ᐅ House Photos Discussion Corner – Share Your Home Pictures!

The house size is perfect for us. Previously, we lived in a 50 sqm (540 sq ft) apartment plus a 17 sqm (180 sq ft) shared room, so this house feels like a real luxury. At first, we were thinking about 130 to 140 sqm (1,400 to 1,500 sq ft), but the budget had other plans 😀

Now it’s a cozy 110 sqm (1,185 sq ft) of usable space. Honestly, we’re even happier with that. We want to minimize the sealed surface area while still having enough space for the two of us (and hopefully a pug with us for a long time – the three of us).

I just looked at Cumaru, tropical hardwood is out of the question, but it’s beautiful! We’re building our terrace ourselves, by the way. Surprise 😉. I need to research Kebony and Organowood more. Most likely, it will be larch wood that we’ll weather to a gray finish.

The wood looks really good, but I honestly couldn’t buy tropical hardwood from Brazil given the current government there and their exploitation of the Amazon rainforest with a clear conscience...

i_b_n_a_n schrieb:

My decking boards are made of "Cumaru." I picked them out a few weeks ago at a local timber supplier. A professional advised me to oil them once, which will really bring out the tiger-striped grain.

Great wood!

However, you need to oil it at least once a year, otherwise you will still see the grain, but the wood will have turned gray.

Gudeen. schrieb:

The wood really looks good, but I honestly couldn’t feel comfortable buying tropical hardwood from Brazil right now, considering the current government and their exploitation of the Amazon rainforest...

You are definitely right on this (eco) point. However, other preferences couldn’t be met with alternative, environmentally friendly materials. I wanted (had to have) as smooth and splinter-free wood as possible for my grandchildren and me to install there (for playing and barefoot). I want to avoid any repairs on the terrace during my lifetime. And I wanted a nice appearance. Only European locust (Robinia) could have met these requirements, but it is not available as 4m (13 ft) boards in one piece—only finger-jointed. I fly on vacation at most every four years, drive an electric car, and live in an energy-efficient house 😳 So I could still reconcile it with my conscience. Sometimes you have to be a little selfish 😉

Regarding oiling, the expert specifically mentioned ONLY ONCE. I know Cumaru as “3-year-old” untreated. It looks quite “colorful” when wet, otherwise rather gray. That’s still okay...

P.S. I had never heard of Kebony before. Now it’s too late for me, but it sounds and reads very interesting. I’m also curious about your terrace...

@i_b_n_a_n We installed Cumaru flooring three years ago. We still really like it and – although we have some environmental concerns – we made this choice very deliberately!
By the way, we didn’t oil it. Every year at the beginning of spring, we just clean it, and that’s it! Over time, it has developed a nice weathered gray look. Oiling wouldn’t have appealed to us, as it tends to make the wood quite dark…

Wood from Brazil... I just find it really terrible. And then consciously accepted and deliberately chosen as well.