As part of its continued commitment to sustainability, Junckers has launched a Buy Back Scheme where its floors can be lifted and reused instead of ending up on landfill sites. The scheme will reportedly give hundreds of square metres of flooring a new lease-of-life every year, contributing towards a more circular economy.

‘The long life of a Junckers floor’
Flooring made in solid wood is well-known for its long lifespan. It can be sanded and refinished many times to restore it to as-new condition. Junckers oak, beech and maple floors are designed and made to last for generations, even a well-used sports floor has a lifespan of 60 plus years, says the company.

‘When a Junckers floor is replaced, it can be lifted with ease without causing damage to the floorboards. It can then be repurposed as a floor in a new location, in a home, restaurant, workspace or bar, for example.’

The Buy Back Scheme sees Junckers acting as liaison, connecting flooring installers specialising in reclaimed floors with a project where a Junckers floor is being replaced. They carefully lift the floor and remove it from site, ready to find a new home.

Reclaimed solid wood floors are in high demand for residential and commercial projects as more and more people look for ways to recycle honest, natural materials. Repurposing a floor means diverting waste from landfill and contributing to a circular economy.

Reuse and renew
When the floor is installed in its new setting, it can either be sanded and refinished with an oil or a lacquer to make it good as new.

Junckers own-produced woodcare range is ideal, with a wide choice of natural colours and finishes available as primers and oils, says the company.

‘Junckers PreLak Colour primer is designed for use on any light-coloured timber which has been sanded and prepped. The colours, which include Nordic, Driftwood Grey, Dark Coco and White, are semi-transparent, leaving the timber’s structural grain patterns to show through for a natural look.
Application is quick and easy with the use of a roller, and it dries in under an hour. The full-bodied formula and excellent levelling properties give good coverage and minimises the risk of overlap marks.

‘One coat gives a hint of colour whereas two or more coats will deepen the colour for a more intensive appearance. The primers can be used straight from the pack or mixed creating various tones. To finish, the floor is sealed with one of Junckers’ water-based lacquers to give it a durable, long-lasting finish.’

The company adds: ‘Another way to transform a newly sanded reclaimed wood floor is by applying one of Junckers’ floor oils. An oil will enhance the natural tones of the timber and offer protection for the floor in a matt finish. Hugely popular since its launch, 2K Eco Protect Oil, a low VOCs formula, is available in a choice of six natural colours – Antique Oak, Black, Clear, London Grey, Nordic and White. It can be used with or without a hardener and usually only one coat is needed, reducing time onsite. The floor can be overcoated with one of Junckers’ water-based lacquers for extra protection.’

‘Easy-care, individual style’
The reclaimed floor can also be installed without being refinished, with marks and line markings if it used to be a sports floor, left intact. This option gives an entirely different look, completely individual with lots of interest. It’s very popular in industrial-style interiors, where the worn and well-used look of a reclaimed floor is often the perfect backdrop. The recently completed Union Bar at the Student Centre at Queen’s University Belfast made use of a Junckers’ sports floor lifted from a primary school by Hargreaves Reclaimed Flooring.

Oakvale Wooden Flooring installed the floor, complete with the old line markings, giving it a seal of Junckers High Performance Friction+ lacquer to give it a slip-resistant surface required in a bar area. The rustic floor hides a multitude of sins in a busy student bar.

The reclaimed look works equally well in a residential setting. A quirky home in Cornwall made use of an old Junckers Maple sports floor in the open-plan kitchen area. The randomly placed old line markings gives the room an individual look and provides a flooring surface that will last for decades if not longer. The beauty of a solid wood floor is that it can be sanded and re-finished many times without losing its good looks and durability.

Good for the environment
Giving a wooden floor a new lease of life benefits the environment in more ways than one. Not only does it reduce landfill and contribute to a circular economy, it also keeps carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, a crucial element in the fight to combat climate change. As a tree grows, it absorbs CO2 through a process known as photosynthesis.

Wood continues to keep harmful CO2 out of the atmosphere even when made into a product such as flooring. Wood is the only building material that has the natural ability to absorb carbon from the air and store it; a naturally renewable resource that does not produce waste or pollution.

Get in touch with Junckers if you’re replacing a Junckers floor; it’s very possible it can find a new home and it will save you the job of lifting it and disposing of it.

Junckers will put you in touch with a reclaimed flooring specialist for an assessment.
www.junckers.co.uk