Design Awards by WFB Editors the Award-Winning ﬂ Oors in Our Premier Contest

WOOD FLOOR A/M18 Empowering Wood Flooring Professionals BUSINESS

2018 DESIGN WF AWARDS BUSINESS

2018 State of the Industry | Why I’m Expensive | New Tool Reviews

AM18-DA-Cover.indd 1 3/13/18 4:11 PM 140 YEARS

PASSIONATE FOR WOOD SINCE 1878

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS PRODUCT QUALITY Osmo started as a small lumberyard in Behind every Osmo product stands the German woodland town of Neheim. over a century of experience, passion for wood, and perfected craftsmanship.

GLOBAL PLAYER WOOD MEETS COLOR Products from Osmo are sold in over As sole wood manufacturer, Osmo 60 countries and on six continents coats its own wood products with worldwide. finishes from its own development and production.

COMPANY TRADEMARK OPTIMAL SETUP High product quality has been the Thanks to an own planing mill and coating company trademark since the very production, Osmo has the optimal setup for beginning. product improvement and innovations.

Find out more – visit us at the NWFA Expo booth no. 1639 in Tampa from April 11 to 14!

www.osmousa.com www.osmo.ca

WF04_Osmo418.indd 1 3/9/18 11:42 AM Design Hardwood Products, Inc. woodwise.com

WF04_Woodwi418.indd 1 3/14/18 9:25 AM Inside A/M 2018 | v31.2 FEATURES 47 WFB Design Awards By WFB Editors The award-winning fl oors in our premier contest. 55 State of the Industry By Kim M. Wahlgren WFB’s annual wood fl ooring industry survey. 14 YOUR BUSINESS 16 Live and Learn By David Habib Getting my business out of my house (and my mind). 19 Legal Brief By Roy Reichow & Blake Nelson Who will pay for this bizarre fl ooring problem? 20 Retail By Mario Maichel What successful stores are doing to stand out. 24 Management By Angelo DeSanto A distinction I never wanted: being expensive. 28 ON THE JOB 31 Talking Shop What would you do with $10,000 for your 47 business? Our readers share their ideas. 32 Troubleshooting By Steven Rockfeld WOOD FLOOR A/M18 Gaps appear despite humidifi cation ... why? Empowering Wood Flooring Professionals BUSINESS

2018 DESIGN WF AWARDS 34 Tool Time BUSINESS By Kyle Neuroh & Sean James ON THE COVER: Reviews of the new Porter-Cable palm sander and 2018 Wood Floor Business Design Bosch square layout laser. Awards Best Commercial winner Schmidt Custom Floors Inc. 36 Techniques For more, see page 49. By Kim M. Wahlgren Photo: Dale Hall Photography 2018 State of the Industry | Why I’m Expensive | New Tool Reviews On the wood ﬂ ooring job: then and now, part 2.

PREMIUM PARTNERS:

4 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-TOC.indd 4 3/16/18 8:00 AM WF04_DuraS418.indd 1 3/16/18 4:32 PM Inside A/M 2018 | v31.2 IN EVERY ISSUE PRODUCT FOCUS 8 From the Editor For Advertisers: 10 Woodworks 67 Exhibitor Showcase for NWFA Wood 72 New Products Flooring Expo 73 Ad Index 74 End Grain 74 Social Stay informed and get involved via our online and social offerings As Seen on Social Media… FINDING GOOD HELP is one of the most important issues facing our industry (just see the feedback in our State of the Industry report starting on page 55 for more on that), so it’s no surprise that one of the most popular posts on the WFB social media pages recently was this meme. Are you on social media? Make sure you are part of the WFB communities on Facebook, Instagram and more.

WFB by the Numbers Wood Floor Business spans print, digital and social media. Do you want to share your message with wood ﬂ ooring retailers, contractors, distributors and more? Find out how WFB can help: info.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com. 23,500 17,071 27,938 Audited Print Subscribers E-News Subscribers Social Media Connections

6 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-TOC.indd 6 3/15/18 5:50 PM A craftsman’s canvas for jobsite creativity.

Come see us at NWFA 2018 Expo in Tampa, Booth 1539, April 12th & 13th.

Palallmalmmannn MagMagagicic Oill 2K2K FiFinnisissh “Vision is the art of seeing what is invisible to others.” Johnathan Swift

LacrosseFlooring.com 608-634-3072

WF04_LaCros418.indd 1 3/13/18 6:05 AM FROM THE EDITOR Publication Staff EDITORIAL By Kim M. Wahlgren Kim M. Wahlgren | Editor Ryan Kushner | Assistant Editor Maribeth Fleischmann | Art Director What makes you Marjorie Schultz | Digital Production Manager Scott Packel | Production Assistant

EDITORIAL AND ADVERTISING OFFICES | AB MEDIA INC. memorable? 22 E. Miffl in St., Suite 910 | Madison, WI 53703 (608) 249-0186 | (800) 722-8764 | F: (608) 249-1153 ast weekend my daughter and I went to Cabela’s editors@woodfl oorbusiness.com | www.woodfl oorbusiness.com on Saturday morning to try on hiking boots. We Gretchen Kelsey Brown | CEO L had a tight time frame before having to rush to Peter Brown | President somewhere else. As we pulled into the crowded parking lot, we saw a canopy was set up outside the front doors Shawn Gahagan | Group Publisher where a man was off ering samples of grilled chicken Cooper Brown | Audience Development Coordinator with the Cabela’s seasoning. (It had been too long since Jared Bruley | Marketing Director breakfast, so he was a particularly happy surprise.) Upon Jodi Chamberlain | Sales Coordinator entering, we passed another canopy where staff were Kate Rampone | Marketing Associate helping kids practice archery. Then an announcement came over the loudspeakers that we shouldn’t miss Sean Ray | IT Manager them feeding the fi sh in 10 minutes and should gather Erika Reise | Online Producer at the fi sh tank. As we headed to the back of the store Sadye Ring | Graphic Designer to the footwear, to my sugar-oriented daughter’s joy, we came across a table with multitudes of fudge samples. Editorial Advisory Committee Eventually we made our way to the boots, where we Howard Brickman | Brickman Consulting found nothing in stock that fi t. Before we left, we felt Stephen Diggins | Wood Pro Inc. compelled to detour to the fi sh tank, where by then a Tim McCool | MAPEI Corp. large crowd had gathered … to watch them feed fi sh. We Robert McNamara | Basic Coatings lingered there, even though we were supposed to be in a hurry. It seemed there must be something compelling Paul Pleshek | National Academy of Floor Covering Training happening if all these people were standing there Jenny Riddle | Castlewood Inc. looking at fi sh. Todd Schutte | Bona US Why am I bothering to tell you this? It perfectly Genia Smith | Accent Hardwood Flooring Inc. illustrates the point our author makes in our retail column in this issue on page 20: When people come to your store, they are comparing their experience to the best retailers out there, not the fl ooring store down the street. My daughter and I drove all the way across town Advertising Sales to a place that ended up not having what we needed, yet Kendra Griffi n | National Account Manager I would like an excuse to go back, and I think I will even kendra@woodfl oorbusiness.com drag along my shopping-allergic son, since he would (800) 722-8764 x107 | F: (608) 249-1153 have liked to try the archery ... and see the fi sh ... and try info.woodfl oorbusiness.com the fudge. You don’t have to do something on the massive scale of Cabela’s to be memorable. Take it from me, even a table of fudge samples will go a long way toward creating a lasting positive impact.

CHANGE OF ADDRESS: In order to ensure uninterrupted delivery of Wood Floor Business, notice of change should be made at least five weeks in advance. Direct all subscription mail to Wood Floor Business, P.O. Box 47705, Plymouth, MN 55447, call 800/869-6882 or fax 866/658-6156. For faster service, visit us online at www. woodfloorbusiness.com/subscribe. Single-copy price is $8, Annual Resource Book is $50. Subscription price is $40 for seven issues in the U.S.A. and Canada. Wood Floor Business is published bimonthly, plus the annual industry Resource Book in Kim M. Wahlgren November, and distributed without charge to qualified individuals in the wood flooring industry. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Wood Floor Business, P.O. Box 47705, Plymouth, MN 55447. Canadian Publication Mail Agreement #42330013. Printed in the U.S.A. © 2018 AB Media Inc. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ISSN 2475-4226 (Print), ISSN 2575-4242 (Online) Periodicals Postage Paid at Madison, Wisconsin, and at additional mailing offices.

8 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-Editor.indd 8 3/16/18 9:47 AM WF02_Stauf217.indd 1 1/20/17 8:16 AM ObservationsWOOD from the industry WORKS

Glowing wood ﬂ oors put fun in the ﬁ nish

T WAS A background in medicine—along with a desire says aided in the creation of Glowry. “I thought it wasn’t to have fun—that led Carlos Mongalo Jr. and his father, going to work, to be honest with you,” Carlos Jr. says of the ICarlos Mongalo Sr., to develop a wood fl oor fi nish that mixture he’d concocted for the fi nish. Then he turned off glows in the dark. With the playful name of Glowry, their the lights. “And I was like, ‘Whoa,’” he recalls, “‘it works.’” eye-catching water-based fi nish illuminates wood fl ooring Available in multiple colors, the fi nish is most effective on in the dark and produces a fl uorescent neon-like shine ash and currently is offered only as a prefi nished fl oor. Kids’ under black lights. “I want to do something fun and, to entertainment rooms have been some of the most popular me, Glowry is very fun,” says the younger Carlos, 29. The projects for Glowry so far, and the company has also done idea for the fi nish came after his father showed him a bowling alleys, lounge restaurants and bedrooms. And fl orescent stain he had been developing and he wondered: though the Mongalos both left medicine for wood fl oors, “How can I make this wood glow in the dark?” Luckily, both they’re not done working with hospitals. Earlier this year, father and son have backgrounds in chemistry. The elder Holtz Children’s Hospital in Miami reached out to have Carlos practiced as a doctor from 1982–87 before founding Glowry installed in some of its patient rooms. “Kids and wood fl ooring company Mongalo Designs in Miami, Fla., colors, it brings the joy to their heart,” Carlos Jr. says. 29 years ago. Carlos Jr. also studied pre-med in college “When you’re living at the hospital and it’s dull, I think this before switching his major to business, an experience he will give them some excitement. Especially the glow.”—R.K.

10 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-WoodWorks.indd 10 3/15/18 5:46 PM WF04_Norton418.indd 1 3/12/18 10:06 AM TalkBack Here are our favorite responses shared by our readers on the WFB Facebook and Instagram pages.

WoodWood Floor Floor Business Business TodayToday

CheckCheck out out these these responses. responses. Jeff McGaughey “Can you take my gun up to the gunsmith?” … and then the gun went off and shot down the hallway.

Photo from tomhaynes81 “Isn’t social media there any way to hook the piano up from the cawoodworksmt ceiling?” “Will you take goats in trade?”

TK ttttkkk tk the Steve Potter “Someone is coming in What’s the craziest at night and changing the grain.” This text is yet to come, same lady said someone was putting thing a customer tktktktk, tktkt tk cracks in her driveway at night and has said to you? reported it to the police. tkktktktktkkkk?

Altieres Goncalves A lady bought a gallon of Traffi c fi nish, used only half of it and wanted to return the other half. She was very adamant about it. Bill Bagley “Those two boards in the middle are so much lighter. I can’t live with that!” “But ma’am, this Paul Barrella I told this couple, “I can is a 20-year-old fl oor. You’ve Neil Rush I had a lady turn an old fl oor into a teenager again.” already lived with that.” insist that I try on a The guy replied, “What can you do about pair of very expensive my wife?” designer jeans that she had just purchased for her husband. “You know, just to make sure they look nice enough to give to him.” Scott Wallace “Do you (No, I didn’t do it.) mind if I’m naked while Jorge Perez An elderly lady you work in my house?” with a walker and oxygen tank sat watching me most of the day. She fi nally said to me, “You have a very nice oldschool_hyde “Can I pay a$$.” LOL! It was an awkward you in gift cards?” two days after that as she Mark Villafuerte “You got continued to sit about and sawdust on my snow.” watch me like a piece of steak.

12 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-WoodWorks.indd 12 3/15/18 5:47 PM WOOD WORKS Flooring could be a Caption Contest new energy source The Winner “You know how you cut my nails more often because of these ﬂ oors? Well ... I chewed the heels off of your shoes. Now we are even.”

We asked you to submit your suggested caption for this photo, and our online readers voted. Congratulations to winner Bob Alberding of Brick, N.J. Besides fame and notoriety, Alberding will receive a Wood Floor Business trucker hat. Other favorites included: Top: A device records the voltage produced as Assistant Professor “Mom buys expensive shoes but cheap laminate. Where’s the Xudong Wang presses his hand on an electricity-producing fl oor real wood?” prototype. Bottom: Wang (right) and Research Assistant Chunhua – Walter Miller, North Tonawanda, N.Y. Yao in their laboratory at the University of Wisconsin. “Watch me as I’m about to execute a custom reactive stain.” – Rui Goncalves, Warren, N.J. OLAR POWER, WIND power … fl oor power? A recent invention is successfully harvesting usable energy Sfrom the simple action of walking across a fl oor. “It’s a good way to reduce your electricity use from the grid,” says … and your next Associate Professor Xudong Wang from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who developed the method. Here’s chance to win: how it works: Two layers of wood pulp are put inside an engineered fl ooring product. One layer is treated with a chemical that makes it attract electrons, while the other is not treated and repels electrons. A person steps on the fl oor and causes a compression that, however minuscule, pushes the two layers together. When the person’s foot comes up, the layers separate, and that action creates an electrical charge. The charge is channeled out of the fl oor through embedded wires and can power lights or charge batteries. The technology is still in prototype stage, but the prototypes are getting bigger. What started as a single plank has now turned into a working, 96-square-foot electricity fl oor walked on by thousands daily at a student union on campus. And Wang eventually sees the technology making waves at larger venues, where the footfall would be in the millions and the electricity produced could make a real Now it’s your turn again! Send your suggested caption to impact. “If you put it in a stadium or in a shopping mall, [email protected] with “Caption Contest” then we’re talking about a whole different level of input,” he in the subject line, then watch the WFB E-News for your says. “Then we’re talking kilowatts.”—A.A. chance to vote for a winner.

www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com April|May 2018 ■ ood Floor Business 13

AM18-WoodWorks.indd 13 3/15/18 12:15 PM Business advice for the wood ﬂ oor pro YOUR BUSINESS

“ The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange WORDS for it.” —HENRY DAVID THOREAU OF AMERICAN ESSAYIST, PHILOSOPHER & NATURALIST (1817–1862) WISDOM SOCIAL STUDIES He believed in me How to still be seen on Facebook Kathleen Freeman of Absolute Coatings grew up on wood flooring job sites and says her dad had a huge impact on her acebook has begun to life and her career as a wood floor pro: prioritize posts F y dad from family and would friends over posts always from businesses, M say, “No one and the change is knows everything, already drastically and each of us can impacting your wood learn something floor business’s page. from everyone. So Facebook CEO Mark when you work Zuckerberg said the with these other reason was to present content that sparks meaningful social interactions, contractors, pay although for businesses that rely on Facebook, it can appear to be more of attention. They a play to get more boosted (paid) posts. Zuckerberg explained what this may have a better way to do something. Always looks like: “As we roll this out, you’ll see less public content, like posts from be willing to learn.” The fi rst time I ever went businesses, brands and media.” to work with another contractor I was nervous If you pay attention to your business’s Facebook posts at all, you’ve because I wasn’t probably seen a significant decrease in organic reach. What can you do to sure if I could continue reaching your customers on Facebook? According to Hootsuite: sand with their 1) Create meaningful interactions. Businesses need to step up their content machines, so I game and create posts that encourage engagement and conversation among asked my dad if I their fans. Users will see posts that friends and family are engaging with. could bring his to 2) ... but don’t bait engagement. The spammy content posts you see the job site. His begging for likes, comments or shares have been demoted. response was, 3) The “See First” option. Encourage your followers to go to your page and “A real fl ooring click the “See First” button, located underneath “Following” on your page (as contractor can shown in the image above). work with any 4) Pay money. The least favorite option is to “boost” a post to increase machine,” and views. Fortunately, boosting a post can be done inexpensively—fewer than if I didn’t think I $10—and still achieve success, although businesses are finding they have to was able to do that, he “wasted his time on me pay more for the same amount of reach as they received before. teaching me the trade.” Guess what, I was able Above all, make sure you closely watch how your Facebook posts perform to work with the other contractor’s machines. by using the “Insights” tab on your page. My dad made me better and gave me the Do you have a question about social media? Send it to editors@ confi dence to do what I do. He believed in me woodfl oorbusiness.com even when I had doubts.

14 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-YBOpener.indd 14 3/14/18 2:05 PM WF10_HomeL1017.indd 1 9/18/17 9:28 AM Q YOUR BUSINESS LIVE & LEARN By David Habib

Getting my business out of my house (and my mind)

N MY LIFE as a wood fl ooring pro, I’ve found that when you fi nally pull the trigger on what seemed like a scary decision, you realize you Ishouldn’t have waited so long. You look back and say, “What was I thinking? Why did I see it as such an home. Of course, there were many times I obstacle? How did I manage to work before thought about getting a separate location; this?” After you make the decision, you’re it’s something I dreamed about in the back so relieved and wondering why the hell of my mind. I wanted more space, but taking you thought it was so hard. I felt like that on the additional costs and responsibility when I started my company, and also after I seemed like a big mountain to climb. I hired a salesperson for the fi rst time. I had felt like I was saving money running the another moment like that last October, after business out of my house, and I wondered: I physically—and mentally—moved my What would moving to a separate location business out of my house. do to my costs? Like many wood fl ooring pros, I was Being busy with day-to-day activities had running my installation and refi nishing me putting off thinking about it, but as we business, which I started in 2004, out of my added more trucks and more guys (right now we have six employees; we usually have Getting my business out of between six and eight), it started to weigh more heavily on our family. There were my garage and into a separate always guys coming in at diff erent hours, location is one of the best from early in the morning to late in the decisions I’ve made. evening, and we had to be there, or if we weren’t there, we had to give them access to go inside. It isn’t that you don’t trust your guys, but with an open door, there’s no privacy. My boys are three, fi ve and seven, and in the morning, the guys would be coming to the house getting their work orders and trying to get material, and my kids would be running around and checking things out while I was trying to talk to the guys, all while keeping the kids safe, and that became tough. Our whole garage was really committed to the business. We have a two-car garage, so I couldn’t store tons of material in there, but we had shelves where I could store enough fi nish, sandpaper, wood for repairs and other supplies so that we weren’t always running out to buy it. I’d try to keep a space open because my wife wanted to park in the garage (hardly an unreasonable request in

16 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-LiveLearn.indd 16 3/15/18 9:51 AM WF04_FloDe1_418.indd 1 3/9/18 11:42 AM Q YOUR BUSINESS LIVE & LEARN

New Jersey) but it was a challenge, o’clock and you were going to to say the least. Of course there take a phone call but the kids are was no place for the kids’ bikes getting home from school—people and stuff like that, so it was always think you’re running a daycare disorganized, and the garage was on the side! Sometimes I had always dirty and dusty from trying customers coming to my house to to do a lot of activity business-wise give me a deposit or a payment, NWFA Booth #1527 in a small amount of space. and they would tell me, “Oh, I was I could also tell the neighbors expecting a building!” They knew were not thrilled with all the our company and our reputation, trucks coming in and out each day, and it looked professional from which I could understand. all other aspects, but the missing Finally I started to put a list piece was a place to actually together of the things I was do business. It’s also a huge spending money on that having improvement when you’re hiring a new place might counter. We employees; you really don’t want were spending tons of money to be interviewing them at your on disposal costs, because we try house. to provide a full service for the Now that the business is out, customer where they don’t have it’s almost like we have an addition to deal with anything—no hassle on our house. What was my offi ce and no mess. So we had a recycling is now a family room/computer company coming and picking room for the kids, and we up trash at every job, which was refi nished the fl oors and painted. getting costly. I was paying for The garage is totally redone with parking at a site half a mile up the new paint, polished concrete road that wasn’t a secure location, fl oors, organized bikes and toys, and one of our trucks got stolen. and the cars can fi t in there all We had some insurance coverage, the time now, no problem! It’s a but we ended up losing about diff erent world when I go home. $10,000 because the truck was full Having more space is great, but of new equipment. (They found probably the best change is that I the truck empty up in Newark; can leave work mentally. Before, I the police said that’s what thieves would work in my offi ce at home, do—steal your truck, empty it and eat dinner, put the kids to bed and ditch it.) go back to my offi ce doing work- These cost pressures were related things. Now when I leave adding up, and then my wife came my offi ce, I don’t go back, and I across a place for rent that was don’t notice any diff erence in the literally less than a quarter mile amount of production, either. from our house. It had everything Before, it was easy to end up there that was on my list that I needed: doing day-to-day tasks, fi ddling • a place for me to put a around. Now if I am working from dumpster home, I’m doing something to • large storage area improve my company, working on • a fenced-in area to park my my business instead of in it! trucks Looking back, I wish I would • a small offi ce. have made the change sooner. And the price was good. I Just like with the challenges of realized I was actually going to starting my business or hiring save money. more employees, now I have to I moved the business in ask: What’s the next thing in my October, and now that we have business that I’m putting off and this location, I can get to work, viewing as such a major obstacle focus and get things done in that I should just go after? a professional manner. When you’re working from home you David Habib is owner at Matawan, N.J.-based have distractions. Maybe it’s three Prestige Wood Flooring LLC.

18 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-LiveLearn.indd 18 3/15/18 9:51 AM By Roy Reichow & LEGAL BRIEF YOUR BUSINESS Q Blake Nelson

Who will pay for this bizarre wood ﬂ ooring problem?

The Homeowners’ Issue toilet, and furniture storage. The customers purchased a new engineered The manufacturer caused the problem. prefi nished wood fl oor from a local fl ooring However, like most companies that make retailer. The fl oor was glued down over a fl ooring, this manufacturer’s warranty limits plywood subfl oor throughout their main its liability to only product replacement, not fl oor and into the bathrooms. After six labor for tearout and replacement. months, they noticed a couple light-colored So who pays? It depends if the retailer’s areas within the knots. They called the and installer’s contracts included similar retailer to take a look. Both the retailer and disclaimers for defective materials. It could the installer went to the home to review the also depend on who hired the installer. It owners’ concerns. The installer said he could would be typical for a fl ooring store to hire fi x the areas by using a hot-melt system. the installer; if so, is there an agreement with Once the repairs were done, four months the store that requires the installer to cover passed, and 10 more spots began to show. labor for warranty issues? If the homeowner The retailer came out again and decided to hired the installer, the installer should have call the manufacturer’s rep to fi le a claim. no liability for extra labor costs since the The manufacturer contacted an inspector. fl ooring was purchased from the retailer. If the homeowners cannot pin the extra Roy: The Inspector’s Observations costs on someone else, they would legally be I observed multiple areas where the knots stuck paying for them. With that said, from a were fi lled with wood fi ller, however there public relations standpoint, it would be hard were also wooden plugs below the fi ller. The for the fl ooring store to hang its customer plugs were round in shape, like poker chips, out to dry by refusing to stand behind the and were coming loose and breaking up the product or help with the replacement costs. wood fi ller. Using a dental pick to break The “high road” would be for the retailer away the fi ller, I could see these chips were to cover at least part of the consequential of diff erent thicknesses and appeared to be expenses, but if the retailer’s documentation glued with some type of epoxy. In some cases, is in order, then there were two to three layers of chips. Using legally it could the depth blade on my calipers, I found most refuse and be on areas had only 0.020–0.030 inch of fi ller over solid ground. the wood plug. I concluded that movement of the wood plugs from lack of adhesive Blake R. Nelson is and dimensional change caused the wood a construction-law fi ller to break up. I determined this was a attorney with Hellmuth manufacturer defect. & Johnson PLLC in Minneapolis. He can be Blake: The Attorney’s Analysis reached at bnelson@ Clearly the manufacturer made and sold hjlawfi rm.com. Roy a fl awed product, and the condition was Reichow is president at not detectable at the time of installation. National Wood Flooring Removing the fl oor will tear up the subfl oor Consultants Inc. and Underneath lighter-looking areas of fi ller, these from the adhesive, require removal and an NWFACP-certifi ed round poker-chip-like wood pieces were embedded in reinstallation of millwork, a pedestal sink and inspector. the prefi nished wood fl ooring.

www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com April|May 2018 ■ ood Floor Business 19

AM18-Legal.indd 19 3/16/18 5:21 PM Q YOUR BUSINESS RETAIL By Mario Maichel

Retail wisdom: What successful stores are doing to stand out

At the Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Seattle, the staff focus on small details, like cleaning the front doors every 10 minutes.

ere’s something that’ll sound weird: I everyone asked me if I was going to Magnolia love retail, but I hate shopping. Market, the store owned by “Fixer Upper” H So much of shopping is a matter of stars Chip and Joanna Gaines. (In fact, I have checking off your to-do list, like picking up friends who took a vacation to Waco entirely groceries or getting school supplies in fall. because they wanted to go to Magnolia!) What thrills me about great retail is seeing Now think about your store. What are you businesses that excel at customer service doing to give people a unique experience? and create an unforgettable experience—so In the Portland, Ore., area, we have a much so that customers can’t help but tell chain called Umpqua Bank, which focuses their friends. on “slow banking.” While they have all the There is plenty of room for creating a digital banking services you’d expect, they positive reaction from customers in the want their locations to be so hip and fun that wood fl ooring industry; it’s just that many people want to deposit a check in person. don’t know where to start. In my opinion, Each location looks nothing like a bank— the best place to start is to take a look at think hotel lobby with no stanchions in sight. companies that do it very well and adapt They always have complimentary coff ee and their ideas. cookies. Some even have little libraries! With that in mind, here are a few lessons What can you off er at your store to make I’ve learned from exceptional retailers. the experience better for your customers? How about cucumber water in summer? 1. Become a must-see destination. Chips or other small snacks? People talk What would it be like if your store was so about stores like that. impactful that tourists wanted to stop there on vacation? I know it sounds crazy, but there 2. Little things make a difference. are stores just like that. For example, I recently The Starbucks Reserve Roastery in Seattle went to Waco, Texas, and before I went, is one of the most epic retail experiences.

20 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-Retail.indd 20 3/15/18 12:33 PM The newest generation of water cleanup wood ﬂoor ﬁnishes for professionals.

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WF02_AbCo1_218.indd 1 1/18/18 10:47 AM Q YOUR BUSINESS RETAIL

It has a bar and a pizza place in it, and 3. Lay roots in your community. it looks very Willy Wonka-esque—pipes The other thing Umpqua Bank excels at running everywhere, demonstrations, it’s is establishing a name for itself in the all magical. community. Many locations, for example, When you walk in the front doors, a have meeting rooms that anyone in the concierge greets you and tells you the day’s community can use, for free. roasts. This person’s other job is to clean Sure, you may not have room for that the glass on those doors. The last time I was purpose. But do you have a nice landscaped there, I saw the concierge cleaning them area? Try inviting yoga studios to have and asked how often they clean the doors. outdoor classes. Even your parking lot is “Every 10 minutes,” he said. That may sound valuable space — you could invite local excessive, but they do it because it matters. artisans for a pop-up craft show. Researcher Martin Lindstrom found Think about what you can off er beyond that when it comes to shopping, 90 your physical space, too. Umpqua, for percent of each buying decision is made example, has an ice cream truck they drive subconsciously. And it’s small stuff that around each summer, giving away free ice sways the purchasing decision one way or cream. the other. Of course, a company ice cream truck Look around your store: Are the doors may be far-fetched for most wood fl oor and windows clean? When was the last pros, but you get the point. Think about time you dusted? Every component in the what you could do that would make your showroom either helps or hurts; there is business part of the community instead of no neutral. just “a place.”

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22 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-Retail.indd 22 3/15/18 12:34 PM 4. Watch placement of after-market homeowner and pro. products. 5. Know your competition. Imagine we’re going out to buy you a brand- People are not comparing you to the new car. We just pulled up to the lot and other wood fl oor retailer down the street. you’re super excited. So we walk through They’re comparing you to the latest Apple the front doors and we don’t see any cars in store they were in, or to Barnes & Noble. the showroom. Instead, we see a pile of 30 They’re comparing you to their favorite tires. Then we go a little bit further and see retail website. You’re competing against three cases of oil. And then … tanker trucks the whole world of marketing and that set fi lled with gas? Wow. OK. of expectations. Finally, after walking past all this, we see It’s not good enough anymore to just the car. You’re not feeling so stoked about it have a nice showroom in a nice spot with anymore, right? products on display and an educated staff . The same applies to wood fl oor If you can’t become a destination with a retailers. When new guests come in and true experience, you’ll be replaced by the see maintenance products right up front, internet. they’re suddenly not as excited about But if you think creatively and get installing a new wood fl oor. They’re comfortable trying outside-the-box ideas, thinking, “Man, is this what I’m in for if I you’ll fi nd you can truly surprise and delight get a wood fl oor?” people when they come into your store. Put care products toward the back of the store or behind the service desk, Mario Maichel is the retail marketing manager at Vista, which invites conversation between the Calif.-based Watkins Wellness.

www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com April|May 2018 ■ ood Floor Business 23

AM18-Retail.indd 23 3/15/18 12:34 PM Q YOUR BUSINESS MANAGEMENT By Angelo DeSanto

A distinction I never wanted: being expensive

OST TIMES WHEN I lose a bid, I come back to the customer and try to get as many questions answered as I can. This can be Mtricky, and I use my tact and politeness matched with assertiveness and fi rmness as much as I can. picked me. Maybe it was price, maybe it was Sometimes, I don’t get anything from the availability, maybe it was because they had customer. gotten estimates from four other contractors But sometimes I get some really useful and I stood out. Whatever it is, I try to get as information. I ask questions I can learn from much info as possible to know what I need to for the next time. Like: change and what I need to encourage. • Why did I not get the job? Which leads me to what I really want to • Who got the job? communicate: In my immediate geographical • Why did they get the job and not me? area, it appears I have secured the distinction • Was it price? of being one of the most expensive fl ooring • Was it that the competitor could start contractors in a 50-mile radius (so I’ve been sooner than my team? told). I really don’t want this distinction, and • Was it because of chemistry between I did not seek it out. It just happened, and I me and the customer? always want to know why. • Was I never going to get the job in the 1. I want to know why I am constantly fi rst place, and they just wanted the busy. contractor they had already chosen 2. I want to know why I keep to be more accumulating fi ve-star reviews on Yelp competitive in and Google. his price? (This 3. I want to know why I am warmly happens more than received at the fi rst meeting with the we like to admit.) customer. You can see 4. I want to know why general contractors what I’m getting at. won’t hire me (as if I care). From the answers 5. I want to know why I put start dates on I get, I can learn my calendar even before I’ve given the and fi ne-tune my customer a price quote. selling to overcome … stuff like that. So I ask the customers. price, availability or One job in particular was especially what have you. insightful. It was a residential job and turned But … I also out to be one of the biggest I had done in like to do this years. I was originally asked to provide a when I win. For refi nishing estimate, but the top veneer example, after I’ve was too thin, and I told the customer “no” collected the last and left. I wrote off the customer and the paycheck, I ask opportunity because some engineered for a few minutes fl ooring manufacturers make the top veneer If a customer wants a cheaper price, I merely ask, “What of the customers’ so thin it cannot withstand a refi nish room or rooms do we remove from the quote to make time and ask by National Wood Flooring Association your budget work?” them why they standards, which are the basis of good work.

24 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-Management.indd 24 3/16/18 9:20 AM WF04_SchWil418.indd 1 3/13/18 11:10 AM Q YOUR BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

Two weeks later, the customer called me veneer of your fl oor is thinner than that.” back. He said I was the only contractor who He liked my response, and the walked away, and that he had obtained a conversation shifted to a full replacement. few estimates for refi nishing since we fi rst To make a long story short, I was asked to met. I brought with me an unused popsicle perform the work. We had to remove large stick and said, “Look, the sanding process portions of glued-down wood fl ooring removes about this much wood, and the top and large portions of marble. Then we prepped the concrete subfl oor for a glue-down engineered fl ooring installation. It was a time-consuming job, and three weeks later we were done. On the day of the last payment, I began asking my pre-loaded questions. The responses I received were totally unexpected. Here is what I was told (I actually wrote them down): 1. I was indeed the highest priced bid he had received. I asked how much of a diff erence there was between me and second place. The customer said approximately $7,000! The square footage was about 2,000 in total, and that equates to an additional $3.50 per square foot in diff erence. 2. I was the only contractor who mentioned the need for a calcium chloride moisture vapor test. 3. I was the only contractor who furnished the warranty details of not only the wood fl ooring but also the adhesive manufacturer. 4. I was the only contractor who listed the manufacturer, product name and number and color of the wood fl ooring on the quote. 5. I was the only contractor who listed the manufacturer and product name of the adhesive. 6. I was also the only contractor who not only mentioned fl oor prep, but exactly what fl oor prep would be performed. 7. I was the only contractor who listed the timeline for the job—the number of days for each phase and the total amount of time for the job. 8. I was the only contractor who not only gave references but did not get defensive when asked for them.

26 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-Management.indd 26 3/16/18 9:20 AM 9. They also revealed that they had Never lower the price. Never make a “deal” verifi ed my license with the state board, using the price. If I make a deal, I say, “The called the fl ooring supplier and asked deal is: I do the work, and it will be installed about my integrity, called my bonding or refi nished as it is supposed to be.” company, called my general liability company and actually called all the Angelo DeSanto is owner at Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.- references I gave them. based Dande West. Adding to this and unknown to me at the time, the customer had read the installation guidelines of the fl ooring manufacturer and the adhesive manufacturer, and had researched the AST M 1869-04 report on calcium chloride testing. We also made the lady of the house happy because we left the job each day as clean and as orderly as possible. This isn’t supposed to be a “toot my own horn” story, it’s more of a story about how I am very careful and absolutely plan on getting sued on each job. In advance I’ll “look for holes” and make sure I do not stumble into predicaments. From the fi rst ring of the phone requesting an estimate to the last moment before I drive away at the end of the job, I’m careful on every step. No way will I neglect the fl ooring manufacturer’s installation guidelines or the adhesive guidelines. There’s no cutting corners at all. My team has not earned the distinction of being high-priced because we charge high prices, heaven forbid! We don’t cut a board better than anyone, don’t measure better than anyone, don’t put a board into the glue better than anyone, don’t nail a board to the fl oor better than anyone. We’re just average. But rather, we follow the guidelines perfectly. Furthermore, the competitors I have prevailed over seem to be afraid to charge for fl oor prep, or charge to install molding, or charge to take the trash to the dump, or even charge for the calcium chloride test. All these tasks incur a cost, and when added together, they equal the quote. If a customer wants a cheaper price, I merely ask, “What room or rooms do we remove from the quote to make your budget work?”

www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com April|May 2018 ■ ood Floor Business 27

AM18-Management.indd 27 3/16/18 9:34 AM Skills for the wood ﬂ ooring job site ON THE JOB

“ Believe me, the man who earns his bread by the sweat of his brow, eats oftener a sweeter morsel, however coarse, than he who procures it by the labor of his brains.”

—WASHINGTON IRVING AMERICAN AUTHOR, HISTORIAN & DIPLOMAT (1793–1859)

True or false? Wood ﬂ oors lose and gain moisture more quickly at the board ends.

Liquid water forced up through a concrete slab under pressure is called ______(two words).

True or False? In general, for fl oating wood fl ooring, the wider the plank, the noisier the fl oor tends to be.

If you make a mistake with a traditional paste wax ﬂ oor, you can remove the wax with ______and start over. a. alcohol b. professional-grade ﬂ oor cleaner c. vinegar and water d. mineral spirits

True or false? Gaps in a wood ﬂ oor from dimensional change are going to

MINI-QUIZ be less obvious in a wide plank ﬂ oor like this one than they would be in a ﬂ oor with narrower boards.

Answers: 1. True 2. Hydrostatic head 3. False 4. d 5. False False 5. d 4. False 3. head Hydrostatic 2. True 1. Answers:

Do you have a funny job-site story, a Wall of Shame photo or a Trick of the Trade to share? Email it to us at editors@woodﬂ oorbusiness.com. If we use it in the magazine, we’ll send you a WFB trucker hat.

28 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-OTJOpener.indd 28 3/14/18 2:13 PM Foundations TALES Testing for wax FROM THE t’s essential to test for wax before FRONT Idoing a recoat. There are several Customer freaks out methods for testing: rub the fl oor about this infestation with mineral spirits on a rag and check for a yellow/brown color on ike Totta of Totta Hardwood Flooring in Kansas City, the rag; allow a couple drops of Mo., had a job last year that would strike utter terror Minto the heart of any arachnophobes out there: water to sit on the fl oor and see if “I did an estimate for someone who had a contract on a house and wanted the fl oors refi nished before they the fi nish turns white; and rub a moved in. In the course of the estimate, I spotted a brown spot on the fl oor with sandpaper recluse spider in a closet. I pointed it out to the client, who proceeded to freak out and pretty much go ballistic on me. I to see if the fi nish balls up. Any of charge for estimates, so I wrote it up, collected my check and these happening indicate the fl oor went on my way. After I left, I texted the client a picture of the brown recluse. I got a text from her afterwards: ‘Hey Mike! probably has a coating of wax and We ended up fi nding tons of brown recluse spiders after you saw that one. We pulled out of the deal. Thanks so much can’t be recoated with traditional for coming over. I’ll call you when we fi nd a house!’ I’m now topcoat fi nishes. adding ‘infestation investigation’ to my scope of services!”

WALL OF SHAME elva Lee Tucker of Tucks Floor Inspection Service in Laurens, S.C., saw this ﬂ oor in his own hometown. As he tells it: “The ‘handyman’ who did this told our local Smechanic he was an expert, and they tried to trade out work on cars and trucks. He coated the wood with as much poly as he could trying to hide his sanding imperfections. Then he closed up the house and turned the heat on high, trying to dry the heavy coats of ﬁ nish. It condensed on the walls [see photo at right] and ran down them. My mechanic kept the handyman’s trucks and cars locked up in a 12-foot-high fence until he paid for resanding by a pro. I fussed at him about knowing better than trying to save money by trading work—it never works!” The “after” photo of the pro resand is on the bottom right.

www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com April|May 2018 ■ ood Floor Business 29

AM18-OTJOpener.indd 29 3/14/18 2:13 PM Q ON THE JOB

OF TRICK THE Q&A TRADE Avoid design pitfalls As a wood ﬂ ooring designer, what are some of the biggest design mistakes you see made when choosing wood ﬂ ooring?

SARA BABINSKI, design manager for hardwood at Lancaster, Pa.-based Armstrong Flooring, answers: hen I hear that question, the fi rst thing that comes to mind isn’t about the look of the fl ooring at all. It’s considering what Wproduct best suits the environment. For example, I recently talked with three people who had already picked out their fl ooring based completely on the color, but they chose prefi nished solid products. They were in Texas, Florida and Arizona—all markets over slabs, where we would typically recommend using an engineered product. The second thing I think about isn’t necessarily about the look of the fl ooring, either. It’s choosing a product that suits the customer’s lifestyle. If the customer has dogs or young children with toys, trucks, tricycles, etc., in the house, you may not want to recommend a smooth surface. You might be better off with some kind of texture to disguise Keeping running some of the scratches. You can also consider looking at harder species, but I think it’s more about having texture in your wood fl oor, whether that’s distressed, wire-brushed or hand-scraped. People should also water handy keep in mind that the higher the gloss, the more apt a hardwood fl oor is to show damage and dust, especially with pets. For homes with a great potential for wear, they may want to consider a commercial- in the van grade, acrylic-impregnated fl oor. Sometimes people think species in the home have to match, but I This issue’s tip is from Leroy think it’s more a coordination story. There’s no perfect answer. If you Brookens at Brookens Wood Floors have an older home where the rooms are smaller and more broken Inc. in Springfi eld, Ill. up, you may be able to mix species and colors room to room, keeping in mind less is more! In a newer house with a more open fl oor plan, 1 uring non-freezing weather, I keep a 2⁄2-gallon mixing species or colors on sprayer full of water strapped by the side the fl oor may interrupt the Ddoors of my van. With the wand removed fl ow of the room. and the jug pumped up, I have a small amount of Finally, I would suggest convenient running water on hand. I have to carry a choosing a product that sprayer to water-pop fl oors to be stained, so it was refl ects the value of the home. natural to use it for cleaning, too. It is quite handy, I remember visiting a $24 especially for jobs where the water has been shut off. million home … and they had Potential uses include: emergency eye wash station a rotary-peeled engineered (yesterday!); hand washing; water-popping fl oors; fl oor. That product is perfectly small fi nish applicator/ brush cleaning; and annoying suitable for many houses, but coworkers! Of course, during freezing temperatures it wasn’t for an ultra-high-end it must emptied, so then I pump it up and blow all home. Wood fl ooring is not A fl oor with texture and a low gloss will traces of water out of the hose and valve, as freezing an appropriate place to cut hide wear better than a smooth fl oor water ruins the valve. corners on the budget. with a high gloss. Courtesy of Armtsrong Flooring

30 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-OTJOpener.indd 30 3/14/18 2:14 PM TALKING SHOP ON THE JOB Q

What would you do with $10,000 for your business?

We asked our Facebook and Instagram followers the above question. Here are some responses: Steven Albert Marketing, edger and a second dust marketing, and, also, marketing. containment unit and get another crew going, because Clay Anderson Beer and mistakes are pretty hard to pizza party for the employees. make with that tool. I’d give what’s left to a local charity. Rob Griswold Upgrade my dustless system, pick up a Michael Edlin A year’s Lagler Flip and wrap my truck. supply of paper. Scott J. Walker Marketing Sam Edwards A trip away and emergency backup to all the workers for all their savings. hard work. Jhordana Mendez Travis Fritzel Pay Learn!!! Education always pays ourselves to network for two back. weeks: go to HOAs, property management companies, and Christie’s Hardwood new builders, always leaving Flooring Give it back to the a good impression and a few employees—the ones who cards. make the business run! Jorge Perez Launch my Benjamin Coakley-Elder business stronger … marketing Marketing and a website! A and advertising is a must. Save trailer. A nice bonus for my 10 percent for a rainy day. Wrap guys. trailer and truck or at least get some stickers for advertising Tony Horsman Get my company. Epochs for all of the sanding crews and Powernail Flex Bernie Martin Give Rollers for all of our installing my showroom a makeover, crews. upgrade my website and give each employee a $100 bill. Mrboards I would chat with my crew and ask them what Greg Burr Put it toward they think we need to improve company health insurance. with in the way of tools or cars to make life easier and better David H.W. A down payment for us. on a Ram ProMaster! George Gav F. Kavetsos Betodaslayer The best Tools, tools … oh ... and investment I have made so tools! At the moment my Tell Us What You Think far is my Power Drive from shortages are the K&T Planfix Follow WFB on Facebook and Instagram to see the next Bona. If I had 10K I would Pro55 and the Dewalt DWV012 chance to be in the Talking Shop column. buy another one, another vacuum.

www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com April|May 2018 ■ ood Floor Business 31

AM18-Talkingshop.indd 31 3/16/18 12:33 PM Q ON THE JOB TROUBLESHOOTING By Steven Rockfeld

Gaps appear despite humidiﬁ cation ... why?

The Problem Using a pin moisture meter, the readings I was called because a newly installed plank in the great room on the top of the wood fl oor was gapping and cupping. averaged 7.5%. In the bottom of the wood they were 9.1%, and on the top of the plywood What Happened subfl oor the average was 10.3%. The great 3 The 10-inch-wide, ⁄4-inch-thick solid white room had 40.5% RH and a temperature of 65 oak planks were installed in September in degrees Fahrenheit. a new home in the Northeast. The fl ooring In the great room, individual planks 15 acclimated for three weeks with the HVAC measured from 9 ⁄16–10 inches wide. I also running. The HVAC system included an measured three sets of 10 planks; their overall 15 Aprilaire humidifi cation system, and the great width in the great room was 99 ⁄16 inches. There 1 room also had radiant heat, which was not were two planks with ⁄16-inch gaps, one plank 1 1 operating at the time of installation. with a ⁄64-inch gap and one plank with a ⁄32- The contractor said moisture testing was inch gap, and six planks with no gaps. performed on the plywood, which measured I determined that since installation, the between 6–10% MC, and the fl ooring, which wood fl ooring had lost moisture, causing the was from 8–12%. The fl ooring was nailed gaps, and that the cupping was consistent over the plywood subfl oor, sanded and with the moisture imbalance in the installed fi nished. Three months later, the homeowners fl ooring. According to Aprilaire, the complained about gaps appearing. humidifi cation system installed in the home would not accommodate a home of this size, The Inspection which was 6,000 square feet. The gaps were aff ecting the entire installation but were in greatest quantity in the great How to Fix the Floor 1 room, where they ranged from 0.002– ⁄16 inch. A correctly sized steam humidifi er was 1 There were random gaps that measured ⁄8 installed. When I returned at the end of inch. I observed cupping, which measured February, it had been running for one from 0.006–0.040 inch, in approximately 30 month, and the RH was 55% at 71 degrees. percent of the fl oor. Approximately 90 percent of the gaps had closed, and the cupping was gone. In the Future Proper acclimation of wood fl ooring is achieved when the wood’s MC is at equilibrium with the average expected conditions of occupancy. Leaving the wood at the job site for several days does not mean it was properly acclimated. And when installing over radiant heat, the radiant heat system should have already been running before the time of installation.

Steven Rockfeld is a Bay Shore, N.Y.-based wood ﬂ ooring inspector.

32 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-Troublesh.indd 32 3/15/18 9:40 AM WF02_Polop217.indd 1 1/26/17 12:01 PM Q ON THE JOB TOOL TIME

PORTER-CABLE 20-VOLT CORDLESS 5-INCH PALM SANDER KYLE NEUROH OF Neuroh Hardwood Flooring in Franklin, Tenn., tried out the new Porter-Cable random orbital cordless sander: See a full video review of the Porter-Cable palm sander by Kyle Neuroh at wfbmag.co/ am18tooltime.

ut of the box, one of the fi rst in this category. things I noticed was that Next I tried the sander on a job site on some Othe sander is a bit heavy and maple treads we were fi nishing with hardwax awkwardly balanced, mostly due to the oil. It seemed to work well for that, albeit not as weight of the battery, and it didn’t have the well as a geared random orbital like the Festool most ergonomic grip. It does come with a little Rotex—but you also don’t always want to be dust bag, and you can fi t diff erent-sized vacuum using your most expensive palm sander to buff hoses on there if you decide not to use the bag. in oil, either. I’m used to running my Festool ETS palm I was able to get about 26 minutes of run sander, so I put on some 120-grit sandpaper time out of a fully charged battery—that was and compared this sander’s scratch patterns running the sander at full speed non-stop. to the ones from my Festool with the same The batteries charge quickly, so if you had one abrasive. (Of course, those sanders are at very on charge you should be able to keep sanding diff erent price points, so I didn’t expect them without having to wait. There isn’t a gauge on to be the same!) I ran them both on a panel and the battery to see how much charge it has. then put some dark walnut stain on it without All that being said, for the price point, it’s water-popping the wood so I could really see not a bad little sander to have on hand for quick the scratch patterns. With that comparison, sample-making or even to apply a hardwax oil the scratch pattern with this sander was more fi nish. erratic than what we are used to seeing, mostly Retail price: $59.97 without battery; one Por- due to the sander being heavy toward the back ter-Cable 20-volt Max Lithium Ion 4.0-amp due to the battery weight. The dust collection hour battery is $64.33; the Porter-Cable battery with the bag was on par with most palm sanders charger is $39.97.

34 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-ToolTime.indd 34 3/14/18 2:18 PM BOSCH GTL3 TILE AND SQUARE LAYOUT LASER AFTER BEING OUR laser testing guru in the October/November 2017 issue of WFB, Sean James of Santa Cruz, Calif.-based SJ Hardwood Floors tried this new Bosch laser:

his laser is designed primarily for tile layout, but as a wood fl ooring pro, I Tfound it can also be used for parquet block and herringbone layout. The laser features fi xed 0- and 90-degree lines, as well as an optional 45-degree line. Each laser is fi xed to a set angle, so there’s no need for recalibration if it gets bumped or knocked around. I tried the laser out in a few install situations with diff erent parquet layouts, some on site and some just doing dry layout at my shop. It was pretty useful for fi ngerblock layout, and although herringbone layout is done by snapping a center line and then two working/control lines, I found this tool could be very helpful, especially in a full-trowel install situation. Using it, you’ll still have your working and control lines on top of the adhesive rather than trying to see them through the trowel marks—you can be totally accurate lining the laser up off your original layout marks. The laser comes with a nice carrying case and a steel positioning plate that can be screwed down. The positioning plate raises the laser up off the working substrate, making it easier to see the laser lines. Strong magnets on the bottom of the tool provide a secure attachment on the positioning plate. I can see the benefi ts of using a laser like this to save time while laying out and installing—you won’t have to stop and grab a straightedge or string line to doublecheck your layout. You can just turn the laser on, or keep it on, and check it. In short, this could be a useful tool to have. Like all tools, you just need to fi nd a way to best utilize it Would you like to be considered as a tool and its functions to make it work for you. reviewer for WFB? Contact us at Retail price: $145.75 editors@woodfl oorbusiness.com.

www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com April|May 2018 ■ ood Floor Business 35

AM18-ToolTime.indd 35 3/14/18 2:19 PM In this photo, a crew from Albany, N.Y.-based J.J. Curran & Son Inc. uses lambswool applicators to apply the original formulation of Trophy Gym Finish by Hillyard, which was an epoxy-based gym fi nish, at Niskayuna High School. “We used to apply it using multiple guys using lambswool,” says Seamus Curran, project manager and chief estimator for J.J. This is a caption to go with the photo Curran. Their current technique can be seen in the photo on the right. “Nowadays we ap-pictured above if needed. Sometimes the ply fi nish on gyms using Hillyard’s Multi-Flo, which pumps out fi nish using an electronic picture says enough all by itself. pump. We went from four or more guys applying to one guy on the machine and one guy cutting in at the walls. We’re still using a lot of oil-based fi nish, but now it’s all 350 VOC.”

Q ON THE JOB TECHNIQUES On the wood ﬂ ooring job: then and now, part 2

By Kim M. Wahlgren s part of the 30-year anniversary of doing this magazine, in the last issue we began taking a look A at how wood fl ooring life has changed in three decades (see that article online at wfbmag.co/fm18techn). In this issue, we continue with Part 2 of that story, as we talk with three big names in the wood fl ooring industry— Daniel Boone, Howard Brickman and Dan Antes—about creating custom color, fi nishing, and designing custom wood fl oors. Î

36 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-Techniques.indd 36 3/16/18 9:28 AM WF04_FloDe2_418.indd 1 3/12/18 8:05 AM Q ON THE JOB TECHNIQUES

It’s only because of modern coloring and fi nishing technology that Daniel Boone was able to make these existing stairs match the layered color of the prefi nished white oak fl ooring (installed by another contractor), he says.

Getting color on fl oors: then and today also buff the fl oor just to help the drying Daniel Boone, process. training manager at American Back in the day, at my company, we also Sanders, Sparta, N.C. used a product out of Southern California that we called sap stain, but it was actually a s recently as 40 years ago, your dye you would mix with a lacquer retarder. options for adding color to a wood It had an extremely bad odor, but you A fl oor were stains, either DuraSeal or could use it to make white oak as dark as Minwax. From time to time we would use you wanted. We applied it with a sprayer or something from a paint store like Sherwin- lambswool applicator, and after you applied Williams or Pittsburgh if there was some it you would wipe it off using towels on an oddball color a customer wanted, but doing applicator head. As it dried it would look that would always put the whole job at risk. weird and splotchy—it was like watching With the DuraSeal stains, once they were water-base dry back in the day—but you’d dry, you could put poly on them and the come back the next day and it had this rich, stain would be fi ne. If you used a brand from uniform color. We would put moisture-cure a paint store, when you brushed the poly on, over it and it would really get a deep color. the stain would pull with the fi nish. You’d I think it was popular on the West Coast see light and dark areas and pull marks. You but never on the East Coast; I learned about had to do a lot of testing to fi nd out if the it from someone in Washington State who stain was compatible with the fi nish. It was consulted for restaurant chains. diffi cult, so 99 percent of the time we just Into the ’90s we were still doing white used DuraSeal. fl oors here in Florida—anything from At that time, the hottest colors in my driftwood to pastel colors, making the fl oors area, the Southeast, were Antique Brown look like the the hardwax oil fl oors today. Of and Spice Brown. Out of 10 jobs maybe one course, we didn’t have those products, so we or two would be a diff erent color; we used had to make our own colors. I remember a Coff ee Brown, Medium Brown and Golden job back when we fi rst started doing pickled Brown from time to time. fl oors, and the builder insisted that I use Back then, that stain was thick as his process, which included bleaching the molasses, and you would just hate it. We white oak fl oor twice. He called me the next would wipe it on and wipe it off , and you day, and that fl oor was as yellow as a school had to take a little brush to cut in the bus! The next time we did it my way. We corners by your jambs. The wipe guy really would use paint from the hardware store, struggled, because within minutes the stain whether gray or white deck paint or gray would start to get a drag to it. You went or white enamel, and thin it down with through a ton of rags, and if you didn’t have mineral spirits to get the color we wanted the right terrycloth towels, it was brutal and wipe it on and off . One reason I was getting that stain off . Sometimes we would able to be successful with those colors was

38 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-Techniques.indd 38 3/16/18 10:00 AM that I was already using water-based fi nishes prefi nished fl oor that had a dark that would dry clear. The thing was, you had background and white grain. Their stairs to hope that when you put the fi nish on, it had a gunstock brown color on them and wouldn’t drastically change the color, which needed to match the new fl oor. Using the sometimes happened. existing treads and risers and new parts One other option for creating custom for the spindles and railings, I was able to colors was a powdered dye you could buy at make it all look exactly like the prefi nished paint stores; it was like an aniline dye but in fl oor (see photos on facing page). The paint form. You would mix it with denatured homeowner was blown away, the builder alcohol, and you had to have multiple was blown away, and the painter was blown guys to get it on and off the fl oor. It was away, but 30 years ago I couldn’t have done extremely diffi cult, and there were only a that—we didn’t have the right chemicals, couple older guys at my dad’s company who dyes or colors. could work fast enough to do it. Of course, now there are many options Today, as far as color goes, you can do for wood fl ooring stains both as far as the anything. Each company has their own bag number of suppliers and the colors, and of tricks and their own directions for how we also have quick-drying stains. A great you apply it, whether it’s a reactive stain thing today is that you can go out and pick with some kind of pre-treatment or color a system for your fl oor from the color to the blocker and more, and people are also using fi nish to the cleaner instead of having to techniques like applying a steel wool and pick and choose—not that people don’t still vinegar solution for diff erent eff ects. experiment with mixing products! I had a stair job awhile back where Something interesting that’s happening the customer picked out a white oak with color is that people are seeing these

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years

www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com April|May 2018 ■ ood Floor Business 39

AM18-Techniques.indd 39 3/16/18 9:28 AM Q ON THE JOB TECHNIQUES

wood fl ooring colors and eff ects on social media, sometimes from a world away. I have a friend in Australia who posted a photo of a fl oor he did that had a bleached eff ect on white oak. A woman on the East Coast of the U.S. emailed him and asked him how she could get that look on her fl oor, and I tried to help her fi nd a contractor who could do it. Although there are so many more products available to create these looks, it still takes a skilled wood fl oor pro with years of experience to be able to consistently deliver the colors our customers ask for today. My journey in wood fl ooring fi nishes Howard Brickman, Brickman Consulting, Norwell, Mass. hirty years ago was the introduction of water-based By the time of Howard Brickman’s article T fi nish to the U.S. When I in the Journal of Light Construction in started in the wood fl oor business 1994, he was using waterborne coatings. in the late ’70s, the new fi nish was oil-modifi ed polyurethane—versus He offered this advice: “Two coats of some kind of varnish, or moisture oil-modifi ed urethane will usually do the cure. Until the mid ’70s, most job, but I use four coats of water-based everything had a penetrating oil fi nishes because waterbased fi nishes go and a coat of paste wax on it except down thinner. I’ve found the best way for gymnasiums. The gyms were to apply fi nish is with a 10x3-inch foam fi nished with some kind of gloss paint pad applicator on a mop-length varnish. handle.” In those days, all the prefi nished fl ooring was penetrating oil and wax, and there were only three companies in North America doing made a slight turn as they walked, the prefi nished. fi nish was gone. The majority of the fl oor Everything as far as fi nishes go has surface without any traffi c looked relatively transitioned from solvent-based coatings to serviceable, but the wear patterns were bare increasingly robust water formulations. The areas with gray color where it was basically majority of the wood fl ooring contractors bare wood. still prefer to use the older solvent-based When the polyurethanes fi rst came fi nishes, but environmental regulations have out, there were some major issues, namely created challenges for those products. adhesion to stained wood and intercoat Forty years ago in the lower end of the adhesion, but by the late ’80s a lot of the market, a fl oor would have one or two coats issues with poly were fi xed. The process of lacquer, then one coat of urethane. The was typically two coats. For the sealer coat, top coat of fi nish would quickly wear away, a lot of the low-cost refi nishers would just and you’d recognize those fl oors when thin out their poly with mineral spirits—a you went to do a sand and fi nish because common practice for both poly and anywhere there was traffi c, the fi nish was varnishes. gone. The kitchen, front door to the hallway, In some areas of the country, the Swedish pathway to the bathroom ... anywhere people (urea formaldehyde, what we now call

40 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-Techniques.indd 40 3/16/18 9:29 AM “conversion varnish”) fi nishes were being which was kind of like a sold, just as water-based fi nishes were wallpaper brush. You had being introduced. Two companies, Basic to know what you were Coatings and Bona, introduced the fi rst doing with any of those popular water-based fi nishes. Basic had been tools. Applying fi nish manufacturing fi nish for bowling alleys with a brush by hand and adapted the product to the sand-and- is back-breaking work, fi nish trade. And what is now Bona was and keeping a wet edge introduced by Gary Reynolds after he started demanded that you also manufacturing and distributing solvent- work quickly. It was water- based coatings under the Woodline brand. based fi nishes that brought Reynolds was a wood fl oor fi nish veteran, us diff erent applicators; How coating was and early in his career had been the leader at fi rst the foam pad and then the T-bar. In done 30 years ago: DuraSeal before it was acquired by Minwax. large open areas, for the fi rst time you Poly spread by hand Some waterborne products were really could very quickly lay down a great deal of with a brush. diffi cult to use, but Bona’s Pacifi c Strong fi nish—two men can T-bar 10,000 square developed a huge following because of ease feet in one to two hours. Of course, today of application. We used to say you could trip many people also roll both waterborne and and spill it, and it would fl ow out perfectly. oil-modifi ed poly. For applying poly, we used a 6-inch The environmental regulations started China bristle block brush, and we would the move to water-based fi nishes, and brush every square inch of the fl oor. A lot one reason I shifted to using them was of people used lambswool applicators. For to diff erentiate myself by using this new Swedish fi nish, we used a special brush, premium product that didn’t smell as bad,

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AM18-Techniques.indd 41 3/16/18 9:29 AM Q ON THE JOB TECHNIQUES

dried a lot faster and looked pretty good. European oil fi nishes come into the market. And, from a personal experience point of They are basically penetrating oil fi nishes view, if you were coating for an hour with without the paste wax. Many are applied oil-modifi ed urethane or other solvent- in similar ways to how we applied the old based fi nishes, the fumes in the building DuraSeal penetrating sealer with #2 steel were horrendous. You pretty much had to wool. wear a respirator, but a lot of us didn’t. Consumer preferences have gone from We had moisture-curing urethane, too, gloss fi nishes to lower sheen dull fi nishes, which was the most durable fi nish on the but I don’t think most of the market will market, but the odor and conditions on the ever come full circle back to fi nishes that job site were even worse, and it has some require a lot of maintenance. Hardwood really potent organic solvents. There is not fl oors had a bad rap in the ’60s and ’70s a very big market for these toxic, fl ammable because everybody had wood fl oors with coatings today. wax in their house, and putting another With the lacquers and some of the other coat of wax on was part of your torturous fi nishes on the market, coating fl oors was household chores. Like today’s carpet a dangerous business. I had a friend who cleaning companies, there used to be fl oor was applying lacquer sealer in a house when wax companies—two guys, a truck and a the thermostat sparked a fl ash fi re. He had buff er. They would service numerous jobs second- and third-degree burns over 90 each day. Consumers today are more focused percent of his body, and after two or three on their busy lives and are not willing to weeks in intensive care, he died. I asked have the maintenance done. Forty years myself, “Why are you using a product that ago, stay-at-home wives were available for can kill you? What are you thinking? It’s just in-home maintenance. Today you can buy a a wood fl oor, it’s not worth getting killed or robot to clean your fl oors while you are at severely injured over.” I made the transition work. Nothing is predictable but change. to water-based shortly after. Lacquers were fi nally taken off the market here in From graph paper to terabytes Massachusetts four or fi ve years ago after Dan Antes, some wood fl ooring contractors died. general manager at Daniel Antes Today there are so many diff erent brands Marquetry, Nashville, Ind. of water-based out there I can’t keep up. And, it’s funny, you know how if you live hen we were doing custom long enough and you save all your old ties, fl oors 30 years ago, we didn’t eventually they go back into fashion again? W have AutoCAD at all. We were Maybe 10 years ago we started to see these hand-sketching on graph paper to scale.

How custom wood fl ooring designs used to be done: sketched out by hand to scale using a compass and a lot of geometry. The sketch by Chuck Crispin shown above was used to make his fi rst Floor of the Year-winning fl oor (in 1993), shown at right.

42 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-Techniques.indd 42 3/16/18 9:30 AM I remember the fi rst medallion I ever plans, it’s really easy to be off by 5 percent as made with Chuck Crispin. We were in the far as total footage, so back in the day you’d basement of his house using miter sleds and order 10 to 15 percent over. Today, with a compasses and protractors. Once you got really good takeoff , you’re comfortable at 5 to the outside, you started scribing things percent over. If somebody sends me a paper together, using the trammels to make the print today, I’m like, are you kidding? Send curves and all that. If we needed to do a line me a PDF! segment and an arc bisector with a tangent Once the computer evolution really and a center point and a perpendicular started, they had CAD pretty quick, but the bisector, we were using sine and cosine and drawing tools were so weak that it would functions … it’s funny, I don’t even know take 40 or 50 hours to draw a medallion that, how to do that math anymore. with the new tools, you could draw in four. When working on a whole house we You would draw the medallion and have to worked off of paper prints that were select the border of each piece, copy and typically hand-drawn and then copied paste it, trim it over to those boundaries, multiple times (of course, that was the etc., etc. It was a huge amount of work to get idea of blueprints—they were stacked with it ready to send to Fine Lines or wherever to carbon paper). The best you could do with laser-cut it. that was to scale your unit size of your Now you select the entire medallion parquet and see how many repetitions were and can easily combine regions, so it’s going to go across the room. There was a lot vastly quicker. It’s funny to think about of math and layout! the computing power. In the early ’90s, if 3 When you’re looking at scaling ⁄16 or you had 100 Mb that was a huge hard drive. 1 ⁄8 inch by hand on a big house on a set of Now I have single fi les that are more than

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www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com April|May 2018 ■ ood Floor Business 43

AM18-Techniques.indd 43 3/16/18 9:30 AM Q ON THE JOB TECHNIQUES

Advances in technology have made free-form designs like this 2010 Wood Floor of the Year winner by Archetypal Imagery Corp. more accessible than they were when designs were hand- graphed. Created by Distinctive Hardwood Floors, each piece of the wenge ribbon in this ﬂ oor was engraved with its own number since no two pieces were the same.

three times that big. For example, the fi le guaranteed. There’s a higher yield with less for the Archetypal winning fl oor with the material waste. aluminum spiral around the spiral staircase Today I have years of CAD designs (pictured above) was 330 Mb because of all available. If you want standard European the templates and annotations we made on parquet and you just don’t know if you want every piece—the pieces were free-form and Brittany or Versailles, that’s easy—I can no two pieces were the same, so each piece have the whole house CAD’d in less than an had a part number engraved on the top. hour. But typically I try to not do anything At this point, I’ve got 6 terabytes on one twice; I’m trying to push people into machine, 3 terabytes on another machine something more custom due to the nature and 8 gigabytes of dedicated graphics of my disease! memory to run the latest CAD software, so Initial design work can be expensive, that’s pretty explosive. even with the advances in technology. For I can remember going to a job site and example, a mandala I recently did took spending the fi rst couple days chalking over 100 hours to draw and part out—that lines. Now we are there for an hour and kind of drawing is really expensive. In the we’re laying parquet. And today, I don’t need past, I don’t think that level of detail would master craftsmen on the job site; I could hire have even been possible except for maybe someone off the street with an eye for detail, the Dave Marzaleks of the world. So I think because the parts are perfect and the cut is today’s technology makes fl oors like this a

44 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-Techniques.indd 44 3/16/18 10:08 AM With today’s AutoCAD programs, customers can get a relatively accurate rendering of their inlay as it progress from line drawing (top) to rendering (middle) before being produced in wood (bottom). Rendering by Christopher D. Antes at Custom CAD Design LLC; inlay by Daniel Antes Marquetry.

little more accessible. What using CAD really gives you is the ability to play with the shape; it’s totally free- form. You can model it all out and turn on control points and drag lines in and out and sculpt the contour as you’re working it. You can’t do that with wood because it’s typically only subtractive—you cut it three times and it’s still too short! So with CAD you get that kind of additive ability on something that’s typically only subtractive. It’s really a very cool way to totally know what you’re doing before you start cutting.

www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com April|May 2018 ■ ood Floor Business 45

AM18-Techniques.indd 45 3/16/18 9:31 AM WF04_Bona418.indd 1 3/9/18 11:38 AM 2018 WF DESIGN BUSINESS AWARDS sponsored by:

f you’re looking for inspiration, turn the page to see the winners in the second annual IWood Floor Business Design Awards contest. As with last year, we’ve included awards for Best Residential, Best Commercial, Best Stairs, Best Gym and Readers’ Choice. We’ve also once again included our Next Generation Design Award, a category recognizing companies owned by wood fl oor artisans under the age of 35. Our winners this year span from the East Coast to the West Coast to Queensland, Aus- tralia. While their backgrounds and projects may diff er, their craftsmanship and passion for wood fl ooring is a common thread. Congratulations to all the winners, which were chosen by an independent panel of wood fl ooring experts. Priz- es include a $500 Visa gift card and a package of products worth $500 from Bona US.

April|May 2018 ■ ood Floor Business 47

AM18-DA-Winners.indd 47 3/15/18 2:34 PM 2018 DESIGN WF AWARDS sponsored by: BUSINESS Best Residential

J.L. Vivash Custom Wood Floors Ltd. | Paris, Ontario

JASON VIVASH HAS spent the decades in his millwork, he immediately suggested doing the wood fl ooring career taking his skills to the next same on the fl oor. Two grand hallways fl anking the level, whether that be learning to make his own main entryway end in circular areas, and he used medallions, creating custom colors or dealing with his vacuum press to manufacture matching burl tricky moisture situations like radiant heat. Every inlays for each, a skill he learned at the Decorative Suppliers bit of that expertise came into play on this winning Flooring custom wood fl ooring school he attended in fl oor, the most challenging one he’s ever done and 2009. Vivash felt the border had to continue into the Advertisers appear in green. also the one he’s the most proud of. circular areas, so he segmented the border around Abrasive, Adhesive, Moisture It was Vivash’s reputation that landed him this the perimeter, splitting the circle into eight pieces. Barrier: extraordinary job, a private Ontario home totalling For sanding the medallions, he used only a Trio. “I BONA US 30,000 square feet. The general contractor sourced wasn’t putting a belt sander on that!” he says. him after the prefi nished engineered hickory wood Vivash put extraordinary thought into helping the Buffer: fl oor installed by someone else in another building client choose the color. “I like to let the customer American Sanders on the property failed over radiant heat. He had to know walnut fades over time; to compensate, I like educate the GC about the requirements for radiant to add some color from the start,” he explains. Edger: heat. “I said, ‘This is how you need to do it if I’m Because the client was hoping to kill some of American Sanders, Lägler going to get involved,’” he recalls. Vivash then the red of walnut, Vivash mixed several Loba oils Filler, Finish: helped them design the ideal HVAC system for a including transparent; Smoked Oak, which has Loba wood fl oor installed over radiant-heated concrete. some green to kill the red; and Oyster, which has After seeing the fl oor plan, Vivash spent the next some green/white. With different ratios, he made Moisture meter: month making sketches on a paper sketch pad he six options, then cut the samples in half, placing LIGNOMAT keeps on hand. Because of the ornate walls, ceilings one sample in a window for six months and the and columns, the client chose to be “more elegant, other in the basement without direct sunlight. Router: not as crazy” with the fl oor and chose a single The result—so far—has been brilliant. The Festool species, walnut. Vivash recommended a maximum project, four hours from Vivash’s home, is in its Sanders (big machines, 5-inch width in rift and quartered product for stability. fi fth year of construction, and although he has multi-head): In the hallways, the fl ooring is bordered by two strips spent 16 weeks there with his crew, working of 5-inch with a 2-inch band. Originally Vivash tried long hours away from home for four days at a BONA US, Lägler wenge for the 2-inch band, but the difference was too time, there’s more to do. “I knew this would Sander (palm), Saw: drastic, so instead he used a custom blend of tannin be a challenge from the start, but we priced it Festool treatment and dye to slightly darken the feature strip. accordingly,” Vivash says. For someone with One room of the house is completely covered his passion for custom wood fl ooring work, the Wood flooring: in walnut, and when Vivash saw burl inlays in the sacrifi ce is worth it.—K.M.W. Graf Bros.

48 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-DA-Winners.indd 48 3/16/18 5:23 PM 2018 DESIGN WF AWARDS sponsored by: BUSINESS Best Commercial Photo by Dale Hall Photography

Schmidt Custom Floors Inc. | Waukesha, Wis.

WHEN THEY SIGNED on to install the fl oor of a the client, Zarek and his team set to work clean- meditation room for a health care organization, ing up the concrete substrate and sealing it. Then Schmidt Custom Floors’ challenge was to “create they began installing the sections of the fl oor, an environment for people to go to clean their which were 3 by 5 feet long, piecing them togeth- Suppliers thoughts.” The stunning fi nal product may be er and gluing them directly to the substrate. “This Advertisers appear in green. particularly effective on wood fl oor afi cionados, was put together like a big puzzle,” Zarek says. whose minds will likely be scrubbed of anything The installation was more exacting than your Abrasive: other than the question, “How did they get this average fl oor, however. “It was really artful,” Za- NORTON ABRASIVES pattern to line up?” rek says. “We had to put it together as any artist Tom Zarek oversaw the unique project for would.” But despite the need for precision, the Adhesive, Moisture barrier: Schmidt and says the client, Agnesian Health- crew managed to install, sand and fi nish the ap- Fortane Care, “wanted to do something special” for the proximately 42-foot-wide wood fl oor in one week, Buffer, Edger, Big machine: St. Agnes Chapel at its facility in Fond du Lac, a smooth process Zarek says is a testament to American Sanders Wis. That resulted in a wood fl oor fraught with Oshkosh Design’s effi ciency. meaning. “I’ve been told this is the world’s largest [wood Filler: The labyrinth in the fl oor of the chapel “sig- fl oor] medallion,” Zarek says. WOODWISE/ nifi es the journey of life in which joy, sorrow, The fl oor isn’t the only part of the completed DESIGN HARDWOOD growth, defeat, grief and celebration are encoun- chapel in which wood plays a signifi cant role. PRODUCTS tered,” Agnesian’s website states. The concept of Yan Rieger also designed the room’s liturgical the chapel, developed in part by artists Yan Rieger features, including its alter and pulpit, carved Finish: and Francoise Rieger, was to highlight the natural from walnut trees grown at the healthcare site in Glitsa, a div. of Rudd beauty of earth, wind, fi re and water, modeled on Fond du Lac. Company the stone labyrinth fl oor at the Chartres Cathe- “Through these pieces of art, a deep sense Moisture meter: dral in France. of the Sacred is evoked in those who enter the Delmhorst Instrument Co. Zarek reached out to Oshkosh Designs in space,” the artists stated in an International Soci- Winneconne, Wis., to help create a strategy for ety of Christian Artists newsletter. Saws: executing the complex design for the circular With the space’s natural materials and symbol- Milwaukee room. They chose select-grade white oak with ism, all grounded by its meditative fl oor, visitors walnut inlays to create the winding fl oor. to this chapel have no shortage of things to help Wood flooring: With enthusiastic approval of the plans from them clear their minds.—R.K. OSHKOSH DESIGNS

www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com April|May 2018 ■ ood Floor Business 49

AM18-DA-Winners.indd 49 3/15/18 2:36 PM 2018 DESIGN WF AWARDS sponsored by: BUSINESS Readers’ Choice

Suppliers Advertisers appear in green. Abrasive: NORTON ABRASIVES, 3M Adhesive, Moisture barrier: Harbour Precision Floors | Wilkesboro, N.C. Loba Wakol Buffer, Edger: JAMES HARBOUR HAD an unusual beginning for fl ooring, including the brass, was sourced from American Sanders a wood fl ooring contractor: He began in a wood Oshkosh Designs. He also ended up manufac- Filler: fl ooring mill at age 18. When the mill sent him to turing pieces because the homeowners were wood fl ooring school, he got a taste of installing, extraordinarily detailed about the color and grain WOODWISE/ sanding and fi nishing, and it set him on a path of the wood they wanted in the fl oor; in the end, DESIGN HARDWOOD of going to more schools, fi nding mentors along every single board was hand-picked to make sure PRODUCTS the way—including industry icon Daniel Boone— it met their exacting standards. Finish: and striking out on his own with his business, Working alone, Harbour laid the fi eld of par- Pallmann Harbour Precision Floors, in 2007. Since then he’s quet pieces with ¼-inch-wide shims where the built a reputation for his attention to detail and brass would be, running it wild over the border Moisture meter: high-end work, not an easy task considering he’s and using his Festool track saw to cut the fl oor, WAGNER METERS based in Wilkesboro, N.C., population 3,413. then installing the border and the brass. Then It was that reputation that connected him with came what he says was the most challenging Nailer: this winning fl oor. Harbour’s friend and sales rep part of the job, sanding, being careful to not dish Bostitch at his local distributor told him he had a contrac- out the wood around the brass. For the brass, Router: tor with a customer “looking for a crazy fl oor,” he scraped it with a hand-scraper, used a palm Ryobi but the contractor didn’t think he could do it. The sander, then hand-sanded with 150-grit to en- fl oor was to be installed in the music room of a sure it was shiny. Then he rolled on the water- Sanders (big machines, multi-million-dollar Art Deco renovation project borne fi nish. While he did the work alone, he had multi-head): at a home in Greensboro, N.C., about an hour and help along the way in the form of phone calls to American Sanders a half from Harbour’s home. Harbour gave them friends, including his old mentor, Boone (now at the bid and waited … for fi ve months. He fi gured American Sanders). Sander (palm), Track saw: he hadn’t gotten the job when he got the call that The result was a fl oor that “blew away” the Festool it was his, despite the fact that his bid was about builder and the interior designer, Harbour says. Saws: twice as much as the others. “The designer said that he’s always wanted to DeWalt The scope of the project increased from just do a fl oor like this, but he never had anyone with the music room, which had a straightforward the money to pay for it or someone who could do Wood flooring, Border, Brass: rectangular shape, to include the dining room the job,” he says. While the square footage of the OSHKOSH DESIGNS, and its irregular walls. Both were to get a custom wood fl oor was small—about 320 square feet— Springcreek Flooring parquet of white oak, wenge and brass, with the fi nal price tag was anything but small, proving borders to match. Harbour carefully prepped the that honing your wood fl ooring skills can pay off Distributor: subfl oor, knowing any imperfection would create no matter where you are.—K.M.W. Horizon Forest Products issues for the intricate mixed media fl oor. The

50 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com WF04_Oshko418.indd 1 3/12/18 8:06 AM 2018 DESIGN WF AWARDS sponsored by: BUSINESS Best Gym

Praters Athletic Flooring | Chattanooga, Tenn. Suppliers Advertisers appear in green. DESIGNS FOR GYM fl oors are getting crazier and repainted and stained over two weeks. crazier, and Praters Athletic Flooring is more The necessity to bring dramatic ideas to life on Abrasive: than happy to oblige. the court led Praters to mix Bona SuperSport Paint NORTON ABRASIVES Praters is on a continuing mission to take gym with Bona DTS Sealer to create colors with clear Buffer: fl oors to the next level, says Owner and COO Mark lines that won’t bleed like traditional stains, Frainie Mercury Floor Frainie, and it isn’t content to stop at just NBA says, explaining that it enabled them to create the Machines (Revolution) or NCAA courts. What began as a trend in Final shapes without creating “an ugly mess.” Four basketball courts has quickly made its way “It takes the staining process to a new level,” Edger, Sanders: down to high schools and even lower grades, Frainie says. “You’re no longer stuck with earth American Sanders where elaborate, larger-than-life court designs tones [when staining].” have become a point of pride. Case in point: the The project was more than just a resanded gym Filler: company’s latest Design Award-winning project fl oor. The school’s principal, Jon Hall, described WOODWISE/ in Cumberland County High School in Crossville, the project as the creation of “a community show- DESIGN HARDWOOD Tenn. piece.” PRODUCTS Praters has a good relationship with the high Creating those showpieces is what Praters is school, having worked on its gym fl oor in years known for, and beyond its high-profi le NCAA and Finish: past, and was approached again last year to NBA projects, the company now services about BONA US resand the well-used court. 1,500 elementary, middle and high schools each Moisture meter: “They were looking to incorporate something year. “They get excited about what they see on Delmhorst Instrument Co. that would set them apart, make them different TV—what they know can happen,” Frainie says. from everybody else around them,” Frainie says. Then it’s up to the Praters designers to make Nailer: The Praters graphics team worked with the those visions, not always based on realistic possi- Bostitch school for two months on the design, the fi nal bilities, come to life. “You tend to create process- draft of which covered a majority of the maple es, through necessity, just to try to fulfi ll some Router, Sander (palm): fl oor with the school’s light blue color, alluding designer’s imagination,” Frainie says. DeWalt to the idea that the teams, the Jets and Lady Whether working on projects for the NBA or Saws: Jets, are playing in the sky. The school’s logo is for high schools like Cumberland County, the Skil in the center, encircled by the shapes of two jets imagination of designers doesn’t show signs of outlined by the blue coat. The existing 16,640 slowing down anytime soon, and neither does Wood flooring: square foot fl oor was sanded down to bare wood, Praters.—R.K. Connor Sports

52 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-DA-Winners.indd 52 3/15/18 2:37 PM 2018 DESIGN WF AWARDS BUSINESS Next Generation Courtesy of Better Buzz Coffee Suppliers Green Life Floors | San Diego, Calif. Advertisers appear in green. Abrasive: PUTTING A FRESH face on an old building is a needed to go ASAP. 3M project that seems to almost parallel 33-year-old “So we actually had to fi gure our overall layout Marcus Aven’s rise in an older industry. prior to installing anything,” Aven says. “It took a Adhesive, Moisture barrier: Aven, who has wielded hammers and worked lot of fi guring and math to make sure that every Wakol on fl oors since he was nine years old, has been section wound up parallel and matching the Buffer, Edger: busy earning a name for himself and his com- V-joints appropriately.” American Sanders pany, Green Life Floors, in San Diego, Calif., Then there were the cement hexagon tiles on where he brewed up one of his latest wood fl oor the sides of the shop’s central bar, which the Moisture meter: triumphs in a historic building for Better Buzz wood panels had to fi t around, a task requir- Fidbox, HM Box Coffee Roasters, a local chain. The fi nal product ing no small work of artistry to get right. “That Nailer: earned him this year’s Next Generation Design was a signifi cant time increase on our project,” Primatech Award, a category reserved for those in the indus- Aven says. The whole installation took about fi ve try under age 35. weeks. Router: Installing a new wood fl oor in a 99-year-old Tackling the ambitious wood fl oor project Festool historical landmark is “pretty cool,” Aven says, was nothing out of the ordinary for Aven, who but it also comes with a slew of structural issues. says he has grown his career by pursuing every Sanders (big machines, Aven describes the condition of the wood subfl oor opportunity to learn more. Starting in his father’s multi-head): in the circa-1919 former St. Joseph Hospital commercial services company refi nishing sport Lägler surgery annex building as “grossly un-fl at,” and courts, Aven worked his way up by taking on Sander (palm): the fi rst thing his crew did was hit it with a big projects with experienced contractors, learning Mirka machine to even things out. something from each before fi nally going out on 5 Using 7 ⁄8-inch prefi nished oak, Green Life his own. Saws: Floors executed a 45-degree chevron pattern “Really knowing how to do something and Metabo, Festool, DeWalt, envisioned by interior design company Davis Inc. walking in with confi dence for a project has been Fein It’s a pattern Aven says he would ideally begin by a big blessing,” Aven says. Underlayment: laying out in the center of the room and working After making his mark on a piece of history and Galleher his way out. But a fast-track construction sched- using lessons from those in the industry before ule imposed by the general contractor had Aven him, Aven seems more than ready to make some Wood flooring: begin on a wall where a massive coffee roaster history of his own.—R.K. DuChateau

www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com April|May 2018 ■ ood Floor Business 53

AM18-DA-Winners.indd 53 3/15/18 2:37 PM 2018 DESIGN WF AWARDS BUSINESS Best Stairs

Scribed Flooring | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

“UNFORTUNATELY, UNUSUAL AND diffi cult stairs The more I thought about it, the more I realized seem to fi nd us. It’s defi nitely something we don’t it would be the hardest thing I’ve ever done.” He seek out,” says Greg Ceglarski of Scribed Flooring lost a bit of sleep, he says, thinking about the in Brisbane, Australia. “It’s got me buggered how perfection that would be required on the miters. they fi nd us!” It’s evident from how he talks about Installing the stairs took about 10 days of projects like these winning “waterfall” stairs, how- Ceglarski’s time. “Each cut had to go from miter ever, that he relishes as much as resents them. saw to table saw back to the miter, then I had to “When you’re laying a fl oor, it’s just laying a fl oor, fi nish each of those miters by hand with a little but when you’re laying stairs, you spend a bit of Japanese pull saw. By the time I got to the end it time, and they’re very detailed,” he says. was like laying a straight fl oor; I was quite profi - Suppliers Back in the ’70s and ’80s, Brisbane was like a cient at it!” True to his vision, looking from the top Advertisers appear in green. big country town, but now “we’re doing all these of the stairs, it does look like a fl oor has molded ridiculous architectural homes,” he explains, and down around the stairs; there are even boards Adhesive: this project was a concrete home built by a dis- that land on two different treads, also seamlessly MAPEI tinctive builder/designer who creates “amazing traveling down the side of the stairs. The French projects,” Ceglarski says. Ceglarski was brought oak fl ooring was stained and prefi nished, but cut Filler: into the project via the high-end wood fl ooring edges required careful touchups of the fi nish. TIMBERMATE supplier, Tongue N Groove. On site, the client For an even greater level of complication, Finish: explained that she wanted timber vertically on the the wall of wood fl ooring conceals a hidden WOCA side of the stairs. During the hour he was on site, spring-loaded door (see a video of it in the online Ceglarski developed a vision of how the stairs version of this article at wfbmag.co/am18da). Nailer: would look “like someone put a timber fl oor up in When they saw the completed stairs, along Hitachi the sky and it folded down over the sides.” with two other sets of stairs on the job, “everyone “Once the idea was there, I was like, ‘This will was stoked,” Ceglarski says. True to the compa- Sander (palm), Saws: look unbelievable,’” he says. “I said, ‘I can only ny’s history, these complicated stairs have led to Festool do it this way.’ There wasn’t any negotiation,” a even more: Ceglarski is starting another set of Wood flooring: stance he says he takes frequently when bidding waterfall stairs for another client, but this time in Tongue N Groove jobs. The client agreed. reverse. “This time it’s on the right-hand side, so Ceglarski didn’t know how he would actually I’ll have to nut it out again,” he says.—K.M.W. Builder: do it, but “I just knew I’d be able to get it done. Kylan Construction

54 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-DA-Winners.indd 54 3/15/18 2:38 PM STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 2018 On Solid Footing

How was business in 2017 for wood fl oor manufacturers, distributors, retailers and contractors, and how do they feel about the coming year? Turn the page to discover the results of Wood Floor Business’s exclusive State of the Industry survey, which the magazine has published since 1992. To fi nd results from previous years, or the online version of this year's results, visit woodfl oorbusiness.com and enter “State of the Industry” in the search bar.

MANUFACTURERS SOI 2018 ERE ARE THE RESULTS from the wood flooring manufacturers Hwho participated in our online survey. 2017 Results* Raw Material Costs* Their sales (in dollar volume) Manufacturers say what they paid for last year were… raw materials last year...

The Chinese buying up logs and whiskey companies 18% Up “buying white oak in our area dramatically put upward pricing pressure 41% on lumber. Up 77% 23% somewhat Increased White oak Previous year: Down somewhat 14% Stayed” and hickory 10% up dramatically somewhat the same pricing went up 46% up somewhat “ dramatically. 28% about the same 18% 14% down somewhat About the 2% down dramatically same 9% Increased dramatically ” * none answered “down dramatically” * none answered “decreased dramatically” or “decreased somewhat”

How They Sell Through general Direct to 12% Other 5% How manufacturers broke down their sales channels: floor covering distributors 6% big-box retailers

Through traditional wood 23% Direct to flooring 20% Direct to 33% flooring distributors specific retailers consumers

Figures may not add up to an even 100 percent due to rounding

www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com April|May 2018 ■ ood Floor Business 55

AM18-SOI-Piecharts-3.indd 55 3/16/18 4:22 PM SOI 2018 MANUFACTURERS 2017 Prices* Should LEED Change? Manufacturers say wood flooring Should LEED recognize other wood prices last year… flooring certifications besides FSC? Market competition is lowering 14% Decreased “prices. somewhat ” 18% No

Raw material prices increased, 36% 50% especially for white Increased Stayed the “ somewhat same 82% oak, but we invested Yes the previous year in new equipment to help production. * none answered “decreased dramatically” ” or “increased dramatically”

CATALINA REPORT: WOOD FLOORING AMID THE FLOORING INDUSTRY AT LARGE The following excerpts of data about the U.S. wood fl ooring market are from the 2017 Catalina Report. The full report can be purchased for $3,495 via www.catalinareports.com or by calling (562) 988-0853. Some of the key fi ndings included: Sales data • During 2017, Catalina estimates that engineered • The value of wood fl ooring sales (shipments wood fl ooring accounted for 54.0% of total wood minus exports plus imports) was estimated to fl ooring dollar manufacturer sales (shipments increase by 5.7% to $3.8 billion during 2017. minus exports plus imports) and 57.0% of total Square foot sales were estimated to reach 1.7 square foot sales. This is up from 51.4% and 50.7%, billion square feet, a 5.3% increase over 2016. Sales respectively, a decade ago. have recovered from a low of $1.5 billion and 803 million square feet in 2009. Building & remodeling • Wood fl ooring sales are being driven in part by • The residential replacement market accounts price-competitive fl ooring. During 2017, wood for more than half of total dollar wood fl ooring fl ooring average manufacturer selling prices were sales. Wood fl ooring has nearly doubled its rate of 91.0% above average fl oor covering selling prices. penetration in the residential replacement market In 2012, wood fl ooring prices were 123.0% above over the past decade. In 2016, wood fl ooring is average selling prices. In 2002, they were 142.0%. estimated to have accounted for 16.0% of total • During 2017, wood fl ooring is estimated to homeowner fl oor covering purchases. This is up account for 15.1% of total U.S. fl oor coverings from 8.5% in 2007. dollar sales. This is up from 12.2% in 2012 and • Wood fl ooring penetration levels, however, are 7.8% in 2002. On a square-foot basis, wood highest in the building market. In 2016, wood fl ooring could represent 7.9% of total fl oor fl ooring is estimated to have accounted for 34.8% coverings sales, up from 6.5% in 2012 and 3.1% of total builder fl ooring purchases. This is up from in 2002. However, increased competition from 24.3% in 2007. Builders increased wood fl ooring ceramic tile and LVT with wood looks is causing penetration levels by targeting the higher-income wood fl ooring to lose share in the U.S. hard buyers purchasing the larger, more expensive, surface fl ooring market. open-plan single-family homes built today.

56 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-SOI-Piecharts-3.indd 56 3/16/18 4:22 PM MANUFACTURERS SOI 2018

The Biggest Threats Wood flooring manufacturers say their biggest threat is:

“OTHER” responses included: “Raw materials pricing.” 9% Competing American and Canadian “Labor force shortages.” manufacturers 18% Other 32% “Poor quality ﬂ ooring from inferior Competing manufacturers (China).” Asian manufacturers

5% Political climate 23% Competing floor coverings Government 5% 9% The economy regulation CATALINA REPORT: U.S. MANUFACTURERS Previous year: 32% competing Asian manufacturers U.S. manufacturers are estimated to 6% • other account for 75.0% of the total supply 16% the economy 12% government regulation (shipments plus imports) during 2017. 14% competing floor coverings This is up from 66.3% in 2012. U.S. 12% political climate manufacturers primarily took share 8% competing American and Canadian from Chinese manufacturers, and, to a manufacturers lesser extent, Brazilian producers. • The top three competitors—Mohawk, Armstrong, and Shaw—together are estimated to have accounted for 39.4% of the total U.S. supply in 2016, Changes They Made In 2017 down from 42.3% in 2012. Share was lost by Armstrong while Mohawk and Shaw increased their position Increased in this market. Armstrong has lost Reduced 41% production considerable share over the past production 0% decade; the company’s wood fl ooring sales declined by 42.0% over this Increased Reduced 36% period. staff 9% staff • Rising demand and lower levels of Increased import competition resulted in higher Reduced 32% marketing/ profi t margins for U.S. wood fl ooring marketing/ 9% advertising advertising manufacturers. • Average gross plant profi t margins Reduced 18% Increased # of SKUs are estimated to be 26.5% during # of SKUs 23% 2017. This is up from 25.4% in 2016 and 24.6% in 2012. Domestic manufacturers were able to off set rising material costs by improving labor productivity via investment in new and more effi cient equipment. Find more data: www.catalinareports.com

Figures may not add up to an even 100 percent due to rounding

www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com April|May 2018 ■ ood Floor Business 57

AM18-SOI-Piecharts-3.indd 57 3/16/18 5:02 PM SOI 2018 MANUFACTURERS Future Pricing* Predictions for 2018* Manufacturers expect prices this year to… Manufacturers think business this year will be… 5% Decrease somewhat 14% Dramatically better 23% 14% Stay the The same same 73% 73% Increase Somewhat somewhat better

* none answered “dramatically worse” or “somewhat worse” * none answered “decrease dramatically” or “increase dramatically”

LUMBER/FLOORING PRICES SINCE 2002

$3.00 Appalachian ¾ x 2¼-inch 2 $2.50 Select Red Oak Price/Ft. Lacey’s Effects $2.00 $1.50 Has the Lacey Act decreased Appalachian ¾ x 2¼-inch the sale of illegal wood flooring? $1.00 No. 1 Common Red Oak Price/Ft.2 $0.50

$0.00 68% 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 Yes 32% No Appalachian Green 4/4 No. 2A Red Oak Lumber Price (per MBF) $750 $700 $650 $600 $550 $500 $450 $400 $350 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018

Source: Hardwood Market Report

Figures may not add up to an even 100 percent due to rounding

58 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-SOI-Piecharts-3.indd 58 3/16/18 4:23 PM DISTRIBUTORS SOI 2018 HE DISTRIBUTORS RESPONDING to our survey were 91 Tpercent wood flooring specialists and 9 percent general floor covering distributors.

2017 Sales Species Sold Distributors say the dollar value of their wood flooring sales last year... 3% Beech 3% Pine 1% Brazilian cherry 2% Bamboo 6% Other imported species 55% 1% Birch Increased 6% Other 36% domestic species Stayed 36% the same 7% Maple Red oak

9% Decreased 31% Previous year: White oak 37% white oak Previous year: 32% red oak 61% increased 7% other domestics 21% stayed the same 8% maple 18% decreased 4% birch 3% other imported species 1% ash 3% Brazilian cherry 1% bamboo 1% pine 1% American cherry Flooring Types Sold

5% Unfinished engineered

19% Prefinished solid 49% 81% Unfinished of distributors expect 28% solid Prefinished demand for LVT and engineered WPC ﬂ ooring to increase in Previous year: 2018. 36% unfinished solid 36% prefinished engineered 23% prefinished solid 5% unfinished engineered Photo: Shutterstock.com Photo:

Figures may not add up to an even 100 percent due to rounding

www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com April|May 2018 ■ ood Floor Business 59

AM18-SOI-Piecharts-3.indd 59 3/16/18 4:23 PM SOI 2018 DISTRIBUTORS Finish Sold* Changes They Made In 2017

6% Conversion varnish 2% Oil (such as tung oil) 41% 36% Increased Increased the # of 36% staff lines Increased 23% marketing/ Reduced carried 36% the # of advertising Oil-modified lines 56% carried Water-based 5% Reduced staff 5% Reduced marketing/ advertising

*Moisture-cure & wax were zero

Previous year: 39% oil-modified 45% water-based “OTHER” responses included: 6% conversion varnish 2% oil (such as tung oil) “Lack of marketing and exposure.” 6% moisture cure “Movement of the market to LVT.” 2% wax 1% other “Online sales.” “Large distributors merging and moving into every market.” “Fragmentation within the industry, including the internet.” What Is The Biggest Threat To Your Business?*

Manufacturers selling 18% Competing 14% Big- 9% The 36% direct 23% Other floor coverings box stores economy

*none answered “government regulation”

How are you adapting to stay relevant in today’s marketplace?

Î “ We have adopted some higher end LVT We use our website and consider all lines.” marketing and sales options, including Î “ We are testing new products and the internet.” listening to customers.” Î “ We are making custom-made engineered Î “ Our main focus is on unfinished, so we prefinished flooring from locally sourced continue to increase our knowledge timber that can’t be purchased from any of unfinished material and installation other source!” methods.” Î “ Better quality. Higher styled. More Î “ Having a quality staff and plenty of engineered wide planks.” product. We appreciate our customers.

60 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-SOI-Piecharts-3.indd 60 3/16/18 5:00 PM DISTRIBUTORS SOI 2018

2018 Outlook*

It’s bare-bones survival because “of direct-buy places. 14% 5% Somewhat” worse Dramatically 90% better of distributors expect demand for wide planks to increase 50% Somewhat 32% better in 2018. Stay the same It looks healthy as we try to keep “up with building starts. *none answered “dramatically worse”

Photo: Shutterstock.com Photo: ”

CATALINA REPORT: U.S. DISTRIBUTORS Liquidators • Sales through distributors have increased We asked distributors if they were despite the growth of the home center and value hard surface fl ooring chain channels: threatened by liquidators in their area. Between 2012 and 2017, U.S. wholesale wood fl ooring sales are estimated to have increased at an 11.1% compound annual rate to $5.9 billion. Despite stronger growth, the number of distributors selling wood fl ooring has remained fl at over the past 15 years, while sales per distributor location have nearly doubled. • Distributors’ increasing importance is in line 64% Yes with the inroads made by foreign-sourced 36% products; foreign-based manufacturers No usually turn to distributors to assist them in developing a U.S. distribution network. Independent fl oor coverings stores have also been turning to distributors to source high- end specialty products that are not off ered by their larger big box competitors. Find more data: www.catalinareports.com

Figures may not add up to an even 100 percent due to rounding

www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com April|May 2018 ■ ood Floor Business 61

AM18-SOI-Piecharts-3.indd 61 3/16/18 4:24 PM SOI 2018 RETAILERS F THE RETAILERS responding to our survey, 17 percent Ospecialized in wood flooring and 83 percent were general floor covering retailers. Sales Results Species Breakdown Retailers said the dollar value of their What retailers sold by species: wood flooring sales in 2017 ... 1% American cherry 5% Other 2% Brazilian cherry imported species 1% Pine 1% Bamboo 56% 24% Stayed Increased the same 8% Birch 35% Maple Previous year: 20% Decreased 11% Red oak 61% increased 20% stayed the same Previous year: 18% 19% decreased 30% red oak Other 17% 23% white oak domestics White 11% maple oak 15% other domestics 3% other imported species 2% Brazilian cherry Flooring Types 8% birch The wood flooring retailers 3% bamboo 2% ash sold was (by volume): 1% pine 1% beech 1% Unfinished engineered 12% Unfinished solid Who Installs It The wood flooring retailers sold was for…

2% Other 15% DIY 54% installation 33% Prefinished Prefinished engineered solid 12% Installation by a pro contractor working independently 46% Installation by Previous year: a subcontractor 33% prefinished solid they hired 54% prefinished engineered 25% 12% unfinished solid 2% Installation unfinished engineered by their Previous year: employees 46% a subcontractor they hired 21% their employees 18% a pro contractor working independently 14% DIY installation 1% other

Figures may not add up to an even 100 percent due to rounding

62 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-SOI-Piecharts-3.indd 62 3/16/18 5:10 PM RETAILERS SOI 2018 * “OTHER” responses included: Biggest Threat “Big box stores resulting in DIY Retailers say the biggest threat to their business is: installation.” “Internet sales.” 6% Lack of demand “Price and price.” “Good inventory opportunities.”

13% Other 2018 Outlook* 52% 30% Increased Lack of Our ideal customers are frequenting competition competent lowball pricing our showroom more; people are willing workers “to spend more for a superior product and service.

As people are shopping Previous year: price over quality, they *none answered 52% Increased competition/ ” “government regulations” don't look at the big picture lowball pricing “ 23% L ack of competent of the longevity of their 61% 19% Stay the same workers Somewhat ﬂ ooring. 13% Other better 11% 13% Somewhat worse Lack of demand ” 2% Government regulations 7% Dramatically better

*none answered “dramatically worse” 62% of retailers expect Marketing Money demand for gray How retailers spent their wood ﬂ ooring to marketing budgets: increase in 2018. Photo courtesy of PID Floors 5% Direct mail

CATALINA REPORT: RETAILER SALES 16% 23% Social media Internet • In 2016, wood fl ooring retail sales were estimated to have advertising reached $6.2 billion or 16.6% of total fl oor covering retail sales. This was up from a 13.7% share in 2012 and 9.6% in 18% 23% 2007. Other Newspaper/ • In 2016, 48.0% of total wood fl ooring retail sales were magazine 14% advertising estimated to have been made at specialty fl oor coverings Radio/TV stores. This was higher than specialty fl oor coverings stores’ advertising 40.0% share of total fl oor coverings retail sales. Find more data: www.catalinareports.com

Figures may not add up to an even 100 percent due to rounding

www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com April|May 2018 ■ ood Floor Business 63

AM18-SOI-Piecharts-3.indd 63 3/16/18 4:29 PM SOI 2018 CONTRACTORS UNDREDS OF CONTRACTORS responded for our survey. Here is Hwhat they revealed about their businesses.

2017 Sales Finish Used Contractors say the dollar value of their 1% Wax wood flooring sales last year ... 5% Oil (such as tung oil) <1% Moisture-cure 7% Conversion varnish 49% Increased 40% 43% Stayed 11% Decreased Water-based the same 42% Oil-modified

Previous year: 50% increased Previous year: 48% 38% stayed the same water-based 38% 15% decreased oil-modified 6% conversion varnish 5% oil (such as tung oil) 1% moisture-cure 1% Species Installed wax

1% Bamboo 1% Pine 3% Brazilian cherry 1% Birch Flooring Types Installed 2% Other 1% Ash imported species 5% Unfinished engineered

7% Other domestic species 17% Prefinished 10% Maple 46% engineered Red oak 18% 60% 29% Unfinished White oak Prefinished solid solid

Previous year: 46% red oak 2% Brazilian cherry 28% white oak 1% birch Previous year: 9% maple 2% bamboo 62% unfinished solid 6% other domestics 1% ash 17% prefinished solid 2% other imported 14% prefinished engineered species 7% unfinished engineered

Figures may not add up to an even 100 percent due to rounding

64 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-SOI-Piecharts-3.indd 64 3/16/18 4:30 PM CONTRACTORS SOI 2018 Biggest Challenges Housing Data They say the most important issue affecting their business is ... Monthly U.S. Housing Starts Annual Rate (in thousands) 2,500

3% Government Peak: 2,273,000 regulations 2,000 4% Competing 2% Lack of demand floor coverings 1,500 Current: 1,208,000

1,000 Low: 478,000 10% Other 42% 500 Lack of competent 0 39% workers 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Increased Source: U.S. Commerce Dept. competition/ lowball pricing Remodeling Market Index (Current Market Conditions) 60

20 “OTHER” responses included: 10 0 “Stupid demands for stains and ﬁ nishes

that are "one of a kind;” in other words, Q1 2001 Q3 2001 Q1 2002 Q3 2002 Q1 2003 Q3 2003 Q1 2004 Q3 2004 Q1 2005 Q3 2005 Q1 2006 Q3 2006 Q1 2007 Q3 2007 Q1 2008 Q3 2008 Q1 2009 Q3 2009 Q1 2010 Q3 2010 Q1 2011 Q3 2011 Q1 2012 Q3 2012 Q1 2013 Q3 2013 Q1 2014 Q3 2014 Q1 2015 Q3 2015 Q1 2016 Q3 2016 Q1 2017 Q3 2017 irreproducible. The industry is chasing Source: NAHB ridiculous textures, stains and fi nishes, Housing Market Index (Overall) in some cases reducing the refi nishing of 80 the fl oor to once instead of three times or more.” 70 60 “My economy in my state (Alaska) is terrible. We are shrinking pretty dramat- 50 ically.” 40 “Keeping up with all the products we 30 use—the when, where, how and whys.” 20 “Health care costs.” 10 0 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Source: NAHB

74% Building vs. Remodeling 26% New home Remodeling construction

www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com April|May 2018 ■ ood Floor Business 65

AM18-SOI-Piecharts-3.indd 65 3/16/18 4:30 PM SOI 2018 CONTRACTORS

2018 Outlook CATALINA REPORT: U.S. CONTRACTORS 1% Dramatically 4% Somewhat worse • Wood fl ooring installation contractor worse revenues are estimated to have If we can keep up with increased at a 12.5% compound annual demand and fi nd skilled rate between 2012 and 2017. Wood 15% workers, I believe we will fl ooring installation contractor Dramatically “ revenues are estimated to have been crush Previous year's better $6.2 billion in 2017. numbers. • During 2017, wood fl ooring 48% installation contractor revenues are Somewhat ” estimated to account for 23.3% of total better 33% fl oor coverings installation work, up Stay the same from 18.6% in 2012 and 17.1% in 2002. • The average value per square foot My outlook is the of labor to install wood fl ooring is same as the previous estimated to be $3.51 in 2017. This compares to about $0.81 a square year unless something changes “ foot for carpet and about $0.87 in the workforce. Trying to get the per square foot for resilient and next generation to take on a trade is laminate fl ooring. However, the not easy. Construction cost of installing wood fl ooring on a Types square foot basis declined from 2007, ” while estimated to have increased for other fl ooring. This improved the competitive position of wood Install vs. fl ooring, which further stimulated 22% consumer demand. Slab Sand/Finish Find more data: www.catalinareports.com 52% Basement 26% 53% Crawl space Sanding/ Where They Buy finishing/ 47% (more than one answer possible) refinishing Wood flooring installation 90% of contractors said they buy wood flooring and related products from a specialty wood flooring distributor 31% buy direct from a manufacturer 33% buy from a general floor covering distibutor 37% 15% buy from a big-box retailer contractors expect 2% buy from internet-only retailers demand for reclaimed fl ooring to increase Of those who buy direct... is 2018. 52% expect 36% buy wood flooring no change in 18% buy finish demand. 23% buy sanding equipment 18% buy abrasives 22% buy installation tools Photo courtesy of Gaetano Hardwood Floors 12% buy adhesives

Figures may not add up to an even 100 percent due to rounding

66 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-SOI-Piecharts-3.indd 66 3/16/18 4:30 PM EXHIBITOR SHOWCASE EXPO

ET A PREVIEW of some of the products on the show ﬂ oor at the 2018 National GWood Flooring Association Wood Flooring Expo in Tampa, Fla., April 11-14. All of the following companies are exhibitors at the show and also advertisers in this issue.

Absolute Coatings Group Allegheny Mountain Booth 1245 Hardwood Flooring Easy2K’s two-component, 100 percent urethane formulation delivers Booth 1332 fortified durability, while the No Lap technology makes it easy to apply, Allegheny Mountain Hardwood resulting in a clear, even finish, Flooring is exhibiting its live- the company says. Grand Build sawn herringbone that features delivers high solids in fewer coats a light hand scrape and hand- for extra wear-protection. This crafted edges. The company’s unique technology is easy to live-sawn flooring products apply and brings out the beauty incorporate the full range of the in hardwood floors with low log’s characteristics and result odor and an easy soap-and-water in a mix of clear and natural cleanup, the company adds. grades. www.absolutecoatings.com www.hickmanwoods.com

Bona US Booth 1519 Fortifiber Building Systems Bona Wire Brush Technology used with the Bona DuraSeal Group FlexiSand Power Drive allows the user to easily Booth 1201 Booth 1114 wire-brush hardwood floors, the company says. DuraClear Max is Accord helps maintainntain comfort Wire-brushing a wood floor opens the wood a Greenguard- underfoot, providinging an grain and creates a custom wire-brushed look certified, non- outstanding acousticstic barrier and feel. ambering, two- plus dependable mmoistureoisture component www.bona.com vapor protection, the technology company says. Designedesigned to that delivers be used over subfloorsfloors anandd maximum under floating laminateminate scratch-, and engineered flooring,ooring, moisture- and Accord is easy to iinstallnstall chemical- with an integratedd seam resistance. It seal tape. It is alsoo a has excellent flow Class-I moisture vaporvapor and leveling that makes it easy to apply, barrier over concrete.ete. and it has a long shelf life, the company says. It also offers superior coverage for www.fortifiber.comom better efficiency and a faster return to service. www.duraseal.com

www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com April|May 2018 ■ ood Floor Business 67

AM18-Exhibitor-PF.indd 67 3/16/18 9:20 AM EXHIBITOR SHOWCASE

Harco Clear Coatings — Absolute Coatings Group Booth 1245 Radiance OMW features water-based and oil technology to create a product with the convenience of waterborne and the rich, traditional look of oil, the company says. Radiance OMW is a self-leveling, fast- drying, one-component system available in all sheens, including matte, and is VOC- compliant in all regions. www.harcocoatings.com

Garco Clear Finishes — Absolute Coatings Group Booth 1245 Garco Clear Finishes’ Classic World LaCrosse Hardwood polyurethanes have been in the marketplace since 1923 and are made from the finest Flooring resins available today, the company says, Booth 1539 adding that they have excellent scuff-, White Oak Natural Grade by chemical- and abrasion-resistance and are LaCrosse Hardwood Flooring available in super high gloss, semi-gloss and is available in widths from 1 satin sheens. 3⁄4–9 inches. The product has www.garco.us a 44-inch average length, and it brings warmth and traditional beauty to any environment, the company says. www.lacrosseflooring.com

Lico Machinery Inc. Booth 1328 Lico offers a wide range of ripping solutions for the mid- range production up to the most demanding requirements, the company says. A single system can be designed to produce from 20,000 board feet to 90,000 board feet (4/4) per shift with ripping yields up to 93 percent, Lico says. www.licoinc.net

Norton Abrasives/Vermont Natural Coatings Booth 1101 Lignomat USA Ltd. For all commercial and heavy-traffic Booth 1527 residential interior hardwood floors, The Ligno-DuoTec BW with RH BluePeg PolyWhey 3500 Wood Floor Finish provides sensor measures moisture content and relative outstanding mark and scratch resistance and humidity. The pinless dual-depth moisture stands up to the rigorous cleaning required meter has 70 built-in calibrations, including with daily use, the company says. The topcoat wood and bamboo. Users can also measure has a neutral odor, high coverage, a long life humidity and temperature with the RH BluePeg and is quick-drying with easy cleanup. attached to the meter. www.nortonabrasives.com www.lignomat.com

68 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-Exhibitor-PF.indd 68 3/16/18 9:20 AM Oneida Air Systems Inc. Booth 1002 The Oneida Air Systems Vortex DCS is HEPA- certified and meets the EPA’s RRP requirements for lead. The product has three times the air performance of most shop vacuums, the company says, and pre-separates 99 percent of dust into a 17-gallon bin lined with a plastic bag. The unit weighs about 50 pounds and is approximately 52 inches high. It runs on 110-volt power. www.oneida-air.com

Oshkosh Designs Osmo Holz und Color GmbH & Booth 1052 Co. KG Designers at Oshkosh Designs have Booth 1639 been developing new patterns, pushing Polyx-Oil 3043/3031 is a clear, satin/matte traditional parquet to a new level. New hardwax-oil wood flooring finish with high contemporary designs are being durability and stain resistance, the company unveiled at the Expo. All products says. It can be applied using a roller, brush or are completely customizable in wood pad, and no primer or intermediate sanding species. The flooring is available in is needed. The finish will not crack, flake or 5 3 thicknesses from ⁄16– ⁄4-inch and is peel, and the wood will stay breathable. Spot available prefinished or unfinished. repairs are also possible using the product. www.oshkoshdesigns.com www.osmousa.com

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www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com April|May 2018 ■ ood Floor Business 69

AM18-Exhibitor-PF.indd 69 3/16/18 9:21 AM EXHIBITOR SHOWCASE

Petri Clear Coatings — Absolute Coatings Group Booth 1245 Petri Parlay is an oil-modified polyurethane wood floor finish. Parlay provides excellent scratch-resistance, flow and leveling properties, as well as a crystal-clear color, the company says. The product is 350 VOC-compliant and comes in super high gloss, semi-gloss and satin sheens. www.petripaints.com

Precision Technology — Absolute Coatings Group PoloPlaz Booth 1245 Booth 1333 Swedish Finish for Pros is a two-component, Polo 1K is a single-component acid-cured wood floor finish that has scuff-, waterborne finish. The formula scratch- and chemical-resistance. Zenith is non-ambering, clear and Polyurethane is a premium oil-modified, high- low-VOC. Polo 1K’s rapid- cure build, clear finish that is easy-to-apply and dries technology allows for the floors to a scratch-and-scuff proof finish, the company to be returned to service the says. The products are available in high-gloss, very next day, the company says. semi-gloss, satin and matte sheens. It is available in gloss, semi- www.pretechfinishes.com gloss, satin and matte sheens. www.poloplaz.com

WOOD FLOOR A/M18 Brickman Empowering Wood Flooring Professionals BUSINESS

2018 Consulting DESIGN WF AWARDS -Education BUSINESS -Expertise -Experience -unbiased -conﬁdential -independent Installation Sanding & Finishing 2018 State of the Industry | Why I’m Expensive | New Tool Reviews Consulting Inspections REACH FOR Research KNOWLEDGE Teaching RENEW Since 1978 TODAY [email protected] 781.659.7209 wfbmag.co/2018Apr

70 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-Exhibitor-PF.indd 70 3/16/18 9:22 AM Seneca Millwork Inc. Booth 1713 Seneca Millwork offers an extensive line of hardwood transitions. The company says its ColorMaster system can help match flooring that is wire-brushed, sculpted, antiqued and distressed, as well as other popular styles. www.senecamillwork.com

Sampson Coatings — Sherwin-Williams Absolute Coatings Group Booth 1133 Booth 1245 Sherwin-Williams offers a full line of Sampson Coatings high-solids, single- factory-applied UV finishes that provide component waterborne finish combo, H2O durability and beauty for a wide range and Tradition: Tradition provides the rich of flooring materials, the company says. traditional look of oil, while H2O offers a The company works with OEMs to non-yellowing, crystal-clear appearance. design customized finishing solutions Both are easy to use with superior flow, that meet their unique needs. leveling and excellent film build, the oem.sherwin-williams.com/flooring company says. www.sampsoncoatings.com

Stauf USA Booth 1705 Stauf WFR-930 Solva-Mastic is an alcohol-based, high-strength Tramex Meters adhesive for professional wood Booth 1614 flooring installation. The product has The Tramex Professional PTM2.0 is superior green grab, the company unique for many reasons, the company says, adding that it contains no says. It has International standard chlorinated solvents, eliminates calibrations, a 500-plus individual species hollow spots under wood flooring calibration library and temperature and is easily spread and cleaned. correction adjustment with no need for charts. Users can save up to 100 readings www.staufusa.com for max, min, average and standard deviation statistics. The product also has built-in calibration. www.tramexmeters.com Timbermate Group Booth 1115 Woodwise/ Timbermate is Design Hardwood an interior-grade water-based wood Products Inc. filler. It contains no Booth 1001 toxins or VOCs. It Woodwise is showcasing has an indefinite its extensive line of shelf life, and can be wood fillers, including reconstituted with Woodwise Wood Patch, water if it dries out, Full-Trowel Filler, the company says. It Powdered Wood Filler, comes in 13 premixed No Shrink Patch-Quick, colors, plus Natural Pre-Finish Filler and Tint Base. It is sold in 8-ounce, quart, Epoxy Wood Patch, in addition to other maintenance products, wood flooring gallon and 2.5-gallon sizes. tools and accessories. www.timbermategroup.com www.woodwise.com

www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com April|May 2018 ■ ood Floor Business 71 Q New Products

AACER FLOORING has unveiled its AMERICAN SANDERS has engineered fl ooring line, the American launched TimberBond, a single Dream Collection. The collection features a component bonding layer that satin sheen and a hand-scraped look with can be used to chemically random or patterned texture. It comes in prepare wood fl oors for a dust- 12 colors, and custom colors are available. free recoating. The bonding It is ½ inch thick and comes in widths of 3 agent dries in one hour and is ¼, 5 and 7 inches, with 2- and 3-mm wear water-soluble. layers. americansanders.com www.aacerfl ooring.com

DURASEAL’s DuraClear Max Flat is an on-trend low-sheen product within the DuraClear line that offers the protection of HULL FOREST PRODUCTS has the company’s two-component launched an inventoried fl ooring water-based fi nish. line with long length live-sawn duraseal.com white oak and select-grade white oak (pictured) and red oak. The longer length wood fl ooring line is made with 100 percent usable material to eliminate waste and is being sold at sawmill-direct prices, SEPP LEAF PRODUCTS’ Mixol is a universal the company says. tint available in 33 colors and three metallic www.hullforest.com tones. The product is highly concentrated and easily dispersed into a variety of materials, including water, solvent or oil-based grain/wood fi ller, glues, clear coats, polyurethane, lacquer, high-quality oils, shellac, wax, stain, glaze, paint, etc. seppleaf.com

MANNINGTON HARDWOOD FLOORING now offers Cider Mill Oak, an engineered white oak product the company says “captures the spirit and distinctiveness of wood found in an old mill.” It has hand-applied staining and wire brushing, as well as the company’s patented ScratchResist ﬁ nish technology. It is available in three colors: Char (pictured), Pomace and Steel. www.mannington.com

HAVWOODS INTERNATIONAL now offers its Italian Collection, which offers engineered oversized planks that 3 3 measure 4 ⁄4 inches by 33 ⁄8 inches. The PIONEER MILLWORKS is now offering a range includes Notte Plank, which can be “cleaner” option of reclaimed wood in its installed in a bespoke pattern in a dark Sustainably Harvested collection, which brown tone (pictured installed in upscale has less tonal variation and knots. Wood London restaurant Jamavar). options for Sustainably Harvest are ash, www.havwoodsusa.com hickory, walnut, maple, oak (pictured), Indo- nesian teak and larch, with more planned to be introduced this year. www.pioneermillworks.com

72 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-NewProduct.indd 72 3/15/18 5:54 PM Ad Index Q

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

Absolute Coatings Group www.absolutecoatings.com ...... 21 Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring Stay connected with WFB www.alleghenymountainhardwoodfl ooring.com ...... 22 Appalachian Lumber Co. Inc. www.appalachianlumber.net ...... 43 Bona US www.bona.com...... 46, 76 Brickman Consulting www.brickmanconsulting.com ...... 70 DuraSeal www.duraseal.com ...... 5 Eagle Creek Floors www.eaglecreekfl oors.com ...... 15 Floor & Decor Outlets www.fl ooranddecor.com ...... 17, 37 Fortifi ber Building Systems Group www.fortifi ber.com/fl ooring.html ...... 69 LaCrosse Hardwood Flooring www.lacrossefl ooring.com ...... 7 Lico Machinerie Inc. www.licoinc.net ...... 26 Lignomat USA Ltd. www.lignomat.com ...... 18 National Hardwood Flooring & Moulding www.nationalhardwood.com ...... 69 National Wood Floor Consultants Inc. www.nwfc.net ...... 70 Be noticed in Norton Abrasives www.nortonfl oorsanding.com ...... 11 Oneida Air Systems the industry’s www.oneidavac.com ...... 45 Oshkosh Designs www.oshkoshdesigns.com ...... 51 magazine. Osmo North America www.osmousa.com ...... 2 Reach the most qualifi ed PG Wood Imports www.pgwoodimports.com ...... 75 industry pros in 2018 with PoloPlaz print, digital and social www.poloplaz.com...... 33 media advertising. Seneca Millwork Inc. www.senecamillwork.com ...... 39 Sherwin-Williams Company, The oem.sherwin-williams.com/markets/fl ooring/trust ...... 25 Stauf USA LLC www.staufusa.com ...... 9 Contact: Kendra Griffi n Timbermate Group kendra@woodfl oorbusiness.com www.timbermategroup.com ...... 27 (608) 467-1084 | (800) 722-8764 x 107 Tramex Ltd. www.tramexltd.com ...... 41 Wagner Meters www.wagnermeters.com ...... 23 Woodwise/Design Hardwood Products info.woodfl oorbusiness.com www.woodwise.com ...... 3

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AM18-Ad-Index.indd 73 3/16/18 3:58 PM ENDExtraordinary GRAIN projects from the industry By Kim M. Wahlgren

Curving ﬁ shtail parquet for a round castle

HIS IS POSSIBLY the nicest house I’ve been in,” “Tsays John Yarema of Yarema Inc. Considering his typical clientele—the world’s rich and famous, with wood fl ooring price tags that commonly reach more than half a million dollars for a single job—that’s saying something. Although these days the majority of Yarema’s work is in New York City, this home was right in Yarema’s backyard, in Michigan. The home’s owner, a famous attorney with multiple homes, has been a client of Yarema’s for 15 years, but he was not thrilled with Yarema’s reaction when he said he wanted to rip out the carpeting in his son’s room and have Yarema install a fanned plank fl oor. “I said I’m not interested in doing something like that,” Yarema recalls, adding that any number of local contractors could have installed that fl oor. “I said, ‘Here’s the design I’ll do, and that’s the only design I’m doing in that room.’” The client acquiesced, and although Yarema typically eschews laser work these days, he chose that route for creating this fl oor. “This is exactly what a laser is good for—repeatable parts that are perfect,” he explains. “There are 40 rows, but each row has the same piece.” The engineered fi shtail parquet, fashioned from French oak off cuts from a previous job, grows from pieces that are 3.5 inches across to 17 inches across closest to the wall. It was then hand-scraped, dyed dark to match the woodwork, and oiled on site. This marks the fourth room Yarema has installed in the home, which he says is like a “little castle” with curved stone walls on a 200-foot radius. His next job for this client could take him to the Caribbean, or the Southwest, or be right back here in his backyard. At this point in his career, one thing is certain: Yarema will do it on his terms, or he won’t do it at all.

74 ood Floor Business ■ April|May 2018 www.woodﬂ oorbusiness.com

AM18-EndGrain.indd 74 3/13/18 4:14 PM WF12_PG_workingSamples1217.indd 1 11/15/17 8:49 AM WF02_BonaBC218.indd 1 1/18/18 10:49 AM