Madera Launches Locally-Made and Sustainable-Forest Hardwood Floor

Brooklyn-based Madera recently launched Titan, a sustainably harvested and locally made white oak floor. Titan is crafted of Pennsylvania White Oak, custom milled on a project to project basis. The logs are sawn and milled using traditional woodworking techniques, extracted from the forests by logging horses, rather than mechanical skidders which often damage the forest floor. The 12” wide board finishes well over 1-1/8” thick and up to 16 footlengths. The floorboards, once installed, are sanded and finished on site using natural clear oils that enhance the natural look of the oak.

The White Oak trees themselves are part of the ecological restoration of western Pennsylvania, an area that was decimated by the oil industry until the mid-19th century. These mature trees need to be properly harvested for the overall health and diversity of the forests. This forest-to-floors approach is modeled after the farm-to-table movement of the food industry, creating a direct link between the architect and client to the source of the wood.