woods and sawmill products

2005-04-03T09:22:00.000+02:00

WE are able to source a wide range of different woods for most uses.

As well as chestnut and oak, other hardwoods can be supplied.

For example, beech, which is suitable for use in internal joinery and furniture but also poplar, which can be used for mouldings and framework.

Softwoods can also be sourced including maritime pine, for furniture, and Douglas fir for carpentry and exterior joinery.

Our on-site sawmill is able to manufacture many different types of items.

We can supply dried, steamed, planed and finger-jointed products to a very standard.

Our experience also extends to larger projects, for example, we recently supplied a wide range of wood in the construction of a gymnasium.

Thank you

2005-04-03T07:50:00.000+02:00

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From the UK to Bergerac

2005-04-01T14:47:00.000+02:00

BERGERAC is the closest airport to Parquets Castagné, at around an hour’s drive away along country roads and through bastide towns.

The airport is becoming increasingly busy as it caters for many of the Brits who either live in this region of France or are visiting friends.

Just this week low cost airline flybe started a new service from Birmingham, which joins their existing Bristol and Southampton routes.

And the popular cut-price airline Ryanair also flies each day into Bergerac from London Stansted.

It is clear that the airlines see this route as a very popular connection and both companies will look to offer more flights during the summer season.

Delivery from Parquets Castagné

2005-03-28T15:08:00.000+02:00

WE are able to deliver our flooring products from our factory to the UK via road quickly and easily.

As a special offer for first time buyers of our flooring we are able to deliver one palette to the UK for 300€, exclusive of TVA (VAT) of 19.6%.

A palette will cover approximately 100 m² and we will ensure that a complete price has been quoted to you before delivery.

For deliveries to the Republic of Ireland please contact us.

Glut of logs, no one to clear them

2005-03-27T16:27:00.000+02:00

ONE of the advantages of the internet is that it can provide you with a view into news and events from around the world.

I recently read a story from the western United States that looks at the impact that the infestation of forests by pine beetles has had on the market.

The US Forest Service is keen to clear dead trees so that the risk of fire is reduced, but the problem is that there is no one willing to buy the timber..

The number of loggers has fallen and so has the number of mills able to transform the excess wood into products.

So although the dead trees need to be removed there isn’t an industry capable of doing the job.

Posters of the woods

2005-03-27T15:52:00.000+02:00

Oak leaves,
Parquets Castagne.

BEING here in the Dordogne we are surrounded by forests, which form the raw materials for our flooring.

But one of the things I am looking at creating is a series of posters featuring photographs of the trees from around the area.

I have put a couple of pictures together that are hosted on Flickr, you can take a look by clicking on the thumbnail image above, I can then share these images with others in the office.

Then once we have decided on which photos to use I will price up A3 sized posters at Photobox who are able to print a variety of items from digital images.

I am hoping to feature photographs that reflect the incredible colours you see around this area of France, especially during the summer and autumn.

Once we have got the posters ready I will write another post.

About the Parquets Castagné blog

2005-03-27T12:06:00.000+02:00

THE Wooden Post is a company blog that will give you a chance to see behind the scenes of Parquets Castagné.

We are a hardwood flooring manufacturer based in the Dordogne, in the south west of France, where we produce flooring from predominantly chestnut and oak.

I am Craig McGinty, author of the English version, whilst company owner Philippe Castagné will be writing on the French language section of the site very soon.

The two sections will link across seamlessly and provide you with an insight into the company as well as a taste of life from the region, industry news and advice on using the internet to help your business.

You can contact Parquets Castagné from all the pages on the site, our details are in the left hand column, or you can leave a comment at the end of a post all I ask is that you keep it ‘on subject’.

I hope you join us in our work and either visit the site regularly or sign up to our RSS feed, this will automatically tell you when we have updated the site.

What is a blog?

I will take a little time to explain exactly what a blog is by using an example:

It’s Saturday night and imagine you have the choice of two restaurants, both offering the same menu, at the same price and with the same interior décor.

The first has a large cut-away in the rear wall so you can view the chefs and even chat to them as they prepare your meal, the other has a door that only opens when a waiter passes through.

So which restaurant are you likely to visit?

And that’s the way our blog works, it allows you to see how we work and gives you the opportunity to get involved via comments that others can read.

Then over time I hope the site becomes a useful resource for people, and Parquets Castagné becomes more than just a hardwood flooring manufacturer.

Get the latest news via RSS

2005-03-27T11:59:00.000+02:00

TO keep up to date with news items on the Wooden Post when they are published just follow these simple steps.

The site provides an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed that means instead of visiting the Wooden Post to see if the site has been updated, it can tell you that there is something new.

You need to set yourself up with a Newsreader that can display the RSS feed of the site and keep you in touch with the latest updates.

There are many on the internet and most are free to use, personally I use Bloglines, which is easy to sign-up to, free and can be accessed from work as well as home.

Then you need to add the Wooden Post RSS feed to your Newsreader.

You can do this by right clicking on the link below, you will also find it in the bottom corner of every page of the site:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/thewoodenpost

Then click on Copy Shortcut and go to your Newsreader and paste it into your service.

Then whenever the site is updated you will get a message to say there is something new and you can read the first paragraph to see if it is of interest to you.

Many news services offer this type of service now including the BBC and the Guardian.

If you have any questions about setting up a Newsreader and subscribing to the Wooden Post RSS feed just make a comment below, and I will get back to you.

Chestnut and oak

2005-03-14T21:16:00.000+01:00

THE majority of the wood in the south west corner of France, where I am writing this post from, is either chestnut or oak.

You will often see logs stacked up alongside the road with trucks loading up flat loaders before heading off to factories.

Chestnut is a favourite around these parts because it is hard, fine grained and its natural resistance means there is no need to treat the floor with insecticide or fungicide.

One of the wood's main advantages is that it is easy to work with and the sawn timber has little sapwood with a straight slope of grain.

Oak is also popular around this region and it is known for its toughness and durability as well as its flexibility.

It is tough to decide which is best, I suppose if you want something a bit different then you'd go for chestnut, but oak is such a favourite that it just comes down to your own tastes.

French forest management

2005-03-14T21:12:00.000+01:00

FORESTRY management in France dates back to 1827 and the country enjoys a positive expansion of its standing timber.

This is achieved by harvesting 47,000,000 m3/year yet the number of trees in France increases by 81,000,000 m3 a year.

The rate of felling is equal to 58% of the annual biological production level.

The promotion of sustainable forest management is overseen by the global organisation Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC).

They assess national organisations, including those in France to provide an assurance mechanism to purchasers of wood products.

Working the wood yard

2005-03-14T21:06:00.000+01:00

FRANCE is one of the top three tree-growing countries in the European Union and the country’s forests are among the most beautiful in the world.

But behind such beauty there is also an international business, for example, in the Dordogne region of south west France the wood trade is the third largest employer

Throughout the area factories take locally grown trees and turn them into parquet flooring, panelling and other joinery items for homes in France and abroad.

One of these factories is the family run Castagné and Sons found just outside Villefranche du Perigord in the Dordogne.

Now headed by Philippe Castagné the firm started 80 years ago.

"We source our wood from around the local forests with chestnut and oak very popular in France," said Philippe.

"Both types of wood are well known and you will often see them on the floors of renovated properties, new homes and fashionable apartments.

"We produce what is called 'massive' or solid parquet that is strong, has a regular grain and because of its light colour can be easily varnished or waxed."

"We also produce cut pieces to length for joinery as we have a saw mill on the site."

Out on the factory floor the process of turning logs a metre long into thousands of pieces of parquet begins with the arrival of large containers of wood.

The logs are rolled along a conveyor belt, cut to shape and then prepared for the kilns, which run 24 hours a day, where they are dried for two weeks.

From there they are taken into another large factory shed where different lengths are cut, using a machine that highlights marks on the wood, allowing a variety of pieces to be manufactured.

Then they are graded, packed and sent to wholesalers and merchants in France and further a field.

"At the moment around €1 million of our turnover comes from foreign markets in Europe," Philippe said.

"However, I am currently looking to expand into other parts of the world as it is clear that people like the style and touch of a real wooden floor."

Don't get burnt this winter

2005-02-18T14:58:00.000+01:00

WITH autumn around the corner the air is full of the sound of chainsaws preparing logs for winter fuel.

Many homes in the countryside still use wood burning stoves and open fires as a major source of heating as the dark nights draw in.

But if you do not have any wood already stored most villages will have someone who sells logs.

On the whole a quantity of logs are usually measured by the stère, which is a cubic metre, with a total weight of around 500kg and a combustion output of 1500kWh.

Individual logs are usually measured in metre lengths, so if your fire can not take this either ask for them to be cut to size or be ready to do it yourself.

If you check local newspapers and notice boards in supermarkets you can compare prices.

But as a rough estimate expect to pay around E40 - E50 per stère, and depending on your consumption this may last around a month to six weeks.

The variety of wood available is naturally going to be dependent on the region you live in but the best burning woods are oak, beech and ash.

These tend to burn longer than coniferous trees, which burn quickly but rise in temperature much faster.

Storing your wood correctly will also help it burn longer.

If it can be stored under cover but outside, with the ends left open to the elements, it will dry quicker but it still takes a good 18 months.

And be aware of cheap wood that may have been reclaimed, you can not be sure where it has come from and upon burning it could produce dangerous fumes.