VINTAGE TIMBERWORKS FAQ

Please call the office +1 951 695 1003, email sales@vintagetimberworks.com, or complete the “Request More Info” form on our website to receive a formal quote. We will place the order in line after receiving back a signed quote and a 50% deposit.

Depending on the amount of labor requested, there may be a minimum mill charge and lead-time.

Minimum orders of 100 board feet apply to LABOR on all planking products.

A board foot and square foot are very similar in 1” thick material. The difference being material is sold in Board Feet on a nominal measurement (example: 1”x 8”) compared to an actual measurement to count towards square footage (example ¾” x 7 ½” ).

We inventory over a million board feet at our Temecula location of vintage timbers and boards. We welcome customers to visit our showroom Monday through Friday 7:30-4 to look around and talk with the office staff to see different options that may suit your needs – No appointment necessary.

Please read section below regarding hand selection of materials during your visit.

We inventory over a million board feet at our Temecula location and not every pile is always accessible. We welcome customers to visit our showroom and yard to look around and talk with the office staff to see different options that may suit your needs – No appointment necessary.

Our showroom typically inventories over 50 fireplace mantels in various sizes and appearances that can be purchased on taken home same day.

A selection of mixed boards is also available at the showroom for customers looking to select a board or two for small projects.

Most orders for planking need to be placed with enough time to allow us to select the material for you. With our current workload, in-stock planking products can take between a few days to a week or two depending on the order.

For customers who need to personally select each board for their order,  planking that is hand-selected is priced at the low volume rate and needs to be scheduled with the office to see when/if it is possible. This is not always an option but we try to accommodate when possible. Several things to consider when requesting an appointment for hand selected boards:

1. All material is subject to prior sale and cannot be put on hold awaiting customer arrival. We suggest calling the morning that you have scheduled to visit to confirm material is still in stock.
2. Hand selected materials need to be paid for in full the same day of selection and are considered a final sale. No exceptions.
3. Customers are responsible for personally rolling through material. We do not provide laborers to sort boards into different piles for customers to consider. Please bring help if you are not able to physically sort materials.
4. We request customers bring transportation suitable to accommodate the full length that the boards exist or arrange for pick up within a week or so. Vintage Timberworks can help to load but cannot make multiple cuts for specified lengths.

Hand selection of timbers may be an option depending on our current workload. Please call the office for availability.

The lead time on a quote is our good faith and best guestimate for the amount of time required by Vintage Timberworks to hand select and prepare materials specifically for your project. It is not a guaranteed date of delivery but often an outside estimate. We rarely run late due to unforeseen circumstances. The estimate is based on the amount of work on the board at the time the quote was generated. Jobs that come in between the time we sent the quote and the time you sign up may have a significant effect. If this is the case, we will contact you to let you know the new estimated lead time.

Projects are staged chronologically by date of deposit received, AND signed quote, as well as full direction.

Change orders, additions or client indecision may likely result in equal delay in production and/or completion. Once staged, we will not put another project in front of yours and ask that you understand we will not put your project in front of others.

Our commitment to you is to complete your project promptly without sacrificing quality. While we expect calls to coordinate time schedules, we ask you to limit calling regarding the status of your order. We promise to contact you immediately when your materials are ready.

In order to keep quality control at the high level that we strive for, we do not “rush” jobs through. On rare circumstances, when it would not push other jobs back in line, we can bring the crew in to work overtime in order to expedite your order.

Hardwood barn timbers were originally fit together with mortise and tenon construction methods– meaning the beams were notched and fit together with pegs rather than connected with conventional metal hangers. The mortise pockets (notches) are evidence of where the beam was notched to accept the end of a connecting beam or brace. These notches are inherent in one or more sides of virtually all timbers we receive. Selecting for zero or minimal notches is generally not an option with the exception of possibly short lengths (10’ or less). For customers looking to minimize the appearance of these notches, we offer a service to fill them with end grain plugs reminiscent of the original tenon ends (excludes “as is” orders). Plug costs are listed on the quote and must be requested in writing at the time of returning a signed quotation. Without a written request to fill notches, processed hardwood timber orders will NOT have notches filled (with exceptions for mantels and box beams). When processing beams, Vintage Timberworks selects the best beams available from inventory and will orient the beam so the best visible sides are shown. If all sides are equal, the side with the most amount of notches is generally turned upward to minimize the number of exposed notches. If we are splitting timbers to yield two halves, all notches on a beam will be visible without the opportunity to hide one side generally resulting in a slightly higher number of exposed notches. Please feel free to inquire about additional photos of installations of filled/unfilled if you’re not sure how to proceed.

All deliveries are arranged through an outside carrier and the customer is responsible to unload either by hand or with equipment. Driver does not unload. Customers are typically given one hour upon arrival to unload. Standby charges of $75/hour accrue after one hour. Our office staff can help to arrange deliveries (after job completion) so you can arrange to have materials arrive at the location and time of your request. Please be sure to make us aware of areas of limited accessibility so we can arrange to have appropriate trucks arranged.

The wax finish sold by Vintage Timberworks is intended for interior applications only and is not a food safe product. It is a popular choice for finishing reclaimed wood to give it a satin sheen and antique appearance. It’s a relatively soft finish and color may rub/scratch off on surfaces that get heavy wear such as chairs or table tops. Because it is a soft finish, you may want to apply it after installation to avoid damage during transportation or install.

To achieve a look similar to what’s shown in our showroom, we suggest the technique below.

Make sure the material is sanded to the desired level before applying wax. Choose a warm environment to allow the wax to be spread more evenly and allow more time to work it to the desired appearance.

To begin, mask off the surround area as wax is virtually impossible to remove from any surface once applied. Open the can and stir thoroughly. The wax should have a consistency of mayonnaise or more liquid depending on how warm the environment is. Using a disposable paint brush, work your way down one side of a beam or mantel before moving on the next side. It’s important to brush along with the grain and avoid swirl marks or uneven thickness. You may want to use a rag while you’re applying to wipe away excess prior to moving further along. If it is applied too thick, uneven, or in colder temperatures, it may set up and look hazy (clear wax) or blotchy (tinted wax) and be extremely difficult to remove or remedy once it starts to dry. After application is complete, touch up of swirl marks or other alterations can make matters worse and second coats are not recommended. In short, however the wax looks during application is basically how it will look once dry. Testing this technique on a scrap piece is recommended prior to application on actual beam or mantel.

Once complete, we recommend allowing at least 24 hours to fully dry. Surface will feel slightly tacky and can be buffed to a light sheen with a lint-fee rag (tee-shirt type). Larger projects can be buffed with a SOFT bristle brush on a drill at low RPM. If the wax is not completely dry prior to buffing, you may inadvertently remove the thicker spots that haven’t cured resulting in a lighter spot that would be difficult to fix.

Beams and mantels should only need one coat and should be pretty much maintenance-free. Clean with a feather duster and avoid cleaners or excessive moisture that may cause water-spotting.