River Logger Black Lager – Now Available at Swamp Head Brewery! 7

Swamp Head Brewery

We are excited to announce Swamp Head Brewery in Gainesville is launching a new beer. Jeffrey, our Marketing Coordinator, helped with the name – River Logger Black Lager.

River Logger Black Lager is inspired by the richness and rarity of centuries old River-Recovered® logs. This light and refreshing German-style black lager features a depth of color and taste exemplified by the uniqueness of antique River-Recovered® wood. And, with just a hint of chocolate pairing with the light bitterness of the hops, this summer treat is sure to satisfy the most distinguished of tastes. Read more

River-Recovered® Heart Pine a Focal Point of UF’s New Dasburg House 1

Goodwin Company Provides Their Signature
Sustainably Harvested, Locally Milled Antique Wood Flooring

(Gainesville, FL) – Goodwin Company, pioneers of River-Recovered® heart pine and cypress, proudly announce their contribution to the University of Florida’s (UF) new Dasburg House. The company donated a portion of their sustainably harvested and historically significant River-Recovered® Vertical Heart Pine, Legacy (building reclaimed) Vertical Heart Pine and Curly Heart Pine to appoint portions of the interior of the approximately 6000 sq. ft., on-campus residence. The Dasburg House will be home to current and future UF presidents. New UF President, Kent Fuchs, Ph.D., – a former provost at Cornell University – and wife, Linda, will be the first to reside in the new home.

“Our sustainably harvested, centuries old antique wood flooring is quite a conversation piece,” explains Carol Goodwin, President of Goodwin Company. “The logs we recover are some of the first trees cut from America’s virgin forests over 125 years ago. As these logs were floated down river to port, many of the denser ones sank to the bottom. The low oxygen environment has perfectly preserved them and, as a result, they yield the richest patina when milled.”

According to Goodwin, most of the logs for the Dasburg House were recovered from Florida’s Suwannee River. Goodwin worked closely with Gainesville architect, Apryl Ponikvar, UF interior designer, Marie Brown, and installer, Rudy Dittmar to select the perfect flooring for the president’s study, the spouses’ study, the second floor landing, the spiral stairs (treads) and the elevator.

“The natural beauty of Goodwin’s River-Recovered® and building reclaimed heart pine wood is unsurpassed,” says Ponikvar. “It brings the natural environment of North Central Florida into the home and contributes to the unique character and overall warmth of the interiors. We were pleased to find a local source that not only custom milled to our specifications, but worked alongside us from design through construction completion.”

The Dasburg House is named for John and Mary Lou Dasburg of Key Biscayne. The couple was the lead donor for the $5 million dollar project. The home opened this week.

“We consider it an honor and privilege to have been invited to be part of a project that will soon become an integral part of the University of Florida’s admired history and respected legacy,” concludes Goodwin.

About Goodwin Company

Founded in 1976, Goodwin Company is the building design industry’s trusted partner and preferred resource for fine antique reclaimed and River-Recovered® wood flooring. Goodwin has earned an indisputable reputation for using the strictest grading standards of any company in the marketplace. Demand for rich, high quality flooring continues to flourish as esteemed architects, designers and builders specify Goodwin’s products for use in luxury residential homes, historical renovations and commercial projects including corporate office buildings, universities, libraries and high-end retail establishments.  Prominent work includes: This Old House corporate offices, private residences of Bob Villa, Paul McCartney, Frank Lloyd Wright and Ted Turner, Weyland Art Gallery, Brownwood at The Villages, the Charnley-Norwood House, Naples Botanical Garden and the Texas Governor’s Mansion.  For more information, visit www.heartpine.com.

River-Recovered® Heart Cypress Contributes to the Allure of the New  Eleanor and Nicholas Chabraja Visitor’s Center at Naples Botanical Garden 5

Goodwin Company Provides Antique Wood Carefully Recovered from the Apalachicola River

(Naples, FL) – Goodwin Company, pioneers of River-Recovered® wood, announce their contribution to the Eleanor and Nicholas Chabraja Visitor’s Center at Naples Botanical Garden. The company meticulously sawed and precisely milled 20,000 linear feet of River-Recovered® Heart Cypress (virgin growth bald cypress; taxodium distichum) for siding and trim. The majority of the antique logs used for the project were carefully retrieved out of the Apalachicola River. The result is a magnificent, beautifully crafted complex adorned with antique wood that is not only breathtaking, but also tells an intriguing and fascinating story.

“Goodwin worked closely with the entire building design team to ensure the final product exceeded expectations,” explains Carol Goodwin, President of Goodwin Company. “We previously worked on a project with similar specs – the Menil Collection in Houston, Texas – which made us the perfect resource for this magnitude of a project.”

Architect Tenna Florian of the esteemed Lake/Flato Architects in San Antonio, Texas, specified the reclaimed cypress with vertical grain for the Visitor’s Center project. Lake/Flato Architects is a recognized leader in the use of sustainably sourced materials and consciously designed vernacular architecture. They were recognized as the 2004 American Institute of Architects (AIA) firm of the year.

“I take great pleasure in watching visitors arrive at Naples Botanical Garden and marvel at the beauty of the Goodwin’s River-Recovered® Heart Cypress that we used for siding the buildings,” says Brian Holley, Executive Director, Naples Botanical Garden.

“Using this wood is a real win-win-win for us, as through the wood we can tell the story of the forests of Florida – it will last a lifetime or more – and most importantly was salvaged, an important consideration in this LEED Gold project. On top of that the folks at Goodwin are a pleasure to work with.”

Goodwin Company has earned the indisputable reputation for producing antique River-Recovered® and reclaimed wood using the strictest grading standards of any company in the marketplace. Demand for Goodwin’s rich, high quality flooring continues to flourish and has become exceedingly coveted among architects, designers, celebrities, and high-end homeowners.

“Our founder, George Goodwin, still operates the saw to ensure each and every cut meets his high standards and expectations,” says Carol Goodwin. “We are one of the few manufacturers whose founder and owner is actively involved in the production process and personally inspects each and every order before it ships.”

About Goodwin Company

Founded in 1976, Goodwin Company is the building design industry’s trusted partner and preferred resource for fine antique reclaimed and River-Recovered® wood flooring. Esteemed architects, designers and builders specify Goodwin’s products for use in luxury residential homes, historical renovations and commercial projects including corporate office buildings, universities, libraries and high-end retail establishments.  Prominent work includes: This Old House corporate offices, private residences of Bob Villa, Paul McCartney, Frank Lloyd Wright and Ted Turner, Weyland Art Gallery, Brownwood at The Villages, the Charnley-Norwood House, Naples Botanical Garden and the Texas Governor’s Mansion.  For more information, visit www.heartpine.com.

Flooring Donated by Goodwin Company 2

The Palm Beach, Florida Par 3 Golf Course completed their new clubhouse and it has a Goodwin Antique Pine floor! Local foundations funded much of the clubhouse; however, it was vendors like Absolute Hardwood Flooring and Goodwin Company who provided a better-design with higher quality materials such as hardwood floors instead of carpet. Absolute Hardwood Flooring donated the labor to install and sand and finish the flooring donated by Goodwin Company – Fine Antique Wood Floors Since 1976.

Read the press release here: www.palmbeachdailynews.com


Photo Source: http://www.golfontheocean.com/

Historic Renovation Receives “Green” Restoration Accolades 2

Gainesville Depot Recognized

by Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, Inc.

(GAINESVILLE, FL) — One of the City of Gainesville’s oldest, most cherished buildings – the historic Gainesville Depot – will receive an “Outstanding” recognition in the Restoration/Rehabilitation category at the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, Inc. (FTHP) annual awards ceremony.  The event, scheduled for May 17th from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm, will be held at the Lewis Auditorium at Flagler College.

Read more

Goodwin Company - Premier Flooring Since 1976

Goodwin Heart Pine Company announced today they are updating their brand and changing their name to, “Goodwin Company”.  Owners George and Carol Goodwin founded the business in 1976, which has since become the country’s premier manufacturer for reclaimed and River-Recovered® hardwood flooring and the preferred choice of many architects, designers, builders and homeowners. “We’ve made […]

Goodwin Company

From Earth911’s Alexis Petru: Planning a home improvement project this spring? For more tips on greening your home remodeling projects, visit nonprofit Build It Green’s website. There is no “one size fits all” test to determine if a product is sustainable, but you can assess a product’s eco-credentials by identifying what it’s made out of and how it will consume resources (water, energy, etc.) during its operation.

Recycled-content building materials make a great eco-friendly choice, like recycled plastic decking, recycled carpet or recycled glass countertops. Or choose rapidly renewable materials like cork or bamboo for counters, floors or other surfaces.

If you’ll be using wood, look for sustainably harvested products, preferably certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

And if you’ll be buying new appliances like a clothes washer or installing new cooling and heating systems such as a furnace, request models that conserve water and are energy efficient, certified by the EPA’s Energy Star program where applicable.
www.huffingtonpost.com

Antique Pine Flooring Scrap Works of HeART!

Antique pine flooring scrap makes a work of heART in the right hands. Here is Goodwin’s former cabinet maker, Rick Bennett, with a gift he made for our Sales Manager, Charlotte.

Wood Floors Over Concrete

There are many questions about gluing down solid wood flooring to concrete.  The traditional industry standards for wood floor installation limited the direct glue down of solid wood flooring over concrete to short pieces or parquet patterns.  A well made engineered wood floor looks like a solid floor but avoids some of the installation difficulties.  The backer of the engineered flooring helps reduce the movement with moisture changes.  For many applications this is the best solution.

With the advent of elastomeric adhesives gluing solid flooring directly to concrete has become more common.  NOFMA produced a technical publication outlining recommended procedures for installing solid wood floors to concrete about five years ago.  Despite the inherently higher risks of gluing solid to concrete it has become an accepted practice for many people in the industry.  This installation method takes more effort to manage the risks.  Moisture issues are the primary concern.  Test to see if the concrete is dry enough.  The ASTM F2170-2 test is a widely accepted procedure which measures the relative humidity inside the concrete.  It is often prudent to apply a sealer to the concrete just in case moisture is introduced into the concrete at a later time. Then if the concrete gets wet in the future a trowel on moisture cured urethane vapor barrier or penetrating sealer such as Bone Dry which was applied prior to installing the floor can keep the water away from the wood. An alternative to a glue installation is to install a plywood subfloor over the concrete then nail down the flooring.

Log Rounds and Wood Tiles for Antique Wood Floors 1

Entries and other transition areas present an opportunity to use patterns in wood flooring.  The distinctive appearance of end grain tiles with their circular grain pattern creates a strong impression in an entry.  Designs such as herringbone, chevrons, or an English weave used in transition areas create interest and elegance.

Submerged Logs

Most of the River Recovered® pine we use to produce heart pine flooring has been underwater for a century or more.  Questions about this antique wood cover the entire spectrum from concerns that the wood will shrink extra after it is installed to the thought that long exposure to water might keep the wood from moving at all.  Actually the answer lies in the middle of this range. To start with, living trees have a high water content.  Wood in its natural condition performs well when it is surrounded with water.  The basic structure of the heart wood with high resin content changes very little during the long stay at the river bottom. The resin helps protect the heartwood underwater just as it protects the wood in a living tree. The desirable properties of this antique wood come from the slow growing conditions. Original growth forests produced long leaf pine of a high density with high resin content. These characteristics are not changed while the wood is submerged. Carefully kiln dried and matched in moisture content at the job site, this antique wood will give excellent performance as flooring.

Subfloor Preparation Tips

Starting with a flat subfloor is essential for a good wood floor installation.  Older homes often have areas where the subfloor is irregular. Refasten any areas of loose subflooring.  It is sometimes advisable to renail the entire subfloor using ring or screw shank nails. Renailing can also be needed in new construction where the subfloor was left exposed to the weather. Sand any small high spots flat. Small depressions can be filled with layers of thin plywood.  Cut the plywood to progressively smaller pieces (like a contour map) then feather the edges by sanding.  Plaster based floor patch is not recommended. If the floor joists have sagged in an old house removing the subfloor and sistering new joists to the old ones can be a good solution. Adding stiffness to the framing is better than reducing stiffness. If you are not doing a large area and the plywood is sound you can use 2x4s turned on edge. Cut them to follow the floor contours and create a flat top.  We used to use a metal rail system and a router to trim the tops of the 2x4s to a flat plane.  Install the floor as you would over a sleeper system.  This is still a lot of work

Plywood vs. OSB

The relative merits of using OSB or plywood for the subfloor under a wood floor has been a hot topic.  The issue is the nail holding ability of the OSB especially if the moisture content of the subfloor has been high.  Many experienced professionals prefer plywood subfloors.  The consensus is that staples hold better than cleats if you are faced with a nail down installation over OSB.  Here are two links where subfloor materials are discussed.

http://hardwoodfloorsmag.com/forum/topic9-loose-squeeky-crackling-popping-floors.aspx

http://hardwoodfloorsmag.com/forum/topic167-understanding-osb.aspx

Restoring Antique Wood Floors

We recently had an inquiry asking if more finish can be added to an old site finished floor to improve its appearance. This is what we used to call a buff and coat.  Recoating will not remove deep scratches or discoloration in the wood, but is a good choice in many cases where the finish is sound and not overly worn. The surface of the existing finish is abraded lightly to get it ready for additional finish.  If there are contaminates on the wood floor such as wax, dusting products, polish, etc. the new coat may not adhere in some spots and total resanding may be a better choice. The major water based finish manufacturers make pretreatment products which aid adhesion. The water based finishes are easy to use if you know what you are doing and are used by many professionals.  If you are doing the work yourself many first time attempts do not come out as well with these products. You might consider using a more traditional urethane floor finish with a slower drying time. Once you get everything cleaned up and ready two coats often looks better than one on an old floor. A finish with a low gloss level tends to help surface imperfections blend in. If you are not going to use water borne finish the old way to abrade it was to rub the surface with fine steel wool.  Go with the grain of the wood floor. It is a good idea to test the compatibility of the finish you are using with the existing finish in a small out of the way area before doing the whole floor.  Also the National Wood Flooring Association http://www.woodfloors.org/ has information on finishes and maintenance.

Antique Wood Floors Over Radiant Heat

We are occasionally asked if antique pine flooring is a good choice over radiant heat.  Over the years our customers have had many successful installations over this heating system.  There are general guidelines such as turning on the heating system in advance for several days to make sure that there is no excess moisture in the subfloor.  Also the temperature of the subfloor should not go above 85 degrees F. Wider boards are prone to show larger gaps in the heating season.  Vertical grain flooring moves less than select grain flooring.  As with any installation starting with properly milled flooring and exercising care to get the moisture content of the flooring (and the job site) correct go a long way towards getting an antique heart pine floor which looks good for years and years.  The NWFA has also developed guidelines for installing wood floors over radiant heat see Installation Guidelines, Appendix H.

Natural Color Changes

The rich color of old heart pine is one of the main benefits of an antique wood floor. A discussion of heart pine may help you to get the look you want. Several species of wood change color significantly as they age. Lumber from freshly sawn antique heart pine logs change from light yellows to deep orange-red browns as time passes. The color change is especially noticeable in longleaf heart pine of high resin content. Other species such as American black cherry, Jatoba (sold as Brazilian cherry) and purple heart also show a significant color transformation. Oxidation of components of the wood drives the change in color and it is accelerated by ultraviolet light. Covering part of a board with aluminum foil and leaving it in strong sun light for a day or two can cause enough darkening to be seen. For a new wood floor much of the change in color takes place in the first few weeks. However the richer tones continue to emerge for several months. Area rugs placed on the floor before this time will keep the areas under the rugs from darkening. Heart wood typically changes color significantly more than sap wood. The color of freshly sawn longleaf pine River recovered® logs is lighter while heart pine reclaimed from buildings is usually darker. Reclaimed heart pine can also contain some yellow portions that are associated with high resin concentrations. The color deepens to the same range in wood from either source. The degree of color change in a new floor is strongly affected by finish that is applied. The type of finish should be considered as a part of the decision to determine the final color of the floor.

Knowing what to expect can help you flooring installation go more smoothly.

Antique Pine Reclaimed Wood for the Masters!

Goodwin teamed up with Akira Wood to replace the interior of the Oconee Golf Clubhouse at Reynolds Plantation just in time for the Masters Tournament. Here are panels and columns in Antique Heart Pine.

Another first! George Goodwin pulled a log from our sawmill log pond and Akira made the antique pine plywood made for the banquettes. More on this to come as it hasn’t been done before. Kudos and thanks to Akira Wood.

Public Invited to View Key West Custom House Wood Floor Re-finish 2

Part 2 – Hints for finding a finisher for heart pine wooden floors

Many of the suggestions for finding an installer in the first section also apply to looking for a floor finisher for heart pine so you might want to look at Part 1.
A directory of professionally certified finishers such as NWFACP’s list at http://www.nwfa.org/cp-about.aspx is one place to look for a person or company to sand your wood floor. Websites will often list certifications for the individual or company and classes they have taken. Membership in a wood flooring association can also be a positive sign. A certain minimum amount of work experience is highly desirable, but this is not a guarantee of quality work. Another indication of a commitment to quality work is attending wood floor industry schools. Also the sanding equipment should be professional grade. This does not mean that it has to be new but well maintained high quality equipment is important for a top quality job.
A discussion of the look you want to achieve helps choose between the many types of floor finish available for wood floors. Natural oils, hard wax oils, oil modified polyurethane, water borne acrylic or poly, and Tung oil (fortified or not) are some examples of what is available. Talk to your finisher about the properties of the different products such as –
—overall look,
—ambering,
—gloss levels,
—drying times (walk on floor),
—durability,
—odor,
—time for full cure (replace area rugs),
—VOCs,
—film build,
—maintenance requirements, and
—environmental concerns.
Additional information is available on the internet at http://www.woodfloors.org/WoodFloorFinishes.aspx and other sites. The brand of finish should be designed for use on wood floors for durability and so that film forming products flow to yield a smooth surface. Saving money by using low quality finish can significantly reduce the life of the floor. Professional products cost more but usually only add a small percentage to the overall price. Discuss the finisher’s experience with sanding antique wood floors. River Recovered® heart pine sands slightly differently than most other woods. Some finishes darken antique heart pine floors as they are applied and continue to enhance the natural color change in the wood as it ages. Other products maintain a much lighter shade. Certain species have different reactions with different finishes so it is best to use a combination of flooring and finish products that your floor finisher has experience with.
Dust control and possible paint touch ups on the baseboard are other topics to discuss in advance. The temperature in the room, relative humidity, and direct sun light in the areas where the finish is applied will be of concern to the workers. Commissioning a new flooring project can be stressful, but finding a good team to install and finish your floor makes the process easier and gives better results.

Zen Dog House Made with Antique Heart Cypress Reclaimed Wood

For all you Habitat for Humanity lovers, this doghouse was made by Goodwin Heart Pine to benefit. If you think antique pine flooring is gorgeous, you should see antique heart cypress. Russ Morash, This Old House producer, says, “The River Recovered Heart Cypress from Goodwin in my entry vanity is some of the most beautiful wood in the world.” Thanks Russ. We love you too!

Credits: Randy Batista Photography for hosting the event. Architect Tom Smith for designing the doghouse. Rick Bennett for building it while working at Goodwin. All of the above reside in Gainesville, FL.

Call for a sample of this beautiful wood for your very own.