What’s new with Terra Mai reclaimed hardwoods March 17, 2008

Terra Mai reclaimed hardwoods has just moved into a new location that is helping contribute to making NYC a greener place. TerraMai shares the space with two other progressive green companies, YRG Consultants and Deep Green Living. Sharing space with two of the top sustainability consulting firms in the country helps keep them connected to the latest and greatest in sustainable design and building. Setting up shop in Manhattan also allows them to better serve their growing group of New York and other East Coast clients.

You can give them a call at 800.220.9062 to schedule a presentation at your firm or to visit their new office.

All About Cork Flooring - History, Benefits, Care and Maintenance March 12, 2008

History

• Cork is not a new fad, it can be traced back to ancient Egypt. In the 18th century, Dom Perignon used cork for champagne making it a significant discovery that would lead to many other uses of cork.

• A law in the 1930’s called “The 9 Year Law” was passed to keep cork from being harvested any sooner than every 9 years. The tree has to reach 60 cm in circumference before it can be harvested. The first harvest from a cork tree can only occur at age 25.

• Portugal is the largest producer of cork today.

Harvesting

• Cork is harvested by hand from the bark of the cork oak tree (Quercus Suber) that grows primarily around the Mediterranean Basin no less than every 9 years.

• After the cork is stripped, the planks are sorted and stacked for 6 months in the forest. The exposure to air, sun, rain and wind during this time trigger chemical transformations that improve the quality of the cork. Then the bark of the mature cork trees are ground up, mixed with resin, processed into blocks, baked, compressed and cut into tiles or planks.

Guest Blogger Lindsay Barczuk on Respect For Nature And Passion For Wood March 7, 2008

RESPECT FOR NATURE AND PASSION FOR WOOD
MAKE FOR BEAUTIFUL FLOORS

I’m Lindsay Barczuk with the Denver Office of Carlisle Wide Plank Floors. I have to be honest and tell you that when I started with Carlisle, I didn’t know the difference between oak and birch, a strip hardwood floor or a wide plank floor. Now after more than three years, I’ve learned so much about how trees grow, how to selectively harvest timber, and what goes into making a long-lasting and beautiful floor.

Stable Boards Come From Responsible Harvesters

I’d like to take this opportunity to write a little about custom crafted wide plank floors and, more importantly,
what you need to know when you are looking to find a responsible provider of wide plank wood floors. Many consumers
view wood as a commodity, and while some companies treat it as such, others recognize that this natural resource is
much more than that. When you find a company that understands the value and beauty of wood, you will most likely
find that their procurement, manufacturing, and finishing techniques differ from the mass producers.

Test your laminate flooring maintenance knowledge! March 4, 2008

 

 

One of the greatest benefits of laminate flooring is that it requires so little care, upkeep and maintenance. The very best laminate floors feature special “wear layers” that prevent scratches, dents, dings and fading from exposure to sunlight. So they are perfect for busy families and high-traffic living spaces.

Although laminate floors are extremely durable, they are not indestructible. Keeping these tips in mind will ensure your laminate floor will look newer, longer.

 

 

 

 

Take this true/false quiz to test your knowledge on laminate maintenance!

1. Doormats are needed only at the front door.

False. Place doormats or walk-off mats at each entryway to collect excessive moisture and dirt. Place doormats or walk-off mats at each entryway to collect excessive moisture and dirt.

Trends in Flooring - Hardwood and Laminate February 6, 2008

TRENDS IN HARDWOOD AND LAMINATE

Just like more color seen in tile, wonderful ranges of color were shown in hardwood. Lauzon’s new products were the most appetizing colors. Coffee and chocolate colored stains with a pearl or low luster finish were so refreshing from the sea of golden colored hardwoods.

In the new product pavilion, Harris Wood showed painted hardwoods with the edges randomly sanded to look like old worn painted boards. The beauty of it is, with this product you get the look of painted boards, but with the strength of aluminum oxide on the finish.

Similar to the painted woods are the Olde Paint line from Anderson. They did a great job of making the boards look authentically old and worn. It reminded me of cottages and old historic homes in South Carolina.

Rustic and handscraped hardwoods are even on the texture bandwagon. One company showed a product with the look of texutre, wire brushing, reclaimed and handscraped properties all in one irresistible product. Creatively, they used the flooring boards to create a door. It got so much attention they wised they were in the door business as well!

Surfaces - New Product Pavilion January 30, 2008

The new product pavilion at Surfaces featured exciting new hardwood, carpet, tile and more. Below are some examples of the new products that are taking center stage for 2008. The pictures you see here cannot do the actual products justice, so ask your flooring retailer for these products by name!

Above: Just one example of BR-111’s Exotic Hardwoods. This photo is Macciato Pecan. Others that are striking and unique are Malbec Walnut and Tiete Chestnut. Ask your flooring retailer to show you more products in BR-111’s exotic hardwood line.

Above: Handscraped painted hardwood from Harris Wood, one of the last US hardwood manufacturers. The exciting feature of this wood is the maple and walnut wood that show through the painted surfaces with a special sanding technique. It looks old, rustic and authentic. The beauty of it is that you get this authentic look with the durability of an aluminum oxide finish.

Above: Beaulieu’s Collection “It’s Hot” featuring “Spice It Up” and “Caliente”

Above: XFloor- Premium Cars Deserve Premium Flooring! This stunning garage floor is interlocking, real aluminum diamond plate and withstands 50,000 pounds of load capacity per tile.

New from Creating Your Space is a tool called Room Maker. This tool allows you to draw a room, choose your type of flooring and then calculate your flooring needs. You can save, share and print your results as well as get a general idea of your budget.

What Feeding Bears and Ruining Your Pre-Finished Hardwood Floors Has in Common December 17, 2007

How important is it to clean your hardwood floors with the proper cleaning agent? I assumed that every flooring salesperson made this information abundantly clear at the point of sale, that every client listened and followed their instructions diligently. Then I got my reality check - on the Internet. After a little web surfing on how to clean hardwood floors I found discussion after discussion that proved my fear that countless hardwood flooring crimes were being committed. At first, I thought, “How could people do this?!?” Then, I came to terms with a few simple realities.

Take this True/False quiz to test your knowledge. I’ll bet you are not alone. Below are the answers and my theories on why these are common misconceptions.

1. I should mop my hardwood floors at least once or twice a week regardless if I have spills or scuffs with a liquid cleaner.

Answer: False. One of the main benefits of hardwood flooring is that they are low maintenance floors that require only a little more maintenance than sweeping on a regular basis to remove dirt. Cleaners are only needed when cleaning spills, removing scuff marks or major cleanings like spring cleaning. Cleaners should be applied with a terry cloth head mop rather than a sponge mop because you don’t want too much liquid applied directly to your floors. Too much liquid can cause your floors to expand and crack. You can and should, however vacuum your floors daily with a vacuum without a beater bar to remove dirt that can scratch your floors. Use a vacuum attachment to access those hard to reach areas.

Green Build Expo 2007 - Hardwood Flooring November 26, 2007

The Green Build Expo 2007 had many hardwood exhibitors, but 2 companies in particular caught my attention for their beautiful and unique products.

One company, Sustainable Flooring in Boulder, Colorado offers wood flooring products that are not only sustainable, but have an appearance unlike most hardwood flooring you have seen. Their product line is made up of reclaimed products, those that are “certified” by either the Forestry Stewardship Council or follow similar harvesting and production methodologies, and others that are either made from rapidly renewable raw materials or are created from post-industrial content. “Sustainable Woods” encompasses lesser know species. Their harvesting and subsequent use will help insure that forests are allowed to thrive.

Dare to be different - trends in exotic hardwood flooring November 9, 2007

Exotic hardwood flooring is becoming increasingly more popular because buyers seem to constantly be searching for products for their homes that are more unique than what you find at your everyday big box store. These floors are a symbol of style and provide greater diversity from hardwood’s reputation as a traditional flooring choice.

The word exotic is defined as:

ex·ot·ic (g-ztk)

adj.

1. From another part of the world; foreign:

2. Intriguingly unusual or different; excitingly strange:

About Exotic Hardwood

Like traditional hardwood floors, exotic hardwood floors have styles offering different widths, species, grain, colors and types of construction. You can find exotic hardwoods that are unfinished, pre-finished, solid or engineered. Most of the floors come from South America, Australia, The Far East and Africa. Click here to see a selection of domestic versus exotic samples from the National Hardwood Association. It is also important to keep in mind that not all species of exotic hardwood are available as flooring. The ones listed here are all available for flooring.

The Remodeling Show Awards: Most Interesting Product October 25, 2007

 Hands down this goes to Green Glue.  Green Glue is the simple and easy answer to sound  proofing floors, wall and ceilings in new construction or remodeling. You simply apply the product with a caulk gun between two sheets of standard drywall or plywood. There is no exact measuring (other than 2 tubes per 4×8 sheet of plywood) or specific coverage pattern - you just apply it randomly all over the board.

This product is great for home theaters, recording studios, condos, apartments, impact noise (footstep noise) and squeaky floors.

Green Glue has been tested and found to:

• Be the most thoroughly of any sound isolation material available

• Be able to be inserted into any fire rated assembly according to the International Building Code

• Not form a vapor lock

• Be environmentally friendly with almost no V.O.C.’s

• Not contribute to mold growth

 Thank goodness for the FAQ on their website. Below are a few: