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Boreholes, distinctive knots, sapwood, and clear color variations give our "Vintage" grade its unmistakable character. Instead of concealing these natural features of oak, they are deliberately made part of the expressive appearance.
At Gunreben, we offer wide-plank flooring and parquet strips in this special grade, among others. This creates lively wooden floors where every strip and plank sets its own accents, coming together to form a varied overall look.
What is beetle oak?
Beetle oak (Käfereiche) refers to oak wood in which the boreholes and tunnels of the oak pinhole borer remain visible. The dark to black-colored tunnels are particularly typical, giving the wood its striking expression.
The oak pinhole borer is a fresh-wood insect. It infests weakened trees or fresh wood and introduces a fungus into the tunnels that serves as its food source. Once the wood dries, the conditions necessary for this fungus to develop are eliminated.
The visible tunnels remain in the wood, making every surface an individual piece of beetle oak.
The Gunreben "Vintage" grade
Our Vintage grade is intentionally lively. Wormholes and black tunnels meet sapwood, knots, ingrown bark, and clear color differences. This results in a floor with strong character that showcases the natural peculiarities of oak.
The following grading criteria apply to the raw, untreated top side of the strips:
| Grading criteria | Permissible extent |
|---|---|
| Sound sapwood | permissible |
| Knots | Sound and black knots are permitted without restriction. |
| Dead knots and knot holes | permissible up to 30 mm |
| Cracks | At least 90% of the strips must be free of cracks. |
| Ingrown bark | permissible |
| Grain deviation | permitted without restriction |
| Color differences | permissible |
| Medullary rays | permissible |
| Traces of pest infestation | Wormholes and black tunnels are permissible. |
These requirements apply to the raw, unsanded, and untreated top side of the strip. Up to 3% of the strips in a batch may deviate from the features described. Furthermore, other natural characteristics may appear, provided that the surface continues to correspond to the intended appearance of the "Vintage" grade.
On the underside and side surfaces, features are permitted without restriction in terms of size and quantity. The technical requirements for the usability and processing of the parquet remain unaffected.
The effect of Vintage on the floor
A single strip only ever shows a portion of the grade. Vintage truly unfolds its full effect once installed: light and dark areas, sapwood, knots, and black tunnels alternate and blend into an expressive overall image.
Anyone looking for an even and restrained oak floor should choose a calmer grade. Vintage is aimed at those who intentionally want to show the natural differences of oak and thereby give their room a distinct character.
Wide planks and parquet strips in Vintage
At Gunreben, the Vintage grade is available for different flooring aesthetics. Whether spacious wide-plank flooring or classic parquet strips, the characteristic features of beetle oak stand out differently depending on the format and installation pattern.
Vintage wide-plank flooring
On larger planks, knots, color shifts, and tunnels have a particularly striking effect. The characteristic features are distributed across long elements, making the natural patterns of the oak a defining part of the room.
Inquire about beetle oak wide planks at Gunreben
Vintage parquet strips
With parquet strips, the lively grade is distributed across many individual pieces. Depending on the installation pattern, this creates a multifaceted floor with ever-changing details.
Inquire about beetle oak parquet strips at Gunreben
Does beetle oak mean there are still beetles in the floor?
The visible tunnels do not mean that there are still oak pinhole borers in the finished floor. The oak pinhole borer is a fresh-wood beetle that relies on the conditions found in fresh or sufficiently damp wood.
In technically dried flooring, the conditions it and its required fungi need are absent. What remains are the visible tunnels, which help define the characteristic appearance of the Vintage grade.
A grade for intentionally lively floors
Vintage is not a uniform grade with isolated rustic features. Rather, sapwood, knots, color differences, wormholes, and black tunnels are the design elements that constitute its special appeal.
Individual strips and planks may therefore differ significantly from one another. Only their interplay creates an oak floor full of character that visibly reveals its natural origin.
Discover our wide-plank flooring and our parquet strips, or inquire about the current availability of the Vintage grade.
