Case Study: Winkler Residence

Project Goals

The home, situated on the San Diego bluffs, has breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean – another compelling reason not to mess with the original “bones” so as not to sacrifice the quintessential beauty of the property.

“I tried to utilize as much of the existing home as possible, all the bones of the original house.”

In addition to maintaining the original footprint, David also wanted the home to be environmentally friendly and was careful in his building practices, and product selections, to ensure this goal was achieved.

The home had to maintain its original character and charm — one of the many reasons he sought out a unique wide plank floor as part of the new interior design rather than settle on a basic strip oak floor.

Lastly, David needed a wide plank floor that could withstand the warm weather and humidity that one would expect when your home is nestled next to the Pacific Ocean. During his research, David learned about Carlisle’s selective procurement process for recycled wood, utilizing the highest quality recycled timbers from old barns and factories. Carlisle also employs an extensive kiln drying process per order to slowly reduce moisture and stabilize boards. The final custom grading and milling process ensures the highest quality milling and each board is hand selected to meet the grading requirements of the order.

Final Floor Design

When it came to picking a floor for his home, David took advantage of the availability of recycled wood and decided to use Antique Heart Pine from Carlisle Wide Plank Floors.

“I used all recycled wood from Carlisle, this was a big part of being green. Plus, even though the house was redone, it still has all the character and history in the wood.”

As a custom wood flooring company, Carlisle was able to work with David to provide a floor design utilizing 100% reclaimed material, fulfilling his vision of using recycled wood. Since recycled flooring can have a wide range of character, including knots, checks, nail holes and similar features, Carlisle worked closely with David to develop the right grade of flooring that would be suitable for his home.

Although most flooring available today is mass produced in narrow widths, only 2-3” wide, the floor Carlisle crafted for David was made in wider, random widths and lengths. This created a charming design aesthetic for the home. By using random widths and lengths, David also maximized the material, which certainly appealed to his convictions as an environmentalist to minimize waste and create a second life cycle for the wood.

“We recently had the floor refinished. It looks great and consistent across the entire house.”

As an added benefit, the floor was finished with high-quality, low-VOC formula finish that can be easily touched up over the years with minimal if any sanding required. This equates to a wide plank floor that will literally last for generations, while also being easy to care for and maintain.

“After 13 years, the floors are holding up extremely well. There’s no evidence of any cracking or warping. The floor is very stable, even in this humid coastal environment.”
Built to Last

David is a repeat Carlisle customer. Two years after his initial remodeling project he added 50% more square footage to the same home. All but the bathrooms were covered with the same antique heart pine flooring. While there is some evidence of normal wear in the floor, those small imperfections fit in perfectly with the character of the home, and the finish can easily be touched up.

Not only are the floors holding up well, but David also had some Asian rugs removed to reveal even more of the beauty of the floor.