Where can I get 'old'-looking flooring?

[robgil]

You could try quarter sawn oak . co.uk? http://www.quartersawnoak.co.uk/
I had to google that.

 

[Toby Newell]

Yes, all very interesting but calling yourself 'quarter sawn oak' is like saying 'the more expensive oak company for people who have just found out about quarter sawn oak' and then ther'es the gallery. Take a close look. mmm, er not very pretty oak and most of it, er not er oak!

I say try Stiles and Bates. Maybe a bit of a trek for you but lovely guys, they REALLY do love their wood and will make you a lovely cup of tea. They (used to at least) use locally felled English oak which looks very nice, not sure whether they quarter saw it, but they know their wood. I still maintain there are tons of lovely quarter sawn oak out there in junk shops/cheap auctions that is begging to be creatively used. I know there is, as whenever something cathces my eye I think to myself, sometimes out loud, oh, that's pretty, look at the medullary rays on that.

http://www.stilesandbates.co.uk/aboutus.php

 

[Moo]

I reckon there's been a lot of munching going on, which might be difficult to match.
Perhaps you could buy some replacement boards, seal them up together with some appropriate wildlife, and just wait.
Does anyone know where to locate a reputable woodworm-breeder?

 

[worms]

Does anyone know where to locate a reputable woodworm-breeder?

Sounds like a business opportunity! At this time of year I'm sure I could rustle up a starter pack for anyone wishing to begin their own breeding programme!

 

[Penners]

Does anyone know where to locate a reputable woodworm-breeder?

It's my experience that they tend to breed quite effectively without any encouragement from me. But I plead guilty to having provided them with innumerable meals, in my time.

 

[Feltwell]

I bought an artic load of bricks a while back from a very "utilitarian" yard in Stoke on Trent, for about half the price of very similar bricks that I'd seen at a much posher yard down near Cannock. The Stoke ones had been cleaned up better as well.

Cawarden by any chance? Great choice, but oh so expensive, I use Rayson reclamation, much smaller affair just outside of Penkridge, but choice is limited.

Yep, Cawarden. I bought just 100 bricks off them to match a gatepost we had to re-build - 60p each + VAT for these facing bricks, whereas I'd paid 28p inc VAT for good facers just a few weeks previously elsewhere. I also had to go through a pallet of around 500 bricks at Cawarden in order to get 100 good ones.

Gardiner's in Stoke are very good for the more constructional materials - a friendly bunch, open for a bit of haggling and they're quite cheap to begin with. If you've been there before and found a yard so badly organised that even they struggled to find anything and much of the yard was knee deep in mud, they have moved now to a much, much better yard!

I have used Rayson's once or twice. There's quite a few small yards in the rougher areas of Birmingham that are very cheap, cheaper than Raysons, if you're prepared to make the trip. North Shropshire Reclamation out at Burlton, north of Shrewsbury, have some nice stuff if you're looking for more "architectural features" than building materials, but have Cawarden-like prices!

 

[hgreaves]

Hi folks

Many thanks to all for the comments!!

We're in Oxford in case anyone knows any of the cheaper reclamation yards near us... (So far we have only physically been to one reclamation yard, which was where we got the impression that the reclaimed floorboards were going to be expensive, around 20 miles from here but I cannot remember the name at the moment)

 

[MatthewC]

Hi folks

Many thanks to all for the comments!!

We're in Oxford in case anyone knows any of the cheaper reclamation yards near us... (So far we have only physically been to one reclamation yard, which was where we got the impression that the reclaimed floorboards were going to be expensive, around 20 miles from here but I cannot remember the name at the moment)

Hi Hilary - I'm not far to the east of you (assuming you mean Oxford city not county) and can tell you of three yards this way, plus one to avoid. I'll PM you to avoid a libel suit!

Matthew
http://houseintheenchantedforest.blogspot.com/