February | March 2011

Transcription

Welcome to
Digital Issue
Premium Partners:
www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com
February | March 2011
THE
DESIGN
ISSUE
Guiding Customers page 21
Bamboo Basics page 33
Art Underfoot in Seattle page 42
Product Focus
Adhesives, Fillers + Finishes
Subfloors + Subfloor Prep
Your reputation. You’re standing on it.
For consistent, high-quality results, choose 3M™ Regalite™
Floor Sanding Abrasives. Our premium products start sharp
and stay sharp, for a smooth finish with less effort. So they
help keep you in good standing.
3M and Regalite are trademarks of 3M. ©3M 2011. All Rights Reserved.
Go to Resource Center for more info
Some people think that environmental regulations and
compliance issues lead to inferior products. That’s not
the case with DuraSeal’s 350 VOC Polyurethane. You
still get the same exceptional flow, leveling and dry
times you’ve come to expect from DuraSeal. You also
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meeting the needs of new compliance issues with
DuraSeal’s 350 VOC Polyurethane.
For more information, call 1-800-364-1359 or visit
www.duraseal.com
for your nearest
distributor.
Contents Features
February|March 2011
Vol. 24.1
Art Underfoot
By Doug Dalsing
The Seattle Central Library’s
wood floor helps reveal the
mysteries of learning.
page 42
Carmen Montoya
42
Your Business
Live and Learn
By Chris Keale
Hardwood 101 helps guide this dealer’s customers on
choosing a floor.
page 21
25
Legal
From Nolo
If your employee hurts someone, you could be liable.
page 23
Money
By Johnny C. Gates
A guide to applying for bank loans.
On the Cover:
The Evelyn W. Foster Learning Center at the Seattle
Central Library.
Photo by Lara Swimmer, courtesy of Ann
Hamilton Studio. Floor designed by artist Ann
Hamilton and installed by Rubenstein’s.
page 25
Management
PREMIUM PARTNERS:
By Phillip M. Perry
The time is ripe to negotiate real estate terms.
page 28
www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com
February|March 2011 Q Hardwood Floors 5
Contents
On the Job
Ask the Expert
17
Answers on end joint spacing, acclimation and choosing the right
adhesive.
page 31
In Every Issue
Chairman’s Message
From the Field
page 8
By Andrea Sikkink
Advice on what to look for in quality bamboo flooring.
page 33
NWFA News
page 12
Troubleshooting
Woodworks
By Jon Namba
Why is this stain inconsistent at the wall lines?
page 17
page 35
Products
Techniques
page 64
By Kim M. Wahlgren
Try to clear up consumers’ confusion
over maintenance.
Ad Index
page 36
page 66
36
Product Focus
Adhesives,
Fillers + Finish
Subfloors +
Subfloor Prep
page 47
page 58
At www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com, read
the CONTRACTOR,
INSPECTOR and GREEN
BLOGS; see what everyone’s talking about on the
FORUM; and check out
the Web-only content from
this issue:
6 Hardwood Floors Q February|March 2011
Special Advertising Section:
Tech Spotlight
page 61
At www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com/Maintenance101:
› Download the Q&As from the Mixed-Up Maintenance article as a PDF
formatted as a handout you can give to customers
› see more photos of bad maintenance
At www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com/Lease11:
› Get more advice on negotiating a better lease
At www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com/AmBuilderAds:
› See more ads from a 1917 copy of American Builder magazine
>>chairman’s message
The magazine of the National Wood Flooring Association
NWFA Chairman
Neil Poland
NWFA
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
info@nwfa.org • www.nwfa.org
Editorial Advisory Committee
John Lessick, Chair/Board Liaison | Apex Wood Floors Inc.
Dan Antes | Distinctive Hardwood Floors
Daniel Boone | Powernail Company Inc.
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 Inc.
Publication Staff
EDITORIAL
Kim M. Wahlgren | Editor
Doug Dalsing | Associate Editor
Scott Maurer | Art Director
Marjorie Schultz | Electronic Production Manager
Scott Packel | Production Assistant
ATHLETIC BUSINESS PUBLICATIONS INC.
Gretchen Kelsey Brown | CEO
Peter Brown | President
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
ADVERTISING SALES
Shawn Gahagan | Group Publisher
Kendra Bjorklund | Account Executive
Editorial and Advertising Offices
Athletic Business Publications Inc. |4130 Lien Road • Madison, WI 53704
608/249-0186 • 800/722-8764 • Fax: 608/249-1153
editors@hardwoodfloorsmag.com | www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com
CHANGE OF ADDRESS: In order to ensure uninterrupted delivery of Hardwood Floors, notice of change should be made
at least five weeks in advance. Direct all subscription mail to Hardwood Floors, P.O. Box 47705, Plymouth, MN 55447, call
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, P.O. 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. © 2011 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.
San Diego
Forums
By Neil Poland
Chairman, NWFA
I
f you have ever attended the National Wood Flooring Association’s annual Convention and Wood Flooring Expo, you know
that education is a big part of what the show offers. Our Convention Committee works with industry leaders throughout the
year to develop programs that will be meaningful and will offer
real value to our attendees. This year is no exception.
By attending this year’s Convention as an Elite Package attendee,
you will have the opportunity to take part in more than a dozen
sessions designed to increase your wood flooring knowledge, skills
and business practices. This year, you also will have the opportunity
to attend one of three forums targeted
to your specific business type.
If you are a manufacturer, you
can learn more about programs that
will help position your business for
improved efficiency, like the NOFMA
certification program and the technical services hotline, as well as improved market value, like the NWFA
Responsible Procurement Program,
which gives you a cost-effective,
third-party-verified way to identify your product as meeting established environmental standards.
If you are a distributor, you can learn more about how distribution channels will change in the future, the new economics
that will impact how you do business, and how to partner with
manufacturers to provide more value for your customers.
If you are a dealer/contractor, you can learn more about how
to market your business in the current economic environment and
how to differentiate yourself from your competition when you
cannot market on price alone.
All three forums will include lunch, as well as panel discussions with industry research leaders and with industry peer
leaders. The forums will be held on Friday, April 29, from 9 a.m.–3
p.m., and are included with the Convention Elite Package.
You can learn more about the show at www.nwfa.org by
clicking on the “2011 Convention and Expo” link, or by calling the
NWFA at 800/422-4556 (U.S. and Canada) or 636/519-9663 (local
and international). See you in San Diego. ■
Education
is a big part
of what the
show offers.
NWFAnews
>>executive director/ceo message
news and information from the national wood flooring association | www.nwfa.org
Building Relationships
By Ed Korczak, CAE
Executive Director/CEO
H
ow is it that you keep up to date with all the latest products available and innovations occurring within the wood flooring industry? This magazine is a great start. It provides a wealth of
information that can give you a competitive advantage, but the one thing it lacks is relationships. To really succeed in any business, you need to build strong relationships that can help your
business grow.
That is where the National Wood Flooring Association 2011 Convention and Wood Flooring Expo
comes in. The NWFA’s Convention is the only flooring show anywhere dedicated exclusively to wood
flooring. This show brings you face-to-face with industry leaders from all over the world, and right
in your own back yard, to find the products that will help make you more efficient, the skills that will
help make you more marketable, and the business practices that will help make you more profitable.
If education is what you seek, this show offers you more than a dozen educational sessions dealing with everything from marketing, to increasing profits, to improving customer service,
to building partnerships, to social media. On the final day of the show, you also will have
the opportunity to attend one of three forums designed to address hot industry issues
pertaining to your specific business need: manufacturing, distribution or contracting.
If you want to learn about new products, this show is where the industry gathers to
bring their products to the market. Here, you will see—and have the opportunity to actually try—more new products under one roof designed specifically for the wood flooring
professional than at any other show. No matter what
you are looking for—adhesives, fasteners, abrasives, equipment, wood, borders, inlays, vents,
moldings, finish, maintenance products—
you will find numerous suppliers and be
able to compare a variety of products, all
under one roof.
To help improve your skills, the show also offers
demonstrations on the Wood Flooring Expo floor that
will deal with subfloors, custom factory-finished installations,
and machine maintenance. These demonstrations will show you
techniques that can help make you more efficient and more profitable, while also helping to differentiate yourself from your competition.
All of these opportunities accomplish something else as well. They all provide you with an opportunity to build strong relationships with some of the industry’s most prominent companies, leaders,
and individuals. Where else can you do that, all under one roof?
Learn more about all the NWFA Convention has to offer by visiting www.nwfa.org, and clicking
on the “Convention & Expo” link. You also can learn more by calling the NWFA at 800/422-4556
(U.S.and Canada) or at 636/519-9663 (local and international). ■
You need to
build strong
relationships
that can help
your business
grow.
Introducing Mullican Flooring’s
AQUASHIELD
Moisture Protection System.
It’s one thing to block moisture from above.
But it’s another thing entirely to block moisture from BELOW.
Mullican’s specially “Kerfed”
under-board construction
provides protection to keep
floor flat, stable
and problem free.
Mullican Moisture Mat
blocks moisture
from below.
www.mullicanflooring.com 1-800-844-6356
NWFAnews
>>education and training
news and information from the national wood flooring association | www.nwfa.org
School is in
Session
I
f one of your new year’s resolutions was to improve
your wood flooring education, the NWFA has a full
schedule of technical schools this year that can help
you out. As you make plans, consider the following
advice from Frank Kroupa, NWFA technical services
advisor, who leads many of the schools:
Kim M. Wahlgren
“People often ask me which NWFA school they
should send their employees to. I always advise that
students with less than three years’ experience on a
wood flooring job site should consider attending the
NWFA’s Wood Flooring Basics school. That class is
also great for sales staff, estimators and inspectors
that need background on installing wood floors. On
the other hand, students with more than three years
of experience installing wood floors, or students who
have already completed the Wood Flooring Basics
school, should consider attending our Installation,
Sand & Finish school, which is more of an intermediate school. With few exceptions, I’d recommend that
a student take this intermediate class before tackling
our Advanced Installation; Expert Installation; Expert
Sand & Finish; or Jigs, Treads & Risers classes.”
Students who go through the NWFA technical schools are
on their way to creating works of art like this floor, which
was completed during an Expert school in 2007 with the
help of instructor Frank Kroupa (shown seated at top right).
NWFA 2011 Technical School Schedule
For more information: 800/422-4556 (U.S. and Canada) | installationschools@nwfa.org | www.nwfa.org
Feb. 16-18 ............Installation, Sand & Finish (St. Louis)
Aug. 2-4 ...............Factory Finish Installation (Las Vegas)
March 2-4 ............Factory Finish Installation (St. Louis)
Aug. 3-5 ...............Installation, Sand & Finish (New York)
March 15-18 ........Wood Flooring Basics (Las Vegas)
Aug. 23-26 ...........Jigs, Treads and Risers (Las Vegas)
March 23-25 ........Advanced Installation (St. Louis)
Sept. 13-16 ..........Wood Flooring Basics School (St. Louis)
April 6-8 ...............Subfloor Preparation and Solid Glue Down (Las Vegas)
Sept. 20-24 ..........Expert Installation (Las Vegas)
May 11-13 ...........Subfloor Preparation and Solid Glue Down (St. Louis)
Sept. 26-28 ..........Expert Sand & Finish (Las Vegas)
May 25-27 ...........Factory Finish Installation (Las Vegas)
Oct. 4-8 ................Expert Installation (St. Louis)
June 7-10 .............Jigs, Treads and Risers (St. Louis)
Oct. 10-12 ............Expert Sand & Finish (St. Louis)
June 22-24...........Installation, Sand & Finish (Las Vegas)
Oct. 26-28 ............Subfloor Preparation and Solid Glue Down (Las Vegas)
July 13-15 ............Factory Finish Installation (New York)
Nov. 2-4 ...............Factory Finish Installation (Las Vegas)
July 27-29 ............Subfloor Preparation and Solid Glue Down (Las Vegas)
Nov. 9-11 .............Subfloor Preparation and Solid Glue Down (St. Louis)
14 Hardwood Floors ■ February|March 2011
Whatever the
blueprints call for...
-!0%)æHASæTHEæSOLUTIONæFORæALLæYOURæWOODmOORæINSTALLATIONæ
CHALLENGESæWITHæNEWæPRODUCTSæDESIGNEDæFORæVIRTUALLYæANYTHINGæ
THEæDESIGNERæCANæTHROWæATæYOU
NEW additions to MAPEI’s wood-floor
installation portfolio include:
sæUltrabond ECO ® 985ææHYBRIDPOLYMERBASEDæMOISTURECONTROLæANDæSOUNDæ
æ REDUCINGæWOODmOORINGæADHESIVEæWHICHæISæISOCYANATEFREEæULTRAæLOWæINæ6/#Sæ
æ ANDæODORæANDæVERYæEASYæTOæCLEANæUP
sæUltrabond ECO 970ææPREMIUMæTOUGHSETTINGæWOODmOORINGæADHESIVEæANæ
æ EXCELLENTæLATEXBASEDæSOLUTIONæFORæINSTALLINGæENGINEEREDæANDæMOSTæTRADITIONALæ
æ PRElNISHEDæSOLIDæHARDWOODæmOORINGææ
Come visit us at NWFA 2011
!PRIL¬¬n¬¬s¬Booth # 1205
at the San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, CA
&ORæMOREæINFORMATIONæONæ-!0%)SæENTIREæWOODmOORINGæLINEæ
VISITæWWWMAPEICOM
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
‘Bent’ Wood
This flooring is supposed to curl up
roof that a wood floor can certainly be a work of art,
Brent Sommerhauser created “Curl” and displayed it at Seattle’s Greg Kucera Gallery. The floorboards used in the 8½-by11-foot installation are not actually floorboards at all but a
kind of three-ply engineered wood plank Sommerhauser made
himself. All three layers are plywood bender board, and the
top layer was stained and sealed. To create the bent planks,
Sommerhauser first glued together the bottom two layers; then
he placed them in a self-constructed form that has the same
curve as “Curl,” clamping the pieces in place. The glue dried
and the two layers held the curve of the
form. Next he added the face veneer in
the same fashion, gluing it to the already-curved
bottom two layers and clamping all three layers
in place. The middle layer is offset, giving each
plank a tongue and groove, which holds the
entire installation together. Making the planks,
Sommerhauser admits, required “a lot of trial
and error.” In the future, Sommerhauser wants to
create a version of “Curl” that is actually installed
as true flooring, “with the curled portion quite
far from the entry, so that a viewer could walk
a ways through the site” before realizing they’ve
“Curl” comprises three
been walking on the sculpture. You can view
layers of plywood bender
more photos of “Curl” and its creation at www.
board glued together and
bent using a custom form. hardwoodfloorsmag.com/curl.—D.D.
Photos courtesy of Brent Sommerhauser
P
A snapshot of Brent Sommerhauser’s work area
for his “Curl” installation, which was displayed
(top) at Seattle’s Greg Kucera Gallery.
Woody Case
It’s the perfect iPhone protector
Vers
T
oday’s wood flooring industry is all about style, and the gadget accessory industry is catching on to our tastes. Vers (www.versaudio.com)
makes cases for Apple gadgets out of wood; the company says it has a green
mission, so it makes its cases from naturally renewing species. Plus, Vers values sound quality, and wood
has great acoustic properties due to its rigidity, which
reduces unwanted resonance. Like any good flooring
dealer, Vers offers options: Its cases are available in
cherry, walnut, and strand bamboo; cases for the iPad
and every iteration of the iPhone and iPod are availVers makes cases for Apple’s able. Now you can let your inner wood grain shine
iPhone, iPod and iPad.
with your gadgets, too.—D.D.
Vers cases are available in cherry
(pictured), walnut and bamboo.
February|March 2011 ■ Hardwood Floors 17
WOOD ■ works
Lateral Thinking
At this NYC café, sideways is in
S
nemaworkshop
ometimes the best way to get something
unique is to take a great idea and turn it on
its head—or side. That’s exactly what Anurag
Nema, the founder of nemaworkshop, a Manhattan design firm, did with this 420-square-foot location for café D’Espresso on Madison Avenue in
New York City. The café sits just one block from
the New York Public Library on 5th Avenue, so
Nema took a quaint library—book-lined shelves
on three walls with a herringbone oak floor
underfoot—and turned it 90 degrees. Here, the
Madison Avenue’s D’Espresso takes its library theme from the nearby New
herringbone oak adorns one 15-foot wall while
York Public Library, which sits a block away on 5th Avenue.
glazed, sepia-tone tiles printed with images of
books run along the floor, up another wall and across the ceiling; the remaining wall mimics a ceiling, complete with
bulbous lights that jut over the service counter. “Ultimately, the space gives definition to the emerging brand,” says
nemaworkshop’s spokeswoman Tiffany Tabar. “The concept itself is bold and receptive to future locations.” In fact,
Eugene Kagansky, the owner of D’Espresso, told The New York Times in September that he plans to open 10 additional D’Espresso locations in Manhattan. No word yet on whether the next location will be upside down, inside out
or just right side in.—D.D.
VINTAGE ■ moments
Ready, Aim, FIRE!
‘D
rive ‘em out with this Machine!” reads this ad
from Ohio’s Sidney Tool Company, which was
printed in the November 1917 issue of American
Builder. At top a World War I tank battles troops who
represent the “winter slump” that contractors deal
with to this day. The machine they’re referring to is
a Famous Universal woodworking tool, a behemoth
of levers, saws and drills that contractors could buy
to increase manpower and, ultimately, make more
money, even during the slow months. At the same
time—before it became the multinational conglomerate it is today—General Electric was appealing to
contractors to purchase its electric motors, which
“were as good as an extra man, for it’s the odd jobs
and the special work that takes time.” Of course, GE
was sure to remind contractors that power for such a
device was “only a few cents an hour.” From reading
these ads, it’s apparent that productivity on the job is
an eternal struggle. View more ads from this issue of
American Builder at www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com/
AmBuilderAds.—D.D.
WOOD ■ works
Green ■ speak
Your guide to green vocabulary
Carbon Credit:
A certificate showing that a government or company
has paid to have a certain amount of carbon dioxide removed from the environment (Source: Collins
English Dictionary)
he market for carbon
credits attempts to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Limits on greenhouse gas emissions are set
on businesses or organizations that produce them, and
if they want to exceed those
limits, they must buy “credits”
from another entity that has
credits to spare or is actively
taking steps to reduce greenhouse gases.
© www.CartoonStock.com
For more on carbon credits, read the HF Green Blog
at www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com/green/blog.
HARDWOOD FLOORING ■ mini-quiz
1. True or False? Not changing your abrasive frequently enough can cause the sander to burnish
the wood and make your stain color take lighter
than expected.
2. Sawn faces on engineered flooring will have a
greater tendency to face-check in low humidity
when they have a _______________ (thicker or
thinner) face.
5. The following wood floor was coated with:
a. oil-based stain with waterborne finish
b. oil-based stain with an oil-modified polyurethane finish
c. aniline dye with wax finish
d. oil finish (no stain or dye)
3. Covering a floor to protect it too soon after
finishing could cause (more than one answer
possible):
a. crawling
b. fish eyes
c. hazy finish
d. soft finish
e. excessive scratches
4. In our industry, what does MVER stand for?
Answers: 1. True 2. Thicker 3. c, d, e 4. Moisture vapor emission rate 5. c
Flickr | Steven Burke
T
Your Business
Live and Learn
Wine, Cheese & Wisdom
Hardwood 101 guides our customers on choosing a floor
By Chris Keale
hen we bought T & G Flooring (and bought
into this industry) three and a half years ago, I
was quickly disturbed by two things:
1. Too many people told us, “I wish I knew 10 years
ago what I know now, I’d have bought a completely different floor…” (or finish, or stain color, etc.). There was
simply too much buyer’s remorse.
2. I was troubled by the inconsistent answers I’d get
after asking numerous experienced industry “experts”
W
BUSINESS BRIEFS
8 Things They Hate
I
Scott Maurer
f you’ve ever been in a management position, there’s a good
chance you had several pet peeves
regarding your staff members and
their behavior. What you may not
realize is that your employees probably have a few complaints themselves. Here eight top complaints:
1. You come to work grumpy
2. You micromanage the staff
3. You are too “hands off” and don’t hold people accountable
4. You complain about the bad economy and cash flow
5. You bring your personal life to work
6. You don’t deal with problematic employees
7. You are always out of the office
8. You overreact when approached with problems.
Everyone, even management, needs to work at being a
better team member. Begin by realizing the strengths and
weaknesses that you have as a leader and work on the
things you could improve on.
Dr. Rhonda Savage is an internationally acclaimed speaker
and CEO for a well-known practice management and consulting business. For more information, visit www.DentalManagementU.com or e-mail Rhonda@MilesandAssociates.net.
the same simple questions (e.g., “What’s the best species
for people with kids? Dogs?” or, “What’s the eco-friendly
floor?”, etc.). Plus, when I’d go to various carpet stores or
other hardwood retailers, the sales teams were equally
inconsistent in their answers. Sand and finish professionals
had one perspective. The prefinished product sale pros
had a different perspective.
Think of the absurd
number of technical
details a consumer
must consider (e.g.
solid vs. engineered,
eco-friendly qualities,
cut, stability, hardness, grade, composition, finish type, finish hardness, VOCs,
etc.). On top of that,
there are a multitude
of design details to
consider (e.g., patterns, inlays, color, washes, sheen, surface texture, etc.).
In short, buying hardwood flooring is way too complicated.
Now, a little buyer’s remorse when you buy a burger is
one thing. However, when you drop $5,000, $10,000 or
more for a hardwood floor, you should be thrilled for a
long, long time. Thus, we came up with a 10-step process
on how to choose a floor product. That process evolved
into a course: Hardwood 101.
Each month we have homeowners, general contractors,
interior designers and architects attend a free two-hour
presentation. It’s what I call, “Wine, Cheese & Wisdom.”
We put out a nice spread and teach people our 10-step
program on how to choose the best floor for their specific
tastes and lifestyles. We keep it funny but informative. Our
students all get hands-on experience.
Attendance varies from five to 20 people. I always have
one vendor attend, but he/she has specific instructions not
to “sell” during the presentation, but rather share his/her
When you drop
$5,000, $10,000
or more for a
hardwood floor, you
should be thrilled
for a long, long time.
Your Business | Live and Learn
wealth of stories and education. And boy do these people
have great stories …
This certainly isn’t a how-to course for installation. This
isn’t a sales pitch. It’s ruthlessly practical technical information blended with design considerations.
I’m very clear in the introduction. I’d love their business
but I’d much rather they make good informed decisions.
I’d rather they buy somewhere else than buy a hardwood
floor that doesn’t work for them.
In each class we battle against urban flooring legends
and misinformation. We’re often asked, “Does a floor need
to acclimate for seven days?” Well, no. The floor needs to
acclimate until the moisture content gets down to industry
standards. That could take a day, a week, or a month. We
discuss the problems of cleaning hardwoods with a mix
of vinegar and water. We talk about why a finish’s wear
resistance may not matter nearly as much to a homeowner
as scratch resistance.
We also tailor the information for Colorado, as this is
an arid climate. For example, if a prefinished hardwood
manufacturer’s warranty stipulates that you must maintain
relative humidity (RH) at 35 to 55 percent, and you live at
a 5,280-foot altitude where your RH is 14 percent in Janu-
ary, do you still buy that product? Will you be covered by
the manufacturer’s warranty if the floor fails?
According to our class review forms, homeowners really
appreciate the course. However, the pros in the audience
like it just as well. The interior designers, architects, and
general contractors are often quiet in class, but are often
downright effusive when class is over. We regularly hear
sheepish post-class confessions about how they accidently
misled their clients on a specific flooring decision. We also
hear how they’ll gladly engage us next time the opportunity arises. In the end we all have the same goals—we
want clients who are thrilled with our individual products
and services.
Do we end up selling to these clients? Sure. The education builds trust, and trust is a key ingredient in any
significant buying decision. However, if we make the
purchase decision a little simpler, a little less risky, and a
little more fun, we’ve delivered real value to the consumer
and hopefully improved our industry. Q
Chris Keale is owner at T & G Flooring in Denver (www.
tandgflooring.com); his Denver Floor Guy Blog is at
tandgflooring.blogspot.com.
22 Hardwood Floors February|March 2011
Q
Your Business | Legal Brief
Liability Limits
If your employee hurts someone, you could be responsible
ike it or not, you might be
responsible for harm caused
by your employees. Under a
handful of legal theories, courts have
held employers liable for injuries
their employees inflicted on coworkers, customers and total strangers.
Here, we’ll explain those legal theories and a few commonsense steps
you can take to steer clear of trouble.
L
Accidents or Misconduct
Under a legal doctrine sometimes
referred to as “respondeat superior”
(Latin for “Let the superior answer”),
an employer is legally responsible
for the actions of its employees.
However, this rule applies only if the
employee is acting within the course
and scope of employment; the employer will generally be liable if the
employee was doing his or her job,
carrying out company business, or
otherwise acting on the employer’s
behalf when the incident took place.
The purpose of this rule is fairly
simple: to hold employers responsible for the costs of doing business,
including the costs of employee
carelessness or misconduct. But if
an employee acted independently or
purely out of personal motives, the
employer might not be liable. Here
are two examples to illustrate the
difference:
A wood flooring dealer gives its
sales staff company cars to make
certain sales calls. After work hours
and while doing a personal errand,
a salesperson hits a pedestrian using
the company car. Most likely, the
company will not be held respon-
BUSINESS Q & A BY JIM BLASINGAME
Q:
What are the different kinds of business liability
insurance?
A:
Business liability insurance covers liability exposure that occurs as a result
of the activities of a business. It should protect in case of a claim or lawsuit
and can cover damages, medical costs, attorney fees for defense and damages in
the case of a settlement. Policy types and coverage can include:
• General liability: primary coverage for injury claims, property damage and
advertising claims
• Professional liability: coverage protects against malpractice, negligence, errors and omissions
• Product liability: protection for consumer injury by your product.
Jim Blasingame is the creator and award-winning host of the nationally syndicated
radio/Internet talk show, “The Small Business Advocate,” and author of Small Business
is Like a Bunch of Bananas and Three Minutes to Success. Find Jim’s show and more
at www.SmallBusinessAdvocate.com, plus instant answers to your questions at his small
business knowledgebase, www.AskJim.biz.
sible for the incident.
A finish manufacturer issues cell
phones to all of its field reps to allow them to call into the office and
check in with clients when they
are on the road. While driving, a
rep hits a pedestrian because he is
completely engrossed in a telephone conversation with a superior
at the plant. The manufacturer will
probably have to pony up for the
pedestrian’s injuries.
If you are sued under this legal
theory of respondeat superior, your
employee’s victim generally won’t
have to show that you should have
known your employee might cause
harm, or even that you did anything demonstrably wrong.
Careless Hiring
and Retention
Under a different legal theory,
someone who is injured by your
employee can sue you for failing to
take reasonable care in hiring your
workers (“negligent hiring”) or in
keeping them on after learning the
worker poses a potential danger
(“negligent retention”). This rule
applies even to what your workers
do outside the scope of employment.
However, under this theory you
are legally responsible only if you
acted carelessly; that is, if you
knew or should have known that
an applicant or employee was unfit
for the job, yet you did nothing
about it. Here are a few situations
in which employers might have to
pay up:
Your Business | Legal Brief
A distributor hires a delivery driver without looking into
his criminal past, which includes a sexual assault conviction and an arrest for stalking a woman he met while
delivering products for another company. If he attacks a
customer, the distributor could be held liable to his victim
for negligent hiring.
An installation company hires a man who later steals
from a customer’s home. Had the company verified his
résumé claims, it would have discovered that he was in
prison for robbery during the years he claimed to be in
high school and college. The company could be liable to
the homeowner.
Avoiding Claims
Many states have allowed claims for negligent hiring and
negligent retention. Although these lawsuits have not yet
appeared in every state, the clear legal trend is to allow
injured third parties to sue employers for hiring or keeping on a dangerous worker. What can you do to stay out
of trouble? Here are a few tips:
Perform background checks. Make it your policy to
run a routine background check before you hire an applicant. Verify information on résumés, look for criminal
convictions (to the extent allowed in your state), and
check driving records.
Use special care in hiring workers who will have
a lot of public contact. This could include deliverymen
or installers. You are more likely to be held responsible
for a worker’s actions if the job involves working with the
public.
Root out problem employees immediately. Under
the theory of negligent retention, you can be responsible
for keeping a worker on your payroll after you learn (or
should have been aware) that the worker poses a potential danger.
For more information on handling potentially dangerous workers, see “Dealing With Problem Employees: A
Legal Guide,” by Amy DelPo and Lisa Guerin (Nolo), and
“The Essential Guide to Workplace Investigations,” by Lisa
Guerin (Nolo). ■
This article is provided courtesy of Nolo. Nolo’s mission is
to help Americans understand the legal rules and procedures that affect their lives, so they can handle legal matters themselves or seek expert help armed with the knowledge they need. Read more articles at www.nolo.com.
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Your Business | Money
Loan Pointers
A guide to applying for bank loans
By Johnny C. Gates
very business at some point will require outside financing. This generally means obtaining
some form of bank loan. For many, this turns out to be an aggravating process. You may be
financing a new business or simply in need of seasonal financing, but proper planning will
substantially enhance your chances of obtaining a loan. An additional benefit may be that you will
learn more about your business.
Various methods of outside financing include venture capital, additional investors and bank financing, the latter being the most common method. Many banks offer both conventional and SBA loans,
and I advise talking with your banker to see which type of loan makes more sense for your particular
situation. Let’s now look at the various aspects of applying for a loan and how they may affect you.
E
The Loan Process
You should first have an understanding of what your banker is interested in and anticipate questions
that might arise during the loan process. Most business owners think that having substantial capital
is the only criteria that interests banks; however, banks are in the banking business and have no interest in running your business should you default on the loan. All this means is that banks are more
interested in how you will repay the loan in addition to the capital you may have.
Although it may seem obvious to you why the loan is needed, the first step is to determine why
you need the loan. Basically, there are four common reasons for requiring a loan: for working
capital, seasonal peaks, equipment purchasing, and acquiring or
starting a business. Even though the basics for needing the loan are
the same, your loan package should be customized to reflect the
reasons for obtaining financing.
Cut Expenses, Reduce Debt
Next, work to get your business in the best possible financial order.
Pay close attention to expenditures. Try to reduce expenditures as
much as possible, which will increase your cash and profits; accounts receivable is another area that may require some work to
shore up your finances (see “Cost Cutter” in the February/March
2008 issue). You may want to consider restructuring existing debt
to improve cash flow and working capital ratios. Consider liquidating unused or redundant assets to improve working capital and
increase cash balances (see “Cash Building” in the February/March
2010 issue). Never forget to look at salaries—even your own—for a
possible reduction.
Also, in today’s business climate, banks will require a personal
guarantee for the loan. For this reason, your personal financial condition will be critical in securing financing.
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The next step is actually preparing the loan package.
Financial Data: Usually two to three years of financial statements will be
required, as well as three years of projections on the balance sheet, income
statement and cash flow statement. Other financial data may include prior years’
tax returns, financial ratios, information of historic growth rates, etc. Include any
other information that will convince the banker of the fiscal soundness of your
business. If your financial performance has been poor, emphasize the positive
aspects of the business such as improved gross margins, increases in cash flow
or key financial ratios.
Of course, startup businesses will not have prior financial data. In these cases,
projections and budgets are critical. These budgets and projections should be
supported by factual information so your goals look credible and are not viewed
as just “pie in the sky” wishes.
Industry Data: Including knowledge of pertinent financial ratios and industry
statistics will further convince your banker of your credibility. Be sure to point
out areas where you exceed the industry standard in a particular area. Sources
for this type of information include trade associations and Internet resources like
First Research (www.firstresearch.com).
Ownership Information & Résumés: This information is important no
matter whether you’re starting a new business or trying to obtain funding for an
existing business. Information on you and other principal stakeholders regarding
background, education, experience and capabilities is vital.
Financing Plan: In a narrative format, you should explain the reasons for the
financing request, the amount you need and repayment terms you’re requesting.
Also, make clear the use of the loan proceeds. All of your loan package, including this section, should tie together into a concise financing plan.
Other information may be needed to substantiate your loan request. When
requesting financing for a new business, always include information on marketing, management plans, industry background and predictions, and pro forma
financial information.
If a working capital loan or line of credit is requested, you should provide
information on how much funding will be needed during slow periods and how
it will be repaid during peak periods.
One important rule to remember is not to hide unfavorable information. A
particular area where this comes into play is the strengths and weaknesses of the
company. Such information should be fully disclosed, as well as how you plan
to overcome the problem. Full disclosure will add to your professionalism, while
the failure to disclose will undermine your credibility.
Secure a Second Opinion: Last, but certainly not least, is to have someone
look over your loan package, such as a financial advisor or CPA. This person can
offer an objective analysis of your efforts, point out shortcomings and make suggestions for improvements.
In summary, do your homework before applying for a loan. Know your business, know your industry and know the answers to questions before they are
asked. Having this information will greatly enhance your probability of obtaining
your loan. Q
Johnny C. Gates is partner at B2B CFO, the United States’ largest CFO firm focusing on mid-market companies. Gates can be reached at jgates@b2bcfo.com
or 803/403-2042. B2B CFO services are available to all NWFA members, and
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Your Business | Management
Better Lease on Life
The time is ripe to negotiate real estate terms
By Phillip M. Perry
f there’s any silver lining to our dark economic cloud, it has to be the attractive leasing deals many
business tenants are enjoying around the country. For the first time in many years tenants are in demand. No secret why: There’s too much space around for the number of active businesses. No one
likes to see a business shutter its doors, but the fact remains that for every business that closes, more
space comes onto the market.
“Thanks to the current vacancy rates, tenants are seeing the biggest selection of space and the most
accommodating landlords since the early 1990s,” says Robert Bach, chief economist at Grubb & Ellis,
a commercial real estate services and investment company based in Santa Ana, Calif. “Landlords are
nervous, so tenants can get better deals.”
For anyone grappling with a tough selling climate, all that empty space translates into a stronger
negotiating position come lease-renewal time. “It is a tenant market right now,” says Sharon Kahan, first
vice president of CB Richard Ellis, a Chicago-based retail specialty brokerage. “If you are a tenant, then
you are in a good position. There’s quite a lot of space on the market and probably more still coming.”
I
Negotiate Rates
So what steps can you take to capitalize on the favorable market?
For starters, dust off your lease and take a fresh look at the numbers, even if the renewal date is still some time down the road.
“Business owners should be seeking relief right now from their
landlords,” says Andy Fried, director of the Small Business Development Center, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Ga. “If the
market is a whole lot lower than what’s being paid on a given
lease, negotiations should be initiated.”
Maybe your first thought is a simple reduction in the monthly
rental rate. And while that’s not out of the question, another tactic
is more likely to bear fruit with the same bottom line results: free
rent for a determined number of months.
“Landlords don’t like to reduce rent,” explains Fried. “Many
landlords buy real estate for investment purposes, so they want
to keep what they call the ‘capitalization rate’ up. The higher the
rent roll, the higher the value of the building.” To maintain their
investment, landlords will often opt to grant free rental months
rather than cut the official rental rate.
Do Your Homework
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success in a lease renegotiation. “You have to do your research
and line up your ammunition,” Kahan says. You will want to
answer two questions: What rents are others paying? And what
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Your Business | Management
space is available for you to move to?
With the answers to those questions in hand, you can
approach your landlord with more power. And one more
thing: Show your own numbers. Today more landlords are
having to take into account what a tenant can afford to pay.
Win a Better Deal
As you pursue your own lease renegotiation, keep these tips
in mind:
Favor shorter terms. Don’t get roped in for a long lease
term. Instead of a five-year lease, try to get a two-year lease
with the option to renew for successive two-year terms.
Obtain the right of first refusal. Make sure your lease
includes a “first right of refusal” clause, which gives you
the right to decline a renewal before the landlord offers the
space to someone else.
Consider a “blend and extend.” If you have two years
left of a five-year lease, try getting some immediate rent
relief—in terms of free rent or a lower monthly rate—in exchange for signing a new five-year lease, provided you feel
assured of your ability to fulfill a long-term contract.
Find an alternative location. Get a better seat at the
negotiating table by having a fallback space if your landlord
balks at a deal. You can say something like this: “Look, we
have a brand new deal at a new location, where those guys
will pay for us to be there. Or we can do a deal with you at
this new number.”
A struggling tenant who sincerely wants to pay can look
attractive in this market. Landlords are falling on hard times,
too. And no one wants to pursue a lawsuit against a vanished tenant: Landlords have very little to gain by going after
a tenant who is unable to pay. Lawsuits are expensive, and
collections after a favorable verdict are difficult.
So how urgent is the need to take advantage of the market? Seize the day but don’t expect a quick sunset. “Given
the expected slow pace of the economic turnaround, good
deals are going to be with us for a while,” says Bach. “They
should be around through the first half of next year.” ■
Phillip M. Perry is a New York-based freelance writer and
frequent contributor to Hardwood Floors.
Get more tips about negotiating a commercial lease
at www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com/lease11.
On the Job
Ask the Expert
Spacing, Acclimation & More
End Joint Spacing
What is the distance required
between end joints?
Frank Kroupa, technical advisor at
the NWFA, answers:
This is a common question, especially at the NWFA schools. For years
we told people a quick answer: 6
inches, if the grade allowed for it. For
example, if you are installing 9- to 18inch shorts, it’s impossible to maintain
6-inch end joint spacing.
As revised in 2008, The NWFA
Installation Guidelines state that spacing should be:
• 6 inches for strip flooring
• 8-10 inches for 3- to 5-inch plank
• 10 inches for plank wider than 5
inches. This is not a hard and fast
rule: The guidelines state that this
is a rule of thumb, not an absolute.
Common sense also comes into
play, particularly in severe situations. When possible, I like to leave
a distance three times the width of
the board. So if I were laying 10- to
12-inch plank that had lengths from 6
to 16 feet, I would try to leave at least
3 feet between board ends.
To ‘Acclimate’ or Not?
Do I really have to acclimate
this wood flooring before I
install it?
Rick Jones, technical service manager at Houston-based Swiff-Train
Company, answers:
If you’re installing solid wood flooring, there is a simple answer: Yes,
you do. What is “acclimation”? A common response in our industry is that
acclimation is leaving wood flooring
on a job site for 72 hours before you
install it. However, acclimation is rewww.hardwoodfloorsmag.com
ally getting the wood flooring in sync
with the house. If the wood flooring
and the subfloor are within 4 points
of each other (2 for wider material)
and the job site is at a normal average
of where it’s going to be in that region, the wood floor is already acclimated to the job. On the other hand,
sometimes acclimation can take much
longer. When I was installing solid
wood flooring in Florida, sometimes I
would have to leave the wood on the
job site for weeks to get it up to 10
or 11 percent moisture content (MC),
because that’s the MC the wood floor
would have long-term, even with the
air conditioning on.
When you’re talking about engineered wood flooring, acclimation is
more complicated. In the past, direc-
tions for engineered flooring usually
did not include acclimation, but in
recent years, most engineered manufacturers changed their directions to
require acclimation. It’s important to
follow those directions, if nothing
else for this reason: If there is a problem with that floor and an inspector
goes out on that job, you better be
able to show documentation that
you followed the instructions. I have
seen many times where an inspector
found out the floor wasn’t acclimated
and blamed everything on that, even
when the lack of acclimation had
nothing to do with the problem. Today there are so many inspectors who
just look for any rule that got broken,
and they stop right there. All of a
sudden the installer is stuck with that
TRICK OF THE TRADE
Splatter
No More
M
ixing underlayment
or anything else in a
5-gallon pail can be a big
mess. A simple, free solution
is to create a cutout for your
drill in the pail’s lid. Splatters
are contained inside the pail
instead of on you or your
customer’s walls and floor.
Thanks to Kevin Mullany at
Albuquerque, N.M.-based
Benchmark Wood Floors for
his tip. Do you have a Trick of
the Trade? Send it to editors@
hardwoodfloorsmag.com.
On the Job | Ask the Expert
floor, even if the failure was caused
by something else.
Another note about today’s engineered products: check the MC of
the wood and make sure it is in a
normal range of where the floor will
live. Today we have many contain-
ers coming across the oceans from
Asia and South America, and you
have no idea what the MC of that
wood may be. Also, today’s products
sometimes have thick sawn faces,
which act differently from peeled or
sliced veneers. And, always check
your slab moisture before installing
over concrete.
Construction Adhesive
I’ve been taught by my mentors
and peers to use construction
adhesive to glue a board replacement to the subfloor in a hardwood flooring application. Is this
correct for this type of repair?
Drew Kern, Toronto-based technical consultant and certified inspector,
answers:
Adhesive is adhesive, right? No!
This is a common misconception.
Construction adhesive is designed
to bond two materials together and
to hold them without any movement. Wood flooring adhesives have
elasticity and are designed to flex as
Wood flooring
adhesives have
elasticity and are
designed to flex.
the hardwood expands and contracts
seasonally. Never use construction
adhesive to do a wood floor adhesive’s job.
The proper way to conduct a board
replacement is to secure it to the
tongue of the adjacent board. Once
the new board has been cut to size
and the groove has been manipulated to fit, use a two-part epoxy to
glue the groove side to the top of the
tongue. This way, the underlayment
can be held in place and offer protection to the board’s back and the floor
can freely expand and contract when
necessary.
A board replacement—when
completed properly—should not be
noticeable and will not compromise
the integrity of the hardwood floor. ■
■
On the Job | From the Field
Bamboozled by Bamboo?
Know what to look for in a quality bamboo floor
By Andrea Sikkink
here are a lot of misconceptions about bamboo flooring
and a plethora of choices on
the market. There are different ages
of bamboo maturity and subsequent
different hardness ratings, different
factory finishes and different manufacturing processes, making for a very
confusing selection process. Many
customers end up disappointed when
they purchase a bamboo floor that is
not high quality and scratches very
T
easily—sometimes before installation
is even complete.
So what qualities should you look
for? Most bamboo flooring is made
from bamboo pieces glued together in
alternating layers and then milled into
flooring pieces. Ideally, the bamboo
should be at least four to five years of
age in maturity so that it achieves a
hardness rating of at least 1,400 psi on
a Janka scale (harder than most oak
flooring); some flooring is being made
TALES FROM THE FRONT
I See the Light
Complaint emerges from shadows
Flickr | Jimmy Changa
E
ric Butler from West River, Md.-based
Butler Flooring Solutions recalls a memorable complaint: The customer called and said
she had darker areas on her floor. His company
had just sanded the existing red oak strip floor
and refinished it with Swedish finish; no stain
had been used. Butler stopped by to address
the customer’s concern, and she showed him
an area in the dining room. “Funny,” Butler thought, as he reached up to grab
the light fixture. As he shook the chandelier, the stains/darker areas moved: They
were actually shadows from the light fixture. The customer was apologetic, and
Butler was on his way with an embarrassed but satisfied customer. “I imagine she
now has the same shadows on her dining room table, since this was where the
‘problem’ occured,” Butler says, noting that this complaint has actually happened
to him twice.
If you have a true (and printable) story to share, e-mail it with your name and phone
number to editors@hardwoodfloorsmag.com.
out of only 2- to 3-year-old bamboo
that is not fully mature and much
softer on a hardness scale. Some customers have even blogged that they
can easily sink their fingernails into
the flooring!
Stranded bamboo
is more of a
newcomer to
bamboo flooring
choices but is
substantially
stronger.
The moisture content (MC) should
be 8 percent or less and consistent
throughout the flooring boards. Consistency and even kiln drying is the
key. There should be minimal color
variation so that the installers don’t
have to worry about drastic color patterning. The glues and finishes should
be of high quality, contain at least
one layer of a high-quality aluminum
oxide for increased scratch resistance
and durability, and have low to no
VOCs or formaldehyde. Some flooring
has only one or two layers of polyurethane, while others have five to six
coats. Look for flooring that passes the
strict CARB standards that California
On the Job | From the Field
Answer: The downspout is pointed directly at
the foundation. The prefinished floor installed
on a slab in that corner of the house is turning
black from excessive moisture.
WHAT’S WRONG
WITH THIS PICTURE?
has set for indoor air quality.
Stranded bamboo is more of a newcomer to bamboo
flooring choices but is substantially stronger than traditional bamboo flooring. Made by compressing and binding
together strips and pieces of bamboo, stranded bamboo
is about twice as strong as regular bamboo flooring, with
hardness ratings in the 2,500 to 3,000 psi range. There are
different manufacturing processes used to make this type
of bamboo flooring, so, again, there are different qualities
to look for when purchasing it. MC is very important for
this material and should, again, be consistent throughout
the batch and at 8 percent standard. Most moisture meters
aren’t set for bamboo flooring, not to mention stranded
bamboo, so you will need to get a meter that can be set
for these types of material to get an accurate reading. The
same qualities that you should look for in regular bamboo should also be reviewed for the stranded bamboo:
Hardness, glues, finishes and MC are the big items to ask
about.
As with any flooring, look for a good warranty in both
the finish and structure of the flooring. Look for the documentation that shows FSC or another third-party certification to ensure Lacey Act compliance and look for CARB
compliance. If you help do the homework, both you and
your customer will be pleased with the results. The NWFA is
working on a program to help standardize the qualities that
are unique to bamboo flooring so that in the future you will
be able to look for NWFA-certified bamboo flooring. ■
Andrea Sikkink is director of operations for Honolulubased Bamboo Flooring Hawaii.
■
On the Job | Troubleshooting
Perplexing Perimeter
Why is this stain inconsistent at the wall lines?
By Jon Namba
The Problem
I received a call from an installer who was having
problems with inconsistent, splotchy stain on a new
700-square-foot sand-and-finish red oak floor with dark
stain in a living room and dining area. Around the perimeter he was getting a few areas of inconsistent shade
with the dark stain. He had not yet applied finish to the
floor because he knew it would just highlight the inconsistency. He had some time to do any corrective work if
he needed, as the homeowners were not moving in for
another month.
He was getting a
few areas of
inconsistent shade
difference with
the dark stain.
The Procedure
I asked him if he had
worked with stains
before, and he stated
that he had, but not as
dark as this one. They
had used a fast-dry
stain and even got on
their hands and knees
and sanded the scratch
marks made from the
edger to blend in with the grain direction where they saw
scratches running across the grain; he knew the dark stain
would show any scratch marks running across the grain. I
asked more questions and found out the following:
• He started with 40 grit, followed with 60 on the edger,
then used 60 on the big sander. He filled the entire floor,
then finished with 100 on his big sander and 80 on his
edger. There was nothing wrong in the sanding sequence
that I could determine.
• He knew about the halo effect and knew he needed
to blend his sanding patterns with a buffer and screen,
which he did.
• He changed his paper on the big machine and the
edger on a regular basis.
• At the time of installation the outside temperature was
between 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and the heater was
programmed off for 11⁄2 hours and then turned back on
without losing much heat. The inconsistencies were not
by any windows or by any heat or cold air returns; they
were just randomly around the perimeter.
• The installer used the big sander, one of his crew ran
the edger and the installer ran the buffer.
• The discoloration happened in boards whether they
were plainsawn, rift, or quartersawn.
I had the installer check the floor with a high-intensity
light, and after checking, the stain still looked splotchy.
The Cause
After gathering the information from the installer, it appeared that he did everything that he could to minimize
any picture-framing or halo effect. I started thinking
about his comment that he and his crew got down on
their hands and knees and hand-sanded areas of scratch
marks left from the edger to the grain. I called him back
and asked him to explain the hand-sanding. He said that
after screening the floor they checked one more time for
scratch marks and hand-sanded using 100-grit abrasive in
the areas with edger scratch marks.
How to Fix the Floor
After further thought, I recommended that the installer
remove the existing stain by using a 100-grit abrasive and
80-grit on the edger. This time, however, instead of handsanding after screening, if he felt he had to hand-sand to
blend the edger scratches, he should very lightly handsand the entire perimeter with 100-grit and then use the
buffer and 100-grit screen over the entire floor. The next
phone call I received from the installer was a happy one.
In the Future
When sanding, remember a belt/drum sander, edger,
random orbital, buffer, and hand-sanding all leave different finish scratch profiles. When you try to mix different
scratch profiles, there can be a visual difference when
using stains. Avoid spot-sanding after screening. ■
Jon Namba is president at Taylorsville, Utah-based Namba
Services Inc. and president of National Wood Flooring Association Certified Professionals.
On the Job | Techniques
Mixed-Up Maintenance
Try to clear up consumers’ confusion over maintenance
By Kim M. Wahlgren
s wood floors have grown in popularity, so have products and ideas about how to maintain a wood floor. There are HGTV hosts telling viewers to use apple cider vinegar mixed
with water for a “green” wood floor cleaner, commercials hawking mops that use hot
steam to sanitize a floor, and even a popular author recommending that people use olive oil to
clean their wood floors. It’s no wonder that consumers get confused about what they should do
to maintain their floor … and no wonder that wood flooring contractors come across some real
messes when they visit the homes of complaining customers. Here are some common wood floor
maintenance questions today’s consumers are asking, and answers you can give them. (Note that
the answers are for floors with a urethane type of finish; for other finish types, turn to the “What
Finish Do You Have?” sidebar on page 40.) To download this article formatted as a consumer handout, go to www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com/Maintenance101.
A
Courtesy of Tom Elliott
Q: Can I use one of those steam cleaners advertised on TV on my wood floor?
Everyone has seen the commercials showing a steam cleaner magically sanitizing, disinfecting,
deodorizing, and cleaning a wood floor. But that doesn’t mean that wood flooring manufacturers or finish manufacturers think steam cleaners are appropriate for a wood floor; in fact, some
have begun to specifically mention
steam cleaners in their list of don’ts.
Inspectors are also starting to come
across floors that appear to have been
destroyed by repeated steam cleaner
use. Peeling finish, whitening finish and
cloudy finish are just some of the side
effects being reported by people looking at floors after steam cleaning. In
general, the oft-repeated industry saying “Water and wood don’t mix” holds
true. Unless the wood flooring or finish
manufacturer says it’s OK, it’s safest to
assume steam cleaning is a no-no on a
wood floor.
Excessive moisture used when cleaning a floor can lead to severe damage; this solid
prefinished strip floor was photographed after repeated use of a steam cleaner.
Q: I read that a good wood floor
cleaner is vinegar with water; is
that OK?
Vinegar and water used to be a typical recommendation for cleaning wood
floors with a urethane type of finish.
These days, however, most manufacturwww.hardwoodfloorsmag.com
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Realistic Recoating
R
ecoating a floor can help make a floor look better and add years of protection, but it won’t usually make a floor look brand
new. Here are some examples of floor wear and what to expect from a recoat:
Dents, such as these from furniture
legs, will not be hidden by recoating.
Areas where the floor looks gray and/
or the finish appears to be worn off
entirely indicate a floor that has to be
resanded.
Spots such as this hair trapped in the
finish will be visible after recoating
unless they are hand-scraped out first;
the minor scratches should disapper.
It’s likely that these marks from a
Sharpie marker have penetrated most
of the finish and won’t come out with
a recoat.
Moisture damage, such as these black
lines at board edges from a leaking
Christmas tree stand, will still be visible
after recoating.
Mystery marks such as this green
smudge are an unknown as to whether
they will or won’t come out.
ers recommend cleaners that are specifically formulated
for wood floor finishes; in fact, vinegar is acidic, and using
too much could damage the finish. People who insist on
still using vinegar should use plain vinegar—not apple
cider vinegar, red wine vinegar or any other type, which
could leave a sticky residue on the floor.
Q: I keep hearing that I should find out which
maintenance products are recommended by the finish manufacturer. But I have no idea whose finish
is on our wood floors. What should I use?
The vast majority of wood floors around today, whether
they were finished on-site or are factory-finished, have
some sort of urethane-type finish. For those finishes, a
cleaner recommended by any major wood floor finish or
wood floor manufacturer should be just fine. (To check if
your floor has some other type of finish on it, and what to
do if it does, see the sidebar “Which Finish Do You Have?”
on page 40.) A safe bet is to stop by a local wood flooring
retailer and find out what they recommend and sell for
use on wood floors. Not all maintenance products that are
labeled for use on wood floors are recommended by major
finish and wood flooring manufacturers. (In fact, some
may even void your floor’s warranty.) For one reason, see
below.
Q: I’ve been using a product on my wood floor that
says it is a wood polish/conditioner. Now it seems
like my floor has a sticky film all over it, and I can
see footprints in it. How do I get this residue off?
Unfortunately, many consumers are bewildered to
discover that, although the product they used said on the
label it was for wood floors, it wasn’t really recommended
for wood floor finishes … and now they have a big mess
on their hands. Some of these products seem to leave a
film on the floor that is very difficult to remove. Others
may not leave a sticky film but may cause contamination
problems down the road when the floor needs to be refinished. If you know the manufacturer of the wood floor
or the finish on the floor, call and ask for their recommendation as to what to do. If you don’t know, you’ll need to
call a local wood flooring professional. He or she may be
able to use a product specifically designed for stripping
such residue off a floor. If not, the floor will probably
require resanding.
Q: Can I vacuum my wood floors?
Vacuuming wood floors is a great idea. Dirt and particles that are left on the floor act like an abrasive when
people walk on them, so vacuuming them as often as
possible will prolong the life of the finish. One caveat:
Don’t use a vacuum with a beater bar, which can damage
the finish.
Q: We bought a different area rug to go under our
dining room table, and it’s a different shape from
the old one. Now you can see the lines of where the
old ones were. How do I get rid of them?
Wood is a natural product, and as it oxidizes and is exposed to light, it changes color. Some species—American
cherry, Brazilian cherry and others, especially exotics—are
Maintenance Mantras
T
hese guidelines apply to any wood floor. Following them
will help your floor go longer between recoating and
resanding:
• Sweep and/or vacuum the floor as often as possible.
• Never, ever wet-mop a floor.
• Only use cleaners that are recommended by major
wood floor finish or wood floor manufacturers.
• Use walkoff mats and area rugs at all doorways.
• Put floor protectors on the bottom of all furniture and
anything else (baby exersaucers, toys, etc.) that might
rub on the wood floor.
• Wipe up all spills immediately. Products such as KoolAid will stain most finishes if left on the floor.
• Keep pet nails trimmed. Know that dogs running
through the house will scratch any finish.
• Consider using runners/area rugs in high-traffic areas.
• Keep your home at normal living conditions for your
area—no extremes of humidity or temperature.
If there are bare spots
on the floor, where there
isn’t any finish left,
you can’t just recoat.
known to change color drastically. There is no way to
prevent this, although waiting as long as possible (ideally,
at least six months) after the floor is installed to place rugs
can help. So can moving area rugs from time to time. If
you already have distinct lines on the floor, though, there
isn’t usually a quick fix to remove them (even resanding
won’t always remove the color difference). The unexposed part of the floor will eventually “catch up” to the
rest of the floor, if you can live with looking at the floor
as-is until then.
Q: I moved the throw rugs I had in my kitchen, and
now I can see the pattern of the back of the rug on
the floor. How do I get that off?
Many area rugs have backings that grip the floor but
are unkind to wood floor finishes. The plasticizers in
the backings actually damage the finish; it’s this chemical change that is creating the pattern you see on the
floor. So, unfortunately, no amount of cleaning is going
to remove what you see. Having the floor abraded and
recoated by a professional may be enough to remove the
marks; but it’s likely that the floor must be resanded. In
the future, remember that only rugs with a natural backing
are safe to use on a wood floor.
Q: I thought my contractor could just put new finish on my floors, but he’s telling me they should be
resanded. What does that mean? How do you know?
When your contractor talks about “recoating,” that
means he’s going to lightly abrade the finish on the floor
and put a new coat of finish on, or he’s going to use a
chemical recoating system that can put a new coat of
finish on the floor without any abrasion. When he says
“resand,” that means resanding the floor down to the bare
wood and starting over—a much longer and involved
process.
One big indicator that tells you if you need a recoat or
a resand is how much finish is left on the floor. If there
are bare spots on the floor, where there isn’t any finish
left, you can’t just recoat. A floor with bare spots has to be
resanded.
Beyond that, recoating versus resanding is largely a
matter of your expectations. If you want your floor to
look like new, you will need a resand. If you can live with
If you want your floor
to look like new,
you will need a resand.
If you can live with
still seeing some scratches,
dents and other damage
to the floor, recoating
is probably the way to go.
still seeing some scratches, dents and other damage to
the floor, recoating is probably the way to go. Be aware,
though, that recoating can seem to highlight the imperfections that are left in the floor. (To see examples of the sort
of damage that does and doesn’t go away with typical recoating, see the “Realistic Recoating” sidebar on page 38.)
Q: I saw a product at a big box store that says it
will restore the shine to my floor; I just have to
clean the floor and mop it on. Can I do that instead
of getting my floors recoated?
There are various products on the market that promise
to make your floor look like new without having to actually sand or recoat the floor. These products are usually
an extremely thin finish that you can apply yourself.
The first thing with such products is to make sure they
will be compatible with the finish on the floor and won’t
contaminate your floor for future recoating. If you know
the manufacturer of your finish or your floor (in the case of
a factory-finished floor), ask them before using the product.
Second, be aware of typical pitfalls when using a product such as this. You must clean your floor extremely well
before applying the product; if you don’t, you’ll be adhering dirt and debris right into the floor. Also, be aware that,
because the product is so thin, it wears off quickly and
often unevenly. So, no, products like these aren’t anything
like the results you would get from having your floor professionally recoated.
Q: I have a squeak in the old wood floors in one of
my bedrooms. I read that I can put baby powder in
the floor to fix the squeak. Does that work?
Getting talcum powder or graphite into the small
gaps around squeaking boards may be a short-term fix,
although any time you put something that isn’t recommended on the floor you run a risk of contaminating the
floor for future recoats. The best option for squeaks is to
solve the problem, which, for squeaking floors, is a loose
board. There are many ways and products to address
that, from screwing down the board from below to using
epoxy repair kits. ■
Go to www.hardwoodfloorsmag.
g.
com/Maintenance101 to down-load this article as a PDF formatted to
print and hand out to customers, and
to see more photos of maintenance
gone wrong.
Which Finish Do You Have?
M
ost floors these days have some kind of urethane finish,
but there are a few other types of finish that may be on
the floor, especially if it’s very old.
One is wax. To test for wax, there are several options (always
test in an inconspicuous place, such as in a closet):
• Put a little mineral spirits on a white rag and rub it on the
floor. If the rag turns yellow/brown, the finish is probably
wax.
• Allow a couple drops of water to sit on the floor. If the finish
turns white after about 10 minutes, it’s probably wax.
• Rub a spot on the floor with sandpaper. If the finish balls
up, it’s likely wax.
In many ways, wax floors require standard maintenance,
such as sweeping, vacuuming and wiping up spills immediately. However, wax floors should not be cleaned with a standard
wood floor cleaner. When they lose luster in heavy traffic
areas, they should be buffed with a polishing brush or pad.
White spots from moisture can be rubbed with fine steel wool,
a soft cloth or a synthetic pad and a small amount of mineral
spirits until the spot is gone. Then the area should be rewaxed
and rebuffed.
Another possible finish on an older floor is shellac or
varnish. If you scrape a spot on the floor with a hard object
such as a coin and the finish flakes off, it is probably shellac or
varnish, which can be maintained like a urethane finish.
Protection From Every Direction
When it comes to selecting the right partner
for your flooring adhesive and moisture
control needs, there’s a lot to consider.
• High performance wood flooring adhesives
from a trusted and experienced source.
• Innovative moisture and sound control
systems that provide added confidence
for a reliable installation system.
• Environmentally superior and VOC-compliant
products that are safer for you and the environment.
• The comfort of having a thorough warranty for
additional support.
moisture
control
warranty
program*
environmentally
sound
superior
deadening
Titebond offers all of this and much more.
Let us protect you from every direction.
Ask your flooring distributor or call us at 1-800-347-4583.
www.titebond.com
www.titebondgreenchoice.com
*These
Titebond moisture control systems are fully warranted when used as recommended with
Titebond 811 Advantage, Titebond 821 Premium, and Titebond 741 Ultimate adhesives.
This 7,200-square-foot clear
maple floor in the Evelyn
W. Foster Learning Center
bears first sentences—in 11
languages—from books in
the library’s collection.
Art Underfoot
A library wood floor reveals
the mysteries of learning
Fred Housel
By Doug Dalsing
Photo courtesy of The Seattle Public Library
DesignOptions
The Seattle Central Library, a polyhedral building
of glass and crosshatched steel, was co-designed by world-renowned Dutch architect Rem
Koolhaas and Seattleite Joshua Ramus.
ood floor people are generally the only adults who actually crawl
on a wood floor, brushing away dust, checking for flatness or admiring good hand-scraping. For them, wood floors are tactile, not
just something to walk on. But the Seattle Central Library in downtown Seattle is
one place where you might find people of all types—children, adults, craftsmen,
accountants—bending down to give a closer inspection to a certain wood floor.
There, artist Ann Hamilton oversaw the installation of an intriguing 7,200-squarefoot wood floor in the Evelyn W. Foster Learning Center. The center is just one
part of the massive library, a 406,000-square-foot polyhedral LEED-silver building that was co-designed by world-renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and
Seattleite Joshua Ramus. The flooring installation serves as floor covering and
document to the history of the printed word, and with about 3,700 daily visitors
entering the library through the center, it is also the threshold to the library’s
many mysteries.
Hamilton, an Ohio native, is a conceptual artist; she creates art that people can
experience with multiple senses, and in this instance, her medium is a flooring
surface. She received this commission through the Seattle Arts Commission, which
organized all of the public art in the multi-million-dollar library. The randomlength clear maple flooring specified for this art installation bears first sentences—
which Hamilton likens to the threshold of a book—from an assortment of texts in
11 languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean,
Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese; the “white space” around each character was
routed out to a depth of 1⁄32 inch. What makes the flooring particularly engaging is
that Hamilton inverted both the characters and sentences, serving two functions:
First, the floor references the history of book printing and moveable type. Second,
with the backward sentences shown in relief, Hamilton provides a surface that
invites people to crouch down in order to investigate and touch. “It refers to the
history of print production, and it’s tactile underfoot,” Hamilton says. The idea of
Lara Swimmer
DesignOptions
Installers from Rubenstein’s began
at one end of the building and
straight-laid the entire floor.
Project Details
creating a similar floor using metal was floated during the
project’s early stages, but Hamilton instead chose wood, a
more significant material in the history of printing.
Hamilton’s art is usually large—comprising a spiraling
tower or a vacant warehouse, in past instances—so she
works with other people to complete her work, which has
been displayed throughout the U.S. and Europe. Major
contributors for this library project included Shawn Bourk
and Mike Neidig, owners of Columbus, Ohio-based Color
Text, a custom sign and graphic design firm. In the early
stages of this project, after Hamilton’s conception was
complete, Color Text created several prototypes. First, the
proper routing depth had to be determined: too deep and
the floor would become a 7,200-square-foot trip hazard,
too shallow and the floor’s tactility would decrease while
it would also wear down faster.
Color Text had to test its computer software that would
assist in routing the material. After Hamilton’s studio provided a digitized rendering of the floor layout, Color Text
translated that information so its routers could interpret
the characters’ vectors. With a precise outline of every
character in the floor, characters could easily span two
boards if need be. “There was a whole series of logis44 Hardwood Floors ■ February|March 2011
Photo courtesy of The Seattle Public Library
“White space” on the randomlength boards was routed to a
depth of 1⁄32 inch, resulting in a
varied and textured surface.
Artist: Ann Hamilton Studio (Columbus, Ohio)
Wood flooring manufacturer: Sheoga
Hardwood Flooring & Paneling Inc.
(Middlefield, Ohio)
Wood flooring supplier: Panel Center
(Columbus, Ohio)
Wood flooring fabricator: Color Text
(Columbus, Ohio)
Finish manufacturer: Glitsa, a division of
Rudd Co. (Seattle)
Wood flooring prefinisher: American
Elegance Wood Floors (Columbus, Ohio)
Installer: Rubenstein’s (Seattle)
tics that we had to resolve prior to getting into the main
production of what was a pretty massive project for us,”
Bourk says. To source the flooring material, Color Text
worked with Panel Center, which procured ¾-inch clear
maple tongue-and-groove flooring from Sheoga Hardwood Flooring & Paneling Inc.; the random-length flooring came in widths of 2¼, 3¼, 4¼, and 5¼ inches.
Next, Color Text fabricated the textured flooring, fully
realizing the importance of the boards’ sequence. “We
knew this material was going to be shipped to Seattle,”
Bourk says, “and that a whole other team was going to install it, so we were very meticulous in logging and wrapping these pieces. This way, when the installers got it, it
wasn’t like assembling a big puzzle.” Color Text fabricated
one row at a time and assigned each board a unique
code denoting its position within that row. Each row was
then bundled and shipped to a local woodworker, Dustin
Icenhour with American Elegance Wood Floors, for handsanding and spray-finishing eight coats of Swedish finish
made by Glitsa, a division of Rudd Co. After completing
his work, Icenhour shipped the material back to Color
Text, which then shipped the material—prefinished, sequenced and sealed—to Seattle for installation.
DesignOptions
working like watchmakers, I mean, this was not an installation that you could slam-bam,” he says. “We knew going
into the project that this was not your usual installation.”
Color Text’s Bourk says the installation went off without a hitch. “They were presented with a very organized
project,” he says. “There was not one issue. They never
called us with re-cuts or anything. It all went as we
thought it would.”
Inspired thinking like Hamilton’s, detailed planning like
Bourk’s, and great execution like that of Rubenstein’s contributed to making the Seattle Central Library a landmark
in architecture. The glass-and-crosshatched-steel building occupies an entire city block of downtown Seattle.
Inevitably, a building this big, bold and expensive—$107
million—will draw attention, and one might assume Hamilton’s work was, ultimately, some small part of Koolhaas’
grand vision. But it wasn’t. “I didn’t focus on how this
floor would fit in with that particular building,” Hamilton
says. “Instead, I focused on how this kind of floor fits in
with the idea of the library as an institution.”
She sees that libraries—along with the media-drenched
world surrounding them—are changing. The world is
only getting faster as computer screens of various sizes
dictate more of our home and business lives. But there
is no way to judge whether we’re going forward without
a reminder of where we’ve been, and the wood floor in
the Evelyn W. Foster Learning Center at the Seattle Central
Library—a pinnacle of modern design—documents a
simpler time, when ideas had to be shared by first using
wood blocks to print them on paper. ■
For Hamilton, the tactility of the floor’s inverted characters also pays homage to the mystery of reading and
learning. Characters are just abstract symbols when we
first learn to read, she says, but over time the symbols
are given meaning and we’re able to assemble words and
then complete ideas, which help us all learn and grow.
“What happens when you read?” she poses. “These little
marks on a piece of paper can forever change you, how
you feel or what you think about something.” Hamilton
is keenly aware of the digital revolution around us, but
to her the act of reading is not changing. “Whether it’s
digital or it’s analog, there’s a mystery of what happens [in
our brain] with language … Think of how much time we
spend in words—we’re reading all of the time, and we’re
surrounded by print culture.”
Once the floor reached Seattle, installers from commercial flooring firm Rubenstein’s went to work. First, a
sleeper system of two-by-fours was laid down. S. Paul
Singh, a senior project manager for Rubenstein’s, says his
team then used shims to create a level subfloor, on top of
which was fastened two layers of plywood. Singh and his
team also took into account the floor-mounted electrical
outlets, making sure their subfloor height would place
the tops of the outlets flush with the tops of the flooring boards. Next, all of the flooring material was brought
on-site and allowed to acclimate for 10 days. Then Singh’s
team looked at the sequence code on each tongue-andgroove board and placed it in its correct spot, row by row,
fastening it to the subfloor with adhesive and nails. “There
would be stacks of book shelves,” Singh explains, “plus
it was going to be a children’s area, with a lot of running
around. We wanted to make sure the material was nice
and tight, that there was no movement in it.”
Even though all of the flooring boards were prefinished
back in Ohio, the scope of the installation mandated some
boards receive small touchups before being installed,
sometimes with just a Q-Tip. “You’re going to have a few
nicks and dings, which is just a matter of detailing that
out,” Singh says. A board at the end of a row also required
fine-tuning with a small sanding and finish reapplication.
Because this project was—quite literally—a work of art,
Singh says his workers were required to slow down from
their typical installation speed. “Our guys were almost
Carmen Montoya
“Our guys were almost working like
watchmakers, I mean, this was not an
installation that you could slam-bam.”
At just a few years old, this floor
bears the patina of a highly
textured floor.
ProductFocus
Adhesives, Fillers and Finishes
H
ardwood Floors asked the leading manufacturers in the wood flooring business to contribute
to this market overview of adhesives, fillers and
finishes. Now you can just sit back, relax, and
read in order to get a leg up on the competition
by discovering the latest and greatest products.
Adhesives
3M
3M says its hardwood floor epoxy repair
products help save time and money.
The two-part translucent epoxy mixes
precisely, making it useful for replacing
boards; tightening squeaky, loose boards;
or installing transition moldings without
nails or putty. Contractors can fill knotholes cleanly and simply in less than 20
minutes, 3M adds.
www.3m.com
Advanced Adhesive
Technologies
Problemsolver U.R.A.—Urethane
Replacement Adhesive—is a patented
tri-polymer high-solids adhesive that
is water-resistant and formulated for
the installation of engineered flooring, solid shorts and bamboo plank.
Advanced Adhesive Technologies says
Problemsolver U.R.A. provides quick
green strength, unsurpassed bond
strength and excellent re-tack.
www.aatglue.com
BASF Construction Chemicals LLCBuilding Systems
Chemrex CX-990 by BASF is a one-component elastic-polyurethane adhesive for interior installations;
it is low-VOC and permanently flexible. Chemrex
CX-990 can be used to install solid prefinished and
unfinished wood planks up to ¾ inch thick and 8
inches wide. BASF says it is fast-tacking and that it
quickly develops high-bond strength.
www.buildingsystems.basf.com
Bona US
Bona R851 is a silane-based wood
flooring adhesive that provides
exceptional green-grab strength; it is
Greenguard-certified. Its elastomeric
characteristics allow the adhesive to
move with the wood as it expands and
contracts over the life of the floor.
Bona says R851 is easy to apply and
easy to remove from prefinished flooring when dry.
www.bona.com
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Product Focus | Adhesives, Fillers and Finishes
Adhesives
Bostik
Ultra-Set Single-Step is a one-part trowelapplied moisture-cure urethane adhesive
and moisture vapor protection membrane.
Ultra-Set Single-Step can be used to install
wood over any concrete slab that is not wet
to the touch. It’s formulated with patented
Thickness-Control Spacer Technology to
ensure proper membrane thickness between
hardwood flooring and the substrate.
www.bostik-us.com
Epic Flooring Corp.
Epic Flooring says it manufactures
low-cost, high-quality private-label
adhesives, including epoxies and onecomponent moisture-cure urethanes;
it also offers polyurethane moisture
barriers. Epic says it can offer largebatch consistency, short lead times
and personalized technical support.
www.epicresins.com
DriTac Flooring
Products LLC
DriTac 7700 Easy Clean MS Polymer
wood flooring adhesive is certified by
the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Green
Label Plus Program for indoor air quality (IAQ); it is completely solvent-free,
with zero VOCs and zero isocyanates.
DriTac 7700 cleans easily off the surface
of hardwood flooring when wet or dry.
www.dritac.com
The Garrison
Collection
The Garrison Collection offers two
wood flooring adhesives. Garrison
Adhesive provides an advanced
premium urethane bond with low
odor, high initial tack and superior
permanent adhesion, the company
says, while Garrison Two-Green allin-one concrete moisture guard/sealer and adhesive offers
installers an excellent all-in-one and VOC-free product.
www.thegarrisoncollection.com
Hardwood Industry
Products
The EZ Pro Injector Repair Kit is a heavy-duty
self-standing gun that repairs voids and hollow
spots. Two types of injection-grade adhesive
make this a versatile tool for engineered, solid
and bamboo flooring, the company says.
www.hardwoodindustry.com
Kerakoll Green
Building Co.
SLC Eco L40 Flex is an eco-friendly organic
elastic adhesive; 63 percent of its volume
consists of natural minerals, and it does not
contain solvents. It has a one-hour working
time and an accelerated hardening process
with superior final adhesion, Kerakoll says,
adding that it is easy to clean from hands and
engineered hardwood floors.
www.kerakoll.com
Liquid Nails
Liquid Nails
Na adhesive is
ideal for bonding
stair treads and
transition strips,
and it also increases floor
stiffness and reduces floor squeaks, the company says. Liquid Nails subfloor
adhesive conforms to the American Plywood Association’s AFG-01 performance
specification, and it works on all subfloor and joist construction materials.
This product can be used on exteriors and interiors.
www.liquidnails.com
MAPEI Corporation
Ultrabond ECO 985 is MAPEI’s
premium single-component,
hybrid-polymer-based wood flooring
adhesive; it is 100 percent solids,
isocyanate-free and easy to clean
up. MAPEI says Ultrabond ECO 985
provides both a strong bond and
excellent sound reduction properties,
while also protecting wood flooring
from moisture vapor emissions coming through concrete slabs.
www.mapei.com
The magazine of the National Wood Flooring Association
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Adhesives + Fillers
Roberts
Roberts all-in-one wood flooring adhesive
R1530 is a solvent-free, 100-percent-solids
moisture-cure-urethane product that performs
as an adhesive, moisture vapor barrier and
sound reducer in a single application. For wood
and bamboo flooring installations, R1530
protects against unforeseen moisture vapors
that can destroy a wood flooring installation,
Roberts says.
www.qepcorporate.com
Royal Adhesives and Sealants, formerly
Para-Chem Southern Inc.
Royal Adhesives has introduced a
one-step Intelligent Flooring System
(IFS) for the installation of all types
of hardwood flooring. IFS offers unlimited moisture protection, superior
sound control and adhesive in one
simple step, Royal Adhesives says.
IFS is offered in an acrylic formula
for engineered wood and a urethane
formula for solid, exotic, bamboo and
teak wood.
www.parabond.com
Stauf Adhesives
USA LLC
Stauf Adhesives’ PUM-950 is a urethanebased adhesive that does not contain any
isocyanates. Stauf says PUM-950 will not
etch finish, irritate skin or cause cleanup
problems. This adhesive can be used with
engineered flooring from ¼ to ¾ inch
thick, and solid flooring from ½ to ¾
inch thick.
Synthetic Surfaces Inc.
Nordot Adhesive #113D is a one-part curing
urethane that pours instead of being a hard-tospread paste. It weighs only about 10 pounds
per gallon and is environmentally friendly,
VOC-compliant, low-hazard, and water-free.
Plus, it contains no toxic or flammable solvents, fights mold, and has negligible odor. It
can be used “as is,” straight from the pail.
www.nordot.com
www.staufusa.com
UFloor Systems Inc.
UZIN MK 200 is a one-component
moisture-cure STP (silane terminated
prepolymer) hybrid adhesive that combines the flexibility of a polyurethane
adhesive with the advantages of modern
silane technology; it is water- and
solvent-free. UFloor says this product
dissipates shear forces and reduces their
transfer to the substrate.
www.ufloorsystems.com
W.F. Taylor Co. Inc. aka
Taylor Adhesives
Meta-Tec MS-Plus Advance Wood Flooring Adhesive is one of W.F. Taylor’s newest
products; this modified-silane polymer
is 100-percent-solids. The adhesive offers
concrete moisture inhibition and sounddeadening properties in a single-coat
application. This product, which comes in
4-gallon pails, offers an installation window
of up to 70 minutes.
www.wftaylor.com
Fillers
Bona US
Pacific Filler is a waterborne compound
specifically designed for filling cracks,
holes, chips, gouges and broken edges in
hardwood floors prior to finishing; it is
Greenguard-certified. The high-solidscontent formula is ready to use, making
it trowelable from the pail; or, it can be
thinned with water for full-trowel filling.
www.bona.com
Glitsa, a division of
Rudd Co.
Glitsa Wood Flour Cement provides an
exact match between the filler and the
flooring. It uses actual sanding dust
from the same species of wood as the
floor and will take on the color of the
sanding dust used. It accepts stain and
ages consistently with the flooring since
the actual sanding dust is used.
www.glitsa.com
Fillers + Finishes
UFloor Systems Inc.
Pall-X Kitt is a one-component waterborne joint
filler; it has the consistency of paste so it can be
mixed with sanding dust and used for joint- and
trowel-filling on wood floors. The product is suitable
for strip, plank and parquet flooring of all species,
and it is rated for radiant floor systems.
United Gilsonite
Laboratories
ZAR Wood Patch is made with pulverized wood and can be used both inside
and outside. It takes stain without the
so-called “halo effect” or light areas.
UGL says it is perfect for nail holes,
cracks, gouges, broken corners and
chipped edges on wood surfaces. The
filler comes in Neutral, Red Oak and
Golden Oak.
Woodwise/Design
Hardwood Products
www.ugl.com
This company’s line of Wood Fillers
includes: Woodwise Full-Trowel Filler,
Wood Patch, No Shrink Patch-Quick,
Powdered Wood Filler, Pre-Finish Filler,
and Epoxy Wood Patch.
www.woodwise.com
Finishes
Basic Coatings
Arboritec USA Inc.
Basic Coatings says its Emulsion finish has what so
many water-based coatings do not: the warm, rich,
amber tones of an oil-based finish. Emulsion is
self-sealing and VOC-compliant; it has an oxidative
cross-linked urethane system that produces better
wear properties than traditional oil finishes, the
company says.
Arboritec Avenue is a two-component waterborne
wood floor finish enhanced with Arboritec’s proprietary accelerated nano technology. With nano-sized
ceramic particles, Avenue offers advanced adhesion,
durability and scratch resistance. In addition, the
product is low-VOC and has exceptional dry and cure
times, the company says.
www.basiccoatings.com
www.arboritec.com
Bona US
Berger-Seidle America
Bona says its finishes offer shine,
color, slip resistance and durability. Bona offers optimal systems
and premium results with its
beautiful, durable and easy-touse finishes, it adds. In addition,
Bona waterborne finishes are
Greenguard-certified for indoor
Classic Base Oil is Berger-Seidle’s newest
innovation; it uses a high-solids environmentally friendly “oil technique” system. It
has topcoat versatility and is available in 33
vibrant colors.
www.berger-seidle.com
air quality (IAQ).
www.bona.com
Buckeye Reflections
Wood Floor Program
Buckeye Reflections Wood Floor Program
says it offers the most environmentally
safe VOC-compliant water-based wood
floor finishes on the market. It also offers
high-performance VOC-compliant oilbased wood floor finishes. Additionally, the
company offers a complete line of products
to maintain a sports floor.
www.buckeyereflections.com
Finishes
Essential Industries Inc.
Essential Industries Inc. offers Satin Sport Kote, a
one-part water-based urethane/acrylic wood finish
that provides long-lasting beauty and protection to
all wood floors; there is no mixing. The company
says the finish applies easily with any applicator, can
be recoated in about an hour, and is ready for light
traffic in less than six hours.
www.essind.com
Dura Seal
Dura Seal offers its Water-Based Polyurethane as a
high-performance alternative to its existing oilbased finish. This product applies just as easily
as the company’s oil-based polyurethane and
retains the traditional look without the need
for a hardener, the company says. Cleanup
simply involves applying water instead of
mineral spirits.
www.duraseal.com
Garco Clear Finishes
Glitsa, a division of Rudd Co.
Garco Clear Finishes says it has been making
high-quality clear hardwood floor finishes
since 1923. Its two premier products, Classic
World Polyurethane and Seal Kote Universal
Sealer, are VOC-compliant. Also, its Blue Diamond is a premium fast-drying polyurethane,
and it is available in 275-, 350- and 450-VOC
versions.
Glitsa offers a variety of wood floor finishes, including the GoldSeal System, the
company’s flagship conversion varnish line; a full line of VOC-compliant waterborne finishes; and its
new oil-modified polyurethane, Glitsa Poly
500 Series and Quick
Dry Sealer. Glitsa’s
finishes are developed
for professional wood
flooring contractors.
www.garco.us
www.glitsa.com
Harco Clear Coatings
Lenmar Inc.
Harco Clear Coatings says two of its newest products, Easy Flow Polyurethane
and Super Seal Universal Sealer, have exceeded sales projections since they
were launched more
than one year ago.
Easy Flow Polyurethane is available
with either 275, 350
or 450 VOCs, while
shellac-based Super
Seal Universal is VOCcompliant.
Evolution is Lenmar’s newest waterborne polyurethane floor finish. This system offers extraordinary finish quality, even without the optional
catalyzer, Lenmar says. With the catalyst added to
the final coat, the resulting finish is an improvement over standard isocyanate-cured waterborne
polyurethane systems, the company adds.
www.lenmar-coatings.com
www.harcocoatings.com
Product Focus
Finishes
Monocoat
Monocoat natural oil floor finishes provide extraordinary durability and ease of maintenance,
the company says. Entirely VOC-free, Monocoat
says its interior and exterior finishes are an
important element in any environmentally
sound application. They are available in clear
or more than 30 colors, all of which are applied
in a single coat.
www.monocoat.us
Old Western Paint Co. Inc.
Old Western Paint Co. says its Poly Faux polyurethane
hardwood floor finish is an interior coating system
designed to help create a rich, faux-stain look; it covers
stains, flaws and imperfections on floors to give a
beautiful look over problem areas, the company says.
Poly Faux is made in the United States.
www.oldwesternpaint.com
PoloPlaz
Zenith is the premium two-component waterborne
finish from PoloPlaz. With exceptional wear-resistance
and easy application, PoloPlaz says Zenith is perfectly
suited for any commercial or residential wood floor. Zenith is also VOC-compliant in every state, and PoloPlaz
adds that it is great for LEED projects.
AQUA PLAY
Facile
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www.poloplaz.com
AQUA PLAY is the new range of easy to use waterborne
The Real Milk
Paint Co.
Pure Tung Oil is an all-natural
polymerizing oil that provides a
matte deep-penetrating finish to
protect wood. Pure Tung Oil is
easy to touch up and requires low
maintenance. The Real Milk Paint
Co. says it will not blister or peel
and that it can always be refreshed
in a month or 10 years.
finishes by Vermeister that offer excellent results.
With its very low level VOC, AQUA PLAY is people and eco-friendly.
One step ahead once more…
www.realmilkpaint.com
866.413.5667
www.vermeisterusa.com
Finishes
Rust-Oleum
Corporation
Nano Shield Fast Dry Floor Stains provide
rich color in one coat, Rust-Oleum says. Formulated with premium nano pigments, this
stain uniformly coats hardwoods and provides
over 1,100 square feet of coverage per gallon.
The polyurethane base seals wood and can be
top-coated in only two hours; it is available in
21 on-trend colors, the company says.
Synteko Floor Finishes
Synteko says its Pro AquaAmber is an outstanding choice for high-traffic and highwear floor surfaces, such as commercial
offices, stores, museums and recreational
spaces. Pro AquaAmber’s waterborne oilmodified formula highlights natural wood
color, and it has a high resistance to wear,
scuffs and chemicals.
www.nam.synteko.com
www.rustoleum.com/nanoshield
UFloor Systems Inc.
UFloor’s Pall-X Bond Recoat Adhesion
System is a two-component waterborne
bonding agent for recoating factory finished
or site-finished wood flooring without
abrading. It has been formulated for use
with Pallmann Pall-X 96 or Pall-X 98
waterborne finishes. The kit comes with a
bonding agent, cleaner and application accessories, and the finish is sold separately.
UV Green Cure
UV Green Cure says it is committed to creating environmentally
friendly coating systems. Over the
past decade, the company has
applied and tested more than
1,000,000 square feet of coatings.
Also, UV Green Cure says it uses
is the most technically advanced
machinery available for UV-cured
coatings.
United Gilsonite
Laboratories
The new, environmentally friendly ZAR Ultra
Max Wood Stain features Core/Shell Technology, UGL says. This dual-drying system helps
eliminate streaks and lap marks, providing
a rich and even color comparable to an oilbased stain, UGL adds. Its formula is low-odor,
requires only water for cleanup, and does not
need a wood conditioner.
www.ugl.com
VerMeister
Aqua Tenax is a waterborne sealer. It’s designed
to work on high-tannin and oily woods,
minimizing lap marks and reducing grain
raise, VerMeister says. It is 37 percent solids
and NMP-free.
www.vermeister.com
www.uvgreencure.com
Product Focus
Finishes
Vermont Natural Coatings
Woodtone Series Concentrated Tints are color-rich and faderesistant, transforming the look of wood surfaces. These
tints mix quickly and have superior colorfastness, ensuring
consistent tone throughout the project, Vermont Natural
Coatings says. With zero VOCs and no flash point, Woodtone
Series Concentrated Tints provide safe, professional color
during and after application, the company adds.
www.vermontnaturalcoatings.com
Waterlox Coatings
Corporation
Waterlox says it has a strong family tradition that its been honing
for more than 100 years. The
Hawkins family still makes resinmodified tung oil wood finishes by
hand with passion and pride, using
only the best ingredients along
with its original family formulas.
www.waterlox.com
West Wind Hardwood Inc.
West Wind Hardwood offers Oli-Natura High Solid
Hard Wax Oil, which combines oil and liquid wax.
This latest product from Oli-Natura is VOC-free
and is nearly 100-percent solids. When treating
wood, the oil penetrates deep while the wax
remains on the surface and produces a silky gloss
that can be further intensified through polishing.
www.westwindhardwood.com
WoodCare USA LLC
Woca is a penetrating and hardening oil
finish for commercial and residential
applications. It provides a hard-wearing
and natural-looking floor, the company
says, and is available in many colors.
This easy-to-repair finish is VOC-free and
requires only one application when using
the Woca single-coat polishing pad, the
company adds.
www.woodcareusa.com
ProductFocus
Subfloors + Subfloor Prep
B
efore you make a great flooring installation, you
have to make sure the surface you’ll be working
on is in acceptable condition. To do that, just turn
the pages and read about the latest and greatest
in subfloors and subfloor preparation products.
Amorim Cork Composites
Amorim says its AcoustiCORK offers the widest range of certified lab-tested
solutions for impact sound attenuation in multifamily buildings. Using rapidly
renewing and recycled materials, along with proprietary technologies,
Amorim says it creates innovative, sustainable and high-performing products, including AcoustiCORK PR60, which offers a 25-point IIC impact sound
reduction value.
www.acousticorkusa.com
Bostik Inc.
www.bostik-us.com
Cal-Flor says
its SuperFoam
underlayment exceeds
requirements for
laminate and engineered flooring,
has exceptional
sound-dampening properties, and is completely
chemical-free. Its high-density-polysphere construction eliminates the need for a moisture barrier, Cal-Flor
adds. It has a 1-inch adhesive strip for installation.
www.cal-flor.com
Flickr | ReclaimedHome
Bostik UltraFinish is a fastsetting Portland-cementbased patch for interior use
prior to installing hardwood,
ceramic, carpet, vinyl or
rubber flooring; it is latexfortified. UltraFinish can be
used to skim coat or featheredge up to 1 inch deep.
Contractors can install a
floor covering over concrete,
wood, ceramic or quarry
tile without having to use
a primer or liquid additive,
Bostik says.
Cal-Flor
Accessory
Systems
Product Focus | Subfloors + Subfloor Prep
DriTac Flooring
Products LLC
DriTac 1001 All-In-One is a onecomponent trowel-applied premium
green urethane wood flooring adhesive,
concrete moisture control, sound control
and crack suppressant membrane system; it comes in a 4-gallon pail. With this
product, DriTac says installers can now
accomplish in one day what normally
takes two or more days to complete.
www.dritac.com
Cork Direct
CorkDirect’s sound-reducing composition cork underlayment can be used in
all commercial and residential applications. The company ships nationwide
for time-critical job-site delivery. The
product is available in sheets or rolls
in thicknesses of 1⁄2, 1⁄4, or 1⁄8 inch, and
it can be ordered by the box, pallet or
container.
www.corkdirect.com
Fortifiber Building
Systems Group
Fortifiber manufactures vapor retarder
membranes, including the new Delta-FLWarm and Dry (a concrete moisture barrier from Cosella-Dorken), the economic
HWD-15, and high-performance Aquabar
B, for use over wood subfloors. Fortifiber
says its Moistop Ultra, an impermeable
moisture barrier, is the best choice for
eliminating moisture migration in crawl
spaces and over concrete subfloors.
www.fortifiber.com
WAGNER MOISTURE METERS
FEATURING ADVANCED
IntelliSense Technology
™
Measuring moisture IN the wood, not ON the wood
More accurate* & over 10 times faster than pin-type meters
Quick & easy deep measurements without the damage
Proudly manufactured and supported in the USA
Providing fast and accurate moisture measurements, Wagner’s
CLEARLYADVANCED moisture meters have been the preferred choice
of professionals for over 25 years.
www.wagnermeters.com 1-800-505-1283
*Accuracy proven by multiple independent university studies.
Product Focus | Subfloors + Subfloor Prep
Kerakoll GreenBuilding Co.
Kerakoll GreenBuilding Co.’s
Slc Eco EP21 is an eco-friendly
moisture barrier and consolidating primer. It has a 100-percentdry residue, no smell and no
isocyanates. Kerakoll says this
product raises the mechanical
resistance of inconsistent mineral substrates and waterproofs
them to protect hardwood floors
from residual humidity.
MAPEI Corporation
MAPEI says its Mapecem
Quickpatch restores weathered,
damaged horizontal concrete
surfaces to a uniform, superiorwearing condition. This easyto-place, fast-setting patching
material is compatible with most
sealers, dyes and stains, and it
can be applied from featheredge
to 3-inch-neat, MAPEI adds.
www.mapei.com
www.kerakoll.com
MP Global Products
This popular green underlayment for floating laminate and
engineered wood floors is specified by architects not only for its
superior acoustic properties, but
also because it is made primarily
of recycled materials and qualifies for LEED points, the company says. QuietWalk also has a
built-in moisture management
system unlike any other product
and can be installed over wood
or concrete subfloors.
National Flooring
Equipment
National Flooring Equipment
offers the 4-hp, 115-volt
8274-4 grinder. The company says this grinder aggressively removes coatings,
stains, glues, mastic and
other material from concrete.
The 8274-4 is smooth and
effortless to operate, the
company adds.
www.nationalequipment.com
www.quietwalk.com
Sound Seal/Impacta
Flooring Division
Redupax Underlayment from Impacta Flooring, a division of Sound
Seal, is a 100-percent-recycled
wood-fiber-based underlayment,
and Sound Seal says it will not
bounce or flex like many foams,
felts, and rubber underlayments.
Plus, it offers a more stable and
robust sound when walked upon,
the company adds.
Stauf Adhesives USA LLC
Stauf Adhesives USA’s ACS 210 True
Seal is a pure acrylic-based subfloor
sealer for professional wood flooring
installation. It does not contain any
solvents or isocyanates. The product
is designed to seal minor cracks
and retard moisture pressure. Stauf
says the product spreads easily
and improves bonding of leveling
compounds.
www.staufusa.com
www.redupax.com
Step Warmfloor
UFloor Systems Inc.
Step Warmfloor is a positivetemperature-coefficient
semi-conductive heating
mat, which the company
says is strong and thin.
Because the material is selfregulating it cannot overheat.
It is energy-efficient and
operates on low voltage,
alternating or direct current.
The company says it is easy
to zone and install.
UZIN NC 174 is a high-performance
self-leveling compound that maximizes wood flooring installation performance, UFloor says. Its proprietary
Level Plus+ Effect technology provides
superior flow characteristics and an
extremely smooth surface, which
promotes increased adhesive coverage rates, UFloor adds. The product is
built to withstand compression of up
to 5,300 psi.
www.warmfloor.com
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TECH
SPOTLIGHT
Manufacturers know well how
their products perform in the field.
So we invited some of the industry’s top manufacturers—all
full-page advertisers in this issue—
to answer some of the technical
questions they hear the most.
3M
Bostik Inc.
What respirator do I wear so I am compliant for sanding surfaces on
which lead could be present?
There are several respirators that may be appropriate, provided one has
an understanding of the job-site hazards and OSHA requirements, and
has developed an effective respiratory protection program that includes
provisions for training, fit testing and medical evaluations. A NIOSHapproved 100-class or HEPA particulate respirator can be used to help
reduce exposure to lead dust during manual scraping
oor sanding. For more information on how to get
sstarted with your own respirator program,
contact the 3M Occupational Health and
Environmental Safety Division Technical
Service Department at 800/243-4360 to
request a copy of “Guide to Administrative
Respiratory Protection Program.”
How much moisture can a concrete slab have in it when a hardwood floor
is being installed using Bostik’s Ultra-Set SingleStep?
Ultra-Set SingleStep can be used to install wood over any concrete slab that
is not wet to the touch. Bostik Inc. does
not require a calcium chloride test
(ASTM F1869-10) or an in-situ RH probe
test (ASTM F2170-09). The combination
of recycled rubber in the adhesive
maintains proper thickness and the
recommended trowel for the wood
dimensions will create a uniform layer
of adhesive. This layer of adhesive has
superior adhesion, moisture protection
and sound insulation characteristics.
www.3m.com
www.bostik-us.com
techspotlight
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
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spirits. Dura Seal also offers VOC-compliant
products in water-based versions, such as
Dura Seal Water-Baased Polyurethane, DuraSeal
2000 and DuraSeal X-Terra.
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t me can
a vvaryy
depending uponn ttem
mpeerature
r , humi
midi
dity
ty and
nd
film thickness off the fifini
nish on th
thee floor.
How ca
How
cann a co
cont
ntra
ract
cttor ccre
reat
atee a LE
LEED
ED-coomp
mplililian
annt woood floor iins
nsta
tallllat
lat
a io
ionn thhatt
correccts
t tthe
he subbfloo
oorr mooisstuure pro
robl
b em
bl
while protecti
ting
ng tthe
he w
woo
oodd in
inst
stal
st
alla
al
lati
la
tion
ti
on ove
verr
the long term?
Firs
Fi
rst,t, ssmo
rs
mooot
oth th
oth
thee
conc
nccreete
te sub
ubst
sttra
rate
te
by aappply
pplyin
i g LE
in
LEED
ED-ED
comp
co
mpl an
mpli
antt Ma
Mape
peecem
ce
m Qu
Quic
icckp
kpat
atch
ch,, a
high
hi
g -p
gh
-per
erfo
form
fo
rman
rm
a ce
an
c ,
h gh
hi
g -flow co
conc
ncre
rete
ettee
patc
pa
tch.
h Thi
h.
hiss pa
patc
tchh
feat
fe
atur
ures
ur
es ext
xtra
raor
ordina
di
nary
r eeas
ry
asee of
of
pllac
acem
e en
em
entt an
a d
o ts
ou
t tanddin
ingg woork
rkab
abilililit
ab
ity.
it
y. Witthi
hinn ann hou
ourr of
o
plac
pl
acin
ac
ingg qu
in
q ickk-se
kseett
ttin
ingg Maape
in
pece
cem
ce
m Qu
Quic
ickp
ic
k at
kp
atch
ch,,
thhe ne
next
x lay
ayerr in th
thee wo
wood
od iins
n ta
ns
tallllllat
atio
at
ionn sy
io
syst
stem
st
em
c n be
ca
b gi
gin.
n To co
c rrrec
e t a subfl
suubfloor
or’s
’s hhig
ighh MV
ig
MVER
ER,
as wel
elll as proovide
d super
de
erio
rio
i r boond in onne simp
m lee
stepp, ap
appl
plyy a layeer of 1000-pper
e ce
centt-ssol
olid
idss
id
Ultr
t abbond EC
ECO 9955 mo
moisstu
ture
r conntrrol and woo
o d
flooori
ring
ng adh
dhesivve. Thiss LE
LEED
ED-c
-com
ompl
p iaantt adh
dhee
sive
si
ve com
omess equ
quipppeed with a spe
peci
c al
a clilipp-on
on
trow
o el tha
hatt he
helps in
i sttallle
lers
r creeatte a so
solid,
d voi
oidfreee layer off adhesive
e v thatt also funnct
ctio
ions
ns as a
h ghhly efficient vapor red
hi
educcti
t on mem
mbr
bran
ane.
www.duraseal.com
www.garco.
ww
o us
u
www.maapei.coom
O en
Ow
ns Fl
Floo
o ri
ring
ng by
Colonial Craft
NWFA
When I’m on the job site and encounter a
problem, where can I turn for answers?
The NWFA is the wood flooring professional’s
first call for all industry needs. Our dedicated technical advisors are on hand Monday
through Friday, from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. (CST),
to help you resolve your most difficult technical issues right when you’re experiencing
them. We handle call volumes of 200-plus calls
each week. We’ll help you resolve your technical problems in real time so you can get back
to work quickly.
www.nwfa.org
Do we need to sand Owens Flooring by
Colo
Co
loni
nial
al CCra
raft
ft’s
’s uunfi
nfinnis
ishe
hedd Pl
Plan
a kfloor?
We use the highest quality raw materials and
combine them with the tightest specifications
specifications
and quality control procedures in order to
make flooring with almost no over-wood. We’ve
also recently added our own ISO-certified test
lab to ensure these standards are maintained.
Our product is sanded once at the factory, so
the normal three-pass sanding procedure is
not necessary. As little as one pass with a big
machine (drum or belt sander), or even just
screening the floor with a buffer, will likely do
the job. Just clean up the installation marks,
glue, footprints, etc., and you are good to go,
saving you time and money.
www.colonialcraft.com
Poloplaz
After I apply Poloplaz’ Zenith finish, when
can I get back on my floors?
In four hours you can walk on the floors and
in 48 hours you can move furniture back and
have full use of the floors. Zenith is a premium
two-component waterborne finish from PoloPlaz. With exceptional wear resistance, easy
application, and long wet edge, Zenith is perfectly suited for any commercial or residential
wood floor. Zenith is also VOC-compliant in
every state and great for LEED projects.
www.poloplaz.com
techspotlight
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Prov
Pr
oven
ov
en
e
nza
za
How do you
o pre
refi
e nishh yyou
ourr wo
ou
wood
od floor
ors?
s??
Ourr flfloo
Ou
oori
r ng
n is
t ea
tr
eate
t dw
te
wiith
a sppec
ecial
ial annd
h gghhly
hi
l durabblee
UUVV ceramic
icc
topc
to
pcoa
pc
oatt to ppro
ro-vide
vi
de sup
uper
erio
iorr
gllos
glos
osss re
r te
t nttio
ion.
ion
Prov
Pr
oven
ov
enza
en
zaa
Infu
In
fusi
sion
on uuse
sess
a exc
an
xclu
lusi
sivve
im
mpreg
pregna
nati
tion
ti
on
on
proc
pr
oces
ess th
t at
allloows
ws pre
r m
miier
er per
e fo
forrmance whi
hile
le cap
ca turr
rinng th
thee na
nattu
tur
urraal bbeeau
autty
ty aand dis
isti
tincti
t oonn in
ti
tthhe wood
wood
wo
od. Th
This new pro
ropr
prie
pr
ieta
ie
taary tecchn
hnol
hnol
olog
ogyy
og
infu
in
f ses acry
rylilicc wiith
t org
rganic
ic ccol
olor
lor pig
igments
innto varrio
ious
u wood speecies, ens
nsur
urrin
ingg th
thee co
coloor
is bbriilllia
iantt and
n tha
nd
thatt itt int
n ensiifies the nat
atur
ural
al
grai
gr
ain patt
t er
ernn in the woo
oodd fo
f r a dr
dram
a atic
effe
fect
ct. Th
The overall reesu
sultts of tthi
his innovati
tive
processs co
conv
n ert figure
redd cuurl
r y ma
mapl
plee wo
wood
od
into a dimennsi
sion
onally stabl
blee ma
materi
rial
al w
wit
ithh
ennha
hanced hardnesss and increasedd densit
ity.
www.prrov
oven
enzafloors.com
Sham
Sh
am
mro
rock
ck
k Pla
lank
nk
k
Floo
Fl
orriing
n
Aree ha
Ar
hard
rdw
wood flooor
wood
o s dura
rabl
blee en
enou
o ghh ffor
ou
o
high
hi
gh tra
raffi
ffi
ficc,, hi
high
gh-i
-impac
actt ar
area
eas su
such
c as
ch
kitc
ki
tcche
h ns
ns aand
nd bbat
athr
h ooms?
Yes.
Ye
s. Giv
iven
en
prop
pr
oper
err ccar
arre,
hard
ha
rdwo
w odd flooorrs
wo
aree du
ar
d raabl
blee
enou
en
ough
gh aand
ndd
resi
sili
ililien
entt en
enou
ough
ou
gh
forr an
fo
anyy ro
room
om iinn
the home. Thhes
ee
qual
qu
a itiees ha
h ve
made
ma
d hharrdw
de
dwood
od
flfloo
oori
rriinngg the maa
t ri
te
rial
al of choicee
in ggym
ym
mna
nasi
sium
si
ums,
s,
bask
ba
sket
sk
etba
et
ballll
ba
c ur
co
urts
tss and oth
ther highh tr
traf
afffic,
c hig
ighh-im
im
mpa
pact
ct
p bl
pu
b ic spa
p ces for generations. Inn ar
a eas wherre
moisture
re may be pres
esent,t (i.ie.
e near sinks,
s
refrigerattors and sttov
oves
es)) we rrecommend pllacingg no
in
nonn-ru
rubber-backed ma
mats
ts. An
A y spills should
be wipedd dry aass soon as possible.
www.
ww
w.sh
s amrockplankflooring.com
W.D.
W.
W.D.
D Flo
l orin
in
ng
Can yo
Can
youu in
in
install
s lilidd wo
so
wood
od floor
o ing over
radi
ra
dian
antt he
heat
at??
at
Short answer: Ye
Y s. RRig
i ht answer: Key items aree
ig
reme
m mb
mbering too accliliimate a min
innimum
m of seven dday
ayss and choo
oosi
sing
ng the
he right ins
n taller
er. Thhe
systtem sho
houldd have a sslo
low
w he
heating re
regu
gullator,
meanin
ingg th
thaat it needds to gradually heat. Also,
be sure the system is on and that the sllabb
temperature at full running temperature does
not exceed 90 degrees. We like to see a floor—
particularly solid plank—glued and nailed, and,
whhen in doubt, follow NWFA guidelines.
www
ww
w.wdfloori
ring
ng.c
.com
om
Sign up for
the bi-weekly
HF E-News at:
hardwoodfloorsmag.com
/enews
Industry News | Products
1
Metabo Corporation now offers a heavy duty vacuum with an
automatic electromagnet vibration filter, the ASR 2050. Metabo says
it’s ideal for vacuuming dust and solid particles, as well as nonflammable fluids. It features a suction power regulator that protects
against blown fuses and tripped circuit breakers.
www.metabousa.com
1
2
2
Galparket SA’s Horizon Lines flooring has an internal bevel,
which makes its joints invisible, the company says. It is prefinished
with seven layers of UV-cured lacquer and available in a number of
species. It has a 3-mm-thick top layer so it can be resanded.
www.galparquet.com/english
3
Wagner Electronics’ Rapid RH 4.0 with Easy Reader features
patent-pending Touch-n-Sense technology. The Easy Reader works
instantly when inserted into any Wagner 4.0-version Smart Sensor. It
displays relative humidity and temperature.
www.wagnermeters.com
3
4
Mohawk Finishing Products says its Exact Match Wood Touch
Up Kit can match any wood color, easing repairs of scratches, nicks
and rub marks. Repairmen pick a color from the cards that matches
the floor, activate the color card and apply the stain with a brush.
www.mohawk-finishing.com
5
4
Summitt Forest Products’ Private Reserve Handcrafted
hardwood flooring is available in plank lengths up to 12 feet
(solid) and 7 feet (engineered). This flooring line is available in 35
standard colors as well as factory-finished, fully warranted customcolor options. Pictured is American Hickory Amaretto.
www.privatereserveflooring.com
6
Cali Bamboo’s CaliCork features ceramic wear-resistance
technology that reduces the appearance of scratches, scuff marks,
scoring and rough spots, the company says. It uses a no-glue, clicklock installation system. Pictured is its Dawn Cork offering.
www.calibamboo.com
5
7
6
Mirage’s 5-inch engineered Alive Series is available in red
oak. Mirage says its lightly brushed and textured surface conceals
everyday scuffs and marks. It is prefinished and available in three
colors to complement urban, country, and seaside décors.
www.miragefloors.com
8
Beckwith Interiors has added the Enigma line to its Jamie
Beckwith Collection of flooring. Enigma is available in 14 patterns,
four color finishes, two gloss options and two species, including
white oak (quartersawn or plain) and walnut. Highlights include
Wave, Jigsaw and Crescent (pictured) flooring.
www.jamiebeckwithcollection.com
7
8
Industry News | Products
9
McKay Flooring Limited offers solid reclaimed Whiskey Barrel
flooring, made from Scotch whiskey barrels and lids and featuring
original branded printing. This glue-down-only hardwood flooring
comes in random lengths and variable widths depending on the
barrel type.
www.mckayflooring.co.uk
10
Porter -Cable says its new PIN138 pin nailer is maintenancefree. The nailer is designed to counter-sink a 13⁄8-inch nail into hard
materials like oak. Weighing 2.2 pounds, this nailer works with
23-gauge headless and slight-headed pin nails and features a dryfire lock-out.
www.deltaportercable.com
11
Bora’s Multi-Angle Adjustable Square tool features pre-set
angle positions that lock securely into place. The 812 model has
eight pre-set angles and a 12-inch aluminum ruler. It is constructed
of extruded aluminum.
www.affinitytool.com/bora
9
10
m
.
ag
co
blo
m/
gs
A Day in the Life
of a Contractor:
“Green” and
our Industry:
Come Along on
Inspections:
Check out Wayne Lee’s
Contractor
HF Contracto
torr Blog
Read the
HF Green B
Blog
g
Follow the HF
Inspector Bl
Inspe
Blog
og
h a rd wo
od
flo
or
s
11
Contractor Blog:
Wayne Lee
Green
G
ree Blog:
E
liz
Elizabeth
Baldwin
IInspector
nsp
Blog:
C
rai DeWitt
Craig
I am so confused; we did not get the job thatI d
don’t
won’t w
want to debate right now the difference
I llooked
ooked at some flooring a friend was ins
b
etwee FSC and SFI or other groups and the
iinstallation
nstallat
instructions were printed on t
I was told that my price was 25% higher. I just
between
fores management policy. I want to focusthe
box. The first sentence said: “IMPORT
not understand how anyone can drop the pric
of forest
oe box
not open immediately. Before opening, ac
much. Then I spoke with a friend who bid a idea
lar that “wood is good.” Wood, depending on
AdIndex
Online Resource Center
www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com/resourcecenter
Get more informat io n ab o u t ad vert isers in t h is issu e b y
visiting Hardw ood Flo o rs’ o n lin e read er in q u iry service .
Quickly locate an advertiser in this issue using the list below:
3M
www.3M.com ............................................................ 2
Owens Flooring by Colonial Craft
www.colonialcraft.com ............................................. 9
Appalachian Lumber Co. Inc.
www.appalachianlumber.net .................................. 59
PoloPlaz
www.poloplaz.com ................................................. 37
Bona US
www.bonapro.com ................................................. 46
Premiere Finishing & Coating LLC
www.prefinishfloors.com........................................ 30
Bostik Inc.
www.bostik-us.com ................................................. 67
Provenza Floors/RJMS Enterprises Inc.
www.provenzafloors.com ....................................... 29
Clarke American Sanders
www.americansanders.com .................................... 24
Shamrock Plank Flooring
www.shamrockplankflooring.com ............................ 3
Dura Seal
www.duraseal.com .................................................... 4
Sheoga Hdwd Flrng & Paneling Inc.
www.sheogaflooring.com ....................................... 22
Franklin International
www.titebond.com ................................................. 41
Synthetic Surfaces Inc.
www.nordot.com .................................................... 32
Garco Clear Finishes
www.garco.us..................................................... 48-49
U.S. Sander LLC
www.ussander.com ................................................. 63
Lignomat USA Ltd.
www.mistureproblems.info .................................... 26
VerMeister
www.vermeister.com .............................................. 55
MAPEI Corporation
www.mapei.com ..................................................... 15
W.D. Flooring
www.wdflooring.com ............................................. 68
Mercer Abrasives, div. of Mercer Tool Corp.
www.mercerabrasives.com ....................................... 7
Wagner Electronics
www.wagnermeters.com ........................................ 59
MP Global Products
www.quietwalk.com ............................................... 34
Woodwise/Design Hardwood Products
www.woodwise.com .............................................. 16
Mullican Flooring
www.mullicanflooring.com..................................... 13
Norton Abrasives
www.nortonfloorsanding.com ................................ 27
NWFA
www.nwfa.org ......................................................... 19
Old Master Products
www.thegarrisoncollection.com ........................ 10-11
Oneida Air Systems
www.oneidavac.com ............................................... 57
ADDITION
In the December 2010/January 2011
issue, the cover photo credit needed
additional information. The complete
credit appears here:
On the Cover: The Mandarin Bar
at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel/City
Center in Las Vegas. Photo courtesy
of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.
Wood floor created by Parquet by
Dian and installed by Rode Bros.
VAPOR-LOCK™
Locked
In
Protection
X
Does not emit toxic, objectionable
methanol vapor as a by-product
XLong open time
XEasy clean up, does not etch
prefinished floors
XRapid tack development
XNo warranty registration required
X
Protects over concrete slabs with
MVER up to 15 lbs and/or 85% RH
XDoes not require special trowels with
spacers for every pail.
XBridges cracks up to 1/8” wide
X0 g/L VOC
X
Contains Bostik’s Blockade™
Antimicrobial Protection
Superior Adhesive,
“Locked-In” Moisture Vapor
Protection & Sound Control
System All in One Easy
Application
Bostik introduces VAPOR-LOCK™
Wood Flooring Adhesive, a one-part,
trowel-applied, rapid tacking, very low
permeability, moisture-cure urethane
adhesive and vapor retarding and
accoustical membrane.
VAPOR-LOCK™
1-800-7/BOSTIK
www.bostik-us.com
Bostik has been the leader in wood flooring
adhesives for over 20 years, offering innovative
solutions to all your installation needs and all
are backed by our system warranites for added
protection.
For more information, call your local distributor
or a Bostik customer service representative
today at 1-800-7/BOSTIK.
“I got some lumber here that’ll
work just fine…you need some
homebrew to go with that?…”
Concentrated, with steely dedication, to producing quality hardwood flooring since 1872.
© 2 01 0 W sD F L O O R I N G , L L C
W D FLO O R I N G.CO M

February | March 2011

Transcription

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