In the US a company that has spent years working out how to turn wine barrels into flooring has succeeded with help from the Forest Services Products Laboratory. Source: USDA Gov
Joe Triglia, owner of Jubilee Flooring in New York State, with help from the US Forest Service’s Forest Products Laboratory, is turning his dream into a promising business venture.
In the US, most wine barrels are made of white oak and their useful life ranges from one to five years. With large vineyards using as many as 100,000 barrels per year, discarded barrels represent a significant source of wood.
“When barrels are made, coopers hand-scrape the insides to release tannins from the wood,” said Triglia. “I thought these markings, along with the patina formed during the fermentation process, created a unique and appealing look for wood flooring.”
However, straightening the curved staves so they could be milled into 3/4-inch tongue-and-groove flooring presented a major hurdle.
Triglia came across a research paper authored by Forest Products Lab engineer John Hunt that described using a microwave drying process to straighten lumber. He and Hunt experimented with the pilot-scale equipment, and the results were promising.
Now Triglia has patented his method for transforming wooden staves into flooring or paneling and is developing a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Hunt to continue their partnership.
