Wood Floor of the Year

Transcription

June|July 2010
3
3
NWFA 2010
Wood Floor
of the Year
page 39
Exotic Pitfalls page 35
Using Social Media page 19
Product Focus
Tools + Supplies
Go to Resource Center for more info
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Contents Features
June|July 2010
Vol. 23.3
NWFA Wood Floor
of the Year:
Prizes on the
Potomac
Read the profiles of each
floor that took home a
trophy from the convention in
Washington, D.C.
page 39
39
Your Business
Live and Learn
By Rob McNealy
Use social media marketing to drive your business.
page 19
Money
By George Hedley
Use these strategies to price your work for higher
profits.
page 23
Management
By Phillip M. Perry
How will ObamaCare affect your small business?
23
page 25
On the Cover:
The NWFA Wood Floor of the Year winner by
Schmidt Custom Floors Inc. For more, see page 39.
Photo Courtesy of SC Johnson.
June|July 2010 Q Hardwood Floors 5
Contents
On the Job
15
In Every Issue
Ask the Expert
Answers on wind shake, dance floor wax, and “gloss”
versus “sheen.”
page 27
Chairman’s Message
From the Field
page 8
By Guillermo Figari
A peek inside the volatile world of importing exotics.
NWFA News
page 10
page 29
Troubleshooting
Woodworks
By John Shepard
Uncontrolled moisture doesn’t agree with this beech floor.
page 15
page 33
Ad Index
Techniques
page 58
By Kim M. Wahlgren
Avoid these common callbacks with
imported species.
page 35
35
Industry News
Products
page 56
Product Focus
Tools + Supplies
page 45
Special Advertising Section:
Imported Wood Flooring
page 55
6 Hardwood Floors Q June|July 2010
>>chairman’s message
The magazine of the National Wood Flooring Association
NWFA Chairman
Neil Poland
NWFA Executive Director/CEO
Edward Korczak, CAE
NWFA Offices
111 Chesterfield Industrial Blvd. • Chesterfield, MO 63005
800/422-4556 • 636/519-9663 • Fax: 636/519-9664
[email protected] • www.nwfa.org
Editorial Advisory Committee
John Lessick, Chair/Board Liaison (Apex Wood Floors Inc.)
Dan Antes (Distinctive Hardwood Floors)
Daniel Boone (Powernail Company)
Joe Boone Jr. (Wood Floors Online Inc.)
Avi Hadad (Avi’s Hardwood Flooring)
Galen Fitzel (3M)
Robert Humphreys (Majestic Wood Floors Inc.)
Mike Litchkowski (Dekora Parket)
Sprigg Lynn (Universal Floors Inc.)
Robert McNamara (Bostik Inc.)
Charles Peterson (CP Wood Floors)
Jim Powers (Saroyan Lumber Company)
Genia Smith (Accent Hardwood Flooring Inc.)
Janet Sullivan (Lenmar Inc.)
Tricia Thompson (Enmar Hardwood Flooring)
Publication Staff
Kris Thimmesch
Publisher
Kim M. Wahlgren
Editor
Doug Dalsing
Associate Editor
Scott Maurer
Art Director
Marjorie Schultz
Electronic Production Manager
Scott Packel
Production Assistant
Gretchen Kelsey Brown, Peter Brown
Group Publishers
Kara Clark
Controller/Circulation Director
Sharon Siewert
Administration Director/Accountant
Sadye Ring
Graphic Designer
Jodi Chamberlain
Sales Coordinator
Lisa Popke
E-mail Marketing Coordinator
Alex Malyutin
Web Programmer
Susan Bickler, Erika Reise
Online Producers
Editorial and Advertising Offices:
Athletic Business Publications Inc.
4130 Lien Road • Madison, WI 53704
608/249-0186 • 800/722-8764 • Fax: 608/249-1153
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, PO Box 47705, Plymouth, MN 55447, call
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 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 changes to Hardwood Floors, PO Box 47705, Plymouth, MN 55447.
Publication Mail Agreement #40049791. Canadian mail distribution information: International Mail
Express, Station A, P.O. Box 54, Windsor, ON N9A 6J5. Printed in the U.S.A. © 2010 Athletic Business
Publications Inc. and National Wood Flooring Association. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. (ISSN 0897-022X) Periodicals Postage Paid at Madison,
Wisconsin, and at additional mailing offices.
NWFA
National
Campaign
By Neil Poland
Chairman, NWFA
O
ne of the nice things about having an association that has a
25-year history is that we have so many talented and dedicated individuals working together for a common cause: to
promote and grow our industry. The NWFA is a rare organization in
that it represents all facets of the wood flooring industry: manufacturers, distributors, dealers, contractors, importers, exporters and
inspectors. Anyone who has anything to do with wood flooring can
belong to the NWFA, but our common objective is to help our members to be successful, which means that we also have to provide
them with the tools to accomplish that.
Throughout the years, many of our
members have expressed the need to
develop a national advertising campaign
to promote the essential benefits of wood
flooring: its beauty, durability, long-term
value, and green attributes, to name just
a few. The NWFA has tackled this objective on a limited scale in the past through
targeted press releases, media tours and
even a 30-second television ad for use
by our members, but we have never embarked on a nationwide
campaign to promote wood floors—until now.
Starting this month, NWFA members will be assessed additional
dollars on their dues invoice. These marketing dollars are just that:
100 percent of the funds will go toward national marketing of wood
floors. The national advertising campaign will focus on architects,
builders, consumers and designers—those who desire, specify and
purchase wood floors. Manufacturers will be asked to contribute
$250 a year for three years, distributors will be asked to contribute
$125 a year for three years, and dealer/contractors will be asked
to contribute $25 a year for three years. This three-year campaign
will include creative development, public relations and media
tours, continuing education program development for architect and
designer licensing renewals, and print advertising.
This campaign will focus on domestic North American wood
only, and will include both solid and engineered wood products.
Your participation will help strengthen wood flooring’s position in
the floor covering market. ■
These
marketing
dollars are
just that.
NWFAnews
>>executive director/ceo message
news and information from the national wood flooring association | www.nwfa.org
Contests Old and New
By Ed Korczak, CAE
Executive Director/CEO
A
s I sit down to write this column, I have just returned from the NWFA’s 2010 Convention in
Washington, D.C. One of the highlights each year is announcing the winners of our Wood
Floor of the Year contest. You can see each of this year’s eight winners highlighted in this edition of Hardwood Floors on page 39, and I am sure you will be amazed at the diversity and complexity of the winning entries. They truly reflect some of the best wood flooring creativity in our industry.
If you were at the show, you might also have had the opportunity to stroll through Anniversary
Park on the Expo floor. This retrospective area featured photos and memorabilia highlighting events
during the last 25 years at the NWFA, and it included a pictorial history of the NWFA’s Wood Floor of
the Year contest. Our first competition was held in 1990, and we presented six awards. Since then,
we have presented more than 200 awards to members in the U.S., Canada, Finland and Russia.
When comparing those inaugural winning entries to the 2010 winning entries, it is amazing to see
the progress in the last 20 years in terms of installation creativity and craftsmanship. The
winning floors truly reflect how far our
industry has come in just two decades.
We also added a new contest this
year: the Environmental Craftsmanship
Award. This award was developed
to recognize professionally installed
wood floors that exhibit creative and
responsible environmental stewardship
in their methods of installation, raw
material sourcing, and/or contributions
to human well-being in the indoor built
environment. The contest was voted on
by members of the environmental design community using specific environmental attributes and criteria. The winning entry, installed
by Precision Floorcrafters in Summerfield, Fla.,
met a variety of environmental criteria, including
maximizing raw material yield by creating a filler
using waste from the sanding process. Our hope
The inaugural Environmental Craftsmanship
is that this competition will help bring awarewinning floor was made of reclaimed antique
ness to our industry and to consumers about the
heart pine and bald cypress dock pilings, with
environmental benefits of wood flooring.
filler made from sawdust created from sandWhy not make yourself a part of the NWFA’s
ing the floor.
next 25 years of history? Contact the NWFA to
find out how you can enter your wood flooring works of art into both these competitions, and we
may be seeing you on the pages of Hardwood Floors this time next year. ■
I am sure you
will be amazed
at the diversity
and complexity
of the winning
entries.
NWFAnews
>>education and training
Springtime Schooling
Reed Maddray
The practice panels
from the March NWFA
school in Lexington,
S.C., were woven
together to make a
dance floor for the
hosting local VFW.
H
ere’s a look at who was involved in the NWFA technical schools that took place this spring:
Intermediate Installation and Sand & Finish School >> April 20-22 in New York
Led by NWFA’s Steve Seabaugh, volunteer instructors included: Jim Schumacher (3M); Kathleen Freeman
(Absolute Coatings Inc.); Anthony Palandro (Anthony Palandro Flooring Inc.); Martin Ceballos (Bona US); Bill
Rice (Bostik Inc.); Paul Laurenzi (Delmhorst Instrument Co.); Steve Bewsher (Dura Seal); Brian Gamet (Glitsa
American); Janet Sullivan and Brett Butler (Lenmar Inc.); Greg Mihaich (Norton Abrasives); Daniel Boone,
Patrick Donworth and Bill Pruner (Powernail Company Inc.); Steven Tolli (S/L Certified Inspection Service); and
Cesar Abella (Splinters Wood Floors LLC).
Subfloor Prep & Solid Glue Down on Concrete School >> May 12-14 in St. Louis
Led by NWFA’s Frank Kroupa, volunteer instructors included: Kevin Mullany (Benchmark Wood Floors Inc.),
Zachary Clavin (Bona US), Phil Pitts and Dayle Moore (Bostik Inc.), Bob Moffett (Ceno Group), Roger Barker
(Fortifiber Building Systems Group), Cort Dunlap (Hardwood Inspections), Brent Stoller (ISC Surfaces), Bob Humphreys (Majestic Wood Floors Inc.), Steve Lima (MAPEI Corporation), and Nick Motto (Motto’s Flooring).
NWFA 2010 Technical School Schedule
For more information: 800/422-4556 (U.S. and Canada)
Aug. 10-12 ..........Intermediate Installation and Sand & Finish (San Diego)
Oct. 5-9 ...............Expert Installation (St. Louis)
Sept. 14-17 .........Wood Flooring Basics (St. Louis)
Oct. 11-13 ...........Expert Sand & Finish (St. Louis)
Sept. 21-24 .........Jigs and Staircase Workshop (St. Louis)
Nov. 3-5 ..............Intermediate Installation and Sand & Finish (Vancouver, B.C.)
A win-win
installation
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INSTALLATIONæPRODUCTSæAVAILABLEæTODAY
The benefits of using these materials are many, including:
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sæ!NæADDITIONALæ,%%$æPOINTæ-2æ#REDITææFORæRAPIDLYæRENEWABLEæMATERIALSæ
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æ STILLæMAINTAININGæEXCELLENTæTROWELRIDGEæHOLDOUT
NWFAnews
>>convention wrap-up
D.C. Hosts 25th NWFA Convention
The Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, on
the banks of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C.,
hosted the NWFA’s 25th convention on March 22-25. It
was a far cry from the convention’s humble beginnings,
when 170 attendees gathered in St. Louis in 1986 for
the first NWFA convention—this year there were 2,544
attendees, slightly more than last year’s total, with 237
companies in 414 booths.
The mood at the show was decidedly upbeat, with many attendees
saying they feel the industry is headed for a turnaround later this year.
“The convention was a snapshot of the economy ... growing with cautious optimism,” said NWFA Executive Director/CEO Ed Korczak.
Photos Mike Busada
Nine Wood Floor of the Year trophies and two honorable mentions
were awarded. Universal Floors
Inc. founder South Lynn Sr. (left),
attending his first NWFA convention, was on hand to collect the
company’s 10th and 11th overall
trophies from outgoing NWFA
Chairman Don Finkell.
Demonstrations on the show floor, such as this one led by
NWFA Director of Technical Education Steve Seabaugh,
were standing-room-only. New for this year, all educational seminars were also held on the show floor.
WOOD ■ works
i n si g h t s a nd in fo r m a tio n o n th e h a r d w o o d flo o r in g in d u s t ry
For Goodness’ Sake
Ronnie Mears uses wood flooring to pay it forward
F
TREE ■ id
What tree is this?
Turn the page to find out.
High-Tech Wood
iPhone app provides fast way to ID wood
S
mart phones, mobile devices and a
plethora of affordable applications have
placed the world in our pockets. There is
always “an app for that,” and now there’s
one for wood guys. The I.D. Wood iPhone
app by Double Dog Studios is a pocket
guide to woods from around the world,
providing detailed information for almost
160 woods, from species/botanical/other
names, to wood origins and woodworking
properties, as well as photos of unfinished
wood samples. New types of wood will
continue to be added, the company says.
Next time you need to impress a client, access your inner James Bond—slide out your
iPhone and instantly provide an ID for that
elusive wood. To know more, visit www.
doubledogstudios.com/apps/idwood.—N.S.
June|July 2010 ■ Hardwood Floors 15
Quality Hardwood Flooring
or some, dreams are meant for only dreaming, but Ronnie Mears of Henderson,
Colo.-based Quality Hardwood Flooring plans to make his dream—opening Seven
Mile Ranch, a place for troubled teens—a reality. “There is goodness in everyone
and everything if you just look hard enough,” Mears says. “Sometimes, it takes hard
work to find the value in something, but it’s there.” Mears is working hard to finance
his dream by adding value to his business and the wood flooring industry. He has
designed a wood imprinting device to create eye-catching flooring from any type of
wood; he creates and inlays wooden “rugs;” he has created a jig for inlaying metal or
veneer paw prints and other designs into his clients’ floors; and has made jig kits in
25 designs so others can do the same. Mears also designed the Contents Keeper, an
applicator canister. Finally, he also operates Uneek Furniture Studio, using reclaimed
wooden doors and metal to make fine furniture. Although the ranch is still a few years
from reality, Mears already takes in people in need to give them the occasional job
or place to stay, and he also works with local kids to create art out of found metal to
sell at design centers. These are the people he hopes to later obtain as mentors for his
Ronnie Mears, top, and one of his
ranch. For him, it’s all about doing, finding and being good for goodness’ sake. For
wooden “rugs.”
more information, visit www.uneekfurniturestudio.com.—N.S.
WOOD ■ works
30 Minutes of Fame
Michael Dittmer lands in unexpected spotlight
M
ost good wood flooring guys don’t seek attention, but
they make every one of their floors worthy of the spotlight. This work ethic leads to repeat customers, and in this
case, it landed Michael Dittmer of Putnam, Ill.-based Michael
Dittmer Wood Floors on TV. Rene Stratton of Stratton Architects,
Dittmer’s client of 10 years, approached him about doing the
floors in her new house, and he readily accepted. “It wasn’t
until right before the project began that Rene informed me the
project was going to be on TV,” Dittmer says. The house was
the subject of an episode of HTGV’s “My Big Amazing Renovation,” but Stratton didn’t choose Dittmer for his on-camera
Michael Dittmer took a turn in the spotlight when his client’s
presence. “I believe Mike’s attention to detail before and during project appeared on HGTV.
installation leads to a floor that wears well and looks great,”
Stratton says. Dittmer and team installed rustic rift and quartered white oak throughout the house, including four
wide planks of white oak, reclaimed from a tree near Dittmer’s home, in the rear foyer (pictured). Despite camera
crews hovering; trades working on top of each other; a water problem; and a ticking clock, the job went smoothly
because Stratton was on hand to make necessary decisions. “We would definitely do another TV project again. It
wasn’t much more difficult than any other job,” Dittmer says. The highlight, Dittmer adds, was that there were no
touch-ups after the owner moved in, proving that his time in the spotlight was truly all about the floors.—N.S.
TREE ■ id answer
VINTAGE ■ moments
Tree photo by Christoph Diewald; room scene floor by Carefree Hardwood Floors (North Hollywood, Calif.)
Ipé/Brazilian walnut (Tabebuia spp.)
Lasting Power
R
Hardness as Wood Flooring: 3680 on Janka scale
At a Glance: Commonly used for decking, ipé has
also gained favor as one of the most popular exotic
wood flooring species. In their native South America, Tabebuia trees are often used for ornamental
purposes because of their beautiful flowers that appear on leafless branches at the end of the dry season. Wood flooring contractors know the extremely
dense wood for its beauty but also its difficulty in
nailing, sanding and finishing.
16 Hardwood Floors ■ June|July 2010
ichard J. Macedo
started Fresno
Floor Co. in 1949 as
a distributor for E.L.
Bruce Company, and
was proud to be the
Central Valley’s main
distributor for hardwood flooring. Macedo soon brought
Richard J. Macedo (left) and Dale Hock
friend Dale Hock in display the beauty of hardwood in 1949.
as partner. He almost
lost his business in 1966 when the FHA changed its
rules regarding carpeting, but he avoided folding by
reopening as Valley Flooring Supply and distributing
carpet tools and supplies. After Macedo passed away in
1973, his son, Tom Macedo, saw a resurgence in hardwood flooring and a chance to keep his father’s passion
for wood flooring alive. He and his wife opened Valley
Hardwood Flooring in 1974; it has had seven different
showrooms in the past 35 years.—N.S.
FOR PERFORMANCE
YOU CAN BANK ON!
Rely on the Product Innovation of Norton
For every $100 of sanding labor spent on a typical sand and recoat, only $9 is spent on abrasives. A premium abrasive product, like Norton SG Red Heat,
can dramatically reduce this sanding labor cost. With its patented ceramic alumina grain for unmatched cut rate and life on the toughest applications, Red
Heat increases productivity with less time sanding. Those savings would pay for the abrasives and more! Professional contractors agree.
“With Red Heat, I can take off 25 years of finish with the first
cut. We could never do that before. We used to have to do
a second cut to get the finish up.” – ROBERT MYERS CO.
SANDING LABOR
46.9%
FINISH LABOR
31.3%
SAND & RECOAT
“It definitely saves on labor. It lasts twice as long and stays
sharper longer so you don’t have to stop and change the
paper. You save money with Red Heat.” – CAFARO FLOORING CO.
FINISH
14.0%
ABRASIVES
4.2%
MISC. MATERIALS
3.5%
DON’T JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT. PUT US TO TEST FOR YOURSELF!
Give us the opportunity to evaluate your sanding process, materials and methods. We’re confident we can save you money.
Contact your local Norton authorized distributor or contact us directly at 1 800 551-4415 and ask for your no-risk assessment.
www.nortonfloorsanding.com
Chart data based off NWFA dealer/contractor employee compensation report and general market cost.
I
© Saint-Gobain Abrasives 2010
WOOD ■ works
Green ■ speak
Your guide to green vocabulary
Dark, Light & Bright Green:
Different types of environmental attitudes.
© www.CartoonStock.com
hese days,
everything
is being touted
as “green,” so a
simple “green”
label no longer
suffices. Now,
“dark green”
environmentalists are those
with a decidedly
negative outlook for the world who believe we
need radical political and societal change to solve
problems; “light greens” aren’t politically active but
make personal lifestyle choices, such as recycling
and buying organic, to improve the environment;
and “bright greens” believe we need major change
but that it should come about through better design
and technology.
HARDWOOD FLOORING ■ mini-quiz
1. True or False? Universal tints permanently
soften the finish film.
2. Match up the following species with other
names by which they are known:
1) Iroko
a) Amaranth
2) Wenga
b) Pau marfim
3) Purpleheart
c) Kambala
4) Brazilian maple d) Panga-panga
3. The problem of stain seeping back up to the
surface of the wood after being applied and
wiped off is referred to as _____________.
5. When resanding herringbone, your first pass
with the big machine should go at which angle?
a.
b.
c.
4. A board is sawn from a freshly cut oak tree
and weighs 35 pounds. After a standard schedule of air-drying and kiln-drying, how much will
it likely weigh?
a. 38 pounds
b. 35 pounds
c. 30 pounds
d. 20 pounds
Answers: 1. True 2. 1) c 2) d 3) a 4) b 3. Bleedback 4. d 5. a
iStockphoto.com
T
Your Business
Live and Learn
Social Media Marketing
Use these no-cost or low-cost tools to drive business
By Rob McNealy
ith the wood flooring industry trampled by the
economy, many contractors are doing everything and anything they can to save a penny,
including making the most efficient use of their marketing
dollars. Fortunately, there is a variety of free and inexpensive tools to market your business online using social
media. I use all of them to drive business to my wood
floor contracting company, and because so few wood
flooring companies do it, it’s a real competitive advantage.
Here’s a summary of ways to use social media to boost
your business.
W
BUSINESS BRIEFS
Maintaining Morale
I
iStockphoto
n these overworked,
understaffed times,
it’s easy for managers
to come across like Ben
Hur’s Quintus Arrius
talking to Roman slaves:
“... We keep you alive to
serve this ship, so row
well and live!” You’re likely to come across as a leader who
believes that everybody is lucky to have a job, so they better
suck it up, keep their noses to the grindstone and not complain. Sadly, making your employees feel like they’re only on
board to row is killing your productivity today. Here are five
suggestions to help you avoid destroying morale:
1) Form relationships built on trust
2) Show them respect
3) Nurture creativity
4) Build effective teams
5) Be geniune and honest.
John Schaefer is a consultant and author of The Vocational
Shrink—An Analysis of the Ten Levels of Workplace Disillusionment.” His Web site is www.VocationalShrink.com.
What Are Social Media?
Social media are media designed to be distributed through
social interaction. What this means is that mainstream
media no longer control access to publishing and distribution. Contractors can easily and freely create their own
content and distribute it to the masses. This paradigm shift
means that advertising via the Web literally can replace
phone book, newspaper, radio and television advertising.
Blogging
Blogging is the act of writing and publishing content on
the Web. Many Web sites are run as blogs on free software
called WordPress, which is great because anyone can use
it to make site updates through a Web browser without
having any programming or Web design skills. Blogging
is a great way for potential customers to get to know you.
Post things like pictures from your projects and testimonials, as well as cleaning and maintenance tips. If you are
not sure where to start, think about the most commonly
asked questions you get from your customers. Blogging is
also a great way to raise your Web site’s ranking in search
engines. Regular blogging provides fresh content, which is
important in search engine algorithms.
Local Directories
All the major search engines—Yelp, Yahoo!, Bing and
Google—now have local business directories with customer reviews. It is important that you add your business
to these sections. It’s even more important to ask your
customers to review you on these sites. These sites are
heavily ranked in search engines, and the more positive
reviews you receive, the more visible your site will be in
the search engine results.
YouTube
YouTube is the second-most-searched site behind
Google. Video is critical in social media. Take short
videos of your projects and post them to your YouTube
channel. Once they are posted, embed them inside a blog
Your Business | Live and Learn
post on your Web site. This will cross-pollinate the sites
and drive more traffic to your Web site. Shooting video
is easy and can be done cheaply. I recommend using a
small Flip Video camcorder, which is inexpensive, the
size of an iPod and easy to operate. All you have to do is
plug it into your computer to automatically upload your
videos to the Web.
Facebook
With over 400 million active users, Facebook is the largest and most popular social networking platform on the
Internet. By joining Facebook, you’ll have the ability to set
up a profile for you and a “fan page” for your business.
You can increase interest in your Facebook fan page by
offering special promotions that are available exclusively
to your fans. Facebook also offers an inexpensive pay-perclick or pay-per-impression advertising program. You can
advertise a page from your own Web site or your Facebook profile, and customize your ad with an image and
a text description. Facebook allows you to target specific
user demographics by location, age, gender, education
level, interests and employers. Ads can cost as little as
$0.01 per click or $0.10 per 1,000 impressions. Daily bud-
gets can start as low as $5.
Craigslist
Craigslist is a (mostly) free, no-frills online classified site
that is particularly useful for service providers. In fact, it’s
so useful that when I started my wood flooring business
five years ago, I generated all my initial business just from
Craigslist, for free. If you’re starting out and looking to advertise without spending a lot of time on profile management and relationship building, Craigslist can be invaluable. You can post about services and products offered by
your business, as well as recruit new hires, or engage in
social networking through its discussion forums.
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is like a search engine for people. You can post
a free profile about yourself and your business, which will
be searchable by over 50 million users globally. LinkedIn
also offers advertising opportunities that can cost as little
as $12 per 1,000 impressions. You can target your ads to
reach business professionals in a set demographic, or you
can create your own custom target that can be tuned to
specific local areas or keywords.
20 Hardwood Floors June|July 2010
Q
Your Business | Live and Learn
Twitter
Twitter is a micro-blogging tool that allows users to post
blurbs of 140 characters or less. It is great for developing relationships with potential customers and servicing your existing customer base. You can use Twitter
search tools to see who is talking about your company
or industry and “follow” those users to get in on the
conversation. You can also use tools and plugins that allow you to display your Twitter posts on your Web site,
or provide links to your latest blog posts to your friends
on Twitter.
Posting Tools
With so many sites and profiles, cross-posting can be a
daunting task. The great thing is that there are free tools
that allow you to post to multiple social media sites
simultaneously. My favorite is TweetDeck, which is both
easy to use and free. It works on Macs, Windows, and
iPhones.
Action Plan
Just getting started? Here’s what I suggest:
1. Set up all of your social media accounts.
2. Post links to all of your social media profiles on your
Web site or blog.
3. Post content regularly, and then post links to that
content to your social media profiles.
The more footprints you have in social media, the more
likely it is search engines will drive traffic to your site. If
you have a strong online presence with information that
shows off your wood flooring expertise, it instills confidence in customers about your business. I’m in Denver,
but I’ve had consumers call me from as far away as the
Bahamas and the Philippines asking for advice because
they found my sites online. I may not be doing floors in
the Bahamas, but those consumers have referred friends
in Denver to me for their floors. Q
Rob McNealy is an NWFACP-certified wood flooring
inspector and owner of Natural Wood Floors in Denver,
Colo. McNealy and his wife, Kristie, also run Contrived
Media, a social media marketing consulting company.
Rob is author of the flooring blog AskAFloorGuy.com, a
frequent radio guest on the subject of green building and
flooring, and has also been featured in three episodes of
the DIY network’s “Cool Tools.”
We’re full of
bright ideas.
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Your Business | Money
Charge! Part 2
More strategies to properly price your work
By George Hedley
n last issue’s column, we discussed methods for determining your overhead and break-even
points. But where’s the fun in that? We want to make a profit, right? The profit you want to earn
is just that—it is the amount of money you want to make at the end of the year based on the risk
you take and the return you want for being a business owner.
Some contractors shoot for a minimum net profit target return on overhead (ROOH) of 20 percent.
To calculate this, determine your annual overhead expenses and then multiply by 20 percent to determine your annual minimum net profit goal (pre-tax). Next, the hard part: Try your best to estimate
annual sales you’ll generate over the next year, as shown in example 1.
I
Minimum Profit (Example 1)
• Estimated Annual Sales: $1,000,000, $2,000,000, or $3,000,000, respectively
• Annual Overhead (in all examples): $500,000
• Annual Profit Target of 20% ROOH (in all examples): $100,000
• Overhead + ROOH = $600,000
• Overhead & Profit Margin: 60%, 30%, 20%
• Margin Conversion Rate: (MCR = 1.0 - Margin %) = .40, .70, .80
• Estimated Annual Job Costs: $400,000, $1,400,000, or $2,400,000
In example 1, to calculate your final selling price on jobs to earn a minimum of $100,000 for the
year, divide your estimated job costs by the MCR to determine your final selling prices. Example 2
shows what a job bid might look like using this model.
Job Bid - Overhead Plus Minimum Profit (Example 2)
• Direct Job Cost: $1,000
• Job Sales Price (Cost / MCR) = $2,500, $1,428, $1,250
Set Higher Profit Goals
Scott Maurer
However, an annual net profit return on overhead goal (ROOH) of 20
percent is too low for the risk most contractors take. I recommend you
consider a higher profit target of at least a 40 percent return on your
annual overhead. Again, first determine your annual overhead expenses
and then estimate your projected annual sales. Next, multiply your annual overhead by 40 percent to determine a higher net profit goal for
the year, as shown in example 3.
Higher Profit (Example 3)
• Annual Overhead (in all examples): $500,000
• Annual Profit Target 40% ROOH (in all examples): $200,000
• Total Overhead & Profit: $700,000
• Overhead & Profit Margin: 70%, 35%, 23%
• Estimated Annual Job Costs: $300,000, $1,400,000, $2,400,000
• Estimated Annual Sales: $1,000,000, $2,000,000, or $3,000,000,
respectively
Your Business | Money
In the example above, to calculate your final selling
price so you will earn a minimum of $200,000 overhead
and profit for the year, divide your total estimated job costs
by the MCR, as shown in example 4 below.
Job Bid: Overhead Plus Higher Profit (Example 4)
• Direct Job Cost: $1,000
• Margin Conversion Rate: (MCR = 1.0 - Margin %) =
.30, .65, .77
• Sales Price (Cost / MCR) = $3,333, $1,538, or $1,298
Estimating Jobs To Make A Profit
To determine you final selling price on jobs you bid, use a
job estimating template to determine your breakeven sales
price, your minimum profit sales price, and your higher
sales price. In last issue’s column we determined a breakeven MCR is .75; to make a minimum profit, .70; and for a
higher profit, .65.
Job Estimating Template (Example 5)
• Projected Annual Budget
• Annual Estimated Sales: $2,000,000
• Annual Overhead: $500,000
• Break-Even MCR: .75
• Minimum Profit MCR: .70
• Higher Profit MCR: .65
• Bid recap for 1,000-square-foot (SF) project
• Labor: $2,000
• Equipment: $400
• Materials: $2,000
• Subcontractors: $200
• General Conditions: $400
• Total Job Cost: $5,000
• Final Sales Price = Cost / MCR / SF
• Break-Even: MCR .75 = $6,666 ($6.66 per SF)
• Minimum Profit: MCR .70 = $7,142 ($7.14 per SF)
• Higher Profit: MCR .65 = $7,692 ($7.69 per SF)
Converting Annual Targets To Weekly Goals
Next, it would be great to know how much work you
need to perform every week to hit your annual goals. Using example 5 above, you need to cover at least $500,000
of annual overhead to break even. If you can work productively for 50 weeks per year, you need to make at least
$10,000 more than your job costs a week to pay for your
annual overhead. In most parts of the country, an average
of only 40 productive weeks per year is the norm. If you
only can work for 40 weeks a year, you need to make at
least $12,500 more than your job costs a week to pay for
your annual overhead.
Convert Targets To Weekly & Daily Goals (Example 6)
• Break-Even Overhead = $500,000 / Year
• Productive Weeks: 40
• Overhead Recovery Needed = $ 12,500 / Week
• Break-Even Point = $ 2,500 / Day
• Minimum Profit Goal = $100,000 / Year
• Annual Overhead & Profit = $600,000 / Year
• Overhead & Profit Needed = $ 15,000 / Week
• Overhead & Minimum Profit = $ 3,000 / Day
• Higher Profit Goal = $200,000 / Year
• Annual Overhead & Profit = $700,000 / Year
• Overhead & Profit Needed = $ 17,500 / Week
• Higher Overhead & Profit = $ 3,500 / Day
Taking Overhead and Profit to the Crew Level
Let’s say your company has three regular crews, each
comprised of five men with trucks. Your crew cost might
look like this:
Typical Crew Cost (40 Weeks / Year) (Example 7)
• Labor: 5 Men @ $30/Hour = $150 / Hour
• Down Time @ 10% = $15 / Hour
• Truck = $15 / Hour
• Small Tools & Equipment = $10 / Hour
• Miscellaneous Supplies = $10 / Hour
• Total Crew Cost = $200 / Hour
• 3 Crews = $200 x 3
• Total 3 Crews = $600 / Hour
• Total 3 Crews = $4,800 / Day
To determine how much you need to bill each day, forty
weeks per year, add the following costs to your crew daily
rates shown above in example 7:
• Break-Even: Overhead $2,500 / Day ($104 / Hour / Crew)
• Overhead & Minimum Profit: $3,000 / Day ($125 /
Hour / Crew)
• Higher Overhead & Profit: $3,500 / Day ($145 /
Hour / Crew)
To break even in the example above, each of the three
crews will have to be billed out $200 per hour to cover
their cost, plus $104 per hour to cover your company overhead = $304 / hour, plus what you want to earn for profit.
If you want to make the higher profit, your crew billing
rate is $200 + $145 = $345 / hour.
Understanding what it takes to make the money you
want is not a simple task. It takes time and concentration
to figure out your numbers. And then it takes discipline to
actually ask and get the proper amounts you need to make
a profit at the end of the year. Take the time to get to know
how to make a profit and then work to make it reality! Q
George Hedley owns Hedley Construction and Hardhat
Presentations, and is the author of Everything Contractors
Know About Making a Profit. For more information, visit
www.hardhatpresentations.com.
Your Business | Management
Make Way for ObamaCare
What health care reform means for your small business
By Phillip M. Perry
he most comprehensive health insurance reform since Medicare is now the law of the
land. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), signed into law by President
Barack Obama, touches every aspect of health care in the United States.
How does the law affect you? Will your premiums go down? Will it be easier to shop for insurance? Rightfully, these questions and more are on the minds of small business owners across the
nation, and we’ll answer them here. But, here’s one thing to get out of the way first: No employer
will be required to provide health insurance under this new law. However, some employers, as
you will see, will pay penalties if they do not provide insurance and their employees decide to
buy insurance from the new state-run insurance pools.
T
Small is Good
Here’s some good news: The PPACA contains some benefits geared specifically to the needs of
small employers. “I think the legislation is really looking out for the smallest of small businesses,”
says Shawn Nowicki, director of health policy at New York Business Group on Health (NYBGH),
a coalition of 175 employers, unions and health care providers in New York, Connecticut and New
Jersey. How so? Right out of the gate the bill provides a tax break. Consider the following questions: Do you have 25 or fewer full-time employees? Are their average annual wages less than
$50,000? And do you contribute more than 50 percent of your employees’ total premium costs?
If your answers to those three questions are “yes,” then you might receive some assistance
with your premiums, thanks to a tax credit of up to 35 percent of your contribution toward your
employees’ health insurance for this tax year through 2013. The credit will increase to up to 50
percent for tax years 2014 and 2015. For this year through 2013, the full tax credit is available to
employers with fewer than 10 employees whose average annual wages are less than $25,000. The
tax credit gradually scales down as workforce size and average wages increase.
Here’s an example. Suppose your business employs 10 full-time workers and
their average wages are $25,000. If your annual employer health care costs are
$70,000, then you are entitled to a $24,500 credit each year for 2010 through
2013. Starting in 2014 the credit will be $35,000.
Businesses with 50 or fewer employees benefit from another tax-related benefit: They may opt out of providing insurance with no penalties. Got more than 50
employees? As is the case with smaller businesses, you are not required to offer
health insurance. However, if you do opt out and it happens that one or more of
your employees goes to the new state insurance pools to purchase coverage, you
will pay a fee of $2,000 per full-time employee, excluding the first 30 employees
from the assessment.
More Choice
Tax credits are one thing. Getting enough choice in the insurance policy marketplace is another. Too often, small business owners are faced with limited options:
Dreamstime.com
Your Business | Management
Maybe they have only one or two carriers who will talk
with them. And negotiating for lower premiums or better
benefits? Forget it.
That’s expected to change with the network of statelevel insurance exchanges slated to begin in 2014. “The
exchanges will make buying insurance a lot easier for
small business owners, and thus reduce the administrative
burden,” says Terry Gardiner, national policy director for
the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group Small Business Majority. “Right now the employer has to get a broker, shop for policies, analyze them and then attempt to
negotiate better rates from a weak bargaining position.”
Things should be much easier with the exchanges in
place, says Gardiner. “The exchanges will negotiate with
insurance companies on behalf of all small businesses
and come up with the best deals they can find. All the
employer will have to do is figure out a budget, then say
‘Here is the amount I will contribute toward premiums
and here is the employees’ share.’ The employees can
then go to the exchanges and select what plan they want.”
Policies will be available for each of five benefit tier levels.
Broader Coverage
Greater choice of plans is a big plus. And overall plan
quality should also improve. Too often small businesses
have had to settle for substandard plans that don’t go
anywhere near matching the coverage of plans available
to big businesses. That can make it difficult for small employers to compete for the best talent.
The new law changes that: Carriers are required to
comply with minimum standards that erase some perceived abuses of years past. Here are some examples of
the new parameters effective this year:
•A requirement that all policies cover children younger
than 19 with pre-existing conditions. That mandate
extends to all adults in 2014.
•A ban on lifetime dollar limits.
•Elimination of rescission, the practice of canceling
coverage after someone gets sick.
•A requirement to extend coverage to age 26 for dependent children.
The legislation prohibits the practice of raising premiums when workers get sick. Carriers will be allowed to
adjust rates only by factoring family composition, tobacco
use, age and employer location. That should eliminate the
sudden premium spikes that small employers often experience. This reform bill will reduce such dramatic changes
because everyone will be in one large pool. Ultimately,
this should encourage worker mobility and make it easier
for small businesses to compete for top talent.
The Challenge Ahead
Premiums represent a top-of-mind cost for every
employer, but don’t overlook a hidden expense: The administrative overhead required to understand and comply
with the law.
“People might not think about it, but there is a hidden
cost in terms of labor and time required to manage all the
changes required by the legislation,” says Cynthia A. Van
Bogaert, partner and employee benefits attorney at the
law firm Boardman, Suhr, Curry & Field in Madison, Wis.
“Employers will have to learn about the requirements
of the legislation and monitor additional guidance from
agencies such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.”
It can all seem like a big headache at a time when
businesses are already reeling from the effects of the severe recession. “Employers are all groaning at the thought
of administering health insurance under this new legislation,” says Joan Smyth, partner at New York-based Mercer
Consulting Firm. “Some are saying, ‘Maybe it’s easier to
just pay the penalty [required of larger employers who do
not provide insurance] and let employees buy whatever
they want.’”
Nevertheless, Gardiner feels that the legislation in its
current form was a necessary first step. “Yes, it will cost
more to cover people,” says Gardiner. “But we cannot
keep going down the road where we have 47 million people uninsured who are utilizing the emergency rooms.”
End Game
Now, let’s tackle those questions that opened this article:
Will your premiums go down? Yes, if you are one of
the many small employers hit by huge price increases
because of an uncompetitive marketplace or a serious
illness by one employee. Perhaps only modestly, if at all,
if you are a larger employer, in which case you may be
pleasantly surprised at the greater “bang for the buck”
you get in terms of more comprehensive care that you
are able to obtain for you, your family and your workers.
Will it be easier to shop for policies? Yes, once the
state exchanges are up and running. Will the quality of
the policies be higher in terms of coverage? Yes, this is
a given. Will you be protected from those profit-busting
price hikes that so often occur when one employee in
a small group gets seriously ill? Yes, this illness will be
cured by the legislation.
“The scope of what the government has done with this
legislation is big,” says attorney Bogaert. “It has attempted
to put a lot of moving pieces together, to weed out inefficiencies in the market and to create state-wide buying
exchanges. Time will tell how much impact this has on
employers.” ■
Phillip M. Perry is a New York-based freelance writer and
frequent contributor to Hardwood Floors.
On the Job
Ask the Expert
Shake, Dance Wax and More
Getting the Shakes
I have been having an unusual
amount of wind shake showing up lately after I install my
floors. Is there a way to find it
before I install it?
Dan Schultz, NWFACP Certified
Wood Flooring Inspector at Pontiac,
Mo.-based Authority Inspection Services, answers:
Our senses are the only way to
detect shake. Of course, sight is the
first line of defense. Sometimes it is
very well hidden within the piece.
Properly designed lighting in a mill
is crucial. Lighting from different
angles will help detect shake better
than not. Of course, job sites are not
going to have this type of lighting.
Shake is most easily seen from the
ends of boards.
Touch is probably the next most
common way in finding this elusive
defect. Those very fine splinters you
feel are a signal and warrant further
investigation.
Once a piece is suspect, our hearing can help us decide if shake is
present. By lightly tapping on a board
(I thump on it with my fingernail) in
the area in question, a different sound
can sometimes be heard. “If it rattles,
it tattles.” What I mean by this is that
you will hear one sound when you
tap on the board, then hear a second
sound when the loose annual growth
ring touches the rest of the piece.
This may sound strange, but I
swear I can smell shake. I first encountered this foul, sour smell while
working at a sawmill. While the
lumber is still green this smell can be
noticed from great distances and is
much more obvious than after drying.
It smells just like dog poop.
I’ve trained literally hundreds
of people throughout the years in
manufacturing and some can pick out
shake easily, while others can’t. When
a piece containing shake is found,
don’t just toss it. Set it aside and at
a later time try the methods listed
above. It just might help you identify
this elusive defect more easily in the
future so it doesn’t reach the floor.
Wax Off
I need to recoat a dance floor;
the finish is poly but they’ve
been using “dance floor wax”
on the floor. Can I refinish the
floor without resanding it?
Chris Livingston, senior account
executive at 3M, answers:
Often, dance halls and the like
will apply that wax (the kind you
sprinkle out of a can) to a floor. To
increase chances of a successful recoat, you need to remove all of that
wax and any other contaminants that
are on the floor. Trying to tackle this
job with a simple cleaning, buffing
and recoating may not work. The
contaminants, especially the wax,
TRICK OF THE TRADE
Save Your Neck
W
hen refinishing stair treads, it’s difficult to clean up the underside of the
nosing. Quite often the process involves leaning way under, twisting your
neck around to see what needs to be cleaned off and then blindly scraping off a
little bit of old finish or paint. This must be repeated numerous times before even
one tread is cleaned up. Preparing an average of 12 to 15 treads can be hard on
your neck and your body. Here’s a solution: Go to your local hardware store and
purchase a mirror approximately 4 inches wide and 15 to 25 inches long. (They
often have scraps that can be bought for as little as $2.) By laying the mirror
on the tread tight against the riser, you can see exactly what you are doing at
all times. It’s not only physically easier, but it helps create a more efficient and
detailed job. It also works well when applying stain and finishes.
Thanks to Jim Punt of Northland Hardwood Floors LLC in West Olive, Mich., for his
tip. Do you have a Trick of the Trade? Send it to [email protected].
On the Job | Ask the Expert
and still be left on the floor to cause
problems such as peeling and fisheyes.
My first recommendation to handle
jobs like this is to use an autoscrubber-type machine with a precoat
solution—basically a floor cleaner on
steroids. If you don’t have an autoscrubber-type machine available, you
can do this job with a regular buffer.
Put the precoat solution on the floor,
let it sit for a little bit and then scrub
the floor with a pad equivalent to
180 to 240 grit (regular maroon pads
are 320-grit and won’t be aggressive
enough to get the wax off).
Once the floor is clean, you can
go ahead with the job as you would
with any standard recoat. This process
is useful any time you’re concerned
about contaminants that may be on
the finish, whether it’s oil soap, household dust cleaner, or something else.
Sheen vs. Gloss
Are gloss and sheen the same
thing? What are the numbers I
see for gloss?
Neil Moss, technical advisor at the
NWFA, answers:
Although they are often used interchangeably in the wood flooring
industry, in the coatings industry,
“sheen” and “gloss” are really two
different things. Because of the difference in measurement methods,
sheen probably is not the most
accurate term to use for wood floor
coatings.
Gloss and sheen are both measured
with devices that measure reflectivity.
They reflect a light from the surface
onto an angled mirror, from which
it is measured and calculated. The
device used to measure gloss—a
glossmeter—does so at 60 degrees
Q
from perpendicular, whereas sheen
is measured at a far lower angle. Because we typically look at a floor finish from a high angle (standing up),
gloss measurements best define the
appearance of a finished wood floor
(sheen is usually used for wall paint).
The measurement ranges from zero
to 100; the higher the number, the
higher the gloss. Most factory-finished
products use the gloss measurement
device during production, therefore,
on-site finishes should have the same
measurement method.
In most cases, a gloss differential
of 5 or so points is not discernible with the human eye; we can
only see reflection well enough to
categorize or compare in families
such as “low gloss,” “high gloss,”
etc., although such labels for gloss
levels are not standardized in our
industry. Q
On the Job | From the Field
Exotic Roller Coaster
A peek inside the volatile world of importing exotics
By Guillermo Figari
ontractors and distributors
are sometimes perplexed by
the fluctuations in the pricing and availability of exotic flooring
from Central and South American
countries. Importing exotic flooring
is complicated, and the past year was
even more challenging than most.
Previously, we had been able to
provide fixed prices on a semi-annual
basis with some species, but that
changed rapidly in 2009—we could
not even offer the same pricing struc-
C
ture for more than 45 days in some
cases. Here’s a quick glimpse into
why the supply and pricing of exotic
flooring can be so volatile.
Procurement Complexities
2009 was very difficult for a variety of
reasons, including the slumping U.S.
economy, the dollar losing its value in
South American countries, low lumber
supply and a punishing rainy season.
It is imperative for us to always have a
backup plan when sourcing for differ-
TALES FROM THE FRONT
Boxers or Briefs?
Change leaves contractor in the cold
iStockphoto.com
S
cott Hembree of West Chester, Ohio-based
Hembree Hardwood Floors often wears shorts
when he’s working on a job site. Once it gets colder, after Thanksgiving, he
wears pants to travel in and brings shorts with him to the job site to change into.
One day as he did his usual changing he forgot to transfer the items in his pockets.
Among those was the house key for the job he was on—Hembree walked out to his
van only to return to a locked front door. He called the homeowner at work to see if
there was another way to get in. The homeowner asked how he had locked himself
out. Without thinking, Hembree answered, “I took my pants off, and the key is in the
pocket of my pants.” The homeowner responded, “Does that mean you’re on my
front porch in your underwear, Scott?” Hembree had to explain that he changed
into shorts; then he climbed through a small basement window to get back in the
house. “Now I always empty the contents of my pockets first,” Hembree says.
If you have a true (and printable) story to share, e-mail it with your name and phone
number to [email protected].
ent species, because procuring exotic
flooring at any time is not cut and
dry. There is the usual rule of supply and demand, but importers also
have to take into account what local
powerhouses some mills are within
their regions. Some lumber companies
in certain regions in Brazil basically
set lumber prices since they control
as much as 70 percent of the local
lumber production capacity; this creates a false price point. Just by shifting
efforts to a different region (e.g.,
Curitiba vs. Belem), importers can see
a price difference of up to 15 percent.
This might not seem like a huge difference, but when shipping several
loads per month to different regions,
this difference grows exponentially.
We have always seen a strange
balancing act between what arguably
are the two largest hardwood lumber
exporting countries in South America:
Brazil and Peru. The countries share a
vast area of tropical forest. Each country seems to have its own strengths;
jatoba is the flagship of Brazilian
flooring exports, while recently we’ve
seen a great increase in growth of the
Peruvian cumaru exports.
Perplexed by Pricing
A struggle last fall was trying to
keep up with the U.S. dollar losing
its value against the Brazilian real
day after day, which generated an
immediate price increase from most
suppliers in Brazil. This coincided
Industrial strength time
and dust remover.
The ProTeam Super CoachVac® HEPA
attaches & detaches to floor sanders, capturing
fine dust before it re-enters the environment.
On the Job | From the Field
with the slowing U.S. economy, so even if importers
were able to justify the price increases, the market simply could not bear it. Additionally, the largest importers
still had large inventories and were liquidating them to
generate cash flow.
We have seen more movement in recent months in
the demand for solid exotic flooring within the U.S. and
Canada, and the downward spiral of the exchange rates
for the U.S. dollar seems to have stopped. Mill owners are
no longer in panic mode, and although many of our suppliers reduced their inventories by more than 40 percent,
in some cases prices seem to have stabilized.
The Lumber Challenge
Lumber is very scarce at the moment for two main reasons, the obvious being the rainy season throughout the
Amazon region and a very strong purchasing campaign
from our Asian neighbors. Another factor is that most mills
reduced or were forced to reduce their purchasing capacities for logs and timber to manufacture wood flooring.
Unfortunately, this has happened as we are starting to see
some reactivation in the market. As importers, this might
be tricky to manage: How do we tell if this is just a short
cycle after a “dry season” in the market?
Is the Turmoil Over?
Importers must have real customer service and make sure
that we have several mills available to meet our demand.
In the past, when we could not find a competitive price in
Brazil for cumaru, we would source from Peru or Bolivia.
Right now options are running out and demand is growing every day. We can just hope for the best, keep a positive mindset and try to be as competitive as possible. ■
Guillermo Figari is CEO at Austin, Texas-based Intrading
Hardwoods & Lumber/IHL Hardwood Flooring.
866.888.2168
www.pro-team.com
The American Lung Association and ProTeam are partners in an educational campaign about
Indoor Air Quality issues. The American Lung Association does not endorse products.
Answer: The big machine wheels are full of pine
resin, which will cause irregular sanding.
WHAT’S WRONG
WITH THIS PICTURE?
On the Job | Troubleshooting
Steamy Situation
Uncontrolled moisture doesn’t agree with this beech floor
By John Shepard
The Problem
I received a call from an installer who had completed the
installation, sanding and finishing of a 3⁄4-by-2¼-inch stapledown beech floor. It had been cupped for several months;
the homeowner had complained about the cupping of the
wood approximately two months after the installation.
The Procedure
The installer delivered the wood to the Florida home
for acclimation. Although he did not record his moisture
readings prior to installation, he did moisture tests to affirm the floor was within four percentage points of the
subfloor. The installer used the staple-down method over
No. 15 roofing felt
and completed the
standard sand and
finish procedures
in accordance with
industry standards.
Adding to the funk
was the fact that there
was only 13.6 square
feet of venting.
The Cause
The floor displayed
generalized cupping
throughout, and the home’s humidity was 69 percent. I
used a pin-type meter to test the moisture in the hardwood and found moisture content between 9.7 and 12.1
percent throughout the floor. Moving underneath the
home to test the subfloor moisture, I recorded readings
between 13 and 18.6 percent, with crawlspace humidity at
73 percent—complete with mold and branch-type fungal
growths hanging from the joists and subfloor.
Although the black plastic was rolled up the stem walls,
it was not sealed and the edges were not taped. Adding to
the funk was the fact that there was only 13.6 square feet
of venting for a 1,900-square-foot home, and half of the
vents were below-grade with inhibited air flow. With the
sprinklers on, I noted that they sprayed against the house
on one side and into the crawlspace on another side.
The homeowner stated that they did not operate the
HVAC system during February and March—the same time
that the cupping first occurred. The lack of the HVAC run-
ning combined with the crawlspace moisture, causing the
permanently cupped floor.
How to Fix the Floor
According to NWFA guidelines, where inadequate crawlspace ventilation is available, the black plastic should be
sealed to the stem walls, and the edges should be taped
together. Mechanical ventilation with a humidity switch
is also required to keep the moisture in the crawlspace
controlled. The customer needs to agree to keep the
HVAC system on year-round and not shut it off for two
months at a time. The sprinklers need to not shoot under
the house nor hit the sides. Once the installer and the
homeowner implement these fixes and the floor stabilizes,
the floor may be able to be resanded and finished.
In the Future
When purchasing a wood floor, a homeowner needs to
understand the climate requirements before, during and
after installation. The installer admitted to not thinking the
crawlspace was an issue because the customer told him
the old wood floor he was replacing never had a problem.
Even so, the installer had taken the precaution of putting
the plastic under the home for the first time.
Simply following the NWFA Installation Guidelines
would have prevented all of the problems on this job. By
ensuring that proper ventilation existed under the home,
the greatest source of moisture in the home would have
been eliminated before the installation. The customer
played her own role in the problem by installing the
sprinklers and turning off the HVAC system.
It pays to check the environment and have the customer
sign off on a pre-installation checklist identifying all major
concerns and required fixes. Relying on the customer to
tell the truth is another foolhardy way to buy a job, along
with assuming that they know what they are talking about.
Properly educating every consumer is the duty—and best
defense—of any responsible retailer or contractor. ■
John Shepard is president at Panama City, Fla.-based Carpet
One Floor & Home and is an NWFACP Certified Inspector.
TRAINING
WITHIN
YOUR REACH
NWFA 2010 SCHOOL SCHEDULE
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Intermediate Installation, Sand & Finish
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Sub-Floor Preparation/Solid Glue Down on Concrete
Wood Flooring Basics School
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Register now at www.nwfa.org or 800-422-4556
On the Job | Techniques
Exotics Behaving Badly
Avoid these common callbacks with imported species
By Kim M. Wahlgren
nstalling wood flooring may not be rocket science, but there’s a lot that can go wrong anyway.
Different job sites, changing moisture conditions and difficult customers can all make day-to-day
life as a contractor more … well, challenging. Throw a multitude of exotic species into the mix,
and the likelihood of problems seems to increase exponentially. Sourced from all corners of the
Earth, today’s wood flooring doesn’t always behave the way we expect wood flooring to, and that
can cause major headaches. Here are some of the most common reasons contractors get called
back to the job site after installing exotics, and how to (try to) avoid them in the first place.
I
Photos this page courtesy of Rick Jones
Color Change
What it is: Just as with light-sensitive domestic species such as
cherry, color change with exotics can be a problem in two ways.
The most common stems from the floor changing color only in some
areas due to part of the floor being covered, often with an area rug
or piece of furniture. With some species that change color quickly,
the color difference can even be a problem when the floor is covered
temporarily on a job site. Complaints can also arise from the entire
floor changing color (usually when customers are expecting the color
they saw on an aged sample but have a new floor that hasn’t aged
yet). Yet another problem with color change happens when most of
the floor darkens except for an area of sapwood that stays a lighter
color. Most woods darken with light exposure, but there are a few
that lighten with exposure.
Common species: Brazilian cherry/jatoba, tigerwood (shown), many others
What to do about it: There’s no way to prevent color change.
Educate the customer when they are considering a species known
to drastically change color. Provide them with samples showing
what the species looks like new and after aging. After the fact,
the best answer is to simply let the previously covered area “catch
up” to the rest of the floor. If the customer can’t wait that long,
resanding is the only option (although in some severe cases, even
resanding won’t fix it). If a floor needs to be covered on a job site
to protect it from other trades, be sure every square inch of the
floor is covered. If customers won’t accept the appearance of a
single board, board replacement may be the only option.
Color Variation
What it is: Once the floor is installed or racked out, the customer objects to the wide color variation of the boards.
Common species: Many (timborana shown)
Courtesy of Roy Reichow
What to do about it: Be sure you show customers
an accurate representation of the species, not just a small
sample. Be clear on what the manufacturer’s proprietary
grading rules are so you know what to expect from the
product you order. And be sure you’re buying product
from a reputable manufacturer—one that is more likely to
have its own reliable grading standards.
White Spots
Gapping and Cupping
What it is: Just as with many standard domestic species, moisture problems are an issue with exotics. But
What to do about
it: Lab testing has
shown that these
spots are calcium
carbonate. Although
they are sometimes
visible on the unfinished wood, other
times there is no way
to tell ahead of time
where the white spots
are going to occur.
Like other wood grain characteristics, they are simply
considered part of the species. The white spots are most
likely to occur with waterborne or oil-modified polyurethane finishes and generally don’t happen with solventbased finishes such as conversion varnish, moisture-cure
urethane and shellac.
Some contractors educate customers ahead of time
about the spots, others simply hope they don’t occur and
still others just avoid installing species prone to the white
spots. If customers object once the spots have appeared,
most contractors opt for board replacement.
With factory-finished flooring, the spots may or may not
be allowed per the manufacturer’s grading rules.
several factors can
make exotics particularly tricky. They
are extremely dense
woods, making them
stronger and stiffer,
which puts more
stress on fasteners
when the woods
swell. (These factors
can also make the
woods difficult to
nail. Contractors may
tend to use fewer
fasteners than they
normally would, and
tongues may tend to split.).
Adding to potential moisture problems is the fact that
most exotics originate in much more humid climates.
When they are installed at a much higher moisture content (MC) than they will have over time, permanent gaps
in the floor will appear.
With engineered products, cupping often occurs when
the flooring is installed in a low relative humidity (RH)
environment.
Common species: Any (floor shown with gapping is Brazilian teak/cumaru; cupped floor is Brazilian cherry/jatoba)
What to do about it: Many exotics take a much longer
time to acclimate to a job site than contractors expect, so
don’t be caught off guard. Moisture testing the wood—
with the right adjustments on the moisture meter for the
species used—is critical. Also, realize that many exotics
appear to be dimensionally stable when tested in a lab
but seem to behave differently on actual job sites, so don’t
rely on published rankings of dimensional stability as a
guarantee of stability.
Experiment with which fastener to use, the angle and the
pressure so that tongues don’t crack. Some species are so
hard that predrilling is the only effective way to fasten them.
For engineered flooring, maintain RH at an acceptable level for that product. If you know the RH will get
Courtesy of Genia Smith
Courtesy of Rick Jones
What it is: White spots
that appear over time—often
months after the floor has
been sanded and finished.
Common species: Brazilian cherry/jatoba (stair tread
shown below), Brazilian
teak/cumaru (shown at left),
tigerwood
Check out the latest
technologies
too low, a different product may be
necessary.
Face-Checking
What it is: Long cracks in the veneer that run along the length of the
board in engineered flooring. It typically occurs when flooring is manufactured at a higher MC and installed
where it will be exposed to
much lower relative humidity
(RH). As the veneer dries, it is
held in place by the glue and
fractures as it shrinks.
Different manufacturing
problems, such as the face
veneer and core veneer being manufactured at different
MC levels or having different
dimensional change coefficients, can make this issue
even worse. Rotary peeled
veneer will face-check more
easily than a sliced veneer. A sawn face, if very thick (3.5 to 4 mm), can also
tend to face-check if not well-controlled by humidity levels being maintained
in the home.
Common species: Any (top photo is engineered tiete chestnut, photo
above is engineered Brazilian cherry)
What to do about it: Again, many exotic products are manufactured abroad
with a much higher MC than they will have once they’re installed on the job
site. Be sure you buy from a reputable manufacturer, and be especially wary if
the installed floor will experience low RH either year-round or seasonally.
Pinless meters with selectable depth
1/4” and 3/4”
for wood
bamboo
concrete
great for multi-layered materials
Pin -- Pinless -- RH
Multi-function meters
allow complete diagnosis
for floor, subfloor, concrete, air
reu
sa
ble
sen
so
r
For days, months or years
Wireless Watchdog Monitor
Finish Adhesion (Lack Thereof)
What it is: The finish or stain won’t adhere well to the floor due to the oily nature
of the wood.
Common species: Many (stained Brazilian walnut/ipé floor shown)
What to do about it: If you haven’t
worked with that species and finish or stain
before, test it before trying it on a job. The
adhesion problem is most common with
oil-modified polyurethane, which may need
extensive dry times over some species.
Regardless of the finish, it’s a good idea to
put down the first coat of finish immediately after the final sanding, before the
oils in the wood have a chance to migrate back up to the surface. Another technique some contractors use is to wipe the floor down with a solvent compatible
with the finish immediately before finishing to remove the oils. ■
Sources for this story included: Howard Brickman, Brickman Consulting;
Rick Jones, Swiff-Train Company; Mickey Moore, Wood Flooring Advisors; Roy
Reichow, National Wood Floor Consultants Inc.; and Rusty Swindoll, NWFA.
for wood moisture
for concrete moisture
for ambient humidity and temp
Any questions? Contact
Lignomat at 1-800-227-2105
PO Box 30145,
Portland, OR 97294
www.lignomat.com
E-Mail: [email protected]
2010 NWFA WOOD FLOOR OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Prizes on the
Potomac
T
URN THE PAGE to read profiles of the winners of the prestigious
NWFA Wood Floor of the Year contest. Winners were chosen online
before March’s NWFA Convention in Washington, D.C., and the Members’ Choice winner was also voted on by members at the show. For information on entering next year’s contest, go to www.nwfa.org.
BEST RESTORATION, MEMBERS’ CHOICE | UNIVERSAL FLOORS INC. (WASHINGTON, D.C.)
Emblematic Embassy
U
NIVERSAL FLOORS HAS become a power to be reckoned with in the Best Restoration category of the Wood Floor of the Year contest, having won
the award four times now since the category was introduced in 2005. While company President Sprigg Lynn striding across the stage to collect
trophies has become a familiar sight—the company’s total count now stands at 11—company founder South Lynn Sr., Sprigg’s father, who will turn
83 this year, had never even been to an NWFA convention until this year, when it came to his hometown. For the first time he did the honors of receiving
the trophies; this floor won both Best Restoration and the highly sought-after Members’ Choice.
This year’s winning floor is emblematic of the type of work on which South Lynn Sr. built his company in the heart of Washington, D.C. The job encompassed between 11,000 and 12,000 square feet of wood flooring in the Austrian embassy; the Universal crew had 12 days to resand, repair and refinish the
floor, all while the embassy stayed open. The crew ended up spending even more intense time on the job than they expected, as a freak blizzard kept
them stranded at the embassy for two days straight (fortunately, with a stocked embassy kitchen). Snow and all, the job was completed within the time
constraints and up to the standards of the demanding Austrians, the NWFA members and the Universal Floors founder.—K.M.W.
Advertisers in this issue appear in ALL CAPITALS
Abrasive: 3M | Adhesive: BOSTIK INC. | Buffer, Edger: CLARKE AMERICAN SANDERS | Distributors: Derr Flooring Company, Long Floor |
Filler: Timbermate USA | Finish: Bona US | Nailer: Powernail Company Inc. | Sanders: CLARKE AMERICAN SANDERS, Hummel (Palo Duro) |
Saws: DeWalt | Wood Flooring: Maxwell Hardwood Floors (for repairs)
BEST CNC/LASER CUT | CZAR FLOORS (NEWTOWN, PA.)
Roman Recreation
F
EW CIVILIZATIONS CONTINUE to echo throughout history like
ancient Rome. Its military tactics are still studied, its architecture
still mimicked and its décor still sought.
It’s fitting, then, that Newtown, Pa.-based Czar Floors—”Czar” being a
Slavic derivative of the Latin “Caesar”—was asked to design and install
this 280-square-foot parquet floor in a New York private residence. The
homeowners are a well-traveled pair, and they presented Czar Floors
with ideas from Roman ruins they viewed in Italy and France.
“The homeowners had very exquisite taste,” says Val Platonov, president at Czar Floors. “Sometimes, the customer just gives you a free
ride, but it’s much more interesting to work with someone who has
done their homework. In that respect, you always come out with something beautiful and unique.”
Platonov says after his clients settled on this design, picking it from a collection of rough drawings his designers drafted, the glue-down project progressed smoothly. A Greek key design of American walnut and wenge surrounds an American walnut field comprising an overlapping square design. The
center medallion—made of wenge, American walnut, white oak and maple—contains another Greek key border, and within that is a face reminiscent of
Medusa, the mythological gorgon whose gaze turns onlookers to stone.
True to Platonov’s statement, this floor turned out beautiful and unique, which is especially rewarding given his clients’ exquisite taste.
“People who have that knowledge and have done their homework know what is possible,” he says, “so it’s a challenge to meet that—they want a perfect product. It was very challenging, but, yes, it was very rewarding, too.”—D.D.
Abrasive: 3M | Adhesive: BOSTIK INC. | Buffer: CLARKE AMERICAN SANDERS | Edger, Sander: Lägler (Palo Duro) | Filler: WOODWISE/DESIGN
HARDWOOD PRODUCTS | Finish: Bona US | Saws: Bosch Tools | Wood Flooring: Czar Floors
BEST COMMERCIAL | SCHMIDT CUSTOM FLOORS INC. (WAUKESHA, WIS.)
Project Honor
W
HEN YOU’RE ASKED to install a floor in the corporate headquarters of a global
consumer products corporation, you will have to put all your skills to the test.
That’s exactly what Waukesha, Wis.-based Schmidt Custom Floors did when installing this 1,280-square-foot end-block floor in SC Johnson’s headquarters in Racine, Wis. The
floor is located in Fortaleza Hall, a building that honors the company’s third-generation leader
H.F. Johnson Jr., who in 1935 piloted a twin-engine amphibious aircraft from Racine to Brazil
to secure a sustainable source of wax for his company’s products. Those involved in the hall’s
construction aptly referred to their undertaking as “Project Honor.”
Plans called for the wood flooring to be surrounded by terrazzo, but, of course, the endblock pieces couldn’t be routed into the terrazzo like a medallion in a wood floor. So company
president Tim Schmidt and crew, along with flooring provider John Yarema, got creative. After
testing several mock-ups, they decided to install a replica CNC-cut plywood mold where the
Americas design would later be installed, around which terrazzo would be poured.
After the terrazzo set, Schmidt’s workers removed the mold and installed the 3-inch-square
engineered end-block pieces. To convey the look of a topographical map, walnut, cherry, maple
and hornbeam were used for their varying colors. The laser-cut pieces were delivered in preassembled sections, so Schmidt says it was like putting together a giant puzzle.
Yet, it’s certainly not puzzling why this floor was labeled a Wood Floor of the Year.—D.D.
Abrasive: Norton Abrasives | Adhesive, Moisture/Vapor Retarder: DriTac Flooring Products
LLC | Buffer, Edger: CLARKE AMERICAN SANDERS | Filler: WOODWISE/DESIGN HARDWOOD PRODUCTS | Finish: Synteko Floor Finishes, SC Johnson | Sander: Galaxy Floor
Sanding Machines | Saws: DeWalt | Wood Flooring: Yarema Marquetry | Router: Milwaukee
Electric Tool
BEST EXTREME MAKEOVER | INEX FLOORS INC. (RICHBORO, PA.)
Dragon’s Lair
T
HE OWNERS OF this residence near New York’s Central Park wanted a
dragon medallion added to their existing ash and white oak floor. After
all, Oriental dragons are auspicious creatures; their breath is divine
energy, and they’re associated with abundance and blessing. What’s more, the
dragon would complement their existing Eastern-influenced décor.
They “absolutely insisted” the inlay’s border be the dragon’s shape, says
Stan Sidorov, president at Inex Floors Inc.; this way it could flow with the rest
of the room, he says. While installing a medallion is straightforward enough,
installing a free-flowing medallion like this is a bit more of a challenge, so
Sidorov agreed to work with the homeowners under the condition that his
company, which specializes in crafting medallions, be the one that also installed the piece.
Before getting to work, however, Sidorov made sure job site (and postwork) conditions were correct, so he had the owners purchase a portable humidifier to rectify relative humidity that was near 20 percent the first time he
entered the home. Luckily, the homeowners were receptive to both the concept of household moisture regulation and its added cost. After the medallion
was installed—a process that involved a router, chisel and Dremel—Sidorov’s
crew screened the entire floor and then applied a semi-gloss water-based finish.
The labor for this job was finished in just three days, however—with proper maintenance, of course—its blessings should last a lifetime.—D.D.
Abrasive: 3M | Adhesive: Sika Corporation | Buffer: CLARKE AMERICAN SANDERS | Filler: Timbermate USA | Finish: Bona US | Sander: Lägler
(Palo Duro) | Saws: Festool | Wood Flooring: Inex Floors Inc. | Router: Porter-Cable
BEST LIMITED SPECIES | ARCHETYPAL
IMAGINARY REMODELING CORP. (LITTLE NECK, N.Y.)
A Home Saved
by Flooring
T
HE OWNER OF this private residence in Queens
realized he made a mistake in not hiring an interior
designer to help renovate his home—somehow, his
spiral staircase was plopped directly in the entryway, an
odd focal point at any rate. But he saw an opportunity to
save the space when it came time for his wood floors to be
installed, and for that job he contacted Avedis Duvenjian,
president of Archetypal Imaginary Remodeling Corp.
“We took a negative and turned it to a positive,” Duvenjian says. For design duties, Duvenjian usually enlists the
talents of Vartan Arutyunian, whom Duvenjian describes
as an authentic and inspired artist, and by the looks of this
floor, the description is spot-on.
The floor’s hallmark is the wenge and aluminum ribbon, which was CNC-cut. After installing the solid 3⁄4-inch-thick, multi-directional hand-cut African
mahogany field, the ribbon path was routed out 1⁄4-inch deep and the wenge and aluminum installed. Duvenjian strove to give the floor a natural appearance, so his crew hand-scraped the wood and applied a vegetable-oil-based finish.
Duvenjian believes a flooring company must set itself apart to succeed. “You’ve got to distinguish yourself. You have to do something that not everyone is willing to do,” he says. With this floor, Duvenjian has proved his case.—D.D.
Adhesive: BOSTIK INC. | AutoCAD Design: Custom CAD Design LLC | Buffer: Bona US | Distributor: PC Wood Floors | Finish: WoodCare USA |
Nailer: Stanley-Bostitch | Router, Saws: Festool | Scraper: Jungle Jim Tools | Wood Flooring: Distinctive Hardwood Floors
BEST MANUFACTURER FACTORY-FINISHED
JOHN YAREMA (OAKLAND, MICH.)
Great Expectations
‘I
’M TRYING TO slow it down a little bit and only do the really custom work,”
says perennial Wood Floor of the Year winner John Yarema. To that end, he no
longer employs multiple local crews but instead is focusing on design work
around the world, hiring people locally or flying people in to do the actual installation.
This job, however, was one that kept him close to home. Part of an extensive addition
of a home in an exclusive gated community in a Detroit suburb, the wood border
was to be retrofitted into the black granite floor. The plan called for macassar ebony
with lines of wenge around the edge, and the floor was to have its final sanding and
finishing on site. The first complication came when the tile workers cutting the area
for the border in the existing floor decided to flatten one side to avoid hitting a grout
line. That threw off the laser-cut wood flooring, which then had to be painstakingly
adjusted on-site.
Once that was complete, the sanding and finishing wasn’t up to expectation, Yarema says. “It was an ‘8’ the first time around and we needed a ‘10,’” he says, noting that
the client expected perfection. So, he made the decision to recreate the entire floor
using laser-cut aluminum instead of wenge as the “hold lines” and to sand and finish the wood floor back at the shop. Armed with accurate templates the second time
around and the prefinished floor, the next installation proved to be the winner, both
for the client and (for Yarema’s ninth time), the Wood Floor of the Year contest.—K.M.W.
Adhesive: BOSTIK INC. | Distributor: Professional Hardwoods | Finish: Vermeister
America Inc. | Wood Flooring/Border: Yarema Marquetry
BEST RECLAIMED | DM HARDWOOD DESIGNS (FARMINGTON, N.M.)
Home Sweet Home
S
O FAR, DAVE MARZALEK’S NEW Mexico home has been good luck for him. For the
second year in a row, a floor from that house has continued his Wood Floor of the
Year legacy. Last year, it was his entryway, with an elaborate design of broken boards,
end-grain logs and a hand-cut three-dimensional wildlife inlay. This year, it’s Marzalek’s own
bedroom that brought home the trophy.
This year’s floor was the result of a wood flooring school Marzalek hosted in his own home.
He gives all the credit for the winning floor to the six students: Tracy Tribadeau, Trevor Larsen,
Randy Harris, Brett Miller, Reed Maddray and Curt Sandberg, as well as his friend Keith Wells
and son Dustin, who also worked on the floor. “I drew the design up a year ago,” Marzalek says.
“Basically it’s my signature broken board thing in Rocky Mountain style, but I wanted to add a
rug in front of my bed.” Implementing the design, however, was left to the students, who created and dry-laid the entire floor, then glued it down in sections.
For five days, they worked all day till the wee hours of the morning. “They called it the
Extreme DM Hardwood Designs Boot Camp,” Marzalek says. No one minded the crazy hours,
he says, especially not him. “I was very enthusiastic because I was sharing … At this stage in
my career that’s becoming more rewarding.” So rewarding, in fact, that Marzalek is planning
another school at his home for next November, when students will tackle installation of a solid
wood floor below-grade in Marzalek’s basement office.—K.M.W.
Abrasive: 3M | Adhesive, Moisture/Vapor Retarder: Sika Corporation | Buffer, Edger, Sander:
CLARKE AMERICAN SANDERS | Distributor: Galleher | Filler: WOODWISE/DESIGN HARDWOOD PRODUCTS | Finish: BASIC COATINGS | Nailers: ET&F, Hitachi, Powernail Company
Inc., Senco | Router: Porter-Cable | Saws: Hegner, Hitachi | Wood Flooring: Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring, Goodwin Heart Pine
BEST RESIDENTIAL | JOHN ALFORD FLOOR COVERING INC. (MILAN, IND.)
Starting Strong
I
N SOME WAYS, John Alford may seem an unlikely candidate to win a Wood Floor of the Year
award with a high-end residential wood floor. After all, he’s a second-generation carpeting
installer. And although he started working with prefinished wood flooring about 12 years
ago, it was only three years ago that he began installing unfinished wood flooring, and just in
the last year that he learned how to sand floors.
That doesn’t sound like a fast track to winning a Wood Floor of the Year award, but Alford
had some expert help along the way. He started attending the NWFA technical schools and developed relationships with instructors, in particular NWFA Director of Technical Education Steve
Seabaugh, who encouraged him to develop his wood flooring skills. “Steve kept pushing me to
start sanding … Now I’m certified for Installation and Sand & Finish,” Alford says.
Those skills were essential on this job, which included 3,300 square feet of wood flooring.
The client had planned on installing a low-end prefinished product, but once Alford saw the
7,000-square-foot home, he talked the client into a more appropriate sand-and-finish floor,
with 6-inch plank in most of the house and parquet in the family room and dining room. Just
the edges of the parquet were hand-scraped before being glued down, and then the walnut and
white oak flooring was stained and finished on-site with an oil-modified finish. While the floor
impressed the members who voted, winning an award so fast hasn’t gotten to Alford’s head. “I
was fairly surprised that I won,” Alford says. “I always think I can do better.”—K.M.W.
Abrasive: 3M | Adhesive: Sika Corporation | Buffer, Edger: CLARKE AMERICAN SANDERS |
Distributor: Lanham Hardwood Flooring | Filler: Timbermate USA | Finish: Professional Coatings |
Moisture/Vapor Retarder: Fortifiber | Nailer: Powernail Company Inc. | Router: Festool |
Sander: Lägler (Palo Duro) | Saws: DeWalt, Festool | Wood Flooring: Mullican Flooring
Honorable Mentions
BEST CNC/LASER CUT
JOHN YAREMA (OAKLAND, MICH.)
Quartersawn walnut was glued down in a bent herringbone
pattern, bordered on each side by stone, and coated with
penetrating oil.
BEST CNC/LASER CUT
YANTARNAYA PRYAD-PARQUET (KHIMKI, RUSSIA)
Maple, walnut, wenge and teak were included in this floor coated with
waterborne finish.
ProductFocus
Tools + Supplies
A
DDING TO YOUR COLLECTION OF TOOLS isn’t just fun, it can
also reduce the time it takes you to install or finish a floor. What’s
more, reliable tools make for consistent results and better floors.
So Hardwood Floors asked the industry’s leading manufacturers to tell us
about their newest and best-selling flooring tools and supplies, and we’ve
assembled the information here. Now read, go forth, and do great floors.
ABRASIVES
3M
3M’s Easy Change disc buffer system makes blending
scratches and chatter marks or sanding patterned hardwood floors easier than ever, the company says. Contractors can now quickly change from one 3M Hook-it II
abrasive grit to another without tools. The discs are available in grades 20 to 150.
www.3m.com
Bona US
The Bona Blue Anti-Static abrasive
line, featuring sanding belts and
edger discs, consists of an innovative
combination of grit materials and antistatic properties that helps prevent
dust from clinging to the belt, leading
to a more consistent cut and less dust
on the floor, the company says.
www.bona.com
Mercer Abrasives,
div. of Mercer
Tool Corp.
Mercer offers a variety of
abrasives for sanding applications. Its Premium Zirconia Floor Sanding Belts
feature Zirconia grain, a
resin-on-resin bond and a
butt-tape joint for bidirectional sanding.
www.mercerabrasives.com
Festool
Festool has abrasives for every
hardwood and hard surface
flooring application and offers
a line of seven types and grits
ranging from 24 to 4,000. With
their high-tech coatings, Festool
abrasives provide maximum resistance to clogging and smearing, which means longer-lasting
abrasives and less rework, the
company says.
www.festoolusa.com
Virginia
Abrasives
Designed for use in
between-coat finish preparation, Blue
Magic pads feature
hard, sharp abrasive
grains. Blue Magic
has been tested and
approved by top finish manufacturers, the
company says, adding
that the nonwoven material allows for a more consistent abrasion without removing too much finish.
www.virginiaabrasives.com
Product Focus
APPLICATORS
Bona US
Bona US offers a European nap roller
for waterborne finishes. It features a
candy stripe that shows if the roller is
dragging. The specially designed roller
is for use with Bona finishes.
www.bona.com
Duratool Inc.
Duratool’s Tapered End
T-bar refill allows for
one-step application and
trimming right up to the
baseboard, the company says. The company
also offers a genuine
lambskin T-bar refill.
Both are available in
light and heavy weights
and accept professional
extension handles. The angled 7- and 10-inch trim pads feature
an adjustable handle for low-profile work.
www.duratoolinc.com
Glitsa Inc.
Glitsa’s Finish Brush and
Roller Covers stand up to
solvent coatings and provide
a flawless finish, Glitsa says.
The Tack Mop features a
telescopic, stainless steel
pole with locking mechanism and grip. It is wet- and
dry-reusable, and microfiber
pads attach to the angled
swivel head.
www.glitsa.com
Mercer Abrasives,
div. of Mercer
Tool Corp.
Made of premium, thick
lambskin, Mercer’s
applicators are available
up to 18 inches in size, with
or without a wooden applicator
block. Thumbscrews hold the 6-inchwide pad in place between two 2¼-inch-wide blocks. They
can be used to apply stain, sealer and surface finish.
Product Focus | Tools + Supplies
FLOOR MANUFACTURING
Great Lakes Custom Tool
Manufacturing Inc.
The Helicarb cutter from Great
Lakes Custom Tool features a
continuous, twisted carbide blade that produces a
smoother cutting action, the
company says. The cutters
are available in straight bore,
hydro bore and powerlock
with various cutting widths and
numbers of wings.
www.glct.com
Lico Machinerie Inc.
Running at a feed
speed of 450 feet
per minute, the Lico
Double Arbor Ripsaw
features five independently movable
blades for extreme
versatility. This feature allows different
product widths to be
produced at the same
time in the machine.
www.licoinc.net
Leitz Tooling Systems
The Apex F system from Leitz is for manufacturing tongue-andgroove flooring. It features replaceable knife supports, which help
prevent damage when carbide inserts are overrun and damaged. Its
special inserts can be sharpened, which increases the tool’s return
on investment, the company says.
www.leitztooling.com
MOISTURE METERS
Delmhorst Instrument Co.
Tramex Ltd.
Delmhorst’s Total Check features pin
and pinless moisture measurement
and a thermo-hygrometer attachment
that conforms to the ASTM F-2170
standard. Advanced features include
corrections for 69 wood species, a
calibrated drywall scale and a reference scale for non-wood materials.
Stored readings can be downloaded
to a spreadsheet, providing clear,
complete documentation of every job.
CMExpert is a flexible,
multi-purpose moisture
meter by Tramex. It is
non-destructive, and can
take moisture content and
humidity readings of concrete, gypsum and wood,
along with other flooring
screeds. It is suited for
both pre-installation and post-installation testing of flooring materials, slabs and substrates. CMExpert adheres to
ASTM F-2170 and ASTM F-2420.
www.delmhorst.com
www.tramexltd.com
Lignomat USA Ltd.
Wagner Electronic Products Inc.
Lignomat offers multipurpose
meters for the flooring professional, including its pin meter
Mini-Ligno DX/C, which can be
used with or without the depth
electrode; pinless Ligno-Scanner SDM, which can take measurements at different depths;
and Ligno-Scanner SDM, which
can take measurements at different depths and is calibrated
for wood and bamboo.
Contractors can instantly and accurately
measure moisture content of rough or
finish-grade wood with Wagner’s MMC
220 moisture meter. The tool measures
from 5 percent to 30 percent moisture
content and has a species selection
feature, eliminating the need to reference correction tables. It also has an
extended range feature, which allows
for an extended species setting range
for exotic species.
www.wagnermeters.com
www.lignomat.com
NAILERS
Porta-Nails Inc.
Powernail Company Inc.
Porta-Nails’ Porta-Nailer Pro has an
integrated magazine that maintains
constant tension and nail feed.
The magazine accommodates
both T- and L-style 16-gauge
flooring nails, and the Pro’s
nailer shoe easily positions in front
of the flooring tongue for accurate
nail placement.
Powernail’s Flex nailer can be
used to install a variety of tongueand-groove flooring types, including both solid and engineered
flooring from 3⁄8 to ¾ inch thick;
it eliminates the need for pads
and shims through adjusting
to the floor height. It uses an
18-gauge cleat and is made from
rugged cast aluminum, while
its pressure-sealed body eliminates leaks, the company says.
www.porta-nails.com
www.powernail.com
SANDING EQUIPMENT
Bona US
Clarke American Sanders
Bona’s sanding systems
feature the Bona Portable
Dust Containment System
and the Bona Edge, which
offers a reduced sanding
arm but maintains the
ergonomics and feel of a
traditional edger, the company says. Both products
are Greenguard-certified for indoor air quality.
Clarke’s CE7 toe-kick and SE7
are two of its latest sanding products. Both sanders
are ideal for sanding along
walls, closets and stair landings, the company says. The
CE7 Pro and Pro+ (pictured)
are designed to reach under
cabinets and shelving at least 3½
inches off the ground.
www.bona.com
www.americansanders.com
Ceno Group
UFloor Systems Inc.
Ceno Group’s Satellite discs fit
any buffer, counter-rotate at 4
percent and turn at 600 rpm.
They remove chatter and
edger marks and flatten the
floor three times faster than
hardplating, all while sanding the floor to a piano-top
finish, the company says.
Satellite discs reduce edging
time by 50 to 70 percent, and
they won’t remove springwood,
the company adds.
UFloor’s next generation Cobra sanding machine features
a single, self-adjusting drive belt
for a smoother cut, an adjustable
position handle, a working halogen
headlight, an anti-slip feather handle,
handle controls, and a new modern
chassis designed to reduce motor
noise. A transfer dolly is available
separately, and the new machines
will be available this month.
www.ufloorsystems.com
www.floorsanding.com
U.S. Sander LLC
U.S. Sander now offers the HEPA Jet Dust Containment System,
which meets the EPA’s RRP Lead Safe Work Practices requirements to sand hardwood floors in homes built before 1978. It
features a large, certified and tested HEPA filter that is rated at
1000 CFM and includes indicators to show when the filter is
contaminated. The system fully outdraws up to two sanders.
www.ussander.com
OTHER
Ceno Group
Bona US
Ceno’s HEPA vacuums conform
to the new EPA regulation that
went into effect April 22. Besides its popular Super Vac and
Pac Vac models, it offers four
more models to fill a contractor’s HEPA vacuum needs.
Bona offers the Bona Microfiber Mop for
cleaning the job site. When used dry it picks
up loose dust particles before sealing or
staining a sanded floor. It can also be used to
wet-tack between coats of finish. The Bona
Microfiber Cleaning Pad is washable for more
than 300 uses.
www.floorsanding.com
www.bona.com
Covermaster
Easy Groove Tooling LLC
Covermaster II is
precision-engineered with retractable outriggers to
reduce tipping,
roller end collars
to prevent finger
pinching, safety bolts to hold each roller captive,
and six casters for better load spread, the company says. Informational DVDs are available, too.
Easy Groove router bits have
become standard for job-sitecreated tongue-and-groove
floor joints, the company says.
The top-bearing design allows
users to rout grooves in flooring that has already been laid.
The bits feature C-2 carbide
tips, heat-treated shanks,
replaceable cutter heads and
a tough plastic container.
www.covermaster.com
Don’t Risk
$32,500.00
per day in fines
HEPA PacVac
HEPA10
10 gal Dry
HEPA CAT 6
with Separator
HEPA Super Vac
Join the
HEPA Family
For Complete
EPA Regulations,
Fines, & Certification
visit floorsanding.com
HEPA24
24 gal Dry
HEPA CAT 7
with Separator
floorsanding.com
800-710-2366
Festool
The Festool TS 75 and TS 55 plungecut saws have cabinet-saw precision,
panel-saw functionality and portablesaw versatility for a single job-site
solution, the company says. The
included guide rail system and splinterguard make straight, splinter-free,
glue-ready cuts, and the plunge action
with precision depth adjustment facilitates installation and repairs.
www.festoolusa.com
Hardwood Industry Products
Hardwood
Industry Products’ Pro Hand
Scraper A offers
a rolled-hook
blade, which
gives a deeper,
hand-hewn and
distressed look.
Interchangeable
blades allow for smooth, continued scraping.
www.hardwoodindustry.com
Jungle Jim Tools
Jungle Jim Tools has new
bamboo-handled scrapers available; the handles
are 9 or 14 inches long.
Its Bamboo Detail
scraper has a 1½-inch
tapered blade that lets
contractors work where
other scrapers cannot,
the company says; it can
be used for perimeter
scraping, too. The Bamboo Cobra has a 2½-inch blade, while Jungle Jim’s Cobra Classic
in black plastic is still available as well.
Mercer Abrasives,
div. of Mercer Tool Corp.
Mercer’s premium, heavy-duty scrapers allow contractors to scrape without
gouging any tough surface edge
sanders can’t reach. They’re
available with either rubbermolded or premium hardwood
handles, and they feature
double-hardened, high-carbon
steel blade edges, angled to reach
corners, edges and recesses.
OTHER
Mercer Abrasives, div. of Mercer Tool Corp.
Ol Bastard Jig Sharp
Scraper
Mercer’s N95
Particulate Respirator is NIOSHapproved and
protects workers
against dust produced by sanding
operations. The
soft, close-cell
nose foam and adjustable nosepiece
increase a worker’s comfort and ensures the compatibility of
glasses or goggles. Masks are available with or without a valve.
Ol Bastard offers a patentpending ergonomic scraper and
sharpening jig. The scraper’s
design assures a comfortable,
efficient means of removing
materials; the jig keeps blades
razor-sharp and offers a safe,
easy way to sharpen the Ol
Bastard scraper blade. This
product is available for immediate delivery, and applications
for distributors are being taken.
www.olbastard.com
Padco Inc.
The Padco BigMouth Bucket has a two-gallon capacity and an
extra-large 5¼-inch opening at top for filling; it weighs just over
one pound. It is constructed of high-impact molded plastic and
is solvent-resistant. Plus, the bucket’s pouring spout has adapter
threads for attachments.
www
.hwf
mag
.com
/res
our
cec
ent
Check the
Online
Resource
Center
er
www.padco.com/floortools
(page 58)
for more
information
about this
issue’s
advertisers.
■
HF_ORC_1_6_610.indd 1
5/13/10 2:26 PM
Powernail Company Inc.
Powernail’s Power Roller kit is for its 16and 18-gauge Flex nailers and 445FS stapler. These kits give installers the ability
to wheel a nailer along the ground, left
to right, instead of picking up the nailer
to move it. The product greatly increases
installation comfort and speed, Powernail
says. Contractors can search “Powernail
power roller” on YouTube to see a video
demonstration.
CLEARLYADVANCED
Wagner Moisture Meters
More accurate* & over 10x faster than pin-type meters
Full thickness measurements without the holes
Manufactured in the United States
Support provided by Wagner’s solution-oriented team
www.powernail.com
Providing fast accurate moisture measurements,
Wagner’s clearly advanced moisture meters have been
the preferred choice by professionals for over 25 years.
ProTeam Inc.
ProTeam’s MegaVac has a 10-quart
filter capacity.
It converts to a
blower in two
simple steps, and
also features an
easy-to-reach tool
belt and advanced
Four Level Filtration. The MegaVac
comes standard
with a three-year
warranty.
1-800-634-9961 • www.wagnermeters.com
*Accuracy proven by several different university studies.
US Sander
WWW.USSANDER.COM
Phone (866)-877-2637
2010 NWFA Booth 212
Diamond Jet
Use inside or out. Over 450 CFM @ 120” waterlift.
220v@ 23 amp. Use plastic bags. Rolls easily, Comes
apart. Transports easily. Remote control, over 40 sq ft
filter. Runs 2-3 machines. Hoses and adapters included.
www.Pro-Team.com
The one that WORKS!
Learn about our
Power
Power,, Performance, Price!
For dust collection systems to work efficiently,
they need to out draw the sander (minimum
400 cfm). Get the waste air outside. Have
nonclogging filters to get the best results.
Diamond Dust
Increased Sanding Dust Pickup
Over 1200 CFM, 220 ft hose
220 volts19 amps optional 110v
40 Gallon Capacity
Runs 3 machines
Skil Power Tools
The Skil Flooring Saw can cut laminate
and hardwood up to 8 inches wide and
¾ inch thick, and it can make miter cuts
between zero and 47 degrees; it can also
easily transition to a fixed saw, allowing
rip cuts to width. It features a large aluminum tabletop with miter detents at the
most popular angles, and it has a tabletop
height of 1½ inches so scrap pieces can
easily be used to support long flooring
pieces so they don’t bend or tip off the
table while cutting.
www.skiltools.com/en/flooringsaw
THE UFO
Orbital Type
Attachment CENO
Call for a
demo DVD!!!
KT NT8
Fax (518)-875-9942
Drum Recovery
Fast turn around or Exchange available
Galaxy
American
We manufacture in house all our rubber
products for belt and slotted drums and
do not out source like other companies.
Quality Recovery,
Materials, and Price
All Brands
Clarke
Classic
Hummel
Replacement
Parts
Floorcrafter
Clarke
KT
Lagler
Galaxy
Bona
Ceno
More
EXTREME
Adds geared
orbital action &
DUST Collection
to Buffer!
Sand away
Edger marks
and chatter
Fast!
Powernail
Over 1000 sold
Clarke
Expandable
Machine Parts All Models!
Silver
Line
Power
Nail
Bostitch
Primatech
Crain
Stair Schematics Online or Catalog
Edger
Protect your
sander.
Toe-Kick
Voltage Meter
Edger
Clip on Sander Dolly
Dolly available for KT,
Hummel, Galaxy, & American
Special Advertising Section
ProductFocus
Imported Wood Flooring
C
onsumers are increasingly attracted to
imported wood flooring. Read on to learn
how these manufacturers—all advertisers
in this issue—can help you capitalize on
the allure of these exotic offerings.
Owens Flooring by Colonial Craft
Owens Flooring by Colonial Craft produces CARB-compliant engineered flooring from imported species such as
Brazilian cherry, sapele (pictured), eucalyptus, Australian
cypress and santos mahogany. These products are available in 3-, 4-, 5-, and 6-inch widths, and a natural factory
finish is available on 3-, 4-, and 5-inch-wide offerings.
The company says that because of its cross-ply lamination, Plankfloor is perfect for areas in which 3⁄4-inch solid
flooring is not recommended.
www.colonialcraft.com
Real Wood Floors
Real Wood Floors produces engineered unfinished
jatoba flooring in 31⁄4-, 4- and 5-inch widths. This
product has a 3⁄16-inch wear layer and comes in random lengths up to 7 feet; average board length is 31⁄2
feet. The flooring can be glued directly to slabs and
installed in basements.
www.realwoodfloors.com/products_jatoba.html
Sheoga Hardwood
Flooring & Paneling Inc.
Evan Leeson
Jatoba, or Brazilian cherry, is Sheoga’s most
dense offering. It has a natural, deep reddishbrown color; it is available unfinished or prefinished. Sheoga says this solid offering will lend a
touch of class to any setting. The 3⁄4-inch flooring
is available in a width of 21⁄4, 31⁄4, 41⁄4 or 51⁄4 inches
and random lengths up to 8 feet; wider or longer
boards are available upon request.
www.sheogaflooring.com
Industry News | Products
1 Sheoga Hardwood Flooring & Paneling Inc. has added
⁄4-inch-thick solid saw-cut specialty flooring to its offerings; it is
available in ash, beech, Brazilian cherry, walnut, white oak, poplar,
red oak (pictured), American cherry, maple, hickory and white pine.
www.sheogaflooring.com
3
2
1
2
Chemque says Fortane Zero is its greenest adhesive. It contains
zero VOCs and isocyanates. The 100-percent-solids formula is ideal
for glue-down installations on all grades of all types of engineered,
solid or acrylic impregnated wood and cork flooring. The product is
California Proposition 65-compliant, the company says.
www.chemque.com
3
Synteko Floor Finishes’ Pro AquaAmber is a waterborne
oil-modified polyurethane finish for commercial and residential
hardwood floors. It’s best suited for high-traffic, high-wear areas,
like offices, stores, museums and recreation spaces. It is available in
four sheens, including matte, satin, semi-gloss and gloss.
www.synteko.com
3
4
4
Mirage/Boa-Franc has added the Handcrafted Oak line to
its engineered, 5-inch-wide Sweet Memories Series. Intended to
resemble traditional, weathered flooring, Handcrafted Oak comes
in three colors: Carousel is a creamy white that will brighten any
room; Château (pictured) is a dignified, noble gray; and Teddy Bear
is a comforting, soft brown.
www.miragefloors.com
5
MAPEI Corporation’s Ultrabond ECO 995 is a 100-percentsolids, urethane-based, single-application, moisture-cure, singlecomponent, phthalate-free, and odor-free moisture barrier and
adhesive. It can be used with nearly all types of wood flooring.
www.mapei.com
5
6
Green River-American Hardwood’s ¾-inch-thick Classic Series
of red oak is new to its American Heritage Collection. The Red Oak
Classic Series uses nano-finishing technology and is available with a
natural finish or four stain options.
www.greenriverlumber.com
6
7
7
Protecto Wrap Company’s Whisper Mat HW is a peel-andstick, non-permeable sheet membrane underlayment for use with
engineered hardwood, parquet and laminate flooring. It reduces
impact and airborne sound transmissions.
www.protectowrap.com
8
8
Homerwood now offers Herringbone Cut Planks in hickory,
black walnut (pictured), cherry, hard maple, white oak and red
oak; it’s available in 3-by-21-, 4-by-24-, 5-by-30- and 6-by-36-inch
dimensions. Homerwood says its herringbone-patterned flooring
adds texture and depth to a floor.
www.homerwood.com
Industry News | Products
9 Mullican Flooring’s Castillian Collection is a wide-plank
engineered flooring product for the designer market. Castillian
features random-length planks, 6- or 7-inch widths, and a 3-mm
wear layer. It is available in oak, hickory and walnut in 12
products that include whitewashed, brushed, sculpted, sculptedsmoked and rustic selections.
www.mullicanflooring.com
10 Bostik’s Ultra-Set SingleStep wood flooring adhesive
serves five functions in one step: It acts as an adhesive and also
provides moisture, sound, crack and mold protection. It contains
zero VOCs and is made from post-consumer recycled content.
www.bostik-us.com
9
10
11
IHL Hardwood Flooring is a new flooring brand from
Intrading Hardwood Lumber. IHL offers solid unfinished
and prefinished, ¾-, 3⁄8- and ½-inch-thick flooring in curupay
(pictured), bloodwood, cumaru, ipé, jatoba, lapacho,
massaranduba, mesquite, santos mahogany, sucupira, tiete
rosewood and tigerwood, as well as many other species.
www.intradingco.com
11
1-800-767-8953
Supplying hardwood flooring professionals for over 25 years
free shipping free technical services in stock save time save money save gas
daily specials on the web at www.floorstyle.com
Tim bermate Duraseal Red Heat Bon a Norton Clarke Hummel Stanley Lenmar Traffic
Timbermate Duraseal Red He at B ona Nort on Clarke “Not your only choice…just the right one”
Bona Nort on Cl arke Hummel Stanley Lenmar Traffic Bona Norto n Clarke Humme l Stanley Lenmar Traffic Timbermate Du raseal Re d H eat
FREE
AdIndex
G e t mo r e in fo r ma tio n a b o u t
a d v e r tis e r s in th is is s u e b y
v is itin g Ha r d wo o d F lo o r s ’
o n lin e r e a d e r in q u ir y s e r v ic e .
Online Resource
Center www.hwfmag.com/resourcecenter
Quickly locate an advertiser in this issue using the list below:
3M
www.3M.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Oneida Air Systems
www.oneidavac.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Appalachian Lumber Co. Inc.
www.appalachianlumber.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Owens Flooring by Colonial Craft
www.colonialcraft.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Basic Coatings
www.basiccoatings.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
ProTeam Inc.
www.pro-team.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Bostik Inc.
www.bostik-us.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Real Wood Floors
www.realwoodfloors.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Bozovich Timber Products Inc.
www.bozovich.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Shamrock Plank Flooring
www.shamrockplankflooring.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Ceno Group
www.floorsanding.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Shaver Hardwood Flooring/
Sticks & Stones Dist. Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Clarke American Sanders
www.americansanders.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Sheoga Hardwood Flooring & Paneling Inc.
www.sheogaflooring.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
D & M Flooring
www.dm-flooring.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
U.S. Sander LLC
www.ussander.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Dura Seal
www.duraseal.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
W.D. Flooring
www.wdflooring.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Floor Style Products Inc.
www.floorstyle.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Wagner Electronic Products Inc.
www.wagnermeters.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Frank Miller Lumber Co.
www.frankmiller.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Woodwise/Design Hardwood Products
www.woodwise.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Garrison Collection, The
www.garrisoncollection.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30-31
Hardhat Presentations
www.hardhatpresentations.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
CORRECTION
Hardwoodmarketing.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . insert
In the April/May 2010 issue’s State of the Industry Report,
the distributor number for imported species was incorrect.
The correct chart appears here:
Lignomat USA Ltd.
www.lignomat.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
MAPEI Corporation
www.mapei.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Species Sold by Distributors*
3% Heart pine
Mercer Abrasives, div. of Mercer Tool Corp.
www.mercerabrasives.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Norton Abrasives
www.nortonfloorsanding.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
NWFA
www.nwfa.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
NWFA
www.nwfa.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
38%
Red oak
7% Brazilian cherry
13%
Maple
14% Other
domestic
12% 15% species
Other White
imported oak
species
*Numbers do not add up to 100 due to rounding.
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ULTRA-SET®
SingleStep

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It takes a lot of salt
to be a single source mill.
To run over 430 products, to supply the biggest and best
distributors in the country and be a single source mill
takes a lot. It takes the relentless pursuit of quality and
consistency. It takes acumen, attention to detail and
dedication. It takes accountability on every level. It takes the
ability to run a matrix and understand algorithms. It takes
something few have—a keen ear. You need to listen to your
customers, understand their needs and be able to fulﬁ ll them.
But, most of all, it takes what you can’t practice or learn—it
takes guts—it takes what our grandfathers would call “salt.”
The single greatest problem a contractor faces: humidity levels. For a limited
time and while supplies last, WsD is offering a free Save Your Floor hygrometer
with every ﬂoor over 500 square feet that is sold. See your local distributor.
© 2 0 0 9 W sD F L O O R I N G , L L C
W D FLO O R I N G.CO M