Hjælmø

End grain brick flooring

Hjælmø

End grain brick flooring

Hjælmø is an end grain brick flooring made from wood offcuts that are accumulated during the production of pine window frames. The wood is sorted out due to knots, which do not affect durability and strength when used as a brick floor. This is a collaboration with NORTO.

Variant: Banded

Your environmental impact:

11.00 kgwaste saved per m²

2.22 kg per m²

total CO₂e footprint*

*Per m2, based on internal LCA calculations for phases A1-A3, C1-C4

Product	End grain bricks
Wood species	FSC certified pine
Source	Discarded wood from window production
Origin	Northern Europe
Finish	Untreated
Length	100-120 mm (project specified)
Width	50-60 mm (project specified)
Thickness	22 mm
Installation	Glued
Fire classification	Dfl-s1 (without surface treatment)
In collaboration with	NORTO
Made in	Denmark

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"I am made from discarded wood offcuts turned into flooring"

Hjælmø delivered at scale

22,000 kg waste saved

New Aarch / Aarhus, Denmark

21,118 kg waste saved

Søren Jensen HQ / Aarhus, Denmark

5,500 kg waste saved

Østerfælled Torv / Copenhagen, Denmark

Project reference / a:gain showroom

"I am made from discarded wood offcuts"

waste saved*

CO2eq footprint*

Hjælmø end grain flooring is upcycled from offcuts and remnants generated during the production of pine glulam boards and window frames. Due to the stringent sorting criteria in manufacturing, significant amounts of high-quality wood are discarded unnecessarily. These offcuts are often discarded due to knots - which have no impact on durability or strength in end grain flooring. Furthermore, offcuts from ordinary production can be further cut down and also used as end-grain flooring. If this waste source had not been repurposed, the wood would have been granulated into chips and burned for heating, despite the high value as a building material. Historically, hard-wearing end-grain floors have been used for industrial indoor environments, such as workshops.

*Per m2, based on internal LCA calculations for phases A1-A3, C1-C4

1 Collection

Offcuts are gradually collected as VTI manufactures a variety of wood products

2 Finger joining

The offcuts are joined lengthwise by finger joining them. This reconstitutes the offcuts to long pieces for further processing

3 Planing

The long finger jointed pieces are now planed down to size, to make sure the entire piece is in the right dimensions

4 Cutting

Lastly the planed wood is cut into individual wooden bricks, ready to be laid as flooring.

395,000 tonnes of wood waste is produced each year in Denmark

Source: Miljøstyrelsen. 2018. Kortlægning af genanvendeligt træaffald i Danmark

66kg

Of wood waste is produced per person on average each year in Denmark

50%

Of wood is recycled into new materials

Wood, as a renewable and ecological material, offers unique benefits for carbon reduction and long-term carbon storage. To fully harness the environmental benefits of wood, two essential considerations must be prioritized: sourcing wood from sustainably managed forests and maximizing the utilization of each tree to minimize waste generation. However, to fully capture these environmental and economic advantages, reuse of wood should be prioritized over recycling. Unlike recycling, which can diminish the structural and aesthetic qualities of wood, reuse preserves the material’s intrinsic value and extends its lifecycle. Prioritizing reuse allows for higher-value applications, reducing the demand for freshly sourced wood and minimizing waste.

From 2016 to 2018, Denmark’s domestic wood consumption rose from 13.1 million to 17.5 million cubic meters. This increase in demand is largely driven by the energy sector, which accounts for 76% of the rise in wood consumption during this period.

Source: Brownell II, P. H., Iliev, B. E., Bentsen, N. S. (2023). Wood flows through the Danish economy. Department of Geosciences and Natural Recourse Management, University of Copenhagen. IGN Report No. March 2023

Collection of wood waste in Denmark

Fig: Graphic from the technology institute

Different look from different treatments

White lacquer

Clear lacquer

White oil

Clear oil

Unique features of waste wood

Knots

Expect a lot of visible knots

Finger joints

Sometimes you will get cross cuts of the finger joints

Hjælmø layout options

Banded

A classic robust look, that is easily laid, easy to maintain and very easy to like

Herringbone

An exclusive appearance without a predetermined orientation in the space.

Many different finishes

2,317 kg waste saved

Velliv / Lyngby, Denmark

170,534 kg waste saved

TRÆ / Aarhus, Denmark

22,000 kg waste saved

New Aarch / Aarhus, Denmark

21,118 kg waste saved

Søren Jensen HQ / Aarhus, Denmark

Documentation journey

EPD

In progress

Downloads

Product booklet Maintenance sheet Seamless EU Tax M5.1 compliance

Installation sheet Technical data sheet 3D files Product images

Where do you source the wood? Is it FSC certified?

The wood is FSC certified pine discarded from window frame production in Denmark. The wood origins from various sources in Northern Europe.

Can I order the floor in modules for easier mounting?

No, the bricks must be mounted at site one by one. Carpenters state that it takes approximately 20% to 100% longer to mount the Hjælmø bricks than a regular parquet floor. In return, the blocks are delivered on pallets with easily removable pallet frames, allowing for convenient access and mobility. This also eliminates the large amounts of cardboard often used for packaging of similar products.

What is most important for a good end result?

The subfloor must be clean and dry and must not deviate more than 2 mm over a 2-meter straight surface.

The subfloor should be tested with a pull-off adhesion test. We recommend a test result a of minimum 2,0 MPa

Make moisture measurements in the room and in the subfloor.

See the installations sheet in our Download Centre for more information on how to mount the floor.

My contractor has no experience with this type of flooring. What should I do?

We recommend that you find a carpenter with experience of mounting similar floors, to ensure a quick installation and a good result. However, installation is not harder than for any other floor, and we provide easy-to-follow mounting instructions.

What surface treatment is required after mounting?

The end grain brick needs sanding and a surface treatment. See the specification from the manufacturer of the surface treatment.

How do I keep the floor clean and in good condition?

See the Maintenance guide in our Download Centre.

See your FAQ page or contact sales for more info