Salvaged Ramin Flooring Steps Back Onto the Court
November 2025
We have a rare and beautiful batch of salvaged Ramin flooring available from a recent Sydney salvage job. When the Baulkham Hills Squash Courts were demolished to make way for new housing, the timber floors were salvaged and sent to Thor’s Hammer. Beneath the wear of decades of sport was an exotic hardwood not often seen in Australia - Ramin (pronounced Rameen).
Salvaged Ramin Flooring from the Baulkham Hills Squash Courts.
What Makes Ramin Unique?
Rubber dust had accumulated in the groove of the floorboards.
Ramin is a light, straw coloured hardwood native to Southeast Asia. It grows in coastal swamps, peat forests and low altitude rainforests. Due to historic over harvesting, Ramin is now considered endangered and international trade is tightly regulated under CITES. Today, the only way new Ramin can be used is through strictly controlled and ethical logging sources, and importation into Australia requires government approval.
The species itself is impressive. Ramin trees can reach 50 metres high and up to 1.2 metres in diameter. The timber is valued for its durability, stability and fine grain. When the Baulkham Hills courts were built in the 1960s (Ramin was listed as endangered in 2001), Ramin was still used for flooring, furniture and joinery and was seen as a suitable hardwood for sports floors.
Restoring the Squash Court Boards
Once the salvaged timber arrived at Thor’s Hammer, our team got to work. Years of squash balls and rubber-soled shoes had packed the grooves with rubber dust. Cleaning 100 square metres of narrow boards by hand was not practical, so the flooring was metal detected and re-milled to bring it back to life. The original boards were 60mm wide. By removing one millimetre from each side we created a clean, tight tongue and groove at a finished width of 58mm. We only re-machined the tongue and groove on the edges of the boards, so the old paint markings are still on the face, which add extra interest and character.
Ramin Salvaged Flooring Sample Board.
Pack Sizes and Availability
We now have three full packs available, totalling more than 117 square metres. Two packs are 58mm wide, with 97 square metres in total. One smaller pack needed additional re milling and is now 55mm wide, giving us 20 square metres of clean salvaged boards.
If you are looking for a light toned timber with excellent durability, Ramin is a beautiful option. Salvaging these floors keeps valuable old growth timber out of landfill and gives an endangered species a second life. There is something special about saving a material that can no longer be commercially harvested and returning it to use for another generation.
See the Ramin Flooring in Person
Ramin is rarely available in Australia, which makes these salvaged packs an unusual opportunity. The light colouring, durability and narrow board profile suit both contemporary and mid century interiors. The old paint markings are a plus, which you can retain or sand off for the look you prefer. Visit our showroom to see the sample board or contact our design team to secure a pack before they are gone.
De-nailing of the salvaged Ramin floorboards
Photos by Bianca Knox