The distillery hardwood was milled at Select Forest Products in Chapel Hill.  The installers used 2 layers of thick paper sheeting as a vapor barrier to protect against moisture penetration and warping. 

 Here's our installers measuring and cutting the wood.  The wood is being installed length wise from the front to the back of the home. There are a number of pieces that run the entire length of the home. 

 After the moisture barrier is laid, the hardwood is pieced together and laid out like a jigsaw puzzle throughout the home. 

 In this photo, the floor pieces are being nailed down with a special hardwood floor nail gun.

Here's the floor installed prior to finish. We will either keep the floor natural or stain it lightly before 3 coats of clear urethane are applied.

 We are now on the home stretch and it's exciting to witness the daily transformations occurring at our new home.  All of the walls and woodwork have at least one coat of paint. The kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities and built ins, plus two separate sets of window seats were installed. Working around all of that was the installation of the wood floors.

Carroll Cope, our designer, had the vision and we followed her direction. She put us in touch with her floor specialist who found enough wide plank chestnut oak for our home. The wood is from an 1860's Jim Beam distillery in Kentucky. The floors are so solid there is not a bump or squeak anywhere. The only room that doesn't have this flooring is the master bathroom.

Our choice to have wood floors throughout the home was simple. The home is small and very open. Keeping just one type of floor gives the home a more fluid look. Continuity is very important when dealing with small spaces.

Can't help but laugh when I think of the first home we bought in 1973.  It was a 1200 square foot ranch in CA that cost about the same as what we currently paid for our kitchen cabinets.  The home had all wood floors and I wanted to replace those floors immediately with shag carpet!  It was a good thing that our budget didn't allow for that change!!!

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