Hardwood Floors 5

HF-JuneJuly09-CoverWeb.indd 1 5/26/09 4:23:21 PM Great Finish

Introducing the 3M™ Easy Change Disc System, from the same experts that developed 3M™ Regalite™ Floor Sanding Abrasives. There’s no hole: The sanding disc locks to the driving pad and stays put. That means no dish-out. No scratches. No swirls. No drum chatter marks.

So, when the dust clears, all that’s left is a smooth, beautiful fl oor and your reputation for quality work.

Making your job a whole lot easier.

For more information, call 1-800-494-3552 or visit www.3M.com.

3M, Regalite and the Plaid Design are trademarks of 3M. © 3M 2008

002HF11_3M1108.indd 1 10/23/08 12:38:48 PM 003HF06_Mull609.indd 1 5/19/09 8:58:00 AM

Contents June|July 2009 Features Vol. 22.3 Wood Floor of the Year 2009 See all the winners in this year’s prestigious contest. page 43 Coastal Cruisin’ By Doug Dalsing “A Day in the Life” spends a day with So Cal contractor Marc McCalla. page 54 43 Your Business Live and Learn By Kevin Mullany As times have changed, so has this New Mexico contracting business. page 25

Legal Brief By Phillip M. Perry Manage layoffs without getting sued. page 27

Management By Chris Witt Communicate with your employees during 46 tough times. page 29

On the Cover: Wood Floor of the Year winner Woodwright Hardwood Floor Co. Photo by Chas McGrath.

June|July 2009 Q Hardwood Floors 5

HF-JuneJuly09-TOC.indd 5 5/26/09 4:28:19 PM Contents On the Job Ask the Expert 19 Straight talk on janka ratings, repairing factory-finished floors and cement boards as subfloors. In Every Issue page 31 Chairman’s Message From the Field page 8 By Rick Jones Do a better job by keeping these saw blade basics in mind. page 33 NWFA News page 10 Troubleshooting By Ray Darrah Woodworks A moisture barrier misunderstanding results in a cupped floor. page 19 page 36

Ad Index page 74 Step by Step By Joe Boone Jr. Use faux finishing to imitate exotics with domestic species. page 38

Techniques By Kim M. Wahlgren Hear about the old times on wood flooring job sites from someone who’s been there. page 40 38 Product Focus Tools + Supplies page 59 Industry News Special Advertising Section: Notes Products page 72 Imported Wood page 70 Flooring page 68 People Events page 71 page 73

6 Hardwood Floors Q June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-TOC.indd 6 5/26/09 4:28:49 PM 08

009HF10_PaloDuro1008.indd 1 9/24/08 10:04:20 AM >>chairman’s message

The magazine of the National Wood Flooring Association NWFA Chairman Don Finkell NWFA NWFA Executive Director/CEO Edward Korczak, CAE NWFA Offices 111 Chesterfield Industrial Blvd. Chesterfield, MO 63005 U.S.: 800/422-4556 • Canada: 800/848-8824 Signs Local and Int’l: 636/519-9663 • Fax: 636/519-9664 E-mail: [email protected] • Web Site: www.nwfa.org Editorial Advisory Committee Genia Smith, Chair (Accent Hardwood Flooring Inc.) of Hope Sprigg Lynn, Board Liaison (Universal Floors Inc.) Joe Boone Jr. (Wood Floors Online.com Inc.) By Don Finkell Galen Fitzel (3M) Robert Humphreys (Majestic Wood Floors Inc.) Chairman, NWFA Brenda Kubasta (Oshkosh Designs) John Lessick (Apex Wood Floors Inc.) Robert McNamara (Bostik Inc.) or the fi rst time in months, the news about the economy is Charles Peterson (The International Parquetry Historical Society) Janet Sullivan (Lenmar Inc.) not all gloom and doom. Pending home sales rose for the Publication Staff Ffi rst time in months during March, from 80.4 percent to 82.1 Kris Thimmesch percent, according to the National Association of Realtors. New Publisher home sales were up as well, rising 4.7 percent in February. Most Kim M. Wahlgren signifi cantly, new home starts were up for the fi rst time in nearly Editor Catherine Liewen a year and rose an amazing 22.2 percent from January, the worst Managing Editor/Art Director month in history for new home production, according to the Doug Dalsing National Association of Home Builders. All of this is good news Assistant Editor for wood fl ooring professionals because our business is linked Marjorie Schultz directly with the building and construction industry. If their busi- Electronic Production Manager Scott Packel ness is rebounding, ours will follow. Sadye Ring The truth is, even with the decline in the housing market, Production Assistants there is still a lot of fl ooring work Gretchen Kelsey Brown going on out there. Floor Covering Peter Brown Group Publishers Weekly recently disclosed in its The news Sharon Siewert annual ReCo Market Intelligence Administration Director/Accountant Report that the average hardwood about the Kara Clark fl ooring sale is $2,326, and more Controller interestingly, the majority of that economy is Denise R. Thompson Circulation & Database Director market—57.9 percent—is in Colleen Wenos residential replacement work, not not all gloom Circulation Assistant new home construction. In fact, Pam Walker only 32.2 percent represented and doom. Sales Coordinator builder work, while the remaining Editorial and Advertising Offices: Athletic Business Publications Inc. portion—9.9 percent—represented commercial jobs. In other 4130 Lien Road • Madison, WI 53704 words, our industry is tied more to the existing home market than Phone: 608/249-0186 • 800/722-8764 • Fax: 608/249-1153 the new home market, which is good news. As Americans decide E-mail: [email protected] Web Site: www.nwfa.org to stay in their homes for longer periods of time, they are making efforts to make their homes more comfortable and valuable by making improvements that they might previously have put off.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS: In order to ensure uninterrupted delivery of Hardwood Floors, notice of change should be made at This often includes upgrading their fl ooring, and hardwood fl oors least five weeks in advance. Direct all subscription mail to Hardwood Floors, 4130 Lien Road, Madison, WI 53704-3602, call 800/722-8764 or fax 608/249-1153. For faster service, visit us online at www.nwfa.org/member/mag.aspx. Single copy price is $8. continue to be the fl ooring option of choice, offering beauty, Subscription price is $40 for seven issues in the U.S.A. and Canada. International subscriptions (via airmail) are $65. Hardwood Floors is published bi-monthly, plus the annual industry resource book, and distributed without charge to those active in the durability and long-term value. wood flooring industry. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Hardwood Floors, 4130 Lien Road, Madison, WI 53704-3602. Publication Mail Agreement #40049791. Canadian mail distribution information: International Mail Express, Station A, P.O. Need more positive news? The media is reporting that con- Box 54, Windsor, ON N9A 6J5. Printed in the U.S.A. © 2009 Athletic Business Publications Inc. and National Wood Flooring Association. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. (ISSN 0897-022X) Periodicals sumer confi dence is up for the fi rst time in months as well. And Postage Paid at Madison, Wisconsin, and at additional mailing offices. as consumer confi dence rises, consumer spending rises with it. That’s news we can all use. ■

8 Hardwood Floors Q June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-ChairM 8 6/2/09 9:24:59 AM 009HF06_Glitza609.indd 1 5/19/09 7:11:30 AM >>executive director/ceo message

NWFAnews and information from the nationalnews wood flooring association | www.nwfa.org

Twists on Tradition

By Ed Korczak, CAE Executive Director/CEO

or years now, the wood fl ooring industry has been all about customization. Purchasers invari- ably were interested in doing something unique with their fl oors, something that would make Ftheir fl oors unlike their neighbor’s fl oors and would refl ect their own personal style. If you need evidence of this trend, just take a look at the amazing winning entries from this year’s Wood Floor of the Year contest that appear in this issue of this magazine. These photos represent some of the most unique wood fl ooring installations within our industry during the past year, but at the same time, designers tell us that a new trend is emerging, and it is no big surprise that the catalyst for this design shift is the economic downturn we have all been dealing with for the past few years. Consumers are spending their money more conservatively these days, and when they do spend it, the items they are purchasing are more conservative, as well. These items range from the cars they drive to the clothes they wear, but include items for their household, too—appliances, furniture, décor items, lighting and even their fl ooring choices. Wood is still the fl ooring of choice for many homeowners and commercial Much of the wood businesses, but in many cases, the fl ooring they are choosing is refl ecting their newfound conservatism. Tradition is in again, but with a twist. fl ooring is returning Much of the wood fl ooring being sold today is returning to the traditional fl ooring that has been in U.S. homes for generations—strip fl ooring in domes- to the traditional tic species. But now this tradition is being tweaked to refl ect slightly updated trends, like plank instead of strip, or ash instead of oak or walnut. Other modi- fl ooring that has fi cations are prevalent as well, such as adding a simple, understated border to outline the perimeter of a room or to highlight a dining or seating area. In been in U.S. homes many cases, these borders can be made using scrap wood from previous jobs. This provides installers a great opportunity to increase their profi ts without for generations. investing signifi cantly in additional product, time or labor. Other twists on traditional fl ooring can be even more simple, like installing the wood at an angle or refl ecting the pattern of foot traffi c through a hallway or entryway. The wood can even be installed in a square pattern, working toward the center of the room from the perimeter walls, creating a mosaic effect. All of these installation techniques use the same traditional products, but in a new and interesting way. The bottom line is that design trends change, and what’s old can be new again. You just have to look at it with a fresh perspective. ■

10 Hardwood Floors Q June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-Ed 10 5/26/09 4:39:27 PM 011HF06_Mercer609.indd 1 5/18/09 7:59:15 AM >>nwfa certiﬁ ed professionals

NWFACPnews and information from the national wood flooring associationnews | www.nwfacp.org

Knowing What You’re Selling

By Don Conner Director, NWFACP

s a person who reviews hundreds of wood fl ooring inspection reports every year, I have come to the conclusion that a large number of wood fl ooring failures could be avoided before the Afi rst board is even delivered to the job site. That is because I fi nd time and time again the wrong materials were used for a particular job. Is this the responsibility of the installer? It is if he or she was the person who recommended and sold the materials, but more often than not, the installer has little to do with the product being chosen, leaving the responsibility in the lap of the salesperson. In my experience, these individuals often are ill-equipped to specify the right materials to ensure a successful installation and that is because they lack the proper product knowledge to make sensible recommendations. Knowing what you are selling—really knowing what you are selling—is the solution to this problem, but most salespeople think they already know everything there is to know about everything they sell. Unfortunately, in many cases, that is just not true, and the inspection reports I see every day prove it. Becoming an NWFACP Certifi ed Sales Counselor can help alleviate this problem. NWFACP Certifi ed Sales Counselors are able to recommend the right products for their customers and guide them through each stage of their wood fl ooring purchase Most salespeople because they have undergone specifi c training to increase their wood fl ooring knowledge. They work with a variety of industry experts to learn which spe- think they already cies will perform best in certain situations, which type of fl ooring will work best for a particular application, how job-site conditions could impact the know everything installation or repair, which installation method will produce the best results, and which type of fi nish will stand up to the buyer’s lifestyle. In other words, there is to know they make sure their customers select the right product before it ever leaves the warehouse. about everything Getting certifi ed as a Sales Counselor means that you will be trained, tested and evaluated in several key areas to validate your wood fl ooring they sell. knowledge. These areas include wood fl ooring properties, installation techniques, identifying problems, troubleshooting, trends and maintenance. The cost to take the exam is $100 for NWFA members and $150 for nonmembers. Those who pass the exam become NWFACP Certifi ed Sales Counselors. To learn more about the NWFACP Sales Counselor program and how it can help NWFACP 2009 School Schedule increase your product knowledge, visit www.nwfacp.org, or contact the NWFACP Aug. 11–14 ...... Advanced Wood Flooring Inspection ...... Atlanta toll-free at 866/418-5408 (U.S.) or 636/728- Sept. 21–24 ...... Wood Flooring Inspection ...... St. Louis 1922 (local and international). You also can reach NWFACP at [email protected]. ■

12 Hardwood Floors Q June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-Certif 12 5/26/09 4:39:29 PM 021HF10_Shamro1008.indd 1 9/24/08 10:08:35 AM >>education and training

NWFAnews and information from the nationalnews wood flooring association | www.nwfa.org

Coast to Coast

WFA’s technical schools have a Ncharacteristically busy summer this year, criss-crossing coast to coast to teach at locations all the way Demos during from California in June the Expo in Long to Georgia in July to Beach, Calif., Washington State in gave attendees August. For the full a taste of skills schedule for the rest taught at the of the year, see the NWFA’s tech- schedule below or nical training check online at schools. www.nwfa.org. Right after the convention in Long Beach, Calif., was over, it was back to the NWFA headquarters in St. Louis to teach a school on subﬂ oor prep and solid glue-down:

Subfloor Prep & Solid Glue-Down on Concrete School >> May 13-15 in St. Louis Director of Technical Training Steve Seabaugh led the instruction. Volunteer instructors included: Todd Schutte and Chuck Garvey, Bona US; Dayle Moore and Steve Lima, Bostik Inc.; Robert Moffett, Ceno Group; Mark Long, Chemque Inc.; Roger Barker, Fortifiber Building Systems Group; Trevor Hayden, Metropolitan Hardwood Floors Inc.; Nick Motto, Motto’s Flooring; Bob Sweezey, Stauf-USA Adhesive LLC; and Mike Summers, UFloor Systems Inc.

For more information: 800/422-4556 (U.S.) • 800/848-8824 (Canada) NWFA 2009 Technical School Schedule [email protected] • www.nwfa.org

June 26 ...... Engineered Glue Down (Folsom, Calif.) Sept. 22 – 25 ...... Jigs and Staircase Workshop (St. Louis) June 29 – July 1 .... Intermediate Installation and Sand & Finish (Minneapolis) Oct. 6 – 10 ...... Expert Installation (St. Louis) July 29 – 31 ...... Intermediate Installation and Sand & Finish (Augusta, Ga.) Oct. 12 – 14 ...... Expert Sand & Finish (St. Louis) Aug. 4 – 7 ...... Custom Design and Finish (St. Louis) Oct. 22 – 24 ...... Intermediate Installation and Sand & Finish (Fairfield, N.Y.) Aug. 19 – 21 ...... Intermediate Installation and Sand & Finish (Tacoma, Wash.) Dec. 8 – 11 ...... Custom Design and Finish (St. Louis) Sept. 15 – 18 ...... Wood Flooring Basics (St. Louis)

14 Hardwood Floors Q June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-Schools.indd 14 5/28/09 1:05:29 PM You’re Not the Same as Your Neighbor Why Should Your Floors Be? RED OAK WHITE OAK HICKORY STATE E ANOR M OTTAGE C

YOU MAKE YOUR CHOICE, WE’LL MAKE YOUR FLOOR 95 5%65"#. 5%5),5#%),35R595-.. 65 (),5),5)..! 5 95h}Ĵ65i}Ĵ65jĴ5),5kĴ5R5 95./,&5B-")1(5)0 C5),5l5#Ŀ , (.5)&),- 95&--#5),5(.#+/ 5R5 95~Ĵ5)&#5),5|Ĵ5(!#( , GLOSS: Semi-gloss or Matte

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022HF04_BLC409.indd 1 3/25/09 2:18:07 PM >>convention wrap-up

NWFAnews and information from the nationalnews wood flooring association | www.nwfa.org

NWFA Docks in Long Beach

The wood flooring industry hung loose in Long Beach, Calif., April 28–May 1 for the 24th Annual NWFA Education Conference and Wood Flooring Expo. Ed Korczak, the NWFA’s executive director/CEO, said the attitude of attendees was “very strong” amid the convention’s theme of preparing for a reviving economy.

An opening session by George Hedley challenged attendees to think about ways to improve their businesses during the recession.

Most educational sessions were jam-packed with attendees; among the hot topics this year were environmental issues and radiant heat. Photos by David Stluka

16 Hardwood Floors Q June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-ConvWrap.indd 16 5/28/09 1:22:11 PM Attendance was down, however, it was better than expected: 2,438 people attended the show, about 28 percent less than the 3,411 at last year’s convention in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

At the Awards Ceremony on the final night, Dave Marzalek secured his position as the all-time Wood Floor of the Year leader by capturing three more trophies, bringing his total to 17 (for complete Wood Floor of the Year coverage, turn to page 43). After the ceremony, a good time was had by all at the cocktail party.

During the convention, new NWFA leadership was announced. They include Chairman Don Finkell of Anderson Hardwood Floors; Vice Chairman Neil Poland of Mullican Flooring; Treasurer Rick Holden of Derr Flooring Co.; Secretary John Lessick of Apex Wood Floors; and Immediate Past Chairman Ken Schumacher of Schumacher & Company Inc. New to the Board of Directors are Bob Haggard of Hassell & Hughes Lumber Company and Tommy Maxwell of Maxwell Hardwood Flooring. Returning directors include Tom Anstett, Powernail Company; Dewevai Buchanan, Mohawk Industries; Jeff Fairbanks, Palo Duro Hardwoods; David Graf, Graf Brothers Flooring; Lenny Hall, Endurance Floor Company; Sprigg Lynn, Universal Floors; Glen Miller, Superior Flooring; Kevin Mullany, Benchmark Wood Floors; and Sam Smith, Koetter Woodworking. The ex-officio directors are Jerry Coleman Jr., Porta-Nails Inc.; Mark Elwell, Bamboo Flooring Hawaii; Kim Holm, Mannington Wood Floors; Jim Schumacher, 3M; and John Wooten, CMH Flooring Products. Pictured are (back row, left to right): Mullany, Lynn, Wooten, Elwell, Buchanan, and (front row, left to right): Miller, Smith, Lessick, Finkell, Ken Schumacher, Anstett and Fairbanks.

June|July 2009 Q Hardwood Floors 17

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040HF10_Absolt1008.indd 1 9/24/08 10:43:24 AM WOOD ■works insights and information on the hardwood flooring industry

A Floor for Selah St. Louis contractor recruits help for charitable job

hen the global recession hit St. Louis-based flooring company Just Around Wthe Corner Inc. in 2008, owner Rich Olson worried he’d have to put his pro bono flooring work on hold. Last year, he had planned to install hardwood flooring in a Byrnes Mill, Mo., home for Luke and Roben Harris. The couple was in the middle of building a fully wheelchair-accessible home for their daughter, Selah, who was born with spina bifida in March 2005. But when business be- came scarce, Olson knew he couldn’t afford the charitable work on his own. Not wanting to abandon the Harris family, he reached out to salesman Mat Zellars of West Plains, Mo.-based distributor The Master’s Craft, who agreed to donate about 1,800 square feet of solid cumaru and ipé flooring to ensure the project continued; Olson’s company would supply the rest of the material and labor. However, the giving didn’t stop there—10 of Roben Harris Selah, 4, pictured with her siblings, Olson’s employees donated their own time to work on Chloe, 10, and Abram, 9. the project. It took them less than three weeks to finish Olson seamlessly in- the job, and the Harris family was able to move into the home in January. “It’s a gift corporated ipé accents above and beyond what we could’ve imagined,” Luke Harris says. “It’s a ‘forever floor.’” throughout the home. For an overview of the Harris’ home and Selah’s story, visit www.ahomeforselah.com. TREE■ id Coming Up for Air What hardwood trees are these? Turn the page to find out. Underwater timber in Ghana xotic wood flooring can be beautiful, but it Eraises concerns. Is the species threatened, was it obtained legally, and who benefits—local com- munities or loggers? A Canadian company might have the right answers. For 44 years, 864,868 acres of timber, including about 100 species, have been Clark Sustainable Resource Developments resting on the bottom of Ghana’s Lake Volta, cre- Berekankum (pictured) is just one of the species har- ated when the government erected the Akosombo vested from Lake Volta. Dam, flooding 2.1 million acres. Now, in partner- ship with Mill Bay, B.C.-based Clark Sustainable Resource Developments Ltd., the country’s leaders have decided to capitalize on this resource. Barges, sonar, laser imagery and hydraulic booms are just a few of the tools Clark is using to locate and harvest the wood. Because the forest has been untouched since 1965, it includes exotic species, like odum, that are difficult to find today. The operation is expected to generate roughly $100 million per year for Ghana, and the company sees it as beneficial to its bottom line, the Ghanaian people and the environment. “Call it corporate social responsibility or societal capitalism,” says Wayne Dunn, Clark’s CEO and president. “It’s the heart of our business.”

June|July 2009 ■ Hardwood Floors 19

HF-JuneJuly09-Wdwks.indd 19 6/3/09 10:34:06 AM WOOD ■ works

Successful Stimulus Wood ﬂ oors were part of Great Depression recovery

f you’re wondering whether President Obama’s stimulus plan will Irevive the economy as planned, just remember that history is on our side. When Frank- lin Delano Roosevelt took office in 1933, unemployment rested at 24.9 percent. In 1935 he created the $10.5 billion Works Progress Administration (WPA), a massive jobs plan that eventually saw 8.5 million Americans head back to work. These photos from the Golden State Flooring archives show workers installing a WPA project—a floor at the San Francisco Civic Auditorium. The installation photo, dated November 29, 1938, shows workers installing what appears to be maple flooring over a fir subfloor. The back of the photo This photo of a 1938 wood flooring installation includes a WPA information label, as well is an official record from the Works Progress as a stamp from “Acme Floor Co.,” a large Administration; the label is at right and the subsequent sanding photo is at top right. flooring business at the time that is now defunct.

TREE■ id answer VINTAGE■ moments Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga spp.) Wooden Roads

ome men Sremember the first time their dad taught them to drive a car. The first machine Norm Kaswell’s dad taught him to use was a “squee-

gee machine”—a Norm Kaswell rudimentary Kaswell found this photo at a labor device that ap- union meeting—he alone was familiar with the machine for end-grain roads. Hardness as Wood Flooring: 660 on Janka scale. plied boiling At a Glance: Douglas-firs are named after Scottish pitch to end-grain floors and roads. Kaswell, owner and botanist David Douglas, and the North American president of Framingham, Mass.-based Kaswell Flooring species has been naturalized throughout many Systems, surmises this photo was taken in the late- other parts of the world to the point of being 1800s, when end-grain roads were somewhat popular invasive. Although they are the most common throughout America because they were durable, quiet Christmas tree species in the U.S., Doug-firs are underfoot and light on carriage wear. The tar formed a also widely used for construction, including, of bond with blocks pre-treated with creosote oil, and the course, as flooring. mixture protected the blocks from the elements. Photo previous page: iStockphoto, this page courtesy of Salisbury Woodworking Photo previous

20 Hardwood Floors ■ June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-Wdwks.indd 20 6/3/09 10:34:33 AM 461&3*035&$)/0-0(: &"4*&3"11-*$"5*0/#&55&31&3'03."/$& )&$, &7&/063 #6$,&54"3&#&55&3

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021HF06_Stauf609.indd 1 5/19/09 8:57:01 AM WOOD ■ works Green ■ speak Your guide to green vocabulary Precycling:

Preventing waste before it happens.

s green Aawareness evolves, people are focusing not just on recycling but on “precycling.” A main precycling concept is reducing excess packaging by buying in bulk or buying items with the least amount of packaging. Other keys are buying items that will last a long time (or avoiding buying them altogether by sharing or renting them) and reusing items for another use when you’re done with them (like saving empty 5-gallon finish buckets for other uses). In the office, precycling can involve tactics such as not printing out e-mails, making two- sided copies, receiving catalogs digitally instead of as printed copies, and eliminating junk mail, among

HARDWOOD FLOORING ■ mini-quiz 1. True or false? It’s a good idea to change the 5. What might have caused the following finish direction of an abrasive belt halfway through its problem? (more than one answer possible) life. a. finish applied too thick b. skipping too many grits 2. Which of the following may skew the results c. finish that was too old of your readings with a pinless moisture meter? d. chemical contamination of the floor (more than one answer possible) e. all of the above a. surface temperature b. how hard you press the meter on the floor c. the species d. surface moisture e. all of them 3. True or false? Using a backer pad on the edger decreases its contact size. 4. The industry norm is to inspect floors from which position? a. standing b. bending over c. kneeling

d. down on the floor with a magnifying glass Answers: 1. True 2. E 3. False (the opposite is true) 4. A. standing 5. C and D and C 5. standing A. 4. true) is opposite (the False 3. E 2. True 1. Answers:

22 Hardwood Floors ■ June|July 2009

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024HF06_Norton609.indd 1 5/18/09 8:00:08 AM Your Business Live and Learn Roll With the Changes As the economy changed, so did this contracting business

By Kevin Mullany

ere in Albuquerque, we’ve seen the construction too much of a hassle, but now that there’s a slowdown, market decline like it has in most parts of the we’re back in them. For example, years ago we had Hcountry: In 2007, there were 9,000 new construc- pulled out of the commercial/institutional market because tion permits issued; the projection for 2009 is 450 to 500 the payment terms—not getting paid huge amounts for 45 permits. It’s a difficult time, but despite that, we’ve man- to 60 days—put a financial strain on our company. After aged to keep our numbers for our fiscal year that ended all the years when business was great, though, we’ve been in May almost identical to the ones from the previous able to build up enough retained earnings so that those year. While our numbers look the same, though, our terms aren’t the strain business looks different, and we’ve had to change lots of they used to be. things to try to adapt. We’re also doing Our business looks For one, we’ve diversified. Over the years we had done insurance work again. work in different parts of the market that turned out to be We had stepped away different, and we’ve from that because the administration had to change lots of BUSINESS BRIEFS of those jobs makes them time-consuming, things to try to adapt. Cell Control but since the reces- ell phones are convenient but can cost you in lost time sion, we called up all the adjusters we had worked for and Cand focus if you don’t maintain control. A few lowlights: are doing it again. Also, we had dropped tenant improve- Interruptions are costly: A two-minute call is really cost- ment work because it’s such a time crunch with so many ing seven minutes when you count your lost focus. trades working at once, and it would frustrate the employ- Short calls become long: In person, people want to chat. ees, but now they’re just happy to be working at all. Reactive rather than proactive: Callers call you when it’s Besides examining the type of jobs we do, we’re also convenient for them. They’re prepared, you’re not. looking at how we’re buying products for those jobs. Lately Here are some solutions: we’ve been able to take advantage of good deals on over- Prioritize calls: Divide calls into three sets: 1) Must supplies of products that we’re able to move consistently. answer now, 2) must answer but can wait, 3) don’t need to We’ve also started doing co-op purchasing with local con- answer at all. Answer only critical calls immediately. tractors for products we all use, like moisture underlayment. Let it go to voicemail: on all the 2s and 3s. I called up some of the local guys and offered to throw in Have a safety valve: Have your voice mail message say: their orders with mine. I only do it with competitors I’ve ”If you need immediate assistance, call Chris at XXX.” Have known a long time, and we all get better pricing. We’ve also him decide if it’s worth bothering you. started hand-scraping our own flooring instead of buying it Return non-critical calls twice a day: Listen to the mes- already scraped. It is tedious work, but again, right now our sages in a quiet environment, gather the input needed, and guys are just happy to be working. have a prepared response for each call. These days we’re also more aware of doing everything more efficiently. When jobs are local, we’re meeting at Jayme Broudy is the founder and principal of Contractor’s the job sites instead of at the shop, and our lead guys are Business School. More information is available at www.con- more cognizant of making sure all the materials are at the tractorsbusinessschool.com or 800/527-7545. job so we avoid extra trips. For jobs that are out of town,

June|July 2009 Q Hardwood Floors 25

HF-JuneJuly09-LLearn.indd 25 5/26/09 4:35:41 PM Your Business | Live and Learn

we use our biggest passenger van and send as many We take all our wood waste to a man who manufactures guys who can efficiently work on that job at one time so wood pellets; instead of paying $385 to dispose of a 30- we’re minimizing those longer trips. When we had more yard dumpster, he charges us $48 per load to cover his jobs going on at once, we always just put two guys on “knife” costs (the damage the nails in the boards cause to each job. Now that we have fewer jobs at a time, we can his knives that grind up the wood into the shavings). reduce the number of trips, and it’s a nice savings. Back at our own shop, we now separate all the card- One benefit to things being slow is that we’re finding board, plastics and paper. We have a private contractor vendors for supplies like plywood have a lot more flexibil- who picks it up once a month for $28. Previously we had ity about working on your schedule. Before, they weren’t 100 to 140 cubic yards in the shop dumpster every month. accommodating about hitting specific delivery times—you Now that we recycle everything, we are down to under 20 could expect the plywood to arrive at 8 a.m. and it would yards in the dumpster, so it’s a big cost savings and a lot get bumped back to later in the morning, all while you’ve less waste in the landfill. got guys on the job site ready to work. To avoid that, we al- Honestly, it’s embarrassing that it took tough economic ways had the plywood delivered to our shop and took it to times for us to do some of these things, but we were busy the jobs ourselves. Now that those vendors really want our and weren’t thinking outside of our usual cycle. The cool business, we’re having everything delivered directly to the side of it is that now our employees are aware of the job site, and if it isn’t on time, that vendor is off our list. impact these changes can make, they are doing things like Something that has had a big impact on the job site is recycling in their own lives. So, it’s not only saving our changing our waste disposal practices. We are now sepa- company money, but it’s making even more of a positive rating items and taking them to the appropriate recycling impact outside of our own company. ■ places. Instead of paying to take the carpeting and pad to the dump, we can recycle the carpeting for free and Kevin Mullany is president at Albuquerque, N.M.-based actually get paid a little bit of money for the carpet pad. Benchmark Wood Floors.

26 Hardwood Floors Q June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-LLearn.indd 26 5/26/09 4:35:42 PM Your Business | Legal Brief

Layoffs Without Lawsuits A dignified exit can go a long way

By Phillip M. Perry

ith the recession wreaking with only a straightforward downsiz- Six months down the road you may havoc on revenue, business- ing, rank employees and keep only realize you let the wrong people go. W es from coast to coast are the best. If you’re eliminating a certain This opens the door to charges by ter- reducing employment rolls to control service to better focus on your core of- minated employees that your real goal operating costs. Too often, though, ferings, keep only the employees that was discrimination: You wanted to rid terminations are carried out in ways can support this core. your workplace of individuals with that spark litigation. Probably the most common mistake characteristics protected by federal and is to mix the two objectives or to not state law. Have a Strategy have any goal beyond some panicky Discharged employees may bring two cost control, Harkins says. In such cas- Keep Records types of lawsuits. The first alleges a es it’s too easy to terminate individuals Keep careful records that show how straightforward legal failure: Perhaps without sufficient thought and without your terminations support your goal. the employer has ignored a written or adequate documentation supporting “If you do get hit with a wrongful oral employment contract, or violated the criteria used. discharge suit you can say, ‘Employee public policy in firing people for That carries strategic and legal risks: A had a better set of skills than Em- undertaking jury duty or some other federal or state mandate. BY IM LASINGAME Discrimination lawsuits are more BUSINESS Q & A J B common in a recession; many layoffs I run a flooring company with 10 employees. Is there any- present the appearance of bias against Q: thing I can do to keep OSHA off my back? protected groups even when no such unfairness was intended. The plain- Yes. OSHA seems to be interested in helping small businesses head tiffs assert that terminations were A: off problems, instead of catching them doing something wrong. Under influenced by age, sex, race, religion, a special program targeted at small businesses, you can request a free on-site national origin or disability. Such cases inspection. During this visit, OSHA inspectors will: require more time and cost to de- • Discuss general approaches or options for solving any safety or health prob- fend—and employers can be hit with lems they identify, as well as suggest or provide training and education for huge punitive damages. your employees. You can avoid this trap by defining • Not issue any citations or propose penalties for OSHA violations. the goal of your workforce reduction, • Be done with you for a year. You will be excluded from any further OSHA then ensuring your terminations sup- inspections for one year. port that goal. • A word of caution: Inviting OSHA in is no guarantee your workplace will pass “Probably the most important thing inspection and you may have to spend money to come into compliance. is to set an objective,” says Joseph P. Jim Blasingame is the creator and award-winning host of the nationally syndicated Harkins, a partner in the Washington, radio/Internet talk show, “The Small Business Advocate,” and author of Small Business D.C., office of San Francisco-based is Like a Bunch of Bananas and Three Minutes to Success. Find Jim’s show and more Littler Mendelson, the nation’s largest at www.SmallBusinessAdvocate.com, plus instant answers to your questions at his small employment law firm representing business knowledgebase, www.AskJim.biz. management. If you’re concerned

June|July 2009 ■ Hardwood Floors 27

HF-JuneJuly09-Legal.indd 27 5/26/09 4:23:52 PM Your Business | Legal Brief

ployee B for the service we were planning to focus on in arranging for outplacement to get people focused on the the future,’” Harkins says. “Or, ‘I needed people who had future and getting on with their lives. People left unassisted two skills and Employee B was less versatile.’ Document- are more likely to file a lawsuit as they brood about what ing this thought process at the time will make your case happened. more credible later.” Once you have decided who to let go, assess the Offer Severance Agreements makeup of the departing group. Does it have a higher pro- One way to help ensure you do not become the target of portion of individuals with protected characteristics than wrongful discharge lawsuits is to ask departing employees your surviving workforce? If so, your layoff would seem to sign documents which release your firm of any liability to have what attorneys call a “disparate impact,” and that in exchange for a severance package. can be evidence of discrimination. Disparate impact can “Many times reductions in force (RIFs) are done without be harmful not only in terms of costly litigation but also severance packages and corresponding releases,” Harkins in the diminished morale of people left behind and even says. “This is usually a mistake because most people are not in tarnished customer relations following news reports of looking for huge packages. They just want some transition discrimination lawsuits. money to take care of their families until they come up with something in a few months.” Treat People Well Recessions happen. They are a fact of business life. For- Treating people well during termination is the right thing tunately, they don’t last forever. You want to respond to the to do from the human point of view. It’s also smart legally. recession in a way that builds bridges to the future, and that Fact is, people angry about how they were treated on the means conducting a layoff ethically and professionally. ■ way out the door often sue their ex-employers. Indeed, attorneys suggest going the extra mile and taking Phillip M. Perry is a New York-based freelance writer and a proactive stance in helping employees move on. Consider frequent contributor to Hardwood Floors.

28 Hardwood Floors ■ June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-Legal.indd 28 5/26/09 4:23:53 PM Your Business | Management

Addressing Anxiety Communicate with employees during tough times

By Chris Witt

he economy isn’t in the best shape. Maybe you’ve noticed. Your employees certainly have. The bad news—job losses, home foreclosures, bankruptcies and a tanking stock market— T comes, in the words of Shakespeare, not single file but in battalions. And prognostications by economists (How bad will it get? How long will it last?) provide little comfort. “This has trans- lated into less productivity at work,” according to a CNN report, “because of anxieties about salary, heavy workload and job security.” There is no easy answer, no quick fix, no one solution. But wood flooring industry managers at every level—from manufacturers to distributors to installers—can do something to address their employees’ worries and to rekindle their motivation: communicate. This action can come in a number of forms. If time is tight, you might try simply giving a company-wide speech. Otherwise, try a more personal approach. Try addressing each department regarding their particular concerns. Almost everyone will be worried about furloughs or even layoffs. Workers will want to know if they’ll have to take on more responsibilities after other employees are let go. If you have the time, try speaking to each individual employee. You don’t have to answer every question right then; be attentive, but be sure you eventually (sooner rather than later) answer all of the questions. As you talk, keep the following in mind:

How to Communicate Lead with the facts. Be as open, honest and forthcoming as possible. Give a complete account of the situation as objectively as you can. If you hold anything back or if you are evasive, you feed your employees’ fear and compromise your credibility. Acknowledge people’s feelings. You don’t want to turn your speech into a therapy session, handing out Kleenex and encourag- ing people to have a good cry. But if you ignore your employees’ feelings, they think you’re out of touch, or worse, that you don’t care. Acknowledge their feelings in a general way, using broadly applicable words like difficulties, worries, concerns, anxieties or fears. Acknowledge what people are feeling and move on. Say, if not in words, then by your empathy, “I care.” Interpret the facts. In spite of what is often said, the facts don’t speak for themselves. It’s your responsibility as a leader to gather all the facts, come to some understanding of what they mean and share your understanding with your employees. Don’t simply tell them sales have declined 30 percent; tell them what a 30 percent drop means. Help them understand what’s going on. Create a positive metaphor. “Yes, these are tough times,” the manager at a defense contracting company told his employees,

June|July 2009 ■ Hardwood Floors 29

HF-JuneJuly09-Mgmt.indd 29 5/26/09 4:23:26 PM Your Business | Management

“but we’ve been through tough times before. We’re battle- Say what you want and explain why they want tested veterans. We don’t give up. And we leave no one it, too. Tell your employees in a short, simple sentence behind.” That metaphor resonated with his employees exactly what you want them to do. Then show them how and renewed their determination. it will achieve what they want. If you want them to work Make hope sensible. You can’t counteract concrete longer or harder or in a different way, you have to figure negative images—homes being foreclosed, people losing out how they will benefit. What’s in it for them? jobs—with abstract positive concepts like perseverance Tell the truth. You have to prove your trustworthiness. and dedication. If you want people to believe in hope, If you say anything that your listeners doubt, they doubt you have to make it sensible. The best way to show everything you say. people images of hope is by telling them true stories. Don’t go overboard. This isn’t the time for pep rallies Be action-oriented. It’s counterproductive at best to and rah-rah-isn’t-everything-great celebrations—people say, “You’re wrong to think like that,” or, “You shouldn’t aren’t in the mood. Tell anxious people to cheer up and feel that way.” You can’t change how people think or put on a happy face, and they’ll be less, not more, likely feel—only they can do that—but you can change how to do so. As a leader, it’s part of your job to rally your they act. And by changing how they act, you create the employees in trying times and point them toward a better possibility that they’ll change their thoughts and feelings. future. There’s no better way to do that than with well- “Be the change you wish to see.” The words of executed communication, for better or for worse. ■ Gandhi are as true today in the business world as they were 50 years ago in India. Your employees don’t sim- An executive speech coach with more than 25 years of ply listen to your words. They filter everything you say experience, Chris Witt is the author of the newly released through their experience of you. Your actions, attitude, book, Real Leaders Don’t Do PowerPoint and founder and interactions with them are the lasting message of Witt Communications. For more information, call people will take away from your talk. 619/295-8411 or visit www.wittcom.com.

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30 Hardwood Floors ■ June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-Mgmt.indd 30 5/26/09 4:23:27 PM On the Job Ask the Expert From Scratches to Subfloors

Janka Fixation Scratch Repair finish without having to screen it. I I have customers doing Internet There is a big scratch in the have always had success using those research and asking for certain factory-finished floor I installed systems when every step of the direc- species based on their Janka in my customer’s new house. tions is followed. That said, if you ratings. Will this really tell them What’s the best way to repair it? haven’t tested that system with that how the floor will perform? floor before, do a test and then let Tony Ziola, sales manager at the finish cure (usually around seven Tony Robison, general manager Douliu City, Taiwan-based Ua Floors, days). Then try to scratch or peel the at Manassas, Va.-based Washington answers: finish from the floor to make sure the Wood Floors, answers: How you repair the floor depends adhesion is good. Oftentimes the cus- Not a single salesperson or installer on how severe the scratch is. If the tomer doesn’t want to wait that long, can tell a consumer what her floor scratch is contained to only one or but waiting seven days is better than will look like in six months. Do you even a few boards, the best thing to rushing to do the repair and having know of any flooring product—not do is repair those boards. the adhesion fail (which means you just wood flooring—that will not If the scratch is longer, though— then have to resand the entire floor). scratch? Or will not show damage say someone dragged something If you don’t want to use a chemical from a pebble in a shoe or a dam- across the floor—the easiest way to adhesion system, which is the pre- aged high heel? repair it is to use one of the chemi- ferred method, you can always simply As salespeople, we should tell cal adhesion systems that allow you screen and recoat the floor. If you do, the truth: Flooring materials scratch, to recoat the floor with a waterborne make sure you clean the floor well first and Janka hardness doesn’t have anything to do with whether a floor shows scratches or not. The better the TRICK OF THE TRADE maintenance and prevention, such as walkoff mats, the less these scratches Accelerated Ambering show. The lower the gloss level, the less scratches show. Highly grained woods such as oak and ash hide scratches better than the tight-grained woods such as mahogany. These are the main facts that matter and will help consumers make the best choice for their lifestyle. Focusing on Janka hardness with the customer can lead them to have unrealistic expectations of the floor’s durability. I believe that as installers, our main inish repairs always take a certain amount of skill and patience. When doing a concern with Janka ratings should Frepair on a poly floor, one challenge is how to get the new poly to match the be how they affect cutting, acclima- floor’s existing poly, which has ambered over time. Customers don’t like to be told to tion and use of fasteners. When I talk just wait until the new poly “catches up” and blends in. One trick is to artificially age with customers, the only time Janka the new poly before applying it. One technique is to put the poly in a hot spot, such hardness factors in is when they are as in a sunny window or the dash of your van. The heat will amber the finish, making looking for a floor that will show a better match with the existing finish already on the floor. wear as part of their overall design; in that case, woods that dent more easily Thanks to Daniel Boone, technical training director at Powernail Company, for his tip. Do you have a Trick of the Trade? Send it to [email protected]. such as pine or fir are a good choice.

June|July 2009 ■ Hardwood Floors 31

HF-JuneJuly09-Ask 31 5/26/09 4:27:19 PM On the Job | Ask the Expert

(use one of the cleaners that comes as cement board on a slab to nail the slab. Installing either a plywood a concentrate, not one you buy off the down a ¾-inch solid strip floor. subfloor or a sleeper-type system is shelf), then screen and recoat the floor. He says it has superior resis- recommended. Or, depending on the But again, test for adhesion first. tance to termites and provides flooring manufacturer, some solid If the floor was stained and the noise control. Is this acceptable? flooring may even be glued directly scratch has gone through the stain, to the slab. If the builder is con- Glen Miller, assistant technical that’s a bigger problem. This, too, training director at the National depends on the extent of the scratches. Wood Flooring Association, answers: Cement board is Check with the manufacturer to see if they have a repair kit. If not, unless Cement board is not a recommend- not a recommended you’re an expert at matching stain, ed subfloor for nailing down solid your best option may be to replace wood flooring. It is probably better subfloor for the scratched boards. When the floor suited than plywood to withstand- has a lot of scratches, you may need to ing a termite attack, but as far as we nailing down solid resand, restain and refinish the floor. know, cement board has no holding Any time you finish a factory-fin- capacity for wood flooring fasteners. wood flooring. ished floor, check with the manufac- There are several methods to turer to see if they have recommend- install ¾-inch solid flooring over the cerned about noise control, then a ed recoating procedures and to learn concrete. Always check to make sure sound-control underlayment must be if you are voiding the warranty. the existing concrete is dry. Then used. And, if he still insists on using use a moisture retarder on top of a cement board subfloor, the only Cement Board Subfloor? the slab, even if the builder says a appropriate wood floor is a floating My builder is insisting that I use vapor retarder was installed under floor. ■

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32 Hardwood Floors ■ June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-Ask 32 5/26/09 4:27:23 PM On the Job | From the Field

Making the Cut Do a better job by keeping these blade basics in mind

By Rick Jones

hat saw blades should you quality carbide-tipped blade, it’s going the slower it is to overheat and warp. be using? The reality is that to last longer. A good blade may cost For dense, hard woods, like many W most installers buy a blade you $60 to $120, but when it gets dull, exotics, you need a thicker blade. and use it for everything. Then they instead of throwing it out, you can get The gullet is the space between the complain about how much the blades it sharpened for about $15. Good con- teeth, which holds the sawdust while cost, how easily they get burnt up, etc. tractors pay more for quality and know the teeth are cutting; a smaller gullet But making sure you’re using the right it’s going to last longer. makes the blade overheat faster. The blade for the job will save you money kerf is the space left in the material and also help you do a better job. Here 2) Know Your Vocab by the blade, which is determined by are a few things to think about: There is more to know about the blade the set—the overall width of the saw than just the diameter and the number teeth (the set is wider than the thick- 1) You Get What You Pay For of teeth (keep in mind that closely ness of the blade because saw teeth When it comes to saw blades, price spaced teeth make finer cuts). The are usually offset). and quality pretty much go hand-in- gauge of the blade is the thickness of hand. If you pay more for a good- the blade plate; the thicker the blade, 3) Go in the Right Direction Cross-cut blades are designed for just that—cutting across the grain. TALES FROM THE FRONT When using your miter saw, you need a cross-cut blade. If you’re ripping boards on your table saw, you need Fuel to the Fire a rip blade. But, if you’re using a sled on the table saw to cut parquet pieces Darwinism was at play on this job site or make a medallion, most of those cuts are cross cuts. Take the time to oshua Crossman, owner at P.T.L. Hardwoods in Yelm, Wash., won’t soon switch to the correct blade. Ripping Jforget what he saw when he glanced out the window at a job site one with a cross-cut blade can be danger- day. He was running the big machine, and as he looked outside, he saw the ous because more force is needed to other worker, who had been running the edger, kicking a flaming pail out of the back push the wood through the saw. Also, of the truck. Crossman rushed outside and asked the worker what happened, and the your wood will chip more and burn worker proceeded to tell Crossman that the edger wheels were sticky, so he put them the blade. A good all-purpose blade in a pail of lacquer to clean them. Next, to get the lacquer off the wheels, he decided is a combination blade for both cross to light the wheels on fire. At that point, the wheels fell out of his hands and into the cuts and ripping. pail of lacquer thinner. He then kicked the now-flaming bucket out onto the driveway (that’s when Crossman happened to look outside). The worker had to explain to the 4) Think About Thickness designer, builder and homeowner why there was a burn mark in the middle of the The rougher the cut and the thicker driveway. “All I could do was shake my head in amazement,” Crossman says. the material, the thicker the blade If you have a true (and printable) story to share, e-mail it with your name and phone you can use, and the fewer teeth number to [email protected]. you need. If you’re just cutting the ends off of ¾-inch unfinished floor-

June|July 2009 ■ Hardwood Floors 33

HF-JuneJuly09-FTF 33 5/26/09 4:27:26 PM On the Job | From the Field Faster and healthier than removing dust

with your lungs. ing, for example, you don’t need an 80-tooth blade. A 40-tooth blade has an easier time cutting, and the rough- The ProTeam Super CoachVac® attaches ness of the cut will be hidden underneath the baseboard. & detaches to floor sanders, capturing fine dust A 40-tooth blade is also going to last longer and cost less. before it re-enters the environment. But if you’re doing fine cuts—cutting miters or borders, for example—you need more teeth and a thinner blade. Also, CLEANING FOR HEALTH® if you’re working with prefinished material and you’re worried about splintering the finish, a finer blade with more means a quicker, cleaner finish teeth will help. Thin-kerf blades used to be only for ripping, not cross cuts, but today you can expect to make great cuts with thin- kerf blades. They use less power and there is less strain on your motor. Of course, the quality of the blade matters.

5) Don’t Wear it Out When the blade had been working fine, but now you’re starting to burn the wood, it’s harder to get through the material and you’re getting more and more chips on the board, those are clues that it’s time to either get the blade sharpened or buy a new blade. Don’t strain your saw and make things harder on yourself by using a worn blade. Many contractors think that for prefinished products they need to use blue tape on the face of the board to prevent the finish from chipping, but I think chips are usually a sign of a dull blade.

6) Keep Your Blade Clean Pitch buildup on the blade can slow the blade speed and cause a poor cut. Some resins also can affect the binders in the carbide blade, causing for faster wear and dulling.

7) Protect Your Blades When transporting your saws, lock down your miter saw arm and lower the blade on your table saw. Also, be careful when handling and changing blades, as teeth are damaged this way all the time. ■

Danville, Va.-based Rick Jones has more than 30 years of experience in the wood ﬂ ooring industry.

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® www.pro-team.com Answer: The contractor has his toolbox has his toolbox contractor Answer: The on the finished floor. directly

34 Hardwood Floors ■ June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-FTF 34 5/26/09 4:27:28 PM

HF08_NWFA808.indd 1 7/21/08 9:04:43 AM On the Job | Troubleshooting

Moisture Barrier Myth Misunderstanding leads to a cupped floor

By Ray Darrah

The Problem in each area to observe the installation sandwich that I was called to inspect a solid ¾-by-3¼-inch factory-fin- was underneath. In both areas, no moisture barriers were ished Brazilian cherry floor that cupped about four to five found, only roofing felt. months after being installed during a remodel in a Florida The wood moisture tests confirmed the origination home. of the excessive moisture and cause of the moisture imbalance to be the concrete subfloor. A concrete The Procedure moisture meter showed moisture readings of 4 to 5 on the relative scale of 0 to 5, or 80 to 100 percent relative A total of 1,287 square feet of the wood flooring had concrete MC. been installed on the first floor, which had an on-grade The myth, or misunderstanding, leading to the failure of concrete subfloor. The living and dining room carpeting both of these floors was that asphalt roofing felt is a vapor had been removed, and new wood flooring was nailed to 5 barrier. Roofing felt may retard concrete vapor emissions, ⁄8-inch-thick plywood placed on roofing felt on top of the but it does not stop vapor from reaching wood flooring. concrete subfloor. The family room floor was nailed to How to Fix the Floor Roofing felt ¼-inch-thick plywood To protect this floor from concrete vapor emissions, the over existing wood concrete surface must be sealed. The only way to do that does not stop vapor flooring, which was is by removing the existing floors and sealing the con- from reaching glued directly to the crete surface according to acceptable industry practices concrete. The two and guidelines. Methods to do this are outlined well in wood flooring. areas of wood floor- the NWFA’s Installation Guidelines. Options listed in the ing were separated Guidelines include: a minimum of 6-mil construction- by several rooms of grade polyethylene film with a perm rating of 0.15 or less, stone flooring that two layers (both installed with adhesive) of #15 asphalt had been set into a ½-inch-thick mortar bed. saturated felt paper, or one of the many liquid or trowel- applied membranes now available. Also be sure to comply The Cause with local building codes. When I entered the home, the cupping throughout the wood flooring was immediately noticeable. The cup- In the Future ping measured 0.02 to 0.03 inch, with the worst cupping Simply said, roofing felt is not a vapor barrier, and believ- found in the family room, where the new floor had been ing that it is can be costly. It cannot be used alone over installed over the existing wood flooring. concrete. Concrete subfloors are the most common sub- The relative humidity (RH) in the home was 51 percent, floors across the South from Florida to California, and the with a temperature of 77 degrees Fahrenheit. In Florida, a number of wood flooring failures I see that are attributed 51 percent RH is within the normal range. Wood moisture to concrete vapor emissions is staggering. Even if an exist- content (MC) readings using an invasive probe moisture ing wood floor appears to be performing fine over the meter found 10 and 11 percent MC on the top of the concrete subfloor, don’t assume a new wood floor will do boards, 12 to 13 percent near the center and 15 to 16 the same. ■ percent near the bottom of the boards. An invasive probe moisture meter with insulated pins into the plywood sub- Ray Darrah is inspector/consultant at Tampa, Fla.-based floor found 18 to 21 percent MC. I then cut out the floor Florida Floor Inspections Inc.

36 Hardwood Floors Q June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-Troublesh 36 5/26/09 4:39:32 PM

On the Job | Step by Step

Imitating Exotics Simple techiques create the illusion of the real thing

By Joe Boone Jr.

hen you want the look of an exotic inlay, you don’t always have to use exotic species or Weven create an inlay at all. It’s relatively easy, fast and low-cost to create the illusion of an inlay like the one at left by using artists’ tints. Once you have the methods down, it’s a matter of using the layout skills you already have to apply easy-release tape and mark off the areas to be painted. Here, we show how to make a maple board appear to be mahogany. You can also easily make maple look like other species—a single application of a black base can replicate wenge; using one layer of raw siena creates a teak color, for example. This technique can be done with either a job-site finished floor or a prefinished floor. If it’s a job-site-finished floor, it needs to already have at least two dry finish coats before painting. If it’s a prefinished product, be careful

Photo by Joe Boone Jr. with microbevels, which are more difficult to tape off.

SUPPLY LIST • easy release tape • hand-held roller • high-grit abrasive • water • tack cloth • latex water-based artist tints in necessary colors • assortment of brushes • finish Step 1 Step 2 • sponge Here on the sample board we are Once the floor is taped off, it must simulating the process for taping off be abraded. Use a grit of at least 220; the floor as we would on a real floor here I’m abrading the board with (such as the one in the opener photo 320. If you’re doing a large area, you above). Use easy-release tape to care- can use a buffer and a maroon pad. fully mark off the areas to be painted, Abrading the floor helps the tints and roll the tape to ensure a good stick to the floor and also heats up bond at the edges. the tape, creating a better bond at the edges. After abrading, tack the floor with a slightly wet cloth.

38 Hardwood Floors ■ June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-SBS.indd 38 5/26/09 4:31:28 PM On the Job | Step by Step

Step 3 Step 4 Step 5 Now brush on the base coat. Here, to Note that for all these steps, the tints Dilute your next color—here, raw replicate mahogany, I’m using a latex and finishes may require more dry umber—with water. Then apply the water-based artist tint in a terracotta time than you expect. raw umber with a long smooth stroke color and applying it with a brush. Once the finish is dry, use a sponge down the board. When imitating other species, always to wet the area. match the base coat to the background color of that species. Once the tint is dry, apply a finish coat of whatever floor finish you’re using.

Step 6 Step 7 Step 8 Next, immediately go over the same To create a fleck effect, you can use Once the tint is completely dried, area, but this time, slightly jiggle the a small paintbrush or the tip of your apply another coat of finish. Remove brush back and forth as you go down finger and then lightly go over the the tape before the finish dries (re- the board, creating the look of grain. area with the makeup brush. member to pull the tape away at the To soften the effect, just barely touch correct angle). ■ the tint in a back-and-forth motion with a makeup brush. Joe Boone Jr. is CEO at Jacksonville Beach, Fla.-based Wood Floors Online. com.

June|July 2009 ■ Hardwood Floors 39

HF-JuneJuly09-SBS.indd 39 5/26/09 4:31:46 PM On the Job | Techniques

Wood Flooring Flashback A look back at simpler times on the job site

By Kim M. Wahlgren

n this Wood Floor of the Year issue that celebrates today’s best of the best—floors that use the latest technology, from computer-guided lasers to state-of-the-art job-site power tools— Hardwood IFloors is taking a step back in time. Following is a glimpse of simpler times in the wood flooring industry, courtesy of a wood flooring professional who has been there. As he approaches 84, lifelong wood flooring contractor Al Keith, from East Hartford, Conn., still does the occasional small wood flooring job, although these days it’s likely to be a small repair. “Ev- erybody else is always looking for the easiest way to do things, but I was brought up the hard way, to do it by hand,” he says. “But I got along good. I worked all my life and never had any days off to speak of; till I was 80 years old I was working in new houses sanding floors and finishing floors. I feel terrific except my knees are killing me.” Keith told Hardwood Floors what life as a wood flooring contractor was like in his earlier years, in his own words:

Back in the ’30s I started when I was probably 10 or 11 years old—back in the ’30s—working for my dad, who learned wood flooring from his dad. Back then you could carry all your tools in an old nail keg; you used a hammer and nails. That was a long time before they had plywood; there were usually pine floors in kitchens and bathrooms covered in linoleum, and a guy could learn to nail on those floors; if you banged a board it didn’t matter because it’d be covered with linoleum. After I got a little better at it, my dad let me work in places that weren’t too obvious, like a closet or bedroom. I probably lost a pint of blood over my younger years hitting my finger with a hammer, but that’s the way everybody did it then. Years ago you used a handsaw to cut every board in the house. Even when you came to the end of the room where you had to rip a board, you cut the whole length of it by hand. Every week or two you had to sharpen your saw by hand; that was part of the job on weekends or nights. Today if there’s no electricity on the job most of the guys won’t work, but that’s progress, I guess. I still use some of my hand tools, but I’ve got to the point where I use a powersaw whenever I can. I lost all my pride—now I even borrow an airgun! I was probably the last one in the country to use things like that. When we first started working, my father used to put all the sandpaper in the back of a car because few people had trucks at that time. In the old-type cars you could put a sanding machine in between the back seat and the front seat, and throw the rest of your stuff in there, and if you had young kids like me and my brother, we would sit on top of everything. Today there’ll be 25 pickup trucks on every job; years ago the only time you saw a truck was the lumber truck. Al Keith today with some of the tools of his At that time it was almost all oak floors in the living room of the house trade from earlier years. and maybe the dining room. On the second floor is was mainly pine or fir.

40 Hardwood Floors ■ June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-Techn.indd 40 5/26/09 4:32:14 PM On the Job | Techniques

If it was an expensive house, it would have random-width I worked for smaller builders and we didn’t use much plank floors with splines in them—there was a groove on stain. Somebody building a four-room Cape Cod house both sides of the board. You’d drill holes on the top and didn’t worry about stain; the house only cost $4,000 or put screws in with walnut or mahogany plugs. $5,000. But later on we did get into staining some floors. When I was a kid they used to put wood floors, usu- I did my best to talk the builder/owner out of it because ally maple, in factories. It was square-edged because I didn’t like the job; it was too slow. And every now and they could roll big heavy things over the floors without then you’d get a hold of some owner who couldn’t under- breaking the edges of the boards. They’d have great big stand that some stain would penetrate the boards good and long boards on the side and jacks in back of them and other boards adjacent would have hardly any effect at all. squeeze a whole area 6 to 7 feet wide all together, and Every now and then you’d work in a house with an interior then there would be guys on their hands and knees decorator, and those jobs were a real pain in the neck; those nailing it down through the top, two nails every 16 people earned their money by finding fault with everything. inches or so, then they’d move the whole operation further on down; I’m talking about factories 400 or 500 Builder Business feet long. To work on a job like that, you’d easily need Years ago we’d freeze to death in the winter; there was no maybe five, six or seven guys working as a group— heat in the houses. They were all plaster—no drywall—and some guys spreading out lumber, other guys sweeping those houses were as cold and damp as could be. There’d the floor, other guys putting down building paper and be no doors because the doors at that time had to be fit- other guys putting floors down, and then somebody ted; they’d have a temporary door that a dog could run was on the extreme right banging the floors up so there underneath. We just worked for the builder when he said were no empty butt ends. You’d have to pile flooring such-and-such a job is ready. The plaster would still be wet; across the boards you were putting down so they didn’t sometimes we worked in houses with water in the base- pop up in the air if you squeezed them too tight. That ment and the builder would say “Go ahead, we’ve got to get went out years later when they came out with block flooring—they sunk the end wood into the tar. The painter wouldn’t Sanding Similarities even think of letting a I only worked on one job in my life where they hand- scraped the floors. I was just a kid then, it must have floor sander finish the floors. been around ’34 or ’35. It was a house in Hartford where the rich owner was an invalid and they didn’t want any noise. The guy my father worked with was one of the the job done.” Today that’s one of the greatest things about few guys left who remembered scraping floors by hand. wood flooring—they want to know the moisture content of The sanding machines back then were basically the same the building and the wood flooring to do a real decent job. as they are today, although I think belt sanders are the Years ago nobody ever heard of a moisture meter. biggest improvement, and the edgers today are more effi- There has been tremendous improvement on milling of cient. I’ve still got my old drum sanders, and they still sell the lumber. Years ago some of the flooring they delivered the rolls of sandpaper you cut for them. They’ve made on the job was horrible. When you would drive nails, tremendous improvements in sandpaper over the years. I the board would split and then you couldn’t get the next can remember when I was helping my father—you’d put board up together. You’d have to take a rabbet plane and sandpaper on, especially the coarse sandpaper, and it widen the groove on the board. It was nothing to find 1 1 would be dull in about 15 minutes. The sandpaper today boards with the ends ⁄16 or, in extreme cases, ⁄8 inch wider. never really seems to get dull. Today the flooring is perfect—the last 10 years I worked I I didn’t start getting into finish till many years after we couldn’t find one thing to complain about with the milling. were working because years ago finish was the painter’s Most of the guys who are working today don’t even job. The painter wouldn’t even think of letting a floor imagine what it was like years ago. The jobs today look sander finish the floors. Then, when the building boom good, most of them. I think the wood flooring schools they started in the ’60s, most painters had too much work; have today have taught a lot of people a lot of stuff. If I they didn’t want to finish floors—it was too smelly and were younger, I would go to those schools, because they all that. So most of the floor guys had to learn the finish- show you a lot about putting feature strips in floors and ing part or they wouldn’t get the job. But at that time it doing border floors. Some of the things they have in the was just a couple coats of shellac; some guys waxed a magazine are unbelievable … I can’t believe that’s wood floor. Later Fabulon and the polyurethanes came out. flooring in some of the pictures I’ve seen. ■

June|July 2009 ■ Hardwood Floors 41

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042HF06_Realwd609.indd 1 5/18/09 8:00:49 AM West Coast 2009 NWFAWinnersWood Floor of the Year Awards

Turn the page to see this year’s NWFA Wood Floor of the Year winners, which were selected by members online before the NWFA convention in Long Beach, Calif., April 28-May 1 (the Mem- bers’ Choice was also voted on during the show). To see the Honorable Mention award winners, as well as all the entries, go to www.nwfa.org.

June|July 2009 ■ Hardwood Floors 43

HF-JuneJuly09-FOY.indd 43 5/28/09 11:21:50 AM Photo: Chris Hasten

Members’ Choice, Best Entry/Foyer (Hand-Cut)

DM Hardwood Designs (Farmington, N.M.)

A Little Help From My Friends

shouldn’t even be here,” says Dave Marzalek of DM Hardwood Designs. Last November, as Marzalek was gradually making progress on this fl oor—the entry to his own home—he lived through the scariest experience of “Ihis life when his F-350 four-wheel-drive pickup hydroplaned, rolled and slammed into the side of a mountain on the way to doing a wood fl ooring job at ex-Vice President Dan Quayle’s house. “Obviously it wasn’t my time,” Marzalek says, explaining that the huge truck basically “disintegrated,” yet he was able to walk away from the crash with no life- threatening injuries. The crash didn’t end his life, but it did threaten Marzalek’s progress on his own fl oor, which he wanted to complete in time for the Wood Floor of the Year January deadline. In an amazing turnaround, Marzalek’s worst tragedy also resulted in the best experience of his life, excepting the birth of his kids, he says: His friend Wayne Highlander appeared on his doorstep with nine wood fl ooring men to help Marzalek work on the fl oor. The crew labored around the clock doing everything from hand-scraping to creating elements of the inlay to ensure the fl oor would be completed on time. Marzalek had plenty of help from his friends, but the inlay, as well as the rest of the fl oor, is pure Marzalek style. “I always wanted to do my own fl oor without any female involvement,” Marzalek says, and after relocating to New Mexico, this was his chance. Marzalek used the end-grain logs to distinguish the home’s entry, as well as lead down a hallway and up the stairs. His signature broken-board technique surrounds the entry, and the focal point is an inlay refl ecting his love affair with eagles and orcas. This inlay pushes the limits of what Marzalek has done before (which includes a fi beroptic inlay that won a Wood Floor of the Year award in 2000). Not only does it encompass an elaborate wilderness scene, it also incorporates an added dimension of depth. Marzalek created the inlay in stages, pouring a layer of resin on, adding more elements such as orcas and seaweed, and repeating the process until there were fi ve layers of resin. The completed fl oor was the culmination of Marzalek’s own unbridled design vision and also struck a chord with the NWFA members, who appreciated the complicated fl oor enough to choose it as both Best Entry/Foyer (Hand-Cut) and the coveted Members’ Choice.

Abrasive: 3M ~ Adhesive: Sika Corporation ~ Buffer, Edger, Sander: Clarke American Sanders ~ Distributor: Golden State Flooring ~ Filler: Timbermate USA ~ Finish: Basic Coatings, Dura Seal ~ Nailers: Powernail Company Inc., Senco ~ Saws: Hitachi ~ Wood Flooring: Goodwin Heart Pine

44 Hardwood Floors ■ June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-FOY.indd 44 5/28/09 11:24:09 AM Best Engineered (Hand-Cut)

ertainly Dave Marzalek’s work is on a different level from a typical contractor—this winning fl oor, complex by most Ccontractors’ standards, is practically run-of-the-mill for him—but an important part of being a winner doesn’t have anything to do with the actual fl oors, he says. He should know: Three Wood Floor of the Year trophies this year bring Dave Marzalek’s total Wood Floor of the Year awards to 17, an amazing achievement and by far the most of any company. “Half of it is photography,” he says. “You can tell the ones that were taken by a professional and the ones that weren’t.” And having a great photographer is only part of a great photo, he explains, adding that the photo needs to show an entire scene, with the room decorated and furnished. Missing baseboards, random items scattered on the fl oor and empty rooms won’t usually win trophies, he notes. The scene was set in this job, a small house in Laguna Hills, Calif. The client was a referral who trusted Marzalek to create the right design with the walnut engineered fl oor. “I said, ‘If you give me control, you’re going to get much more than you even thought of,’” he says. The result was a hand-cut oval medallion surrounded by a starburst in the foyer, with fl ooring laid on a 45 in the living room to naturally lead into the kitchen. It’s par for the course for Marzalek, but still special enough to win Wood Floor of the Year.—K.M.W.

Abrasive: 3M ~ Adhesive: Sika Corporation ~ Buffer, Edger, Sander: Clarke American Sanders ~ Filler: Timbermate USA ~ Finish: Basic Coatings, Dura Seal ~ Nailers: Powernail Company Inc., Senco ~ Saws: Hegner, Hitachi, Makita ~ Wood Flooring: Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring, Goodwin Heart Pine

Best Bedroom (Hand Cut)

CP Wood Floors (Gales Ferry, Conn.)

Education Flooring

ll I want to do is teach and educate—I love it,” Charles Peterson says. “A These feelings prompted the CP Wood Floors owner to document every step in the creation of this year’s winner in the hand-cut bedroom category. The 528-square-foot undertaking is comprised of 10 wood species—including American and Brazilian cherry, maple, Peruvian walnut and wenge—300 lineal feet of brass, and 60 square feet of gold leaf, as well as black marble, brass and stone inlays. It also included aniline dying, gilding and faux painting techniques. One challenge of this fl oor was moisture control; the home in which it was installed sits along the Atlantic Ocean, and the fl oor sits over radiant heat, which made the fl ooring subject to moisture content ranges of 4 to 11 percent. Peterson overcame this problem by creating his inlays with a quartersawn veneer glued to nine-ply Baltic birch. To help his educational mission, Peterson plans to publish more than 5,000 photos taken during the fl oor’s creation in an educational book on wood fl ooring. Ultimately, he is trying to broaden the skill sets of his fellow contractors, which, he believes, can only enhance their creativity and earning potential. “Maybe a fl ooring guy is just installing strip fl oors and competing against another guy who does it for 10 cents cheaper,” Peterson says, “and he’s not really making a lot of Photo: Randy O’Rourke money. By creating a few inlays from scraps, he can create a signature that separates him from the competition.” —D.D.

Abrasive: 3M ~ Adhesive: Bostik Inc. ~ Buffer, Sander: U.S. Sander LLC ~ Distributor: Wood Pro ~ Finish: UV Cured Inc. ~ Nailer: Primatech Inc. ~ Router, Sander, Saws: Festool ~ Wood Flooring: Taylor Lumber

June|July 2009 ■ Hardwood Floors 45

HF-JuneJuly09-FOY.indd 45 5/28/09 11:24:16 AM Best Restoration

Universal Floors (Washington, D.C.)

Diamond in the Rough

e stop and check out dumpsters on a routine basis,” says Sprigg Lynn, president at Universal Floors. Over the years, Lynn’s penchant “W for dumpster diving has served the company well, as Universal Floors has developed a sizable inventory of old wood materials. When a repair on a historical wood fl oor is required, the company often has the material on hand. It’s no surprise, then, that Universal Floors won the Wood Floor of the Year in the Best Restoration category for the third time. The architect for this job, located in D.C.’s trendy Adams Morgan neighborhood, knew of Universal’s restoration work and requested Lynn visit the site. Under the carpeting, most of the fl oor was covered with black tar. “I scraped out one corner and it was like a diamond in the rough,” Lynn says. “I told them it would be a crying shame not to breathe fresh life into this fl oor, and they gave me the green light to do it.” The resulting restoration was challenging. Areas of the wood fl oor had been removed and replaced with 6 inches of concrete; crews used jackhammers to remove it. Because of the black tar, the existing fl oor was painstakingly hand- scraped before sanding. Salvaged materials, including a mahogany door found in a dumpster in Baltimore, were used to repair and recreate missing areas of the fl oor. Then the repaired fl oor was fi nished with tung oil for a genuine hand-rubbed look, allowing this diamond in the rough to shine once more. Patrick O’Brien Photography

Abrasive: 3M ~ Adhesive: Bostik Inc. ~ Buffer, Edger: Clarke American Sanders ~ Distributor: Long Floor ~ Filler: Timbermate USA ~ Finish: Waterlox Coatings Corp. ~ Nailer: Powernail Company Inc. ~ Sander: Hummel (Palo Duro), Clarke American Sanders ~ Saws: Dewalt, Festool

Best Library/Offi ce (Hand-Cut) any wood fl ooring contractors spend years dreaming about fi nding that one special client who will enable Mthem to create a Wood Floor of the Year contender. The Universal Floors client from this job far exceeded such hopes: This is the third winning fl oor from the same 25,000-square foot mansion. After the dining room and library entry garnered awards for Members’ Choice, Best Engineered (Non-CNC) and Best Entry/ Foyer (CNC) last year, Lynn predicted that the home’s library, still in progress at the time, could be a contender. He was right. As with last year’s winning fl oors, Lynn called in his friend John Yarema, president of Troy, Mich.-based Yarema Marquetry, to develop the fl oor’s design with the owner. For this room, the owner gave the pair nearly free rein. With the design selected, the greatest challenge was the steel poles supporting the catwalk—they don’t align, with some as much as 4 inches off, and a perfectly symmetrical fl oor would have drawn attention to the fl aws. “I would literally wake up in the middle of the night thinking, ‘How am I going to make this look like it isn’t an afterthought?’“ Lynn says. As it turns out, most of the fl oor was created simply with a basic jig and a plunging circular saw, but to disguise the ill-placed columns, about every third piece of the wood fl oor had to be adjusted. The tweaks worked: With the installation completed, the fl oor hand-scraped and a tung-oil fi nish applied, no one would ever imagine this fl oor an afterthought.

Adhesive: Bostik Inc. ~ Distributors: Derr Flooring Company ~ Filler: Timbermate USA ~ Finish: Waterlox Coatings Corp. ~ Medallion: Yarema Marquetry ~ Nailer: Powernail Company Inc. ~ Router: Porter-Cable ~ Saws: Festool, Dewalt ~ Wood Flooring: Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring

46 Hardwood Floors ■ June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-FOY.indd 46 5/28/09 11:24:18 AM Best CNC/Laser Cut

his project had an amazing turnaround: It started about as badly as a job can, but now, Tyears later, it’s a Wood Floor of the Year winner. Universal Floors had worked with the owner of the Georgetown home to create the parquet design and create full-scale samples. Everything was ready but the signature on the bottom line when the owner called and said a monkey could lay the fl oor. “He had his monkeys install it, and they screwed it all up,” Lynn says. Three years later, the homeowner called back and said he was going to “eat crow”—he wanted Universal Floors to come back and redo the abysmal bedroom fl oor correctly. Lynn turned the project over to Universal Floor’s Sales Manager Tim Allen, who supervised both the technical aspects of the job and the relations with the homeowner. “By walking through his threshold you could tell he was extremely particular … so we took it a step at a time, stayed professional, stayed focused and made sure we did it right,” Allen says. Allen supervised each step, from the demo of the old fl oor to the installation of a plywood subfl oor and the

installation of the new ﬂ oor, all as the homeowner Photo: Patrick O’Brien Photography kept tabs on the job from China. Allen’s diligence paid off, as the homeowner was thrilled with the ﬂ oor and Universal brought home yet another trophy.—K.M.W.

Abrasive: 3M ~ Adhesive: Bostik Inc. ~ Borders, Medallions: Yarema Marquetry ~ Buffer, Edger: Clarke American Sanders ~ Distributors: Derr Flooring Company, Long Floor ~ Filler: Timbermate USA ~ Finish: Bona US ~ Nailer: Powernail Company ~ Router: Porter-Cable ~ Sander: Hummel (Palo Duro) ~ Saws: Dewalt, Festool

Best Kitchen/Dining Room (CNC/Laser Cut)

Diamond Flooring (Elizabethtown, Ky.)

Wrong to Right

abels can be deceiving, as in the case of this Diamond Flooring project in Louisville. Even though the company’s award-winning kitchen/dining room Lproject was in the CNC/Laser Cut category for this year’s contest, roughly two-thirds of the laser-cut pieces were also hand-cut on-site after Owner Jamie Lupresto began installing the fl oor. Lupresto says it’s more diffi cult to plan a custom fl oor in new construction, since the actual job-site measurements may not come out as planned, which was the case with this fl oor. The starburst spokes were “coming around too fast” on the short side of the design (toward the door in the photo) while installing, Lupresto explains. Lupresto and his crew, Jordan Weaver, Jessie Turner and Josh Cook, then had to cut “a ¼ -inch to nothing” from the starburst pieces’ widths. The customer had suggested the starburst design to complement the circular kitchen. Lupresto chose rift and quartersawn white oak for the starburst, while the border and inlay comprises padauk, bloodwood, santos mahogany, yellowheart, wenge, and more white oak. Starburst edges adjacent to the inlay 3 measure ⁄8-inch wide, reaching 9 inches in width at the radius’ outermost edge. And when things don’t work perfectly at fi rst, Lupresto shows that a fl oor can still be saved and turned into something beautiful. “Things change a little bit,” Lupresto admits, “but it’s defi nitely possible to turn a wrong into a right.”—D.D.

Abrasive: 3M, Bona US ~ Adhesive: Bostik Inc. ~ Buffer, Edger, Sander: Clarke American Sanders ~ Filler: Timbermate USA Inc. ~ Finish: Bona US ~ Nailer: Powernail Company Inc. ~ Router, Saws: Festool ~ Wood Flooring: Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring

■

Photo: Dustin Henderson June|July 2009 Hardwood Floors 47

HF-JuneJuly09-FOY.indd 47 5/28/09 11:24:40 AM Best Commercial/Showroom (CNC/Laser-Cut)

Birger Juell Ltd. (Chicago)

Traditionally Beautiful

don’t think I fall in love as much as I used to with any one thing; now I’m more interested “I in: Does it fi t? Does it look like it belongs here? That’s one of the things I like about the Clive Christian showroom,” says Chuck Crispin, president at Birger Juell Ltd. The ultra-high-end English furniture and cabinet company usually uses stone fl ooring for its showroom fl oors, but for this room, a wood fl oor that would complement the cherry and yew wood on the walls was desired, and Birger Juell Ltd. provided a perfect fi t for its neighbor in Chicago’s Merchandise Mart. The fl oor pattern is a traditional chain-style parquet that is “souped up a little bit,” Crispin says. The main fl oor is stained walnut, while the chain linking the pattern features wenge, walnut and a wood the company calls Peruvian gold. The square centers are fl ame-fi gured crotch walnut. “They’re really exquisite little jewels in the middle of the parquet,” Crispin notes. Photos: John Yarema Photos: John Birger Juell Ltd. parquets are traditionally hand-cut, but this project marks the fi rst collaboration between the company and John Yarema, wherein Yarema laser-cut the parquet and a torch inlay resembling one of the Clive Christian logos. Birger Juell Ltd. workers then hand-scraped, oiled and fi nished the fl oor in traditional Birger Juell Ltd. style, resulting in what has become another Birger Juell Ltd. tradition: a Wood Floor of the Year trophy.

Adhesive: Bostik Inc. ~ Filler: Timbermate USA ~ Finish: Dura Seal ~ Medallion, Wood Flooring: John Yarema ~ Saws: Festool

Best Reclaimed (Hand-Cut)

hen the interior designer of this South Bend, Ind.-home brought the homeowners to the Birger Juell Ltd. showroom Win the Merchandise Mart, they were instantly drawn to reclaimed products and made it clear that they wanted to use environmentally responsible materials. Birger Juell Ltd. was able to meet their needs, as all of the wood fl ooring chosen for their house was from wood that was either salvaged, cut from city trees or harvested because the tree died a natural death. The wood in this particular room was reclaimed white oak from a circa-1860 medical building in Richmond, Ind. It combines with leather centers, lightly stamped with a faux-reptilian pattern, to create a Versailles parquet. The company has done wood/leather combinations for years—having won a Wood Floor of the Year trophy in 2002 for such a fl oor—and Crispin says the pairing has become even more popular recently. The leather is glued to plywood squares that are tongue and grooved, and it is oiled and waxed just like the rest of the fl oor. The fl oor’s installation was handled by longtime Birger Juell Ltd. employee Tony Farina. “That was his last big award-winning installation,” Crispin says. “He retired after that; it was kind of his swan song. He always did an exquisite job and was a gentleman installer in every way.” Another Birger Juell Ltd. stalwart is still on the scene, though—the company’s namesake is now 92 and still comes into the showroom several times a week to chat up clients with classic Birger Juell charm.—K.M.W.

Adhesive: Bostik Inc. ~ Filler: Timbermate USA ~ Finish: Dura Seal ~ Interior Designer: Chris Kramer/Grafﬁ s Furniture Inc. (South Bend, Ind.)

~ Leather: Edelman ~ Saws: Festool Photo: Dale Hall

48 Hardwood Floors ■ June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-FOY.indd 48 5/28/09 11:24:42 AM Best Kitchen/Dining Room (Hand-Cut)

American Hardwood Flooring of MN LLC (Delano, Minn.)

Going with the Flow

enry Wuollet, owner at American Hardwood Floors, has been in the Hhardwood fl ooring business long enough to know that working with high-end builders and designers means frequent changes. This was the case on both of the projects that earned Wuollet two Wood Floor of the Year awards this year. Wuollet’s winning dining room underwent several changes throughout the design and even installation process. Working with Wayzata- Minn.-based Hendel Homes, Wuollet created several sample panels to replicate a picture of a hand-scraped fl oor the homeowner had found. Once the design, color and texture was fi nalized, Wuollet’s crew began installation in the new Parade home. However, after the lines were snapped, the designer decided to run the hand-distressed white oak Versailles pattern on a 45. Then during the installation, a border consisting of two rows of 7-inch plank was added around the perimeter. And if that were not enough, the designer changed the fi nish from a wax fi nish to a tung oil. Even though Wuollet and his crew spent many hours hand-distressing and dying the fl oor to replicate a time-worn look, he says it was harder work pleasing the designer and homeowner. “That’s more challenging than just getting on the fl oor and scraping,” Wuollet says.

Abrasive: 3M ~ Adhesive: Bostik Inc. ~ Edger: Clarke American Sanders ~ Finish: Waterlox Coatings Corp. ~ Nailer: Senco ~ Router: Porter-Cable ~ Sander: Hummel (Palo Duro) ~ Saws: Festool, DeWalt

Best Entry/Foyer (CNC/Laser Cut) he other winning American Hardwood Floors project had just as many challenges along the way. Over three years earlier, Wuollet came out to the Tproject, a major renovation of a Minneapolis-area Victorian home, to bid the job. He didn’t get it, but halfway into the fi ve-year project Wuollet received a call from John Yarema, president of Troy, Mich.-based Yarema Marquetry. The homeowner noticed a border design she liked on Yarema’s Web site, and Yarema called in Wuollet to handle the project. Because Wuollet came in late on the project, he had to get up to speed on the particulars of the design from the homeowner and Ron Betcher of Minneapolis-based Oeretel Architects. The homeowner had specifi c instructions on how the direction of the grain should run in each board of the herringbone pattern and border. The herringbone pieces were already ordered and on-site by the time Wuollet arrived, so before installation could begin he had to inspect every board. “We went through each piece and made sure she liked every piece of wood that was going in the fl oor,” Wuollet explains. Once the client approved the boards, Wuollet’s and Yarema’s crew installed the padauk herringbone fi eld and the winding border of padauk, white oak and wenge. “There was a lot of work in there making the border match up because none of the walls were the same angle or length,” Wuollet describes. But the challenges didn’t stop after installation—despite his best efforts to get the fl ooring approved before installation, about 20 pieces had to be replaced because the homeowner didn’t like the grain direction. Though both projects presented challenges and changes along the way, they share two important characteristics—happy clients and two fi rst-ever Wood Floor of the Year Awards.—C.L.

Abrasive: 3M ~ Adhesive: Bostik Inc. ~ Border: Yarema Marquetry ~ Buffer: Hummel (Palo Duro) ~ Edger: Clarke American Sanders ~ Filler: Glitsa American Inc. ~ Finish: Dura Seal ~ Router: Porter-Cable ~ Nailer: Senco ~ Sander: Lägler (Palo Duro) ~ Saws: Festool Photos: Lance Juusola

June|July 2009 ■ Hardwood Floors 49

HF-JuneJuly09-FOY.indd 49 5/28/09 11:24:45 AM Best Commercial/Showroom (Hand-Cut) (tie)

Woodwright Hardwood Floor Co. Inc. (Dallas) Grand Entrance

urns out, the only thing standing between Woodwright Hardwood Floor Co. and a TWood Floor of the Year award was the small act of completing an entry form. “We’ve had multiple fl oors of this complexity, but we’ve just never entered until this year,” says Steve Welch, the company’s owner. This 7,000-square-foot engineered walnut fl oor was installed in the lobby of Hunt Oil Company’s Dallas headquarters. At the center of the fl oor’s starburst pattern is a large compass with a dangling pendulum that shows true north. Contrasting with this sense of location is a 3-foot- wide infi nity pool lining the fl oor’s perimeter. A 4-inch gap and a line of bricks separate the wood from the fl owing water, lessening the chance of any wayward splashes damaging the wood. A moisture barrier was installed underneath the fl oor to lessen the risk of damage from pool water leaking into the slab. “There was a lot of design thought that went into tying together the infi nity pool, the compass and wood fl oor,” Welch says. Comprising the sunburst’s radials are brushed-bronze inlays. To avoid tarnishing the bronze’s brushed appearance, the fl oor was installed and fi nished, and the inlays installed afterward.

Photo: Chas McGrath Welch says the project’s architect, Gensler Architects’ Paul Mano, wanted the ﬂ oor to be the focal point of the lobby— and it’s obvious Woodwright succeeded.—D.D.

Abrasive: 3M ~ Adhesive: Bostik Inc. ~ Buffer, Sander: Künzle & Tasin SPA ~ Edger: Clarke American Sanders ~ Filler: Dura Seal ~ Finish: Waterlox Coatings Corp.

Best Commercial/Showroom (Hand-Cut) (tie)

Divine Hardwood Flooring (Calgary, Alberta)

Wave of the Future

ivine Hardwood’s Carlos Soares wants to show that working with prefi nished Dengineered products does not limit creative choices. Different colors, myriad species and unique angles are all at the craftsman’s disposal when installing a prefi nished engineered fl oor, he says. This is evident upon seeing Divine Hardwood’s winning entry in this year’s contest, a fl oor that is, in Soares’ words, “as close to perfect” as a hardwood fl oor can be. This was a diffi cult feat, he believes, because when working with prefi nished products, there is “no chance for a quick fi x” if a craftsman mis-cuts a segment. Soares’ team spent about three weeks on layout and then another three weeks to glue down the project’s 1,500 square feet onto the concrete subfl oor. It was another challenge to cut the overlapping birch inlays, which Soares says are not purposefully reminiscent of petals or rain drops; they were merely installed to add dynamism to the fl oor’s red oak fi eld. “There’s not a lot of people doing that out there,” he says, “and we just wanted to show that you’re not limited to just straight wall-to-wall jobs.”—D.D.

Adhesive: BASF ~ Saws: Makita ~ Wood Flooring: Eterna Hardwood Flooring

50 Hardwood Floors ■ June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-FOY.indd 50 5/28/09 11:24:48 AM Best Living Room/Family Room (Hand-Cut)

Yantarnaya Pryad (Khimki, Russia)

Time Capsule

al Platonov, vice president of Yantarnaya Pryad, is amazed by the craftsmen who designed and built the world-famous fl oors in St. VPetersburg’s Hermitage and France’s Palace of Versailles. These feats are “unbelievable,” Platanov says, “they blow my mind away.” What’s more, those “marvels” were built without computer-aided design and power tools. Obviously, however, the artistic parquet fl oors Yantarnaya Pryad produces are impressive, too, as is the case with this year’s Best Living Room/Family Room winning-entry, located within a massive suburban Moscow home. This particular room measured 652 square feet, but the design comprised an impressive 5,300 square feet in a single wing of the home; in total, Yantarnaya installed 15,000 square feet in the home. Included in the solid glue-down fl oor are oak, maple and walnut. When designing and installing fl oors that are as intricate as Yantarnaya’s “artistic parquet” products, the “canvas” has to be quite large, Platonov says, so that the intricate design does not overpower the rest of the room. Installing an artistic parquet in a 300- or 400-square-foot room might receive the “Oh, my God, how can I walk on this fl oor?” reaction, he says. However, there’s no threat of that reaction with this award-winning fl oor.—D.D.

Abrasive: 3M ~ Adhesive: Bostik Inc., Sika ~ Edger: Mafell ~ Filler: Tover ~ Finish: BonaKemi ~ Sander: Eugen Lägler GmbH ~ Saws: Leitz ~ Wood Flooring: Yantarnaya Pryad

Best Living Room/Family Room (CNC/Laser Cut)

SVB Wood Floor Service Inc. (Grandview, Mo.)

Winning Fabrication

hen Steven Brattin, president of SVB Wood Floor Service Inc., moved to the Kansas City Warea in 2002, he knew he wanted to start a wood fl ooring business that focused on high-end installation. Seven years later, Brattin has created an exclusive clientele, earned a reputation as a premiere wood fl ooring contractor and built his own wood fabrication shop. And now Brattin can add winning his fi rst Wood Floor of the Year Award to his list of accomplishments. The fl oor that earned SVB its fi rst award was on a remodeling job for a steel fabrication designer with whom Brattin had worked on a previous job. The owner had splurged on many bells and whistles in other areas of the home (such as the fancy iguana cage in the photo) and the fl oors were to be no exception. “He wanted something that was unique, that nobody else had,” Brattin says. “It started out as your basic 2¼ , then I started talking about designs and showing him different things.” The owner decided on a design created by Troy, Mich.-based Yarema Marquetry. Brattin laid out the design Photo: Brett Pruilt in CAD and got fi nal approval from the client before sending it to Dan Antes of Nashville, Ind.-based Distinctive Hardwood Flooring for the laser cutting. Once the fl oor was cut, Brattin had the task of assembling more than 2,000 pieces of maple, wenge, walnut and quartered red oak into the intricate design. “We were probably in the house for two weeks,” Brattin says. All of the hard work and collaboration on this project, along with the trophy, assure Brattin’s place as a premiere wood fl ooring contractor.—C.L.

Abrasive: Norton Abrasives ~ Adhesive: Bostik Inc. ~ Buffer, Edger: Clarke American Sanders ~ Distributor: Hardwood Floors ~ Dye: Industrial Finishes ~ Filler, Finish: Bona US ~ Nailer: Stanley-Bostitch ~ Router: Festool ~ Sander: Hummel (Palo Duro) ~ Saws: Festool, Bosch ~ Sealer: Dura Seal ~ Wood: Yarema Marquetry

June|July 2009 ■ Hardwood Floors 51

HF-JuneJuly09-FOY.indd 51 5/28/09 11:24:50 AM Best Manufacturer Factory Finished (Hand-Cut)

Red Oak Hardwood Floor Inc. (Glenview, Ill.)

Taking it to the Top

om Smoliga, president of Red Oak Hardwood Floor Inc., has learned many things during his 15 years in Tthe wood fl ooring business. He’s discovered new installation methods, new products and more effi cient ways to work. But probably the most valuable experience Smoliga gained was when he joined the NWFA and gained the tools to take his business to the next level. “We used to do fl oors just to make a living, just to get by,” Smoliga says, “but since we joined the NWFA a few years back, we started to treat it as a career.” Smoliga focused on high-end installations, building Red Oak Hardwood Floor the reputation as a premium wood fl ooring contracting company. His company’s elevated status is evident in this Chicago penthouse, where Smoliga installed approximately 4,500 square feet of prefi nished santos mahogany with a dark-stained birch border. Smoliga worked with designer Eric Krause of Chicago-based Creative Wood Concepts to design a fl oor that met the clients’ needs while being able to be glued directly to the subfl oor. The client chose a diagonal layout with a 520-linear-foot border that runs through the entire apartment. While the fi eld took a week and a half to install, the border took twice that amount of time. “When we cut the perimeter around the room, we had to actually groove and bevel all the prefi nished fl ooring,” Smoliga explains. Now with his fi rst Wood Floor of the Year award, Smoliga has taken Red Oak Hardwood Floor to a new level. “It’s a huge honor for me to win something like this and be acknowledged by my peers,” Smoliga says.—C.L.

Adhesive: Sika ~ Filler, Wood Flooring: Mirage ~ Router: Festool ~ Saws: Bosch, Festool

Best Limited Species

Precision Floorcrafters (Ocala, Fla.)

Recession Reaping

atthew Marwick, president of Ocala, Fla.-based Precision Floorcrafters Inc., says his fl ooring company “took all the Mjobs nobody else wanted” during the recent construction boom years. Today, he’s reaping the rewards: He’s booked two to three months in advance, taking jobs throughout the United States and expanding his company’s central-Florida presence with a new showroom in Summerfi eld. “We’ve been very, very blessed,” he says of his company’s success. One showroom installation that’s sure to draw some foot traffi c is his recent Best Limited Species-winning entry—an end-grain cypress fl oor. “I thought cypress was such a pretty wood,” he says, “and it offers a much more organic shape” than conventional woods. Marwick obtained cypress heart pine beams from Micanopy, Fla.-based Goodwin Heart Pine. Then, along with fellow designer, installer foreman and childhood buddy Mitchell Perkins—the two even took woodshop classes together in high school—Marwick cut the beams into ¾-inch end-grain pieces. This was the toughest part of creating the fl oor, Marwick says, because some of the beams had a diameter of about 4 feet. They glued the pieces down and then installed a fi ller of cypress dust and epoxy between the peninsular end-grain pieces. Because the end-grain blocks acted “like a sponge,” Marwick and Perkins had to apply six coats of tung oil fi nish. Photo: Matthew Marwick Even though his company is busy, Marwick continues to maintain award-winning standards on his jobs. “We’re picky enough where we’re never 100-percent satisfi ed,” he says.—D.D.

Abrasive: Virginia Abrasives Corp. ~ Adhesive: Bostik Inc. ~ Buffer, Sander: Lägler (Palo Duro) ~ Edger: Clarke American Sanders ~ Finish: Waterlox Coatings Corp. ~ Saws: Festool ~ Wood: Goodwin Heart Pine Co.

52 Hardwood Floors ■ June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-FOY.indd 52 5/28/09 11:24:53 AM Best Xtreme Makeover

Majestic Wood Floors Inc. (Frederick, Md.)

Fresh, New Look

fter nearly fi ve years of having the same fl oor in his showroom, Bob Humphreys, president at Majestic Wood Floors, decided it was time for a change. He wanted Athe fl oor to be more dramatic and showcase some design elements he had used on jobs since the fl oor was fi rst done. “I wanted something with a little better fl ow to it,” Humphreys says. The fi rst step was bringing up the original design on CAD; then, he simply added new designs. While the Xtreme makeover rules state that up to 50 percent of the original fl oor can be replaced, only about 60 square feet of the 630-square-foot fl oor ended up changing. The four original corner medallions were replaced by nautical stars with points that radiate into the existing border and herringbone pattern. “That gave it more of a three-dimensional effect,” Humphreys says. Around the center medallion, Humphreys created a radial grid pattern to fi ll the center fi eld surrounded by the fi rst border. Finally, in the center medallion, the background wood was replaced to highlight the center star. Once the new layout was fi nalized, the new pieces were manufactured in Humphreys’ shop and then placed onto the fl oor. Humphreys and his crew had to be careful when tearing out the existing fl oor not to damage the elements of the fl oor that were staying. The new medallions could be dropped into the slot of the old ones, but the radiating star points had to be routed out individually. Three new species—walnut, bloodwood and ebony—were added and the walnut was dyed ebony for more drama. Humphreys’ six-week showroom makeover had the desired effect: a more dramatic fl oor that showcased his fl ooring design skills. The bonus is earning the respect of his peers by winning his third Wood Floor of the Year award and piquing the interest of potential clients who walk into his showroom.—C.L.

Abrasive: 3M ~ Adhesive: Bostik Inc. ~ Buffer, Edger: Clarke American Sanders ~ Filler: Timbermate USA ~ Finish: Lenmar Inc. ~ Routers: Festool, Porter-Cable ~ Sanders: Clarke American Sanders, Lägler (Palo Duro)

Duo-Tec EXCELLENT GREEN WOOD CARE Moisture Meters HAS A NEW NAME...WOCA! W Pin meters W Pinless meters with dual depth “For a hard wearing natural for wood and concrete looking fl oor, WOCA Oil Finish W Thermo-Hygrometer RH / T / DP is the answer. Many colors can W RH meters for in-situ probes in be achieved using this very green concrete ASTM standard F2170 fl oor fi nish and I will stake my company and reputation on this product.” Sprigg Lynn, President Universal Floors Washington, DC

The leader in organic hardening oil fi nishes introduces its VOC-free oil and polishing pads for single coat application. A great fi t for manufacturers wishing to increase the appeal of their prefi nished fl ooring. Lignomat 1-800-227-2105 PO Box 30145, Portland, OR 97294 WoodCareUSA LLC www.lignomat.com 800-242-8160 E-Mail: [email protected] www.woodcareusa.com

June|July 2009 ■ Hardwood Floors 53

HF-JuneJuly09-FOY.indd 53 5/28/09 11:24:55 AM ADayintheLife Coastal Cruisin’

By Doug Dalsing

errying to remote islands and cruising up the Pacific Coast both sound like leisure activities for the well- Fto-do, but for Marc McCalla, owner of Santa Clarita- based Craftsman Hardwood Floors Inc., it’s all part of the job. The 22-year hardwood flooring industry veteran started the industry on the bottom rung, but has elevated himself as a business owner and craftsman, and he now does custom installation and sand-and-finish work for some of the most exclusive clients in southwest California, all while keeping in mind his No. 1 priority—his family. Hardwood Floors tagged along with McCalla on a more-than-300-mile journey one sunny day last May as he negotiated congested Los Angeles-area interstates and con- voluted ferry schedules, and as he dealt with more typical obstacles that force a contractor to think on his toes.

5:30 a.m. Most mornings McCalla wakes at 5:30 a.m. From his home office, he works on completing paperwork and schedul- ing, and making sure his boys get ready for school. Today, however, is a little different. Yesterday, he attended the National Wood Flooring Association’s Wood Flooring With a busy day ahead, Marc McCalla takes a second Expo in Long Beach, Calif. Besides networking, visiting to soak up the weather on California’s Catalina Island. with friends and attending the expo, he stayed overnight in Long Beach to catch a morning ferry to Catalina Island, 30 miles off the Long Beach coast; there, he’s doing an estimate for an esteemed client in Avalon, Calif.

6:15 a.m. Marc McCalla McCalla departs Long Beach from Catalina Landing aboard the Catalina Express, the sole passenger ferry between Craftsman Hardwood Floors Inc. mainland California and Catalina Island. Today he’s trying to complete his work so he can be back in Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, Calif. for a 6 p.m. lacrosse match in which his 17-year-old son, Garrett, is playing. A round-trip ticket for the Catalina Express costs $66.50, and the 30-mile trip takes about one hour. Furthermore,

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construction supplies for any project on the island are delivered nightly while the tide is low. Mainland contractors must load the supplies on a barge and then pay someone on the island to receive and deliver the supplies. Because all vehicles on the island require a permit—for which there’s a 20-year waiting list—mainland contractors cannot ship over a work truck, either, which makes them further reliant on island contractors for transportation and other logistics. Therefore, projects on Catalina Island generally cost twice as much as similar projects on California’s mainland.

6:57 a.m. McCalla catches a satellite TV traffic report on the ferry that shows a major jam on “the 405,” or Interstate 405, the major north-south thoroughfare that bisects the Great- er Los Angeles area, running from Irvine to San Fernan- do, Calif.; it’s also one of the most heavily traveled roads in the United States. Luckily, the jam is heading south, but he knows that’s no guarantee northbound traffic Catalina Island offers views typical for McCalla’s clients. won’t be jammed when he needs to migrate north later in the day. Los Angeles residents joke that the interstate was he began working on wood floors in 1987, it was “by labeled “405” because its traffic often moves at about 4 or trial and error,” he says, and once wood flooring inspec- 5 miles per hour. tor Steve Marley was called in to inspect one of McCalla’s jobs. McCalla remembers this meeting fondly, and says 7:22 a.m. Steve told him, “I’m not here to criticize you—I’m here McCalla arrives in Avalon and decides to grab breakfast to offer advice.” Marley then suggested McCalla and his at one of his favorite Catalina Island haunts, Sally’s Waffle crew attend some schools, and the rest is history. Shop. Most days, he eats breakfast at home, along with a Normally, McCalla would not have taken a job that re- cup of coffee. He’s a little amazed by workers, especially quires between two and three travel hours each way. He contractors, who routinely forgo breakfast and rely on considers his primary business area to be Ventura County coffee throughout the day. and the Santa Clarita Valley, areas north and northwest of Los Angeles, but he has a 20-year relationship with this 8:30 a.m. client. He highly values personal client relations like this After breakfast McCalla calls contractor Adrian Thoricht one and makes a real effort to do as much business as of Avalon-based Fine Line Construction. The two are possible in-person, as opposed to relying on phones and working together on McCalla’s first of four stops for the e-mail. Once work begins at the condo, he and his crew day, a condo that rests on a mountain slope northwest will most likely stay overnight on the island; however, he of Avalon. Adrian picks up McCalla with his Tiger Truck, usually works just four days a week in these overnight a light utility vehicle that is popular on Catalina Island’s situations so he can spend three days with his family. winding roads. They begin a winding trek into the moun- McCalla is gathering measurements for a complete tains. remodel of the condo, which will involve removing existing wood flooring and carpeting to lay 800 square feet of 8:49 a.m. hand-distressed engineered flooring. While inspecting the They pass the community guardhouse and make a few site he discovers something that causes him to reevaluate hairpin turns before arriving at the door of the condo, his plan: Underneath the existing floor is a lightweight just one unit in a stack of several gleaming, symmetrical concrete subfloor, which could become damaged while condo rows that veil a small Catalina mountainside. removing the old floor. He’s now deliberating between Working in similar locales is not new to McCalla; he recommending a simple sand and finish or installing a services a higher-end clientele regularly. He points to the new floor on top of the existing floor. The latter choice work he did after attending his first NWFA school in 1996 brings with it the headache of dealing with changing as the work that took his business “to the next level.” By elevation throughout the condo, but the former choice 2002 he had won his first Floor of the Year award. When won’t give the client a brand-new floor like she request-

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three vans, one truck, one enclosed trailer, and tools for two sand-and-finish crews and one installation crew. He’s proud to say the only business item on which he still owes money is a 2007 Chevy Suburban. This fact is critical in today’s economic situation. “If I don’t work for a week, I’m not going to drown,” he says.

1:40 p.m. The ferry mix-up leaving Catalina Island has put McCalla slightly behind schedule, lessening the chances of his enjoying his son’s lacrosse match later. He had planned on stopping at a sit-down restaurant along with his guest journalist for the day, but settles on fast food at El Pollo Loco. His wife, Nicky, usually packs him a lunch four days a week in an effort to help him avoid restaurants (especially fast food) every day. With lunch to-go in hand, he steers the van toward Montecito, Calif., a 73-mile drive west that will take him McCalla boards the Catalina Express to San Pedro. through mountains to the Pacific Coast. He makes a phone call at the beginning of the trip, but he can’t hear it too well. Then, he discovers the battery of his hands- ed. He’ll have to confer with the client once more before free device has died—he’ll have to spend the rest of the making this decision. day in violation of California Vehicle Code 23123, which states that drivers must conduct cell phone conversations 10:30 a.m. with a hands-free device. Cell phone in hand, he calls In- McCalla leaves Catalina Island but does not depart for stallation Foreman Joel Yahuetenez to discuss a time card Long Beach as planned. Originally, he thought the return Yahuetenez must submit to McCalla’s contracted payroll ferry to Long Beach was leaving now, but this ferry’s ac- company. tually headed for San Pedro, a neighborhood 15 minutes west of Long Beach; the return ferry to Long Beach does 2:55 p.m. not leave until 11:45, so he’ll have to catch a cab from Today, Yahuetenez and his crew have been working on San Pedro to Long Beach. It’s a small wrinkle on the day, the full renovation of a French country ranch in Mon- but it doesn’t surprise him. “Each day is different, and ev- tecito, one of the wealthiest areas in the United States, ery job has new challenges,” he says. “It’s good because and home to magnates like Oprah and Steven Spielberg. those are the jobs you learn on, but sometimes you ask At 10,000 square feet—3,000 of tear-out and new instal- yourself, ‘Why can’t this just be easy?’” He’s learned from lation, and 7,000 more of sand and finish work—this is experience that the Catalina ferry’s schedule can be un- a big job for them. McCalla first passes a security gate forgiving; ferries depart promptly, not waiting for passen- and then ascends the nearly mile-long driveway flanked gers sprinting to the gate, and departures can be canceled by heavy vegetation. At the top of the driveway crew without notice, which can steal an entire day. vehicles from at least five contracting companies litter the home’s turnaround and front lawn. The view at the 11:41 a.m. top is impressive: Down below, the rest of Santa Barbara After arriving on the shores of San Pedro, McCalla hails County—a plush, green landscape through which the oc- a cab to Long Beach—the final tally: 15 minutes and casional roof pops like a prairie dog; and the view to the $26. In the Catalina Express’ parking lot he hops into his south: the Pacific Ocean. He enters the front door, the ‘92 Econoline van to begin the hour-and-a-half trip to beginning of a maze of power cords, dangling wires, blue his shop in Saugus, Calif., a Santa Clarita neighborhood. tape and enveloping plastic sheets. The air is heavy with Along the way he calls to check in with his workers on sawdust, and it’s loud, too; nail guns and hammers strike their daily progress. unpredictably and often, while vacuums, air pumps, and McCalla says it would be nice to outfit his company fans draw dust outside. Entire walls have either been with new vehicles—the van he’s driving and another removed or bear the scars of electrical system renovation. have logged more than 300,000 miles each—but he’s Earlier in the day, McCalla’s crew was tearing out the content to own a practically debt-free company; he owns main office and master bedroom floors. Now, they’re

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cutting a slew of Dutchmen after the GC told McCalla he wanted the shoe removed from the baseboard throughout the home. (As work continued on this project three days later, McCalla and his crew were choking on a thin veil of smoke from a California wildfire raging just miles from the home.) McCalla tells his crew they can go home a little early this Friday before speaking with the general contractor about the installation schedule. The GC would rather McCalla not rack the floor to let it acclimate, but McCalla counters, “Floors don’t acclimate in bundles.” During this conversation McCalla notices a 4-inch chunk of granite that has broken off a balcony threshold in the bedroom, and he points it out to the GC. “How are you going to fix that?” the GC asks. McCalla laughs, however, he doesn’t immediately assume his workers did it; he trusts them to be forthcoming in these situations, and they haven’t yet said anything about it. At a replacement cost of $4,000 to $5,000, it’s important McCalla gets to the bottom of the mystery. McCalla’s Econoline braves California’s notorious highways. 3:28 p.m. McCalla must now make his way to Hope Ranch, Calif., colleagues, and it makes me want to accommodate them a neighborhood just 10 miles west of Montecito. Along as much as possible.” The designers exit and then McCalla the way he calls his sanding foreman Miguel Martinez to does a walkthrough with the GC. McCalla will be install- discuss the broken threshold. Martinez says his workers ing about 2,500 square feet of French oak, and the two didn’t say anything about it, which leads McCalla to be- discuss the various carpet and tile transitions he’ll have to lieve his guys are in the clear. He calls the GC and leaves make. a message. McCalla gathers final measurements. One new detail that arises is moisture. The GC tells McCalla there is no vapor 4:04 p.m. protection enveloping the concrete slab, and McCalla About 10 hours into his day, McCalla arrives in Hope grows more concerned when he’s informed the water Ranch. His first of two stops in this area is a large, seclud- table was found a mere 27 feet below ground when drill- ed estate. He meets a personal secretary and is escorted ing wells for the structure’s geothermal heating unit. He’ll inside the home past two pet goats. McCalla was awarded have to do a calcium chloride test, and depending on the this job nearly 18 months ago, and the clients have de- results, he may have to spend more on subfloor prep ma- cided to move the project forward. He’ll be sanding and terials. McCalla says he’ll complete the test in the coming refinishing the kitchen’s pine floor, which has been worn week, after which he should be able to begin installation. to bare wood in spots. The secretary informs McCalla he’ll also be tearing out and reinstalling a floor in the butler’s 5 p.m. kitchen so it matches the main kitchen. He takes some The fact that these last two stops of the day are more than measurements and discusses sample delivery and furniture 70 miles from his shop doesn’t deter McCalla. “I don’t removal—thankfully, the clients have their own furniture mind the drive. [The work] is really high-end, and I love moving labor. He is certain to remind the secretary that the challenge,” he says. However, he’s now a half-hour table chair dents will most likely reappear after the pine from Saugus, and he will not be able to watch Garrett’s re-sand. McCalla plans on beginning the work at the start lacrosse match. of the clients’ three-week vacation. McCalla leaves the primary residence and heads to a 6:34 p.m. different location on the property where he’ll be installing McCalla arrives at his shop in Saugus and begins the short floors in a renovated garage that will house commercial trek to his home for a family dinner—his son actually offices. Upon entering the site, he’s greeted with hugs and decided to forgo his lacrosse game in order to spend time hellos from the designers, with whom he’s worked in the with extended family who just arrived in town. “I’ll never past. “I feel good when something like that happens,” he regret time with my family, but I might regret time I’m says. “Those are the feelings I want to reciprocate to my away from them,” McCalla says. ■

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Product Focus | Tools & Supplies Abrasives

ant to learn about some of the fanciest tools and supplies available to wood ﬂ ooring Wcontractors? Hardwood Floors has assembled this section to showcase manufacturers’ newest or best-selling products to help contractors create high-quality work.

Locate product categories below:

Abrasives ...... page 59 3M Applicators ...... page 60 3M’s Easy Change disc buffer system makes blending scratches Floor Manufacturing Equipment ...... page 61 and chatter marks or sanding patterned hardwood floors easier than ever, the company Moisture Meters ...... page 62 says. Contractors can now quickly change from one 3M Hook-it II abrasive grit to an- Nailers ...... page 63 other without tools. The discs are available in grades 20-150. Sanding Equipment ...... page 64 www.3m.com Other ...... page 66 Cherryhill Manufacturing Corporation Cherryhill now offers three grades Bona US of zirconium 6-inch hook-and-loop The Bona Blue Anti-Static abra- sandpaper along sive line, featuring sanding belts with one grade of and edger discs, consists of an aluminum oxide innovative combination of grit 6-inch hook-and- materials and antistatic proper- loop sandpaper ties that helps prevent dust from for the Super Bee clinging to the belt, leading to a and U-Sand floor more consistent cut and less dust sanders. on the floor, the company says. www.u-sand.com www.bona.com

CUMI Canada Inc. Festool CUMI Canada Festool has abra- Inc. (CCI) pro- sives for every duces cutting- hardwood and edge coated hard surface floor- abrasives in ing application cloth and paper, and offers a line the company of seven types and says, as well as grits ranging from bonded abrasive 24 to 4,000. With products. CCI has a wide selection of rolls, belts, their high-tech discs, sheets and screens available in aluminum coatings, Festool abrasives provide maximum oxide, silicon carbide, zirconia and its ceramic resistance to clogging and smearing, which Supreme Orange. means longer-lasting abrasives and less rework, www.cumicanada.com the company says. www.festoolusa.com

June|July 2009 ■ Hardwood Floors 59

HF-JuneJuly09-ToolsPF.indd 59 5/28/09 1:23:13 PM Product Focus | Tools & Supplies Abrasives Applicators Duratool Inc. Duratool’s Tapered End T-bar refill al- Bona US lows for one-step application and Norton Abrasives Bona US trimming right up Norton SG offers a to the baseboard, Red Heat has Euro- the company a patented pean nap says. The com- abrasive roller for water- pany also offers a grain and borne finishes. It genuine lambskin polyester features a candy stripe T-bar refill. Both backing with that shows if the roller are available in a phenolic is dragging. The special- light and heavy weights and accept pro- resin bond ly designed roller is for use fessional extension handles. The angled that improves cut rate and product with Bona finishes. 7- and 10-inch trim pads feature an ad- life. This product can cut aluminum www.bona.com oxide and ceramic finishes, and it is justable handle for low-profile work. ideal for harder species of wood and www.duratoolinc.com larger jobs, the company says. Glitsa American Inc. www.nortonfloorsanding.com Glitsa Roller Covers are hand-treated, woven lambswool with a ½-inch nap. Glitsa Brushes feature long, tapered bristles with a secured staple set and wide handle. The company’s instructional DVD shows how Virginia Abrasives to use the brush, roller, lambswool applicators and T-bar to apply its Glitsa Gold Seal Swedish finishes. Designed for use in www.glitsa.com between- coat finish prepara- Mercer Abrasives tion, Blue Mercer’s applicators come in premium lambskin Magic pads pads with a wood block or synthetic water-base feature pads with a wood block. Both are available in hard, sharp sizes ranging from 10 to 18 inches and have refills. abrasive www.mercerabrasives.com grains. Blue Magic has been tested and approved by top finish manufacturers, the company says, adding Padco Inc. that the nonwoven material allows for a more consistent abrasion with- Padco offers 18-inch lightweight and heavyweight T- out removing too much finish. bar applicators for floor finishes. The handles accept standard extension poles and can be used with Padco www.virginiaabrasives.com 18-inch Nylfoam and 18-inch woven refills for lint- and bubble-free application, the company says. www.padco.com/floortools

Mercer Abrasives, div. TC Dunham Paint Woodwise/Design of Mercer Tool Corp. & Coatings Inc. Hardwood Products Dunham Paint manufactures The Woodwise Mercer offers a vari- 100 percent Nap Saver sus- ety of abrasives for lambswool pends an appli- sanding ap- applicators cator pad inside plications. Its that provide a a polycarbonate Premium Zir- lint-free, smooth housing so the conia Floor finish, the com- nap doesn’t get Sanding pany says. They crushed. Since the Belts feature are available as nap never touches Zirconia grain, a complete block the sides, it keeps resin-on-resin bond and a butt-tape and pad or refill applicator pads joint for bidirectional sanding. pads in 10, 12 and like new, so they www.mercerabrasives.com 18 inches. The company also can be used again offers applicators for water- and again without compromising based finishes. quality, the company says. www.dunhampaint.com www.woodwise.com

60 Hardwood Floors ■ June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-ToolsPF.indd 60 5/28/09 1:23:26 PM Product Focus | Tools & Supplies Floor Manufacturing Equipment

Delle Vedove USA Inc. Great Lakes Custom Tool Mfg. Inc. Delle Vedove USA Inc. The Helicarb cutter from Great Lakes Cus- now offers CVS, an en- tom Tool features a continuous, twisted vironmentally friendly, carbide blade that produces a smooth- all-in-one finishing sys- er cutting action, the company says. tem. The machine pro- The cutters are available in straight duces a UV coating that bore, hydro bore and powerlock with contains no VOCs, improving both workplace safety various cutting widths and various and the customer’s indoor air quality, the company numbers of wings. says. The higher flash point of UV coatings reduces www.glct.com their flammability, too. www.dellevedove.com

OSI Machinerie Lico Machinerie Inc. OSI Machinerie has developed Smart- Running at a feed speed Switch, the optimal production line, of 450 feet per minute, which uses vision for scanning in manu- the Lico Double Arbor facturing in a completely different way, Ripsaw features five the company says. OSI Machinerie also independently mov- offers customized state-of-the-art equip- able blades for extreme ment for flooring lines such as: side- versatility. This feature matcher infeed systems; end-matchers; allows different product grading, nesting and packaging systems; widths to be produced at the same time in the self-centering planers; vacuum board machine. The Double Arbor Ripsaw increases distributors; and custom machines. versatility even more. www.osimachine.com www.licoinc.net

Super Thin Saws Inc. IntegralFlange splitting saws Royce//Ayr from Super Thin Saws are Royce//Ayr produces both designed for double-vertical, carbide-tipped and insert cut- arbor-splitting units. These saws ters. The company special- permit faster feed rates (to 30 m/ izes in both adjustable (pic- mm), thinner kerfs (to 0.95 mm) tured) and non-adjustable and excellent slat size tolerances PCD-Diamond flooring tools. (0.05 mm), the company says. www.royceayr.com www.superthinsaws.com

TekmaHeat Wintersteiger TekmaHeat’s thermal modification uses high The DSB temperature and steam to modify wood proper- Singlehead thin ties. Thermally cutting band modified wood saw from Win- is less perme- tersteiger can able, making cut wood blocks it more stable into lamellas for flooring and for engineered eliminating ac- floors, doors climation time. and multilayer The process can boards. It features a touch-screen to adjust for dif- be done on oak, ferent block sizes, and multiple machines can be maple, birch, beech, poplar, hickory, ash and integrated in a line for automated processing, the other species. company says. www.tekmaheat.com www.wintersteiger.com

June|July 2009 ■ Hardwood Floors 61

HF-JuneJuly09-ToolsPF.indd 61 5/28/09 1:23:36 PM Product Focus | Tools & Supplies Moisture Meters

Delmhorst Instrument Co. Delmhorst’s Total Check features pin and pinless Lignomat USA Ltd. moisture measurement and a thermo-hygrometer at- Lignomat offers a new pinless moisture meter, the tachment that conforms to the ASTM Ligno-Scanner SDM. It has calibra- F-2170 standard. Advanced features tions for domestic, tropical and en- include corrections for 69 wood spe- gineered floors. It can measure the cies, a calibrated drywall scale and a top layer of any engineered floor. reference scale for non-wood materi- Individual calibrations are available als. Stored readings can be download- for flat and vertical grain bamboo ed to a spreadsheet, providing clear, and strand bamboo floors, too. It complete documentation of every job. can read to ¼- to ¾-inch deep. www.delmhorst.com www.lignomat.com

(HF 3-08) SSTotT ad 8.125x10.875Page 1 2/19/2008 2:44:32 PM Tramex Ltd. Powr-Flite CMExpert is a flexible, multi-purpose Powr-Flite carries a full line of quality Extech moisture meter by Tramex. It is non- meters for the floor care destructive, and can take moisture industry, including its content and humidity readings of ultrasonic distance meter, concrete, gypsum and wood, along dual measurement mois- with other flooring screeds. It is ture meter, refillable pH suited for both pre-installation and meter and a humidity/ post-installation testing of flooring materials, slabs and sub- temperature pen. strates. CMExpert adheres to ASTM F2170 and ASTM F2420. www.powr-flite.com www.tramexltd.com

“Th e Complete Flooring Store” Take Your Featuring: UnÄ nished & PreÄ nished Hardwood Flooring & Mouldings Now available online at www.paneltown.com HARDWOOD FLOOR Business to the Next Level – BECOME A Because Pride Still Matters SEARS FRANCHISEE TM We are seeking entrepreneurs who desire to own their own franchised home services business under the Sears banner - many market areas available. The business includes hardwood floor refinishing and repair. We prefer persons with experience, but will consider all applicants. Some financing is available for quali- O TM fied candidates. Let the Sears name work for you. Call us toll free for details at: 1-888-537-3569 or click on the Franchise Opportunities section of 1063 Dublin Road • Columbus, Ohio 43215 (614) 488-0334 • (614) 488-0359 • www.paneltown.com • [email protected] searswoodfloors.com

62 Hardwood Floors ■ June|July 2009

PanelT

HF-JuneJuly09-ToolsPF.indd 62 5/28/09 1:23:59 PM Product Focus | Tools & Supplies Nailers

Duo-Fast/ITW Industrial Fastening ET&F Fastening Systems Inc. Duo-Fast ET&F’s Aerico 90 pneu- manufac- matic fastening tool is tures a full manufactured for attach- line of hard- ing plywood, OSB or wood and 2X sleepers to concrete engineered substrates. Aerico 90 is wood ergonomically designed installation for greater operator com- tools and fort and ease of handling, fasteners, the company says, adding including that the straight-line tool the Sure-Shot 1848F for engineered wood design simplifies tool installation, FloorMaster 200-C Cleat positioning and fits into tight corners. Nailer, and the FloorMaster 200-S Stapler. www.etf-fastening.com www.duo-fast.com

HighPro Tools HighPro has Porta-Nails Inc. a full line of tongue-and- Porta-Nails Inc. introduces groove cleat the new Porta-Nailer nailers, staplers, Pro. This new design prefinish staplers, incorporates an inte- 5 grated magazine, which ⁄16-inch top- nailers and finish maintains constant nailers. The tools tension and feeds of are designed the nails. It accom- specifically for modates both T- and hardwood floor- L-style 16-gauge flooring nails in a ing installers who need professional quality variety of lengths. and durability in a lightweight, fast and reli- www.porta-nails.com able tool, the company says. www.highprotools.com

Revolution Inc. Powernail Company Inc. The Floor Dog pneumatic Powernail manufactures nailer, which hardwood flooring drives both floor- installation tools for ing staples and the professional flooring cleats, is market, the com- one of Revolution’s pany says. Products newest products. An manufactured at its ergonomic handle Lake Zurich, Ill., facility and balanced design include manual and makes nailing easy and pneumatic cleat nailers, reliable, the company staplers, mallets, cleats, staples says. The Floor Dog and PowerJacks. The company also offers parts, Carrying Case contains the gun, tune-up kits, overhaul kits, tool boxes and nail white mallet, two faceplate sizes, lubricant, pouches. adjusting wrenches and instructions. www.powernail.com www.101revolution.com

June|July 2009 ■ Hardwood Floors 63

HF-JuneJuly09-ToolsPF.indd 63 5/28/09 1:24:13 PM Product Focus | Tools & Supplies Sanding Equipment

Ceno Group Bona US The Ceno Group’s Satellite Bona’s sanding discs fit any buffer, counter- systems feature rotate at 4 percent and turn the Bona Por- at 600 rpm. They remove table Dust Con- chatter and edger marks tainment System and flatten the floor three and the Bona times faster than hard- Edge, which plating, all while sanding offers a reduced the floor to a piano-top sanding arm but maintains the ergonomics and finish, the company says. feel of a traditional edger, the company says. Satellite discs reduce edging Both products are Greenguard-certified for in- time by 50 to 70 percent, and door air quality. they won’t remove spring wood, the company adds. www.bona.com www.floorsanding.com

Clarke American Sanders Cherryhill Manufacturing Corporation Clarke’s CE7 toe-kick and SE7 are two of The U-Sand Pro weighs 40 pounds less than the its latest sanding products. Both original U-Sand and is more aggressive. Utiliz- sanders are ideal for sanding ing Cherryhill Manufacturing Corporation’s along walls, closets and stair patented four-pad, random-orbital design, landings, the company says. the U-Sand Pro will not damage the floor, The CE7 Pro and Pro+ (pictured) the company says, adding that it works as a are designed to reach under sander, edger and buffer to provide a single, cabinets and shelving up to user-friendly machine. 3½ inches off the ground. www.u-sand.com www.americansanders.com

Essex Silver-Line Corporation Essex Silver-Line Corporation makes the SL7D2 Edger. It incorporates an interior deflector, exterior brush, adjustable glide bar and vacuum hookup. Essex recommends pairing its edger and a vacuum system with Oneida Air Systems’ Dust Deputy for optimal results. www.essex-silver-line.com Fast USA This Plymouth-Mass. based Galaxy Floor Sanding Machines company is new to the U.S. vacuum market and offers a Breaking the traditional mold of a belt sander be- full line of products, including ing only a finishing machine, Galaxy’s Omega 8 upright, wet-tank and dry-tank combines power and refinement, the company vacuums. says. With an optimum balance of drum www.fastusafloorcare.com speed and pressure plus the company’s patented belt-tension mechanism, Omega 8 delivers optimum performance every time, the company adds. www.galaxymachines.com

64 Hardwood Floors ■ June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-ToolsPF.indd 64 5/28/09 1:24:22 PM Product Focus | Tools & Supplies Sanding Equipment

Künzle & Tasin SPA Metabo Corporation Künzle and Tasin manufactures Metabo now offers a 6-inch, random- a complete range of sanding orbit sander that easily switches from equipment, including its rede- fast stock removal to fine finishing at signed Blizzard edger, a complete the touch of a button, it says. SXE450 distressing and abrad- TurboTec offers from 8,400 to 22,000 orbits per minute at an adjustable orbit ing system, dust control 1 systems, and a new line size of either ⁄8-inch for fine finishing or of sanding abrasives, the ¼-inch for stock removal. company says. www.metabousa.com www.kunzletasin.com

Powr-Flite Oneida Air Systems The all new Powr-Flite BlackMax The Oneida Vortex floor machine is an easy-to-use DCS Dust Contain- and durable floor machine, the ment Systems capture company says. The one-piece dust at the source for roto-molded polyethylene housing is the cleanest dustless virtually indestructible, and the “no- sanding possible, riser” design features a low center the company says. of gravity for improved control and Its patented cyclone maneuverability, the company says. technology captures www.powr-flite.com the dust at the sander and eliminates blowout, and the included HEPA filters further capture fine particles. www.oneidavac.com U.S. Sander LLC U.S. Sander’s newest portable indoor dust Revolution Inc. containment system will outdraw up to The Revolution Floor Dog three sanders, increasing dust pickup, while 175 strips, scrubs, sands and also being able to vent waste air outside, hardplates at 1.5 hp and 175 the company says. It has a 40-square-foot rpm. Up to 50 pounds of non-clogging filter and a large 99 percent- extra down-pressure can be efficient cyclone that deposits dust into a added with the Floor Dog 40-gallon plastic bag. Weight Set, and users www.ussander.com can control sanding dusts with a skirt that wraps around the machine apron. www.101revolution.com Woodwise/Design Hardwood Products Woodwise Dust Collection Bags are made from 12-ounce brushed denim for maximum UFloor Systems Inc. durability, the company says. UFloor recently unveiled the Mil- All sewn edges are finished for lennium Cobra, a sleek and func- added strength and to prevent tional sander featuring a poly-v raveling. The bags open wide serpentine drive belt system, drum for easy emptying, and hemmed lever handle, three- or four-wheel drawstrings ensure complete design, 8-inch telescoping closure. The bags are available in large-sander, large-edger steering handle and a and double-bottom-edger sizes. headlight. www.woodwise.com www.ufloorsystems.com

June|July 2009 ■ Hardwood Floors 65

HF-JuneJuly09-ToolsPF.indd 65 5/28/09 1:24:31 PM Product Focus | Tools & Supplies Other

Basic Coatings Basic’s Dirt Dragon Beno J. Gundlach Co. floor prep and clean- The Fein SuperCut is an oscillation tool. It is the ing machine effort- preferred choice of hardwood installers who lessly removes dirt need maximum power, fast cutting capability and surface con- and increased productivity, the company says. taminants from Swappable cutting heads enables the tool to any floor perform: sawing, rasping, de-grouting, under- type, cutting, mortar removal and plank replacement. including grouted, www.benojgundlachco.com raised rubber and hardwood, the company says. Powered by a 1.5-hp engine, it can be used as a vacuum or auto scrubber. Covermaster Inc. www.basiccoatings.com Covermaster II is precision-engineered with retractable outriggers to reduce tipping, roller end collars to prevent finger pinching, safety bolts to hold each roller captive, and six casters Bona US for better load spread, the company says. Infor- Bona offers the Bona mational DVDs are available, too. Microfiber Mop for www.covermaster.com cleaning the job site. When used dry it picks up loose Festool dust particles before The Festool TS 75 and TS 55 plunge-cut saws have sealing or staining a cabinet-saw precision, panel-saw functionality and sanded floor. It can portable-saw versatility for a single job-site solution, also be used to wet- the company says. The included guide rail system tack between coats of and splinterguard make straight, splinter-free, glue- finish. The Bona Mi- ready cuts, and the plunge action with precision crofiber Cleaning Pad depth adjustment facilitates installation and repairs. is washable for more than 300 uses. www.festoolusa.com www.bona.com Glitsa American Inc. Glitsa’s Tack Mop is designed for professional flooring contractors. It features a telescopic, stainless steel pole with locking mechanism and grip. Wet- and Easy Groove Tooling LLC dry-reusable microfiber pads attach to the angled, swivel-motion head. Tacking floors provides a flaw- Easy Groove less finish. Also, Glitsa’s Safeglides floor protectors, router bits have featuring a tap-in nickel-plated rivet, protect furni- become standard ture from scratching floors. for job-site- created tongue- www.glitsa.com and-groove floor joints, the company says. The top- Hardwood Industry Products bearing design allows users to rout grooves in flooring that has already Hardwood Industry Products offers a variety been laid. The bits feature C-2 carbide of products, including a scraper, complete tips, heat-treated shanks, replace- with a rolled hook blade that allows for a able cutter heads and a tough plastic deep, hand-hewn and distressed look; the container. blade is interchangeable. The company also offers Router 66, a router for use with glued, engineered, tongue and groove, and solid flooring, and the Installation ProBar, which ensures tight boards when installing. www.hardwoodindustry.com

66 Hardwood Floors ■ June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-ToolsPF.indd 66 5/28/09 1:24:43 PM Product Focus | Tools & Supplies Other

HID Ultraviolet HID Ultraviolet manufac- Jefferson Tool LLC tures portable UV floor curing equipment The Extractor is ideal for re- and handheld moving exposed cleats, nails systems. The and staples. The patented company’s prod- design eliminates the risk of ucts can be used shearing and slippage. Its to cure wood, parallel jaws automatically concrete, vinyl and increase gripping force. tile floors using proprietary www.nailextractor.com instant start technology. www.hiduv.com

Jungle Jim Tools Mercer Abrasives Jungle Jim Mercer’s hand-scrapers add the finishing touch Tools has to hardwood flooring jobs. Available in 11 reintroduced inches with either rubber-molded or premium the Cobra hardwood handles, these scrapers feature Classic with a blades in 1, 1½ and 2 inches, with refills. 9-inch bam- www.mercerabrasives.com boo handle; it uses standard 2 ½ -inch cobra blades. The original long Pro Comfort LLC handle Cobra is also available. Pro Comfort’s 6-inch extension handles can retrofit pneumatic nailers to help relieve back fatigue. The company also offers a complemen- tary mallet with an 8-inch handle. Porta-Nails Inc. The products come with a 30-day Porta-Nails offers its PortaJack-Pro complete satisfaction, money-back floor tightening jack. The guarantee. PortaJack-Pro provides www.procomfortfloortools.com more than a ton of force and is designed to hold flooring strips and keep them in place for nailing. It can also straighten crooked or bowed flooring strips. www.porta-nails.com Woodwise/Design Hardwood Products While Woodwise is known for its Powr-Flite wood fillers and cleaners, it also All of Powr-Flite’s safety carries tools and supplies developed glasses meet ANSI “high specifically for hardwood floor- impact” standards and are ing professionals. They include the designed for a long-wearing, V-Groove Scraper, Nosing Scraper, comfortable fit. Options in- Sharpening File, Nail Set, Paper Re- clude sunglasses, high-style or tention Bolt, Smooth-Edge Finishing economically priced glasses. Trowels and more. www.powr-flite.com www.woodwise.com

June|July 2009 ■ Hardwood Floors 67

HF-JuneJuly09-ToolsPF.indd 67 5/28/09 1:25:05 PM Product Focus | Imported Wood Flooring Special Advertising Section

Into the Wild

mported wood ﬂ ooring continues to gain traction in this Iindustry. This section shows offerings from some of the leaders—all advertisers in this issue—of imported wood ﬂ ooring. For more information, visit the manufacturer’s Web site.

Mullican Flooring Mullican Floor- ing produces 20 exotic species made from imported hardwoods, available in solid prefinished, solid unfinished and engineered prefinished. All of these hardwoods are carefully chosen and milled from M.L. Condon Co. legal origins, including forests in Asia. Mullican’s most M.L. Condon Co. imports exotic hard- recent exotic additions include the MeadowBrooke woods like Brazilian cherry, wenge, teak, products, unveiled last year, and its African Legends mahogany, rosewood, nogal, cumaru and collection, introduced in 2007. ipé. It also mills products to customer www.mullicanflooring.com specifications. The tongue-and-groove flooring can have edges that are square or beveled, while ends can be rough, cross- cut square, or end-matched. www.condonlumber.net

68 Hardwood Floors ■ June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-ImpPF.indd 68 5/28/09 1:23:03 PM Product Focus | Imported Wood Flooring Special Advertising Section

Sheoga Hardwood Flooring Weyerhaeuser Company & Paneling Inc. Lyptus solid and engineered flooring is harder than oak and less expensive than cherry, Weyer- haeuser says, adding that it is also elegant, durable and eco-friendly. Sheoga’s densest offering is solid, ¾ -inch thick jatoba, The flooring is or Brazilian cherry. The product features a deep, available in six reddish-brown color. It is available in multiple widths, unfinished or prefinished colors. Lyptus has tongue- including 2¼, 3¼, 4¼, or 5¼ inches; wider widths are and-groove construction and natural hardness, and available upon request. Products can be finished or its low VOCs make it a healthy choice, as well, the unfinished. company notes. www.sheogaflooring.com www.lyptus.com

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June|July 2009 ■ Hardwood Floors 69

HF-JuneJuly09-ImpPF.indd 69 6/2/09 9:17:30 AM Industry News | Notes

Trout River Lumber LLC (Crewe, Va.) has added BNB Anhui Longhua Solutions LLC (Liberty, N.C.) as manufacturer representatives. BNB was cofounded by industry veterans Bob Bamboo Purchases Huckabee and Bruce Boulden. iFloor Assets Distributor News nhui Longhua Bamboo Product Co. Ltd. (Indus- Wood Pro Inc. (Auburn, Mass.) has moved into a new Atrial Zone, Huoshan County, China) purchased the 13,000-square-foot building, complete with a store, iFloor (Tukwila, Wash.) name and inventory from its Tuk- showroom and warehouse; the company will hold an wila warehouse for $1.925 million during an estate auction, open house this summer. Its new address is: 421 Wash- according to bankruptcy court documents. The purchase ington St., Auburn, MA 01501. For more information, call also included Internet domain names, trademarks, copy- 508/832-3291 or fax 508/832-7147. Also, Mercier Wood rights, telephone lists and customer lists. Anhui Longhua Flooring Inc. (Montmagny, Quebec) has added Wood is one of the largest manufacturers of bamboo products in Pro as a distributor for New England. Wood Pro has six China, according to its Web site, www.guoyabamboo.com. locations in New York, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, iFloor representatives did not return phone calls. Lumber Massachusetts and Maine. Liquidators (Toano, Va.) bought iFloor’s Dalton, Ga., in- ChilCo Diversified LLC (Akron, Ohio) is now a distrib- ventory for $1.2 million. iFloor declared Chapter 11 bank- utor for Sika Corporation (Lyndhurst, N.J.) in Ohio and ruptcy Dec. 4. It now operates one showroom in Tukwila; western Pennsylvania. ChilCo’s Mike Childress can be at its height the company operated 36 locations. reached at 330/714-6900 or [email protected]. Manufacturer News ENiTo Flooring Pte. Ltd. (Singapore) is seeking distrib- About 450 former employees of Hoboken Wood Floor- utors and importers in the United States. Those interested ing LLC will receive a total of $1.05 million, or just more should contact the company at [email protected] or than $2,000 apiece, as part of a preliminary settlement No. 23 Tai Seng Drive, #05-00, Singapore 535224. they reached with former owner Code Hennessey & Patriot Hardwood Floors and Supply Inc. (Wilming- Simmons LLC (Chicago), according to NorthJersey.com. ton, Mass.) is now a distributor for Cikel America LLC The workers filed suit against the company in response (Miami) in the Northeast; Patriot will service Cikel with to a federal law that stipulates large companies must its Wilmington and Pompton Plains, N.J., locations. Also, give employees 60 days’ written notice of a closing or Cikel has appointed Century Flooring Distributors mass layoff. On Nov. 5, 2007, Hoboken abruptly closed (Miami) its distributor for Florida, Latin America and the its doors and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection Caribbean Islands. after more than 77 years in business; the company was Wicanders Cork Flooring (Montmagny, Quebec) has liquidated weeks later due to lack of assets. At its height appointed Architectural Systems Inc. (New York) its the company employed 1,000 workers and operated 20 distributor in the commercial segment for the metropoli- branches from Maine to Florida. tan New York and New Jersey areas. A Washington District Court has upheld a ruling in favor Amorim Flooring North America (Hanover, Md.) of Smith & Fong Company’s (San Francisco) posi- has appointed All Tile Inc. (Elk Grove Village, Ill.) its tion that its strand bamboo products do not infringe on distributor for Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, patents held by Teragren Fine Bamboo Flooring, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Panels & Veneer (Bainbridge, Wash.). The court denied South Dakota and Wisconsin. a motion for reconsideration on behalf of Teragren, thus upholding a position reached earlier this year by a United Glitsa American Inc. (Seattle, Wash.) has appointed States district judge. Seaport Hardwoods & Flooring (Tualatin, Ore.) a MAPEI Corporation (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) has ac- full-line distributor of Glitsa finishes and maintenance quired the assets of All-Purpose Adhesive Company products. For more information, call 800/527-8111. (Dalton, Ga.) from Southland Group Enterprises Inc. (Louisville, Ky.) for an undisclosed price. All-Purpose’s Correction facilities will remain in Dalton; all of its employees are The “Exhibitor Showcase” section of the April/May being kept as well. All-Purpose manufactures adhesives 2009 issue of Hardwood Floors should have said that 90 for the installation of wood, resilient flooring, carpet, percent of the materials in Waterlox Coatings Corp.’s ceramic tiles and vinyl composition tiles. (Cleveland) Original finish is from renewable resources.

70 Hardwood Floors Q June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-Notes.indd 70 5/28/09 1:22:10 PM Industry News | People

Manufacturer News Inc. and Tembec as a consultant. Jack Clark has joined Frank Miller Robina Floors (Kennesaw, Ga.) has Lumber Co. (Union City, Ind.) as presi- appointed John Mitchell regional sales dent/CEO. Clark most recently worked manager for the western United States. as senior vice president for distributor Mitchell was previously employed by North Pacific. Schlage Lock Company. EcoTimber (Richmond, Calif.) has ap- Harris Wood (Johnson City, Tenn.) has pointed Dale Payton-Engle its new appointed John Stopka manufacturer’s John Mitchell Jack Clark CEO. Payton-Engle has held the posi- representative for Illinois and Wisconsin; tions of COO and CFO since joining Stopka has 19 years’ experience in the flooring industry. EcoTimber in May 2008. Bob Chananie has been named north- Distributor News east regional sales director at Stauf-USA Geysir Hardwood Floors (Mamaroneck, N.Y.) has ap- Adhesive LLC (Memphis, Tenn.). Most pointed Antonio Latella vice president; Latella has been recently he served as northeast regional with the company for 13 years. manager for the Elias Wilf Corporation. Satin Finish Hardwood Flooring Retailer/Contractor News Ltd. (Toronto, Ontario) has named Lumber Liquidators (Toano, Va.) has named Seth Dale Payton-Engle Bob Woolley territory manager for Levy senior vice president, information technology, and southwestern Ontario and the Niagara CIO. Levy will oversee all technology functions at the Peninsula. Woolley most recently worked for Goodfellow company.

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June|July 2009 ■ Hardwood Floors 71

HF-JuneJuly09-People.indd 71 6/2/09 9:23:57 AM Industry News | Products

1 MAPEI’s Planiprep FF is a cement-based, skimcoating and patching compound. It is used to provide a smooth surface for the installation of wood, tile, carpet, or vinyl. It is one of MAPEI’s FastTrack Ready products, which are ready to receive flooring 30 to 60 minutes after application. www.mapei.com 1

2 All Globe Inc.’s new underlayment, Silicon Vapor Shield, is designed for radiant-heated hardwood flooring. It has been tested in 100-degree-Fahrenheit conditions without detection of breakdown or odor, the company says. www.allglobe.ca 2

3 Bruce Hardwood Flooring has unveiled its Rustics Lock & Fold collection. It features the company’s patented NextGen installation, which eliminates the need for adhesives, nails and staples. www.bruce.com

4 Loba-Wakol LLC has developed LEED-qualifying adhesives for hardwood and bamboo flooring: Wakol MS 3 260 for wood and Wakol D 3540 for cork. www.loba-usa.com

5 Cikel America’s Vila Velha line of exotic engineered Brazilian Cherry hardwood flooring is now available in the United States. The line is hand-scraped and rotary- cut. It is offered in 4-foot planks. 4 www.cikel.com.br

6 Eterna Hardwood Flooring has introduced White Oak WhiteSand (pictured) and White Oak Quartersawn. WhiteSand recalls seashore colors; Quartersawn comple- ments an elegant or refined décor, the company says. www.eternafloors.com 5

7 Sika Corporation’s SikaBond-T54 FC is solvent-free, low-odor and easy to clean up. The company says the product is environmentally friendly and offers full-surface bonding. 6 www.sikaconstruction.com

8 Minwax Corporation has unveiled its Super Fast- Drying Polyurethane, a 350 VOC-compliant finish. It is clear, durable, oil-based and specially formulated 7 for hardwood floors, the company says. No sanding is required between coats, and it can be re-coated in six to eight hours. www.minwax.com 8

72 Hardwood Floors ■ June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-Products.indd 72 5/28/09 12:13:17 PM Industry News | Events

Australian Timber Flooring Association Expo The 2010 International Builders’ Show Sept. 3-5, 2009 « Brisbane, Australia Jan. 19-22, 2010 « Las Vegas The ATFA exposition is Australia’s only hardwood-floor- For more information, call 800/368-5242, ext. 8111, or visit ing-exclusive event. For more information, call 61-2-9744- www.buildersshow.com. 5252, e-mail Julie McGraw at [email protected], or visit www.atfa.com.au. Surfaces 2010 Feb. 2-4, 2010 « Las Vegas Remodeling Show & Education Conference For more information, call 972/536-6358 or visit www. Oct. 27-30, 2009 « Indianapolis surfaces.com. Remodeling Show 2009 offers educational, networking and trade events. For more information, call 800/681-6970 Domotex Asia/ChinaFloor or visit www.theremodelingshow.com. March 23-25, 2010 « Shanghai, China For more information, contact Melody Shen at 86-21- Greenbuild 2009 6247-7668, or visit www.domotexasiachinafloor.com. Nov. 11-13, 2009 « Phoenix For more information, call 312/541-0567 or visit www. 25th Annual NWFA Education Conference greenbuildexpo.org. and 2010 Wood Flooring Expo March 22-25, 2010 « Washington, D.C. Domotex Hannover This show offers educational sessions, industry-specific Jan. 16-19, 2010 « Hannover, Germany exhibits and much more. For more information, call This show attracted 38,000 attendees and 1,394 exhibitors 800/422-4556 or visit www.nwfa.org. in 2009. For more information, call 562/901-9191 or visit www.domotex.de. For a list of NWFA technical schools, see page 14.

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June|July 2009 ■ Hardwood Floors 73

HF-JuneJuly09-Events.indd 73 5/26/09 4:28:17 PM AdIndex Get more information about advertisers in this issue by FREE visiting Hardwood Floors’ Online Resource online reader inquiry service. Center www.hwfmag.com/resourcecenter

Quickly locate an advertiser in this issue using the list below:

3M ...... 2 NWFA ...... 35

Absolute Coatings Inc...... 18 NWFA ...... 58

Allwoods Hardwood Flooring/Chess Floors ...... 69 Palo Duro Hardwoods Inc...... 7

Appalachian Lumber Co. Inc...... 69 Panel Town & Floors ...... 62

BLC Hardwood Flooring LLC ...... 15 Premiere Finishing & Coating LLC ...... 30

Bostik Inc...... 75 ProTeam Inc...... 34

Clarke American Sanders ...... 32 Real Wood Floors ...... 42

Dura Seal ...... 4 Sears Franchise Businesses ...... 62

Floor Style Products Inc...... 73 Shamrock Plank Flooring ...... 13

Glitsa American Inc...... 9 Sheoga Hardwood Flooring & Paneling Inc...... 26

Lignomat USA Ltd...... 53 Stauf-USA Adhesive LLC ...... 21

M.L. Condon Co. Inc...... 71 U.S. Sander LLC ...... 71

MAPEI Corporation ...... 23 W.D. Flooring ...... 76

Mercer Abrasives, div. of Mercer Tool Corp...... 11 Weyerhaeuser Company ...... 28

Mullican Flooring ...... 3 WoodCareUSA LLC ...... 53

Norton Abrasives ...... 24 Woodwise/Design Hardwood Products ...... 37

74 Hardwood Floors Q June|July 2009

HF-JuneJuly09-AdIndex.indd 74 6/2/09 9:24:27 AM The Future is Looking Greener

Zero Solvent Zero VOCs Moisture Cure Urethane

The Future of Your Hardwood Floors is looking Greener when installed with Bostik’s New and Improved TKO® WOOD FLOORING URETHANE ADHESIVE

BOSTIK’S TKO® is a one-part, trowel applied, moisture-cure urethane wood ﬂ ooring adhesive that offers:

• Zero Water • Zero Solvent • Zero VOC’s as calculated per SCAQMD 1168 • Is Easy to Spread • Holds a Better Ridge • Cleans up Easier than other MCU’s • Contributes to L.E.E.D® Credits TKO Wood Flooring Adhesive-pantent pending. • Contains Blockade™ Antimicrobial Protection

Making a Difference One Product at a Time.

For more information contact Bostik’s Customer Service Department at 1-888-592-8558 or email us at [email protected], Bostik, Inc. 211 Boston Street, Middleton, MA 01949

HF10_Bostik1008.indd119HF10_Bostik1008.indd 1 1 9/18/089/24/08 11:35:1810:20:46 AM “It’s a company that plays to our playbook. They drive niche products and it’s not just that, they are the best products in the market. They support us all the way down the line— 7s$ACTUALLYPULLSSALESTOOURCOMPANY/NEOFTHE great aspects of the company is that they are one of the few companies that is truly vertically integrated. A lot of guys talk that, but in reality, they don’t have the forest to back them up. It’s an old/new school mentality.” Bruce Whisenhunt 0ALO$URO—Customer Since ’00

Business is life. Operating from this philosophy your products and your relationships take on a different meaning. You understand that it isn’t about selﬁsh needs or desires—it is about sustaining a long-term relationship. For WsD it isn’t just about marketing and words—it’s about reputation, fulﬁlling your promises while standing with your customers all the way down the line. That’s what makes it real.

WsD is proud to be a FSC Smartwood program certiﬁed company. It reﬂects our past, present and future.

464HF11_WDFlr1108.indd 1 10/24/08 6:31:38 AM