A woody affair

Sonali Aggarwal

It is highly unlikely to not give in to the “charm” of wooden floorings while constructing a house. Cozy, classy and functional, wooden floors are something that are hard to resist. The choice of wood and styles and tones and textures available in the market are sure to spoil a home builder. However, in spite of all this range, there is a vast scope for creativity and innovative ideas. When it came to the decision of wooden flooring in my own under-construction house, I was very sure there could be no other way than the 3- R way. Thus, recycling wood was my way of contributing to the ‘mission sustainability’.

The “innovation bug” made me take a tour of Rajasthan — albiet not to select sheesham, mango or any of the other popular woods in Rajasthan — but for the discontinued and forgotten ‘wood sleepers’ from the railway tracks of yore.

Dreaming of ready-to-lay, deck flooring like planks, which after getting a simple hand of oil, would gleam with ‘desi polish’, I confidently ordered a huge truck load. But as they say there is many a slip between the cup and the lip. I was truly flabbergasted when the “truck-load of my dreams” was unloaded at the construction site. A spooky, gnarled, blackened pile that not even the scavengers  were ready to pick as firewood lay there. “Well, it seems we have at least a decade worth of firewood for our Lohris and bonfires”, mused my husband.  And it was this remark that   sparked determination in me as I set out to work on the “wood”. 

Staring at the pile, I realised that these were never going to fit the role of bedroom flooring. But having undergone the test of time the sleepers had turned extremely hardy, water and termite proof and were ready to take on the world, especially in the exterior “embellishments” of the house. 

As the first step all iron straps, nails, embedded stones etc. were extracted and then holes and tears ridden sleepers passed through an ara to slice off the barks. Thus, the planks were groomed and made decent enough for use in the interiors. From reinforced ceiling to pressed picture frames to lining the skylight, entrance gate, railings all seemed to be ideally suited for this ‘wooden’ touch. Even bark lengths were shaped into regular sizes and used to screen vertical ducts carrying plumbing and AC pipes, kitchen exhaust etc. 

The pictures of different areas “adorned” with recycled plants show the spontaneous compositions that continue to delight all.

— The writer is a Chandigarh-based architect and visiting faculty at the Chandigarh College of Architecture