TIMBMET SILVERMAN FLOORING DOES TIME BEHIND ‘BARS’

A bespoke engineered flooring solution from Timbmet Silverman is doing time ‘behind bars’ as well as in them at the new Malmaison Hotel, Bar and Brasserie in Oxford; a converted prison at the heart of the city’s exclusive new Oxford Castle leisure quarter.

European Oak, rustic grade, Legacy engineered flooring from Timbmet Silverman was installed by flooring contractor BCL Projects throughout the 400 square metre Brasserie and a wax oil was blended into the flooring surface to achieve the exact desired colour.

The Malmaison lies at the heart of the new leisure complex which is centred on Oxford’s 11th Century castle and gaol, and includes a host of upmarket bars and restaurants, residential apartments, an art gallery and a castle museum.

The location and nature of the project presented a number of challenges, as Russell Barnfield of BCL Projects explains: “The client required a flooring solution that could be laid as a floating floor directly onto a concrete sub-floor throughout the brasserie and one which was also hardwearing enough to withstand the large volumes of expected footfall.

“Plus, as the castle is located beside the river, the water table is estimated to be between 200mm and 800mm beneath floor level which meant a heavy-duty bituthene damp-proof membrane was required. Even though self levelling compound was used to reduce the majority of unevenness within the existing sub-floor, the eventual finished product needed to further assist and sufficiently reduce minor unevenness of the sub-floor to create a flat surface, which is why the Legacy board came into its own against other alternative products.

“Another important consideration was the low ceiling heights found within the old prison, which meant that the chosen flooring could not increase the floor level.

“The bespoke engineered flooring provided by Timbmet Silverman satisfied all of these criteria, delivering the thickness and aesthetic benefits of solid flooring with the added durability of an engineered solution that could also address the moisture-content issue.”

The innovative Legacy range is as thick as a solid wood floor, with a 6mm solid wood wear layer and 14.4mm of multi-layered birch plywood. This offers a thicker wear layer than standard engineered flooring which can then be re-sanded and re-finished several times, guaranteeing a longer life span.

Commenting on the project, Mick Mellor, Flooring Product Manager for Timbmet Silverman said: “This project demonstrates our ability to work closely with our clients and their contractors to deliver bespoke flooring solutions that will fulfil challenging specifications.”

Legacy engineered flooring is strong enough to be installed as a load bearing floor and can be floated over dry concrete sub-floors or warm water underfloor heating in certain circumstances. The range is available in a choice of six timber finishes.

BCL Projects can be contacted on telephone 01793 766198