Burrwood Built

26/08/2026

Old timber is worth saving.
The customer had a quantity of old demolition rimu flooring and wanted to reuse it in their new kitchen cabinetry.
It certainly didn't arrive looking like timber you could make cabinetry out of.
The old flooring was cleaned up,nails removed machined and dressed back to good timber. From there it could be sorted and selected for different parts of the kitchen.
One of the great things about old rimu is what can be hiding underneath decades of dirt,paint and wear. Once it's machined, the colour and character start coming back and evey board is slightly different.
A fair bit of work happens before you ever get to start building the kitchen- but that's part of working with reclaimed timber.
Heritage Woodworking. Built for Generations. Puhoi 0274 489061

17/08/2026

More heritage timber repairs on a old villa that the owner was given some bad advice .
Rotten villa verandah balustrades don't always need to be completely replaced. Where possible, we remove the damaged timber and splice in new treated timber, retaining as much of the original joinery as we can.
The balustrades showed here are actually ment to be used inside as the profile is smaller and is not treated and that's why they have got rotten at the bottom. We suggested making new ones but cam to a compromise with splicing in some treated timber in the bottom and priming and painting the top and bottom of all the balustrades.
The villa windows required the same approach, removing the deteriorated timber while retaining the original windows and wherever possible.
It's traditional repair work that takes a little more time and care, but it keeps the building character of the building intact.
Burrwood Built- Heritage Woodworking & Furniture Restoration

20/07/2026

Sometimes the cause of timber rot is hidden from view.
These balustrades came into the workshop with extensive rot in the bottom sections.
They had been sitting in a channel where water could collect, and the timber underneath hadn't been primed and sealed. Over time the exposed end grain absorbed the moisture like a sponge, eventually rotting out the bottom of the balustrades.
Rather than replacing them, the rotten timber was cut away and new treated timber grafted in ,retaining as much of the original balustrade as possible.
A good example of why protecting timber properly especially end grain areas where water can be trapped is so important.
Traditional Craftsmanship. Built for Generations. Burrwood Built-Puhoi

13/07/2026

A family heirloom with another chapter to tell.
This mahogany telephone table was made by my client's father in Ireland. He did a beautiful job, with well balanced proportions and delicate holly stringing around the top and the legs. The fact that it has remained in daily use all these years is a testament to quality craftsmanship.
Time and New Zealand's sun had faded the original finish, so the table came into the workshop for restoration
It was completely dismantled, evey joint inspected and repair where needed, the old finish carefully removed,and the mahogany refinished to bring back the warmth and depth of the timber while preserving the character of the piece.
Restoring furniture like this is about more than timber and polish- it's about preserving family history for the next generation.
Traditional Craftsmanship. Built for Generations.
Burrwood Built-Puhoi

08/07/2026

06/07/2026

Not all dining chairs are created equal... and neither are their repairs.
Dining chairs come in all shapes, styles and ages,and evey one seems to have it's own set of problems. Over the years I've repaired everything from loose joints and broken legs to snapped backs,failed glue joints, cain seats and complete rebuilds.
The first chair had finally reached the point where the loose joint had completely let go and required new joints.
The Kauri armchair was a little different. With it's beautiful hand-carved back, replacing parts wasn't an option. It needed structural repairs, followed by a careful clean and a rewax to revive the original finish while preserving the timbers character and patina.
Whether it's a modern dining chair or a treasured family heirloom, the aim is always the same repair it properly so it can be enjoyed for many more years.
Traditional Craftsmanship. Built for Generations. Burrwood Built- Puhoi

03/07/2026

A finish isn't judged by how it looks today. It's judged by how it looks in 20 years.
I trained as a furniture maker and polisher and finished my 6 year apprenticeship in 1992.
One thing that really frustrates me today is that customers are often sold on how quick and easy a finish is to apply, rather than how long it's likely to last.
Every finish looks good when it's first applied. That's not the test.
The real test is what happens after years of family dinners, kids doing homework, heat pumps runing all winter, the odd hot coffee cup, and cleaning with everyday household products.
Over the last few years l've had more and more dining tables coming into my workshop because the finish has failed. Sticky surfaces, newspaper stuck to the table ,placements leaving marks tablecloths sticking to the finish. The owners thought they were buying a finish that would last. Instead, they're paying to have the whole table refinished again.
When I trained, we were taught to build up a finish, not just apply one.
Oil was used to bring out the colour of the timber and then sealed and several thin coats of a varnish or polyurethane or a lacquer burnished with a furniture wax.
I'm not interested in shortcuts. I'm interested in giving my customers a finish that stands the test of time.
Traditional Craftsmanship. Built for Generations. Burrwood Built- Puhoi

01/07/2026

It was a cold day here in the Puhoi Valley today, so the pot belly stove was working hard to keep the workshop warm.
While the fire crackled away, I spent the day at the wood lathe turning a batch of components by hand for some upcoming Burrwood Built pieces.
The timber itself has its own story. It came from a demolished bungalow in Ponsonby and is very nice hart rimu.
One of the nice things about a traditional workshop is very little goes to waste. The small off cuts from turning go into the pot belly.
It's satisfying watching a rough piece of timber become a finished table leg or Shaker peg.
Traditional Craftsmanship. Built for Generations.
Burrwood Built- Puhoi.

29/06/2026

Furniture Care Tip # 2
I get asked all the time , should I oil my dining table?
The answer is... it depends entirely on what finish is already on it.
A table finished with polyurethane or lacquer doesn't need oil. Applying oil is a bit like putting moisturiser on a raincoat- it simply can't soak in.
If your table has a wax finish, adding oil can leave the surface feeling sticky and attract dust and dirt.
If it's a oil finished table,you'll first need to know what type of oil was originally used. Modern hardware oils such as Osmo and similar products are designed as complete finishing systems and are generally best maintained with the same product. Mixing different products can sometimes create more problems than it solves.
Before reaching for a bottle of oil,ask yourself
* Has the finish simply gone dull
* Is there a build up of wax, polish or grime
* Dose it have light scratches
* Or is the finish actually wearing away
In many cases, a thorough clean is all that's needed to bring a table back to life.
When in doubt, don't guess. Using the wrong product can make a simple maintenance job much more difficult to put right later.
Traditional Craftsmanship. Built for Generations.
Burrwood Built- Puhoi