June|July 2012 www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com NWFA 2012 WOOD FLOOR OF THE YEAR page 43 Cutting Odd Angles page 35 Recoating Prefi nished Floors page 39 Product Focus Tools + Supplies Imported Wood Flooring JJ12-Cov.indd 1 5/24/12 4:09 PM HF11_3Mb1111.indd 1 10/25/11 10:46 AM HF06_Owens612.indd 1 5/22/12 7:42 AM The difference is clear. DuraClear™ is specially formulated to be non-ambering, making it appropriate for lighter colored wood. Yet it still offers the same beautiful, durable finish as the other great DuraSeal® products you know and trust. UÊ-}iÊV«iÌÊ UÊ`i>ÊvÀÊÕÃiÊÛiÀÊ ÕÀ>-i>® QuickCoat UÊ >LiÀ}ÊÊ UÊ-Õ«iÀÀÊÜ>ÌiÀL>Ãi`ÊÌiV }Þ UÊ ÝVi«Ì>ÊyÜÊ>`ÊiÛi}ÊÊ UÊiÃÃÊÌ >Ê£ÓxÊ6" Ê}É UÊ iÀV>Ê`ÕÀ>LÌÞ For more information and to find your nearest distributor, visit duraseal.com or call 1-800-364-1359. HF06_DuraSe612.indd 1 5/21/12 5:21 PM Contents June|July 2012 Features Vol. 25.3 Honored in Orlando By the HF Editors The winners of the 2012 NWFA Wood Floor of the Year Awards, announced during the NWFA Expo in Orlando in April, are profiled. page 43 Vartan Arutyunian 43 Your Business Live and Learn By Scott Tarpinian Tailoring estimates for each customer can build relationships. page 23 Legal 28 By Phillip M. Perry Sex bias in the workplace can carry a hefty toll. page 25 On the Cover: NWFA Wood Floor of the Year 2012 Members’ Choice and Best Residential winner Archetypal Money Imaginary Remodeling Corp. By Gene Siciliano Photo by Vartan Arutyunian Strategies to improve your accounts receivable record. page 28 PREMIUM PARTNERS: Management By Pam Lontos How to get testimonials and use them to better your business. page 31 www.hardwoodfl oorsmag.com June|July 2012 Hardwood Floors 5 JJ12-TOC.indd 5 5/23/12 11:57 AM Contents On the Job Ask the Expert 20 Q&As on grade names, EMC and red rosin paper. page 33 In Every Issue From the Field Chairman’s Message By Joshua Crossman page 8 Do you have the best tools for cutting odd angles? page 35 NWFA News page 12 Troubleshooting By Mike Sundell Why does this finish have a milky cast and uneven sheen? Woodworks page 38 page 19 New Products Techniques page 64 By Kim M. Wahlgren Recoating prefinished floors doesn’t have to be a gamble. Ad Index page 39 page 66 39 Product Focus Tools & Supplies Special Advertising Section: page 56 Imported Wood Flooring page 63 At www.hardwood- At www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com/WFOYJJ12: floorsmag.com, read › See more photos from winning 2012 NWFA Wood Floor of the Year projects the CONTRACTOR, INSPECTOR, NWFA and GREEN BLOGS; see what everyone’s talking about on the FORUM; and check out the Web-only content from this issue: 6 Hardwood Floors June|July 2012 www.hardwoodfl oorsmag.com JJ12-TOC.indd 6 5/24/12 10:08 AM HF04_Mercer412.indd 1 3/20/12 12:35 PM >>chairman’s message The magazine of the National Wood Flooring Association NWFA Rick Holden | Chairman NWFA Michael Martin | CEO 111 Chesterfield Industrial Blvd. • Chesterfield, MO 63005 (800) 422-4556 • (636) 519-9663 • F: (636) 519-9664 [email protected] • www.nwfa.org Editorial Advisory Committee Robert McNamara, Chair | Saint-Gobain Feedback, Jim Schumacher, Board Liaison | 3M Joe Boone Jr. | Wood Floors Online Inc. Howard Brickman | Brickman Consulting Rose Mary Cummings | Maxwell Hardwood Flooring Please Len Daubler | Anderson Hardwood Floors Galen Fitzel | 3M Chuck Garvey | Bona US By Rick Holden Avi Hadad | Avi’s Hardwood Flooring Chairman, NWFA Sprigg Lynn | Universal Floors Inc. Charles Peterson | CP Wood Floors Jim Powers | Saroyan Lumber Company John Shepard | Carpet One Floor & Home atching the 2012 Wood Flooring Expo unfold truly has Genia Smith | Accent Hardwood Flooring Inc. been exciting to see. This year’s Expo Committee liter- Tricia Thompson | Enmar Hardwood Flooring Inc. W ally rebuilt the entire show from the ground up, based HF Website on your ideas and suggestions. Never before have we imple- BLOGGERS mented so many new initiatives in just one year. More than 20 Scott Avery | Modern Tech Floors LLC Elizabeth Baldwin | Metropolitan Floors committee members were involved in every aspect of relaunching Howard Brickman | Brickman Consulting the show to meet your needs. Were they successful? You be the Wayne Lee | Cardinal Hardwood & Tile judge. FORUM MODERATORS Cort Dunlap | Hardwood Inspections You said you wanted industry-specifi c education. They deliv- David Harrison | Custom Wholesale Floors Inc. ered by adding tracks for management, marketing and technical Roy Reichow | National Wood Floor Consultants Inc. information that was specifi - Publication Staff cally geared toward wood fl ooring EDITORIAL processionals. You said you wanted Share your Kim M. Wahlgren | Editor Doug Dalsing | Associate Editor industry-relevant keynote speakers. Scott Maurer | Art Director They delivered with Harley-Da- impressions Marjorie Schultz | Digital Production Manager vidson’s Ken Schmidt, who talked Scott Packel | Production Assistant about branding your business in a with us about ATHLETIC BUSINESS MEDIA INC. Gretchen Kelsey Brown | CEO down market, and HGTV’s celebrity Peter Brown | President carpenter and designer Carter the show. Kara Clark | Controller/Circulation Director Oosterhouse, who talked about Sadye Ring | Graphic Designer Jodi Chamberlain | Sales Coordinator wood fl oors as an environmentally friendly design feature. Lisa Popke | Audience Development Coordinator You said you wanted to see more new and innovative products Erika Reise | Online Producers in the trade show. They delivered by adding 100 more booths on Kyle Wahlgren | Digital Marketing Manager Tricia Baden | Social Media Community Managerr the show fl oor than last year. You said you wanted to see new ADVERTISING SALES traffi c at the show. They delivered by adding four CEUs as an Shawn Gahagan | Group Publisher incentive for architects and designers to attend. Kendra Bjorklund | Account Executive Finally, you said you wanted the show to offer you real value. Editorial and Advertising Offices Here’s how they delivered. They brought you more events for free, Athletic Business Media Inc. | 4130 Lien Road • Madison, WI 53704 (608) 249-0186 • (800) 722-8764 • F: (608) 249-1153 like the opening and closing parties. They offered you a coupon [email protected] | www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com book fi lled with show specials that save you thousands of dollars on products you buy every day. They gave you discounts for both the show and your hotel room for signing up early. And they gave away more than $45,000 in attendance prizes at both the trade show demos and the closing party, which does not even include CHANGE OF ADDRESS: In order to ensure uninterrupted delivery of Hardwood Floors, notice of change should be made at least five weeks in advance. Direct all subscription mail to Hardwood Floors, P.O. Box 47705, Plymouth, MN 55447, call the new Harley-Davidson motorcycle. 800/869-6882 or fax 866/658-6156. For faster service, visit us online at www.nwfa.org/member/mag.aspx. Single-copy price is $8. Subscription price is $40 for seven issues in the U.S.A. and Canada. International subscriptions (via So let us know what you think. We look forward to getting your airmail) are $65. Hardwood Floors is published bi-monthly, plus the annual industry resource book, and distributed without charge to those active in the wood flooring industry. POSTMASTER: Send address feedback about what we did right, and what we need to improve. changes to Hardwood Floors, P.O. Box 47705, Plymouth, MN 55447. Publication Mail Agreement #40049791. Canadian mail distribution information: International Mail Drop us an email at [email protected] and share your impressions Express, Station A, P.O. Box 54, Windsor, ON N9A 6J5. Printed in the U.S.A. © 2012 Athletic Business Publications Inc. and National Wood Flooring Association. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited. with us about the show—the good, the bad, and the ugly. ■ ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. (ISSN 0897-022X) Periodicals Postage Paid at Madison, Wisconsin, and at additional mailing offices. 8 Hardwood Floors June|July 2012 www.hardwoodfl oorsmag.com JJ12-ChairM.indd 8 5/21/12 1:19 PM HF06_Shamro612.indd 1 5/21/12 5:21 PM HF04_Garris412.indd 2 3/16/12 9:16 AM EZ-CLICK,EZ-CLICK, isis thethe “Saving“Saving Solution”Solution” forfor installinginstalling FINEST QUALITY HARDWOOD FLOORING solid hardwood flooring over concrete or raised solid hardwood flooring over concrete or raised 1 orange bead 2 green beads foundations!foundations! At one end of each clip is a orange Silicone Rubber and at the opposite end are 2 Green Silicone Rubber which are designed EZ-EZ-ClickClick SavesSaves Time,Time, SavesSaves Money!Money! to set an automatic expansion gap between the width of each row. Placing the clips green WithWith EZ-Click,EZ-Click, there’sthere’s NoNo Nails,Nails, NoNo Glue,Glue, silicon facing out wards. Flooring requires no nails NoNo Mess,Mess, NoNo Kidding!Kidding! Placing the clear bead into No glue and no fuss TheThe bestbest answeranswer ever,ever, forfor solidsolid HardwoodHardwood the underside of the groove. Flooring!Flooring! Guaranteed!Guaranteed! WeWe areare lookinglooking forfor stockingstocking DistributorsDistributors outout ofof California.California. CallCall forfor samplessamples andand information.information. A REVOLUTION IN SOLID TIMBER FLOORING (800) 300-5158 7751 Hayvenhurst Ave., Van Nuys, CA 91406 www.thegarrisoncollection.com HF06_GarrRt612.indd 1 5/23/12 6:20 AM >>ceo message NWFAnews and information from the nationalnews wood flooring association | www.nwfa.org A Vote of Confi dence By Michael Martin CEO, NWFA n a global economy, someone in Kentucky may install wood fl ooring made in Vietnam, while, at the same time, someone in China may be applying a U.S.-made fi nish to a fl oor made in Canada.