European White Oak Herringbone Installation with Brass Inlay — Woodstock, GA Estate
Classy Flooring ATL installed RW Floors Bowland Fells European white oak across a two-house family estate in Woodstock, Georgia, completed July 2026. The work covers approximately 10,000 square feet of factory-prefinished, wire-brushed plank, a shop-fabricated herringbone field with a custom mechanically-locked border, and a solid brass feature strip that outlines the pattern work and runs across fifteen doorway thresholds. The material is factory-prefinished, so the project was an installation .
Project overview
This is a two-house family estate — two separate houses for one family, both designed by a single firm that selected the materials, the pattern, and the brass detailing and engaged Classy Flooring ATL to execute the installation in both houses. House 123 is the larger at 5,693 square feet; House 119 is 4,500 square feet. The same RW Floors Bowland Fells material runs through both houses, all installed by the in-house Classy Flooring ATL crew.
Starting condition
Both houses were new construction at the point Classy Flooring ATL came in to install. The main level of each house is over a concrete slab; the upper level of each is over plywood. The client-provided plank — approximately 10,000 square feet of Bowland Fells across the two structures — was staged for installation, and the two substrate types each needed a different preparation and moisture approach before any flooring went down.
Design direction
The flooring was specified by the project’s interior designer and provided by the client: RW Floors Bowland Fells Collection in the Marshaw color, a European white oak in a 9-1/2-inch-wide, 5/8-inch-thick plank with a 4 mm sawn wear layer and a wire-brushed urethane finish. The design called for a true 90° herringbone field with a custom border in a feature location in each house — the catwalk overlooking the living room in House 123, the upstairs hallway in House 119 — with a solid brass feature strip outlining the pattern work, and, in House 123, carried across the doorway thresholds. The same plank stock is used for the field flooring, the herringbone, and the border, so the feature areas read as part of the same floor rather than as inset panels.
Material selection and single-batch sourcing
Color consistency across a floor this size depends on where the material comes from, not just on the collection and color number. The same color number drawn from different production runs of a wire-brushed prefinished oak can vary slightly. Before installation, Classy Flooring ATL confirmed with the supplier that the material for both houses came from a single manufacturing batch, not only the same Bowland Fells collection and Marshaw color number. Ordering the whole estate from one batch is what keeps the floor reading as one continuous color across both structures.
Substrate preparation and moisture system
The main level of each house sits on a concrete slab. High spots were ground down and the slab was checked against the NWFA flatness tolerance — 3/16 inch over 10 feet and 1/8 inch over 6 feet — because both a herringbone field and a 9-1/2-inch plank telegraph any deviation in the slab beneath them. Grinding brought the slab within tolerance, so no self-leveling compound was required. The slab was moisture-tested with a relative-humidity probe set into the concrete per ASTM F2170 and confirmed within the flooring manufacturer’s and NWFA limits before any material was laid; this is the standard pre-installation moisture check. Two coats of Wakol PU 280 were then applied across the slab as a moisture barrier.
The upper level of each house is over plywood. The plywood edges were sanded with an edger, the surface buffed and cleaned, and panels were re-fastened where there was movement, then the floor was vacuumed. One coat of Wakol PU 280 was applied over the plywood as a substrate primer and moisture retarder — over plywood it conditions the surface and slows moisture exchange rather than acting as a full slab moisture barrier.
Installation method
The flooring is factory-prefinished. The wire-brushing opens the grain texture and the urethane is applied over it at the mill, so the surface that was delivered is the surface that was installed — there was no on-site sanding, staining, or finishing on this project.
Both houses were installed with MAPEI Ultrabond ECO 995, a 100%-solids, one-component, moisture-curing urethane adhesive, on both the field flooring and the herringbone. The trowel was the V-notch with lift spacers (3/8″ × 3/16″ × 3/8″ × 1/16″) matched to the 5/8-inch plank, spreading roughly 30 to 40 square feet per gallon. Plank was set into wet adhesive within the 45-to-60-minute working window so the bond forms while the adhesive is still active. On the main level the floor is a direct glue-down over the slab. On the upper level it is a nail-assisted glue-down over plywood — full-spread adhesive plus mechanical fasteners, the NWFA method for wide plank over plywood, where the adhesive carries the long-term bond and the fasteners hold the boards tight to the substrate while it cures. ECO 995 is itself a moisture-control adhesive; the Wakol PU 280 beneath it was run as an additional moisture measure, not as part of a single manufacturer-paired system.
Wakol PU 280 covers roughly 400 square feet per gallon per coat and takes about 45 minutes to cure between coats; the two coats on the slab block up to 18 lb / 1,000 sq ft (98% RH), and the single coat on plywood works as a retarder rather than a full barrier. Flooring was installed within 72 hours of the PU 280 curing, and after the ECO 995 was spread and the plank set, the new floor was kept off traffic for 12 hours while the urethane reached initial cure.
House 119 Upstairs Hallway — Herringbone, Custom Border, and Brass Inlay
Classy Flooring ATL fabricated the herringbone for the 182-square-foot upstairs hallway in House 119 from the same 9-1/2-inch RW Floors Bowland Fells European white oak plank installed throughout the estate. In the shop, each plank was milled to 4-1/2 inches wide and cut into 19-inch pieces. The tongue-and-groove profile and factory bevel were re-cut so the fabricated pieces carry the same profile and finished edge as the factory-prefinished field flooring.
The herringbone field was squared to a working centerline set with a green laser, then installed in MAPEI Ultrabond ECO 995 with mechanical fasteners. Classy Flooring ATL completed the full 182-square-foot field while keeping the perimeter open for the custom border and solid brass inlay.
The custom border was milled on site from the same Bowland Fells plank and cut to the actual dimensions of the hallway. A tongue-and-groove profile was routed into the inside edge of the border, creating a mechanical connection with the herringbone field. This connection keeps the field and border aligned at the same height as the wood moves through seasonal changes.
A solid C360 brass feature strip outlines the herringbone field where it meets the custom border. The 1/4-inch by 1/2-inch brass bar was cleaned with acetone, lightly polished, and fitted into a routed channel. Classy Flooring ATL bedded the brass in MAPEI Ultrabond ECO 995 and set it flush with the wood surface. House 119 contains 76 linear feet of brass around the hallway herringbone field. The brass remains in its natural mill finish so it can warm and develop a patina over time.
House 123 Catwalk — Herringbone, Custom Border, and Brass Inlay
Classy Flooring ATL fabricated the herringbone for the 150-square-foot catwalk in House 123 from the same RW Floors Bowland Fells European white oak installed throughout the estate. Each 9½-inch plank was milled in the shop to 4½ inches wide and cut into 25-inch pieces. The tongue-and-groove profile and factory bevel were re-cut so the fabricated herringbone carried the same profile and finished edge as the factory-prefinished field flooring.
The herringbone field was squared to a working centerline established with a green laser, then installed in MAPEI Ultrabond ECO 995 with mechanical fasteners. After the field was completed, Classy Flooring ATL used a dust-extracted track saw to establish the final perimeter along the catwalk. This perimeter cut created the exact field edge for the solid brass inlay and custom border.
The custom border was milled on site from the same Bowland Fells plank and fitted to the dimensions of the catwalk. A tongue-and-groove profile was routed into the inside edge of the border, creating a mechanical connection between the border and the herringbone field. The connection keeps both components aligned at the same height and maintains a continuous wood surface around the pattern.
The solid C360 brass bar measures ¼ inch by ½ inch and follows the perimeter of the catwalk herringbone. Classy Flooring ATL fitted the brass into a routed channel and bedded it in MAPEI Ultrabond ECO 995, setting the metal flush with the European white oak surface. The raw mill finish allows the brass to warm and develop a natural patina as part of the floor. The brass detailing continues through House 123 across the doorway thresholds documented in the following section.
House 123 — Solid Brass Inlay Across 15 Doorway Thresholds
In House 123, Classy Flooring ATL carried the solid C360 brass feature strip from the catwalk herringbone through fifteen doorway thresholds in the straight-laid European white oak field. Each threshold continues the brass detail through the opening and connects it visually with the pattern work on the catwalk.
At each doorway, the flooring was routed to match the ¼-inch by ½-inch brass bar. Classy Flooring ATL fitted the brass into the channel and bedded it in MAPEI Ultrabond ECO 995, with the upper surface set flush with the European white oak for a level transition through each opening.
House 123 contains 138 linear feet of solid brass across the catwalk and the fifteen doorway thresholds. Combined with the 76 linear feet surrounding the House 119 hallway herringbone, the estate contains 214 linear feet of brass inlay.
Straight-laid field
The field flooring is straight-laid 9-1/2-inch plank, running through the rooms and hallways of both houses and framing the pattern work. The same Bowland Fells stock used for the herringbone and the border runs here as full-width board. The run direction was specified by the design firm and provided to Classy Flooring ATL as a layout plan for the house, and the field was installed to that direction throughout. Where the field meets a doorway, it carries straight through the opening, and in House 123 the brass line runs with it across the thresholds.
Material specifications — RW Floors Bowland Fells, Marshaw
The flooring installed across both houses was RW Floors Bowland Fells Collection in the Marshaw color, a prefinished engineered European white oak. The manufacturer’s published specifications are below.
| Manufacturer | RW Floors (Real Wood Floors) |
| Collection | Bowland Fells |
| Color | Marshaw |
| Species | European white oak |
| Construction | Engineered |
| Plank width | 9-1/2 inches |
| Plank thickness | 5/8 inch |
| Wear layer | 4 mm sawn |
| Surface texture | Wire-brushed |
| Finish | Factory-prefinished urethane |
The 9-1/2-inch width and 5/8-inch thickness let the same board serve two roles — wide straight-laid field flooring, and stock to be milled down into the 4-1/2-inch herringbone pieces and the custom border — so the field, the pattern, and the frame all come from one product and read as one floor. The 4 mm sawn wear layer is a true solid-wood top layer thick enough to be maintained over the life of the floor, and the wire-brushed surface opens the grain texture before the factory urethane is applied.
Project specifications
| Service type | Hardwood installation — custom pattern (herringbone), custom border, brass inlay |
| Structures | Two houses, one family, one design firm |
| House 123 floor area | 5,693 sq ft |
| House 119 floor area | 4,500 sq ft |
| Total area | Approximately 10,000 sq ft |
| Material sourcing | Single manufacturing batch across both houses |
| Main-level substrate | Concrete slab — glue-down |
| Upper-level substrate | Plywood — nail-assisted glue-down |
| Slab flatness | Ground to NWFA tolerance (3/16″ over 10 ft, 1/8″ over 6 ft); no self-leveling required |
| Slab moisture | RH probe per ASTM F2170, within manufacturer and NWFA limits |
| Moisture barrier | Wakol PU 280 — 2 coats on slab, 1 coat on plywood |
| Adhesive | MAPEI Ultrabond ECO 995 (100%-solids, one-component, moisture-curing urethane) |
| Trowel | V-notch with lift spacers, 3/8″ × 3/16″ × 3/8″ × 1/16″ |
| Herringbone — House 123 | Catwalk, 150 sq ft; pieces 25″ × 4-1/2″ |
| Herringbone — House 119 | Upstairs hallway, 182 sq ft; pieces 19″ × 4-1/2″ |
| Herringbone fabrication | Shop-milled from 9-1/2″ plank to 4-1/2″; tongue-and-groove and bevel re-cut |
| Border | Site-milled from the same plank; routed tongue-and-groove mechanical lock |
| Brass inlay | Solid C360, 1/4″ × 1/2″, mill finish; routed channel, set flush in MAPEI Ultrabond ECO 995; 214 linear ft total (House 119: 76 lf; House 123: 138 lf across the catwalk and 15 doorways) |
| Base shoe | Square white-primed, provided and installed |
| Location | Woodstock, Georgia |
| Completion | July 2026 |
| Installer | Classy Flooring ATL, in-house crew |
The result
The completed floor runs across both houses: straight-laid European white oak through the rooms and hallways, the herringbone fields in House 123’s catwalk and House 119’s upstairs hallway, the custom borders framing each, and the brass feature strip carried through the pattern work and across 15 doorway thresholds. The floor was installed to the design firm’s direction throughout.
Client Review from This Project
Source: Google Business Profile review
“5 Star Review from Caleb Measures
Projects in Canton and Woodstock, GA
Claudiu is a true craftsman. He is very organized and makes sure to go above and beyond for his customers. We recently completed projects in Canton and Woodstock, and I couldn’t be happier with the craftsmanship and professionalism of his installation team. These were not simple installations—we required extensive subfloor preparation, a custom herringbone hardwood pattern, and intricate solid brass inlay work.
The attention to detail throughout every phase of the project was exceptional. The installers took great pride in their work, communicated well, kept the jobsite clean, and delivered a finished product that exceeded expectations.
The herringbone layout is flawless, and the brass inlay adds a stunning custom touch that was executed perfectly. If you’re looking for a team that can handle high-end, detailed flooring projects with precision and professionalism, I highly recommend them.”
About this project
This custom pattern installation was completed by Classy Flooring ATL, a premium hardwood flooring company serving Woodstock and the greater Atlanta area. The work documented on this page is an example of our custom pattern installation service — herringbone, chevron, custom borders, brass inlay, and detailed layout work — and our engineered and prefinished hardwood installation.
Related work: see our Buckhead white oak herringbone with custom border, our Savannah European ash herringbone, and our Chateau Elan engineered white oak installation. More completed floors are in our project gallery.
Classy Flooring ATL regularly works alongside interior designers and design firms, executing specified materials, patterns, and detail work to the design intent.
Planning a hardwood installation or a custom pattern project in metro Atlanta? Contact Classy Flooring ATL to discuss the scope.
Frequently asked questions
Can you install a brass inlay in prefinished, wire-brushed engineered wood?
Yes. This estate’s brass was installed in factory-prefinished, wire-brushed engineered European white oak, with no on-site sanding of the floor. The brass sits in a channel routed into the wood and is set flush with the surface, so a prefinished or textured floor doesn’t rule it out — the channel is cut to the depth of the bar and the strip is bedded level with the wood face. Across the two houses, Classy Flooring ATL set 214 linear feet of brass this way.
How is the brass feature strip held in the floor — will it come loose over time?
The brass is a solid C360 bar, 1/4 inch by 1/2 inch, set into a routed channel and bedded in MAPEI Ultrabond ECO 995 — the same 100%-solids, moisture-curing urethane adhesive used to set the wood floor itself. Setting the brass in the flooring adhesive ties it into the same bond system that holds the wood, so it moves as one system with the floor. Metal inlay can be set several ways; this is the approach Classy Flooring ATL uses for its long-term hold.
Does the brass inlay sit flush with the wood, or can it catch underfoot?
It sits flush. The channel is routed to the depth of the bar and the brass is bedded level with the wood face, so the strip is even with the floor surface rather than standing proud of it.
Will the brass tarnish, and does it need a protective coating?
The brass on this project was left unlacquered by design, so it is not coated to hold a fixed bright finish. Instead it warms and develops a patina over time. The bar is raw-mill-finish C360, cleaned with acetone and lightly polished before installation; from there, the surface is meant to age naturally rather than be sealed.
Can a brass strip run across doorway thresholds between rooms?
Yes. In House 123, the brass both outlines the catwalk herringbone and runs across fifteen doorway thresholds, carrying the line continuously from space to space — 138 linear feet in that house alone. A brass strip can act as a deliberate transition line through openings, not only as a border within a single room.
Does Classy Flooring ATL install custom brass inlay and pattern work in the Atlanta area?
Yes. Classy Flooring ATL is a hardwood flooring company serving Woodstock and the greater Atlanta area. Custom pattern work — herringbone, custom borders, and brass and metal inlay — is one of its services, alongside refinishing and hardwood floor color matching. This estate in Woodstock, Georgia, is one example. To discuss a brass or metal inlay project, call (770) 401-3659, email hello@classyflooringatlanta.com, or use the contact page.