A clear grade white oak floor with a walnut border and WOCA finish, installed in a private residence in Tenafly, New Jersey.
Planning a bordered white oak floor for your home? Call Joe Avila at 908-232-6600 or book a virtual consultation.
A border changes how a room reads. In a private residence in Tenafly, New Jersey, our team installed a clear grade white oak floor framed by a walnut border and finished with WOCA. Here is what went into the floor, drawn from the project page and the specifications for the white oak we supply.
A Bordered White Oak Floor In Tenafly
The project page lists the materials in one line: clear grade white oak with a WOCA finish and a walnut border. The work was completed in 2024 for a private residence in Tenafly, in Bergen County. The combination is simple on paper, with one light species, one dark species and one finish, but it gives the rooms a clear outline. The photos and video on the Tenafly project page show the floor in place. We keep the homeowner private, as we do for every residence we feature.
Plainsawn White Oak
The project page links the white oak to our plainsawn white oak. Its specification lists American white oak, botanical name Quercus alba, from North America, in a Select and Better grade. The project page calls the Tenafly floor clear grade. Grade is one of the first choices in any specification, because it shapes how much natural character shows in the finished floor. Joe Avila teaches a continuing education course on hardwood flooring grades for architects and designers, and samples of our white oak are available on request.
Framing The Room With Walnut
The border is walnut. Our American black walnut is Juglans nigra, from North America, the same species we use for full walnut floors. Set against a clear white oak field, a darker border draws a line around the room and gives the floor a finished edge. Borders can be simple bands like this one or more elaborate designs with inlays and medallions. For more on those options, see our post on brass inlays, borders and custom parquet, which covers other ways we frame a floor.
Considering a white oak floor with a border? Book a virtual consultation with Joe Avila.
Finished With WOCA
The Tenafly floor has a WOCA finish. Our plainsawn white oak is supplied unfinished, or unfinished with custom site natural oil treatments on request, so the white oak field and the walnut border are finished together, on site, after installation. That lets the whole floor be judged in the room’s own light. Color effects for this oak range from white and grey through light brown, red brown and dark brown to black. For upkeep, our WOCA care page explains that WOCA Natural Soap cleans and protects oil-finished surfaces, leaving soy and coconut fats that help them resist dirt and wear.
Sizes And Formats
Our solid plainsawn white oak has a standard thickness of 3/4″. Standard plank widths run from 2-1/4″ to 12″, with wider boards on request, and standard lengths are 1′ to 8′ random lengths, with longer lengths and length groupings on request. The same oak is also made in herringbone, 3/4″ thick, or 5/8″ in an engineered 2-ply construction, in sizes from 2-1/4″ x 9″ up to 6″ x 36″, with larger sizes on request. A border can be planned around any of these formats.
Planning A Bordered Floor In Bergen County
Our installation guidelines note that solid wood is typically nailed, or nailed and glued, to a plywood subfloor, and that gluing and nailing is good practice when planks are particularly wide. Settle the field species, grade, border width and finish before the material is made. If the home has radiant heat or a concrete slab, read our guide to solid or engineered floors for Bergen County homes first. Bring your designer or architect in early, since the border has to work with doorways, stairs and built-ins. Then book a virtual consultation with Joe Avila.
Ready to plan your floor? Speak with Joe Avila.
Quick Answers
What floor was installed in the Tenafly residence?
Clear grade white oak with a walnut border and a WOCA finish, completed in 2024.
What grade is your plainsawn white oak?
Our plainsawn white oak specification lists a Select and Better grade. The Tenafly project page describes that floor as clear grade.
What sizes does plainsawn white oak come in?
Solid planks are 3/4″ thick, 2-1/4″ to 12″ wide and 1′ to 8′ long, with wider and longer boards on request.
How do you clean an oil-finished floor?
Our WOCA care page recommends WOCA Natural Soap, which cleans and protects oil-finished surfaces.
Begin Your White Oak Floor With Joe Avila
Call 908-232-6600, email joe@hugginsflooring.com, or book a virtual consultation. Explore herringbone, chevron, wide plank and parquet floors, or our sanding and refinishing and NWFA inspection services.
About The Author
Joe Avila is the founder of Huggins Wood Floor Specialist and leads New York City Wood Floors, a Huggins Wood Floor Specialist brand. He brings 26 years in wood flooring, is NWFA certified (CSI, CI, CWFI, CFS), and teaches AIA, IDCEC and ASID continuing-education courses. See his certifications.
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Contact New York City Wood Floors
Email: joe@hugginsflooring.com
Phone Number: 908-232-6600
Address: 406B West Broad Street, Westfield, NJ, 07090
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