WHY CHOOSE BABA?
If you read only one thing about BABA Antique Wooden Floors, READ THIS “BABA is in a class by itself”
– Jim Zanghi, worldwide purveyor of fine woods.
“A surprisingly affordable luxury”
– Elizabeth Roberts
Recycling
Recycling aged wood allows us to play a role in preserving our beautiful forests. BABA aged wood is salvaged from century old buildings that can no longer be restored, from great plantation houses and humble outbuildings. Passed down to us from an epoch when virgin forests reigned over our earth, it is denser, stronger and heavier than any wood we have known in our lifetime. The paradox of this is that not only is aged wood most beautiful, but its use is beneficial to mankind.
In Stock
At our mill we have one of the largest collections of antique lumber in the world. We purchase only the finest lumber and therefore we sell the highest grade possible in each species of wood.
We use the original surface of the boards and dimension the thickness of the board only from the back. We have developed a special planer to do this. Preserving the original faces, keeps the subtle contours from past use and the patina on the surface accrued over more than 100 years.
Grading
Floors are meticulously graded! We grade our floors after each step in our milling and fuming process. If necessary we will cull out any board that we feel will not finish properly upon installation. Because of this, we have not had a single board returned to us in over 33 years.
Fuming
We fume oak and chestnut antique floors – a process historically used only for fine furniture. We have perfected a method using this unique process on our antique floorboards. Fuming pulls color reserves from within the cells of each board to produce a beautiful, natural cocoa color. This gives the floor a harmonious appearance that makes the use of heavy stains unnecessary. Later, when finishing the floor, fuming preserves the crystal clear, translucent, grain of the wood with deep, natural color.
State of the art kiln
We use a state of the art dehumidifying kiln that does not damage the delicate patina, as a normal kiln would do. We also use state of the art milling equipment to create accurate tongues and groves. Because of this, boards install perfectly.
Repairing Boards
We repair boards to preserve their widths and lengths. If there is an imperfection in a board that would be unacceptable, we then remove it with a router and spline in wood of matching grain and color. Nowhere else is this, labor intensive, work done to preserve and restore the original beauty and grandeur of aged wooden floors. We have become masters of cutting and installing these repairs over the many years, so that they are beautifully crafted, nearly invisible.
Hand Sanding
Over the years, many people have expressed a desire to refine aged wood without loosing any of its unique character. We have developed a method for achieving this at BABA.
Using a stroke sander, a belt 21 feet long, moves at 4,000 feet per minute to stroke sand the boards. The belt is guided directly by a man’s hand protected by a graphite glove. This gives the craftsman direct control of the action of the belt upon the surface of the wood, and allows him to subtly vary pressure to sand some areas less than others disrupting the dark, aged surface minimally. Boards are stroke sanded and progressively finer upon completion of the process.
A silken belt is used to burnish the wood; this is a process similar to stropping leather. The high-speed belt heats the wood, seals its pores, and polishes it, much in the same way that years of bare feet oil and polish the wooden floors of Oriental temples. This belt produces the silkiest, most lustrous floors imaginable.
Install and Finish
We will work closely with any installer/finisher that you have chosen to ensure that everything is handled properly. Alternately, BABA will install and finish any floor provided by BABA. In that way the responsibility is entirely in our hands alone, to produce the finished floor just as it has been seen in the samples. We understand that you have a responsibility to live up to your client’s expectations.
Specialties
We mill matching stair treads, risers, saddles, casework, siding and paneling.
Installation over Radiant Heat
Over 50% of our Flooring projects have been installed over radiant heat. With proper acclimation and instillation we have been most successful with this.
We are a service company
We are a service company not simply selling a product. We create custom sampling and satisfy all of your custom needs. A personable and knowledgeable staff is available to you for consultation at all times. Sales staff of Myra Hogan (919-521-1026, myra@baba.com), and Sammy Ortiz (919-630-5917, sam@baba.com) will be available to you.
We are a family business and take great pride in the quality of our work. We do our whole hearted best so that you are happy. We have dealt fairly and honestly with every customer. Your finished floor will look like the sample you have chosen. We understand that Homeowners, Architects and Interior Designers do not like surprises.
In 33 years EVERY customer has been pleased with his floor.
Pricing
We are competitively priced with other companies providing antique floors that do not provide anywhere near the services and quality provided by BABA.
At BABA the wooden floor becomes a work of art.