June|July| y 2011 www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com NWFA 2011 Wood Floor of thethe Yearpagepage 47 One Inspector’s Lifelong Learning page 23 Avoiding White Line Syndrome page 42 Product Focus Tools + Supplies Imported Wood Flooring JJ11-cov.indd 1 5/27/11 10:20 AM Your reputation. You’re standing on it. For consistent, high-quality results, choose 3M™ Regalite™ Floor Sanding Abrasives. Our premium products start sharp and stay sharp, for a smooth finish with less effort. So they help keep you in good standing. 3M and Regalite are trademarks of 3M. © 2011, 3M. All rights reserved. HF06_3M611.indd 1 5/24/11 12:42 PM HF06_Owens611.indd 1 5/25/11 2:20 PM Once you try our other products, you’ll see the family resemblance. For more than 100 years, DuraSeal has provided a wide range of products you can rely on. From our popular DuraSeal Polyurethane to X-TERRA® and the innovative “black bottle” Water-Based Polyurethane, you can expect the same exceptional flow, leveling and dry times you’ve come to expect from all of our wood finishing products. Even if you need to meet the latest compliance issues, you can rest assured knowing you’re getting the highest quality and best performance with DuraSeal, the longtime leader in quality and innovation. For more information, call 1-800-364-1359 or visit www.duraseal.com for your nearest distributor. HF04_DuraSeal411.indd 1 3/17/11 1:27 PM Contents June|July 2011 Features Vol. 24.3 NWFA Wood Floor of the Year: San Diego Spotlight Check out the winners of the wood flooring industry’s Oscars. page 47 47 Your Business Live and Learn By Selva Lee Tucker Inadequate inspections lead to a new world of education. page 23 Legal D. Jeffrey Craven 29 What is a lien and how does it work? page 26 On the Cover: NWFA Wood Floor of the Year winner Precision Money Floorcrafters Inc. For more, turn to page 47. By Johnny C. Gates Track your money with effective internal controls. page 29 PREMIUM PARTNERS: Management By Phillip M. Perry Negotiate with suppliers to get a bang for your buck. The page 32 GARRISON® Collection www.hardwoodfl oorsmag.com June|July 2011 Hardwood Floors 5 JJ11-TOC.indd 5 5/27/11 9:37 AM Contents On the Job 19 Ask the Expert Q&As on estimating square footage, dishout and sound control, plus a nifty trick for straining finish. In Every Issue page 37 Chairman’s Message From the Field page 8 By Bob Pratt Make sure your underlayment is working for you. page 39 NWFA News page 12 Troubleshooting By Keith Cudmore Woodworks This floating floor can’t take the heat ... radiant heat, that is. page 19 page 41 Products Techniques page 65 By Kim Wahlgren What is really causing the dreaded white line syndrome? Ad Index page 42 page 66 42 Product Focus Tools + Supplies Special Advertising Section: page 58 Imported Wood Flooring page 64 At www.hardwood- Also, check out the web-only content from in this issue: floorsmag.com, add your comments to At www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com/WFOY11: the CONTRACTOR, › See more photos from this year’s Wood Floor of the Year winners, including shots of some of the jobs in progress. INSPECTOR and GREEN BLOGS; and join the con- At www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com/LLearnJJ11: versation with your peers at › See photos from the inspection classes. the HF FORUM. 6 Hardwood Floors June|July 2011 www.hardwoodfl oorsmag.com JJ11-TOC.indd 6 5/27/11 9:37 AM HF06_Mercer611.indd 1 5/24/11 1:44 PM >>chairman’s message The magazine of the National Wood Flooring Association NWFA Chairman Rick Holden NWFA NWFA CEO Michael Martin NWFA Offices 111 Chesterfield Industrial Blvd. • Chesterfield, MO 63005 We Are 800/422-4556 • 636/519-9663 • Fax: 636/519-9664 [email protected] • www.nwfa.org Listening Editorial Advisory Committee John Lessick, Chair/Board Liaison | Apex Wood Floors Inc. Dan Antes | Distinctive Hardwood Floors B y R i c k H o l d e n Daniel Boone | Powernail Company Inc. Joe Boone Jr. | Wood Floors Online Inc. Chairman, NWFA Avi Hadad | Avi’s Hardwood Flooring Galen Fitzel | 3M Robert Humphreys | Majestic Wood Floors Inc. s the incoming chairman of the National Wood Flooring Mike Litchkowski | Dekora Parket Association, one of the things that is a major priority for Sprigg Lynn | Universal Floors Inc. me is to ensure that the NWFA’s programs and services Robert McNamara | Bostik Inc. A Charles Peterson | CP Wood Floors continue to meet the needs of our membership. This is not an Jim Powers | Saroyan Lumber Company easy task since our membership spans 52 countries and all 50 of Genia Smith | Accent Hardwood Flooring Inc. the United States, but it is one that is absolutely critical to our Janet Sullivan | Lenmar Inc. continued success and growth as an association. So this past Tricia Thompson | Enmar Hardwood Flooring Inc. April, at our annual convention held in San Diego, we did just Publication Staff that. We listened. EDITORIAL When our board of directors heard that there was some con- Kim M. Wahlgren | Editor cern over the change in dates for Doug Dalsing | Associate Editor our 2012 convention, we decided to Scott Maurer | Art Director Feel free to Marjorie Schultz | Electronic Production Manager take action. And to do it immedi- Scott Packel | Production Assistant ately. Within an hour of adjourning ATHLETIC BUSINESS PUBLICATIONS INC. our meeting, we had formulated a share any Gretchen Kelsey Brown | CEO survey and had distributed it on the Peter Brown | President Wood Flooring Expo show fl oor to comments or Kara Clark | Controller/Circulation Director Sharon Siewert | Administration Director/Accountant all our exhibiting companies. Based Sadye Ring | Graphic Designer on their feedback, we then returned concerns. Jodi Chamberlain | Sales Coordinator from the show and distributed a Lisa Popke | E-mail Marketing Coordinator similar survey to our dealer/contractor members, which represent Alex Malyutin | Web Programmer Susan Bickler, Erika Reise | Online Producers the majority of our attendees each year. Their feedback con- fi rmed what our exhibitors told us—our Expo needs to take place ADVERTISING SALES Shawn Gahagan | Group Publisher as early in the year as possible without interfering with other Kendra Bjorklund | Account Executive conventions. Since then, we have been working to renegotiate our contracts Editorial and Advertising Offices for a timeframe in the early part of 2012 so we can continue to Athletic Business Publications Inc. |4130 Lien Road • Madison, WI 53704 meet the needs of both our exhibitors and our attendees. We are 608/249-0186 • 800/722-8764 • Fax: 608/249-1153 [email protected] | www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com very close to fi nalizing the dates and will communicate them in the near future. Our new training facility in Las Vegas is another example of member feedback in action. This facility was opened in direct response to member requests for dedicated training options in 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 a city that is easily accessible and affordable. You asked, we 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 listened, and we responded with a state-of-the-art facility that (via airmail) are $65. Hardwood Floors is published bi-monthly, plus the annual industry resource book, and distributed without charge to those active in the wood flooring industry. POSTMASTER: expands our training capabilities. Send address changes to Hardwood Floors, P.O. Box 47705, Plymouth, MN 55447. Publication Mail Agreement #40049791. Canadian mail distribution information: International Mail Your board wants to ensure that the NWFA continues to meet Express, Station A, P.O. Box 54, Windsor, ON N9A 6J5. Printed in the U.S.A. © 2011 Athletic Business Publications Inc. and National Wood Flooring Association. Reproduction in whole or in part is pro- your needs. Feel free to share any comments or suggestions. We hibited. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. (ISSN 0897-022X) Periodicals Postage Paid at Madison, ■ Wisconsin, and at additional mailing offices. are listening. 8 Hardwood Floors June|July 2011 www.hardwoodfl oorsmag.com JJ11-ChairM.indd 8 5/25/11 9:22 AM BAMBOOZLED about bamboo? MAPEI’s Ultrabond ECO ® 985 removes the confusion about which adhesive to use for bamboo flooring. Plus, it’s great for traditional wood flooring and is easy to clean up too! TM Ultrabond ECO 985 Hybrid-Polymer-Based, Moisture-Control and Sound-Reducing Wood-Flooring Adhesive sæ )SOCYANATE FREEæWITHæEXTREMELYæLOWæODORæ sæ #ONTROLSæSUBmOORæMOISTUREæUPæTOææLBSæ-6%2æANDææ2( sæ 2EDUCESæSOUNDæTRANSMISSIONSææ sæ #LEANSæUPæEASILYæFROMæHANDSæANDæPRElNISHEDæWOODæmOORING HF04_MAPEI411.indd 1 3/17/11 1:32 PM HF02_Garris211.indd 1 1/19/11 1:32 PM HF02_Garris211.indd 2 1/26/11 1:41 PM >>ceo message NWFAnews and information from the nationalnews wood flooring association | www.nwfa.org NWFA is Your Association B y M i c h a e l M a r t i n CEO, NWFA hile attending my fi rst NWFA Conference & Expo in San Diego in April, I had a revelation. I was at lunch with a large group of people and everyone was looking down at the fl oor, Wtalking about what kind of materials were used, how the fl oor was installed, and how the restaurant could have done things differently. It was at that moment that I realized just how much my life has changed since joining the NWFA in February to become its new CEO.