Carpentier invests continuously in people and machinery. This allows us to keep the production process entirely in our own hands and to offer products of the highest quality. Below, we explain the various steps in our production process.
Our expertise in the purchasing of responsibly sourced hardwood has been passed down from generation to generation. Thanks to our many years of experience and strong partnerships with various Eastern European and French sawmills, we have a constant supply of high-quality oak, thermally modified wood and other European hardwoods. We always keep a stock of more than 8,000 m³ of hardwood.
Carpentier has a total drying capacity of approximately 1,750 m³. 30% of our drying kilns are located in Belgium, the remaining 70% at our subsidiary IBC in France, where we dry using wood waste. In our vacuum drying kiln, we can dry wood extra quickly, particularly the heavier sections. This is how we offer our customers an additional service.
The quality of the wood is monitored throughout the entire production process. Through continuous measurements and visual inspections, we check whether the wood meets all quality requirements and whether the moisture level and dimensions are correct.
Our sawmill is equipped with computer-controlled saws that work with the utmost precision. This enables us to deliver perfect made-to-measure work. One of our specialities is squaring waney-edged boards into timber planks in longer lengths. We can also re-saw oak beams to the exact dimensions requested.
Using our band re-saw, we cut the wood lengthwise. This is usually done to a thickness of 27 millimetres, allowing our customers to make 9-millimetre parquet. We rip-cut oak before it is dried. This results in a more even colour and improved flatness and straightness.
Carpentier can plane any piece of wood to the desired profile. We can even plane beams measuring up to 300 x 300 mm.
Of course, you can also choose from our extensive stock of standard profiles for cladding, decking, ceiling panelling, wall panelling and so on.
From beams with a diamond head to mortise and tenon joints for timber structures: with our computer-controlled CNC machines, we can carefully work out every project.
We even go one step further and supply complete timber structures as a ready-to-assemble kit. All parts are prepared with attention to detail in our workshop and each piece is numbered, so the timber structure fits together like a puzzle on site.
Carpentier has the in-house knowledge and experience to produce prefab elements for timber-frame construction made to measure. Starting from plans or sketches, you can create your own design using our app. Once approved, we send the drawings to our timber-frame construction machine, the MACH Diffusion V4-2. All parts are cut to size and prepared into finished prefab elements with the utmost precision and care.
To char the wood, we use Shou Sugi Ban, a technique of Japanese origin for making wood more durable. The surface of the wood is 'burnt' (charred) to create a charred layer that offers resistance to the effects of wind and weather. From lightly toasted to deep black, anything is possible, entirely made to measure and carried out in our own workshop.
Depending on the desired finish, rough or very fine, we use different types of brushes to bring out the structure of the wood. Carpentier recently invested in a brand-new machine to respond to the trend for finely sawn finishes for interiors and exteriors.
On request, the wood can be given a fire-retardant treatment. This finish makes the wood less susceptible to fire, ensuring that a fire spreads more slowly. This is only required for high-rise buildings (from 10 metres) and applies mainly to industrial construction, hotels, hospitals and so on.
We provide various high-quality bespoke finishing treatments in our own workshop. In addition to brushed and charred wood, we also supply pre-weathered wood. After years of research, we have succeeded in replicating the natural weathering process of ash. We weather the wood in a traditional, craftsmanlike way, which immediately solves the problem of uneven weathering.
In addition, we can stain or oil our sustainable wood as desired. We follow the trends closely and ensure that we can apply the latest colour finishes. Feel free to ask us for advice without any obligation.
