Thread: Timber Walls

Looking at the pix I'd say that it's quite possible the timber is just random KDHW - there can be a LOT of colour variation, especially if you're picking through a 'reject' pile - and that it isn't attached to wall studs.

I'm also guessing the boards are jointed and profiled, then drilled and placed over vertical metal rods in lieu of studs. Almost like building a conc. filled cinderblock wall.

It's hard to say what they've used as a spacing material from the photo, but I do like the overall look.

Originally Posted by Skew ChiDAMN!!

Looking at the pix I'd say that it's quite possible the timber is just random KDHW - there can be a LOT of colour variation, especially if you're picking through a 'reject' pile - and that it isn't attached to wall studs.

I'm also guessing the boards are jointed and profiled, then drilled and placed over vertical metal rods in lieu of studs. Almost like building a conc. filled cinderblock wall.

It's hard to say what they've used as a spacing material from the photo, but I do like the overall look.

Thanks for your thoughts.

To give credit where credit is due:

http://img.archiexpo.com/images_ae/p...86-4068599.jpg
http://img.archiexpo.com/images_ae/p...86-4068583.jpg

Reds and oranges would be the hardest colors to find. Away from South American timbers, I'd say Cooktown Ironwood and Gidgee (obviously not red or orange) would be good additions. If I had Acacia peuce or crombiei, that'd add a purplish hue to the wall.

If I was making something similar from a variety of timbers with different expansion rates, I think that instead of butt-jointing the pieces I'd separate them by the same width as the vertical separation so that movement wasn't an issue. Again, similar to brickwork.

It should also be possible to use hard spacers between the vertical layers - buttons or stickers - to keep a constant spacing and conceal them behind something like the flexible foam strips used by brickies for expansion joints to simulate the mortar, as it were.

I'm sure there are dozens of different approaches; it all depends on how precisely you want to copy it. I'm thinking in terms of cost, durability and avoiding the potential pitfalls.

(A significant proportion of the clientele at the last place I worked demanded quality of appearance over anything else. And paid for it. As often as not, a few years down the line things were falling aoart... but they were happy to pull it out and move onto their next project. Wish I was so financially secure as to be able to afford such an attitude! )

I wouldn’t be too concerned about expansion. To keep it in context, mixed hardwood floors and decks get laid all the time
I would set up a stud wall style frame and fix them off either face or screw from behind and use a spacer of 5ish mm between them
On your image you can see the studs/ batterns behind them. You could also do it lining the wall with midfield or ply and pair it black before fixing off the boards

Originally Posted by Beardy

I wouldn’t be too concerned about expansion. To keep it in context, mixed hardwood floors and decks get laid all the time
I would set up a stud wall style frame and fix them off either face or screw from behind and use a spacer of 5ish mm between them
On your image you can see the studs/ batterns behind them. You could also do it lining the wall with midfield or ply and pair it black before fixing off the boards

I appreciate the feedback from both of you.

I was going to suggest just mill and attach like floorboards, shouldn't be an issue as Beardy suggested.

Orange - Osage Orange finished with UV resistant paint, or some Aussie Conkerberry although it would only be a small section

Red - what's wrong with the Redgum or Red Ironbark etc, or are they too red-brown? Pure red, yeh hmm could be struggling, best I've seen is a red flame in Red Lancewood.

Some bark from the Rainbow Eucalyptus would be good, if you could work out how to keep the colour

Word of warning. A few years ago - well maybe 10 or so - I made a cabinet with door fronts which were strips of different timbers - Wenge, jarrah, rock maple, red cedar, Blackwood and others. All random widths and placements, but carrying through each door.

It was striking and garnered a lot of attention and positive comments, more then anything else I’ve made. Problem is over time the Wenge has not changed much but all the other timbers have basically mellowed to be about the same colour.

The finish has yellowed too, which doesn’t help much.

Maybe in that situation it wouldn’t matter, but in the case of my poor cabinet it is kind of pointless now.

Another anecdote - Matthews Timber in their old building in Sydney used to have panels of different timbers in their admin entranceway - all labelled - but all looking pretty much the same after a few years.

Guess it depends on amount of uv too.