The Castle of Damblain
Damblain (88)

Restoration of the Château de Damblain Windows with Ducerf Laminated Timber

The Château de Damblain, a historic building now converted into a guesthouse, is located between the Vosges and Haute-Marne regions. This site, rich in history, has recently undergone an ambitious renovation project, including the complete restoration of its windows. This project, both technical and heritage-driven, required materials that could meet the building’s high standards. For this project, Menuiserie LEVIEUX chose to use PROFILEO Ducerf oak laminated timber to manufacture around fifty bespoke exterior joinery elements. This choice reflects the recognized quality of these products, perfectly suited to the constraints of such projects.

The choice of oak

Oak naturally stands out as the ideal material for renovating this historic building. Both noble and warm, it is highly valued for its durability and aesthetic appeal. It preserves the authentic character of the property while ensuring excellent technical performance. PROFILEO Ducerf laminated timber offers the advantage of working with a homogeneous wood, with few knots and minimal irregularities. This quality significantly reduces filling and sanding stages, which are often time-consuming and meticulous.

This time-saving benefit is a real advantage for joiners, allowing them to focus more on key manufacturing stages such as machining and assembly. It also ensures a consistent and high-quality finish, aligned with the project’s aesthetic requirements. In addition, the stability of the laminated timber is a major asset for exterior joinery, which is regularly exposed to climatic variations. The material retains its properties over time, limiting deformation.

A solution tailored to technical requirements

The Château de Damblain project presented specific constraints requiring great precision during manufacturing. In particular, it involved recreating “gueule de loup” windows, a traditional feature of historic joinery that demands specialized expertise. Some components also required a specific configuration, notably with two layers perpendicular to the others, in order to produce drip edges. This type of technical constraint requires materials capable of adapting without compromising quality or strength.

PROFILEO Ducerf laminated timber successfully met these bespoke requirements. Thanks to its characteristics, Menuiserie LEVIEUX was able to manufacture the various components while complying with the project’s constraints. The bottom rails were produced directly from laminated timber, whereas they are usually made from solid wood. This adaptation demonstrates the product’s versatility and its ability to meet specific needs, even in demanding contexts such as this.

A material sourced through a short supply chain

Beyond the technical aspects, the choice of Ducerf laminated timber also reflects a responsible approach. The oak used comes from French forests, promoting a short supply chain. This proximity between the resource and its processing reduces the environmental impact associated with transport, while ensuring optimal traceability and raw material quality.

This approach also highlights local expertise and aligns with sustainable resource management practices. It meets current expectations in terms of environmental responsibility, while remaining consistent with the project’s requirements.

A collaboration serving the project

Thanks to the use of Ducerf laminated timber, Menuiserie LEVIEUX successfully completed this renovation. The material’s consistency, reliability, and ease of use helped optimize production time while ensuring a result that met expectations. This collaboration illustrates the importance of material selection in the success of a renovation project, particularly when it involves a historic building.

Discover the project

This project highlights the adaptability of Ducerf laminated timber for the production of exterior joinery, even in complex and demanding renovation contexts.

To explore this project in more detail and discover the work carried out, you can view the report filmed in the Menuiserie LEVIEUX workshop : Ducerf report – Menuiserie Levieux

Joinery company : Menuiserie LEVIEUX (88)
Product : PROFILEO Ducerf solid oak laminated timber