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Product FocusAdhesives, Fillers, Finishes + Subfl oor Prep

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www.hardwoodfl oorsmag.com

Contents

February|March 2013 Hardwood Floors 5

Vol. 26.1

February|March 2013

On the Cover:End-grain alder graces the floors, walls and some

ceilings at the new headquarters of the Bill &

Melinda Gates Foundation in Seattle.

Photo by Sean Airhart/NBBJ.

Features Putting Down RootsBy Doug DalsingA LEED-certified headquarters

for the world’s largest

philanthropy takes root in

Seattle.

page 48

Your BusinessLive and LearnBy Don ConnerSharing wisdom after a lifetime in the wood flooring

industry.

page 21

LegalBy Josh M. Leavitt and Daniel G. RosenbergJust because a clause is in your contract doesn’t make

it a lock.

page 24

MoneyBy Phillip M. PerryIs Obamacare good or bad for your bottom line?

page 29

ManagementBy Dale HallTips to invest in the right architectural photographer.

page 32

48

29

PREMIUM PARTNERS:

Sean Airhart/NBBJ


Contents

6 Hardwood Floors February|March 2013

In Every IssueChairman’s Messagepage 8

NWFA Newspage 10

Woodworkspage 17

New Productspage 64

Ad Indexpage 66

On the JobAsk the ExpertQ&As about penetrating oil maintenance, underlayment and

having too many shorts.

page 36

From the FieldBy Avi HadadHow will design decisions impact your life on the job site?

page 39

TroubleshootingBy Steve CrawfordWorkers’ fear of finish bubbles results in sheen problems.

page 41

TechniquesBy Ron CallTake steps to avoid complaints about

floating floors.

page 43

At www.hardwood-floorsmag.com, read the CONTRACTOR, INSPECTOR, NWFA and GREEN BLOGS; see what everyone’s talking about on the FORUM; and check out the Web-only content from this issue:

Product FocusAdhesives, Fillers, Finish + Subfloor Preppage 53

Special Advertising Section:

Technical Spotlightpage 61

At www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com/FTFFM13:› See more photos of Avi Hadad’s contemporary installation described in detail starting on page 39.

At www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com/MuseumFM13:› See more photos of John Christopherson’s “river” floor featured on page 17.

At www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com/ChapelFM13:› See more angles of the famous spiral staircase in Loretto Chapel.

At www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com/AirportFM13:› View more interior shots of Copenhagen Airport’s beautiful wood floors.

41

17

HF02_Mercer213.indd 1 1/21/13 2:29 PM


NWFARick Holden | Chairman

Michael Martin | CEO111 Chesterfield Industrial Blvd. | Chesterfield, MO 63005

(800) 422-4556 | (636) 519-9663 | F: (636) [email protected] | www.nwfa.org

Editorial Advisory CommitteeAvi Hadad, Chair | Avi’s Hardwood Flooring

Julie Russell, Board Liaison | Glitsa, div. of Rudd Co.Joe Boone Jr. | Boone “The Wood Flooring People” Inc.

Howard Brickman | Brickman ConsultingRose Mary Cummings | Maxwell Hardwood Flooring

Len Daubler | Anderson Hardwood FloorsGalen Fitzel | 3M

Lenny Hall | Endurance Floor Co. Inc.Jimmy Nguyen | Dan’s Custom Hardwood Floor Inc.

Jim Powers | Saroyan Lumber Company Jenny Riddle | AJ Brothers Hardwood Flooring

John Shepard | Carpet One Floor & HomeGenia Smith | Accent Hardwood Flooring Inc.

HF WebsiteBLOGGERS

Scott Avery | Modern Tech Floors LLCElizabeth Baldwin | Metropolitan Floors

Howard Brickman | Brickman ConsultingAvi Hadad | Avi’s Hardwood Flooring

Wayne Lee | Cardinal Hardwood & Tile

FORUM MODERATORSCort Dunlap | Hardwood Inspections

David Harrison | Custom Wholesale Floors Inc.Roy Reichow | National Wood Floor Consultants Inc.

Publication StaffEDITORIAL

Kim M. Wahlgren | EditorDoug Dalsing | Associate Editor

Scott Maurer | Art DirectorMarjorie Schultz | Digital Production Manager

Scott Packel | Production Assistant

ATHLETIC BUSINESS MEDIA INC.Gretchen Kelsey Brown | CEO

Peter Brown | PresidentKara Clark | Controller/Circulation Director

Sadye Ring | Graphic DesignerJodi Chamberlain | Sales Coordinator

Lisa Popke | Audience Development CoordinatorErika Reise | Online Producer

Michael Gaio | Social Media ManagerSean Ray | IT Manager

ADVERTISING SALESShawn Gahagan | Group PublisherKendra Griffin | Account Executive

Editorial and Advertising OfficesAthletic Business Media Inc.

22 E. Mifflin St., Suite 910 | Madison, WI 53703(608) 249-0186 | (800) 722-8764 | F: (608) 249-1153

[email protected] | www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com

>>chairman’s message

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. © 2013 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.

NWFAThe magazine of the National Wood Flooring Association

Our Expo Committee has been “thinking big” all year long.

ThinkingBig By Rick HoldenChairman, NWFA

Have you seen the agenda for the NWFA’s 2013 Wood Floor-ing Expo yet? Our Expo Committee has been “thinking big” all year long planning this can’t-miss event for our industry.

The event will kick-off with a Welcome Party on Tuesday night that will feature food, drinks and live entertainment. Last year in Orlando, more than 500 attendees networked at this popular event.

The next morning, Howard Putnam, former CEO of Southwest Airlines, will be our Opening Session keynote speaker. Much like last year’s popular keynote, Harley-Davidson’s Ken Schmidt, he will speak about how his company rose to the top of its industry by providing an outstand-ing customer experience.

Following Howard’s session, two days of education seminars will feature marketing, technical and management topics. These seminars will be led by industry experts who know wood fl ooring because they live it just like you. We also are offering four new CEUs for designers and architects.

Our Awards Luncheon will highlight our popular Wood Floor of the Year awards and will be hosted by HGTV’s “Kitchen Cousins” (now “Cousins on Call”), Anthony Carino and John Colaneri.

On the trade show fl oor, we have added nearly 80 booths. We’ll also offer our popular show fl oor demos, and are adding a nailing contest to create some friendly competition. And don’t forget our popular Closing Party to be held during the last two hours of the Trade Show. Last year, prizes worth more than $50,000 were given away, including a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle. This year, we will be giving away a kitchen or man cave makeover.

On Friday, you can extend your learning by attending the NWFA Certifi ed Professionals Symposium or the NWFA’s Field Equipment Repair Workshop. Details are available at www.nwfaexpo.org.

Now is the time for you to “Think Big.” Join us for the NWFA’s 2013 Wood Flooring Expo and take your business to the next level. Visit www.nwfaexpo.org to register today. ■


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aggressive

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WWW.THEGARRISONCOLLECTION.COM

Old Master Products, Inc., with corporate

branches throughout the state, is reporting a year of record sales, according to Jim Hilaski, President of Old Master Products , and son of the company’s founder, Carl Hilaski.

“It’s doing everything in a manner of consistent quality and integrity…”

“Since the company’s inception in 1956”, says Hilaski, “Old Master Products has continued

top quality products

making it a point to always let the customer know

words.”

downturn, whether at the bottom or somewhere on the way back up, has not been attributed to any “one” new product, or process, but rather the

The Garrison Collection, Old Master Products’

of their success story. Originally manufactured in California back in the early 90’s, Old Master

China in the new millennium to join the trend of

“It wasn’t necessarily the direction we thought our manufacturing process would go”, says Hilaski, “but after years of partnering with more than a half

solid partnerships with top producing mills, that produce the consistent quality we are proud to put the Garrison brand on.”

“That ability and those partnerships would

workings of my partner, and Old Master Products, Inc.’s, Vice President, Shaul Dina.”

“The ability to produce a top quality product, consistently, and at a

consumers,” says Shaul Dina, Co-Owner and Vice President of Old Master Products, Inc., since 2004. “Merely producing a product that only appears

consumer, and not the manufacturer, at least not for a sustainable amount of time.”

“Merely producing a product that only appears to be top quality does no one any service…”

company in it for the long haul, not just for the time being”, says Dina.

years now to imitate the quality of The Garrison

and noted by the consumers, that actual quality and

time. A long time! When warranties are written for

that last only a few short years.”

Hilaski and Dina are also proud to announce that John Hunt has been named Old Master Products 2012 Sales Person of The Year.

John Hunt has been with Old Master Products, Inc. also since 2004 and was the #1 Producer each month last year

Old Master Products reports Record Sales Year in 2012

Jim Hilaski,President

Shaul Dina,Vice President

John Hunt

NWFAnewsnews and information from the national wood flooring association | www.nwfa.org

>>ceo message


The wood fl ooring

industry recently

took a big step

forward in

promoting better

installation

standards.


A Certifi ed Advantage By Michael MartinCEO, NWFA

The wood fl ooring industry recently took a big step forward in promoting better installation standards thanks to the efforts of the National Wood Flooring Association Certifi ed Profes-sionals. Under the leadership of NWFACP Marketing Committee Chairman Roy Reichow and

NWFACP Chairman Kevin Mullany, several NWFA manufacturer and distributor members have added, or are in the process of adding, the recommendation of using an NWFA Certifi ed Professional Installer to their own installation guideline publications. This represents a signifi cant advantage for certifi ed installers, as it provides consumers with the confi dence that they will be receiving quality installation services, which will ensure better product performance.

The popularity of wood fl ooring has grown considerably during the past few decades, but like so many other industries during recent years, our industry has experienced a decline in sales while

enduring a rise in complaints. This is fairly normal during periods of economic stress when consumers are attempting to get the most value out of their discretionary spending dollars. This program offers manufacturers an opportunity to minimize claims by ensuring their products are installed by certifi ed professionals.

The companies that have added, or in the process of adding, these recommenda-tions to their installation guidelines include:

Ark FloorsB & M Noble (DuChateau, Ernest

Hemingway Floors)Custom Wholesale FloorsFranklin InternationalGoodwin Heart PineJohnson FlooringMannington Wood FloorsMirage/Boa-FrancMohawk IndustriesMullican Flooring

Nydree FlooringPalo DuroPlyquet of AmericaQuarter-Sawn FlooringRobinson Lumber & FlooringShamrock/The Shannon GroupShaw Industries Inc.Somerset Wood Products Inc.Struxtur Swiff-Train CompanyW•D Flooring

NWFACP also is working with Bona US and Basic Coatings on joint certifi cation programs that would allow contractors to receive NWFACP certifi cation by meeting the qualifi cations and testing at the same time they are going through our manufacturers’ similar training programs.

The number of NWFACP certifi ed professionals has risen by 288% in the past fi ve years, and the demand for certifi ed professionals is expected to continue to grow as consumers demand superior service.

For more information about becoming an NWFACP certifi ed Installer, visit www.nwfa.org/cp-about.aspx, or contact NWFACP at (636) 728-1922. You also can reach NWFACP toll free at (866) 418-5408 in the U.S. and Canada. ■

ANTIQUE WORMY CHESTNUT

Olde Wood.Newe Perspective.

RECLAIMED HARDWOODS, WIDE PLANK FLOORING and MORE | 866-208-WOOD | OldeWoodLtd.com

RECLAIMED DOESN’T HAVE TO MEAN RUSTIC.

NWFAnewsnews and information from the national wood flooring association | www.nwfa.org

>>education and training

14 Hardwood Floors ■ February|March 2013 www.hardwoodfl oorsmag.com

Welcome Aboard

Brett Miller is no stranger to the wood fl ooring classroom; for the past few years he’s been a fi xture at the NWFA’s technical schools. In

early January the NWFA hired Miller on full time and named him director of certifi cation and education.

In his new role, Miller will work with Frank Kroupa, the NWFA’s senior director of technical training, to expand the association’s training as more events are held regionally. He will be responsible for the develop-ment, coordination, implementation and presentation of the NWFA’s technical training schools, workshops, and on-line training, as well as the NWFA’s certifi ca-tion program, NWFA Certifi ed Professionals.

“I am honored to be a part of this organization and the staff that I’ve always respected so much,” Miller says. “I am eager to begin working on creating harmo-ny between the education and certifi cation programs to help strengthen the association and what these programs offer for the professionals in our industry.”

Most recently, Miller, who has more than 20 years’ experience in the industry, worked as a regional man-ager at fi nish maker Basic Coatings.

NWFA 2013 TECHNICAL SCHOOL SCHEDULEFor more information: (800) 422-4556 (U.S. and Canada)

[email protected] | www.nwfa.org

Feb. 25-March 2 ...................................Weeklong Workshops (San Francisco)March 18-22 .........................................Weeklong Workshops* (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)

*(The Field Equipment Repair workshop will not be offered here)May 16 .................................................Moisture Identification/Mitigation (St. Louis)May 17 .................................................Subfloor Preparation (St. Louis)May 18 .................................................Intermediate Installation (St. Louis)June 20.................................................Factory Finish Repair & Recoat (St. Louis)June 21.................................................Intermediate Sand & Finish (St. Louis)June 22.................................................Field Equipment Repair (St. Louis)July 26 ..................................................Reclaimed Wood/Handscraped (St. Louis)July 27 ..................................................Craftsmanship: Advanced to Expert (St. Louis)Sept. 10-13 ...........................................NWFA/MFMA Wood Flooring Basics (St. Louis)Sept. 23-28 ...........................................Weeklong Workshops (Los Angeles)Oct. 14-19 .............................................Weeklong Workshops (Houston)Oct. 28-Nov. 2 ......................................Weeklong Workshops (St. Louis)

Throughout 2013, the NWFA will move from city to city—from New York City to Los Angeles—and set up shop for a weeklong string of one-day workshops. Students will have the opportunity to pick and choose which one-day workshops they’d like to attend from Monday-Saturday. Here are the topics:

MONDAY: Moisture Identification/Mitigation | TUESDAY: Subfloor Preparation WEDNESDAY: Intermediate Installation | THURSDAY: Intermediate Sand & Finish FRIDAY: Factory Finish Repair & Recoat | SATURDAY: Field Equipment Repair

WEEKLONG WORKSHOPS >> Jan. 7-12 in New York CityThe NWFA’s Director of Technical Training Frank Kroupa and new Director of Certification and Education Brett Miller led instruction, along with these instruc-tors: Kathleen Freeman (Absolute Coatings Inc.), Josh Frink (Basic Coatings), Darin Nesline and Mike Overy (Bona US), Chris Zizza (C&R Flooring Inc.), Robert Goldstein (Carver s. r. l.), Mike Farrell (Clarke American Sanders), Steve Bews-her and Bill Ptak (DuraSeal), Brian Gamet (Glitsa, a division of Rudd Company), Steve Lima (MAPEI Corporation), David Iero and Chris Iero (Mohawk Finishing Products), Mike Hoy (PoloPlaz), George Chagnon (Powernail Company Inc.), Ste-ven Tolli (S/L Certified Inspection Service), Bob Sweezey (Stauf USA LLC), Jason Spangler (Wagner Meters), Kellie Hawkins Schaffner (Waterlox Coatings Corp.), Peter West (West Flooring & Design) and John Armfield (WoodCareUSA LLC).

EXPERT INSTALLATION >> Dec. 10-12 in Richmond, Va.Kroupa led instruction, along with Kirk Anderson (DuraSeal), Johannes Boonstra (Akzo Nobel/Synteko), Farrell (Clarke American Sanders), Doug McGrew (Colonial Hardwood & Tile), Daniel Moore (Antique Floors LLC), Jim Schumacher (3M), A.J. Winstead (Clarke American Sanders) and Rob Zehnder (CBA Sports Floors).

EXPERT INSTALLATION >> Dec. 4-8 in Richmond, Va.Kroupa led instruction, along with George Chagnon (Powernail Company Inc.), Moore (Antique Floors LLC) and Kenneth Nguyen (Dan’s Custom Hardwood Floor Inc.).

Brett Miller joined the NWFA staff in early January as director of certification and education. Here he is pictured teaching during an Intermediate Installation, Sand and Finish school in September in Las Vegas.

RECENT SCHOOLS & INSTRUCTORS

HF02_WoodWs210.indd 1 1/19/10 12:57 PM

WOOD■worksi n s i g h t s a n d i n f o r m a t i o n o n t h e h a r d w o o d f l o o r i n g i n d u s t r y

Heavenly Sent?This staircase is long on legend and short on fact

Hammer, saw and T-square. These are the only three tools

the builder of this staircase used to create this magnificent

example of inspired craftsmanship, according to pious legend.

In effect, there are more questions surrounding the staircase,

located in Santa Fe, N.M.’s Loretto Chapel, than facts. The story

goes that the chapel’s original architect passed away, circa 1879,

before a staircase to the choir loft roughly 22 feet overhead

could be built. The sisters sought the help of local carpenters

but none passed muster, so they commenced a novena—nine

days of prayer—in hopes God would

help. “On the ninth day of the no-

vena, this man rode in from the desert

by himself on a donkey and offered

to build the staircase,” says Richard

Lindsley, curator of the chapel, which is now a non-denominational museum. “Because

they thought it was an answer to their prayers, they hired him right on the spot.” Over an

unknown amount of time the man—the sisters believed he was Saint Joseph, patron saint

of carpenters—worked inside the chapel behind closed doors. He eventually left, and later

the sisters entered the chapel to discover the staircase (originally built sans banister). Also

unknown is exactly how a spiral staircase with two 360-degree turns and no center post

remains standing—the carpenter used pegs over nails, to boot! Regardless of the staircase’s

provenance and physics, that it deserves admiration is indisputable.—D.D.

See more angles of the famous spiral staircase in Loretto Chapel at www.hardwood-

floorsmag.com/ChapelFM13.

Pho

tos

by J

ohn

Chr

isto

pher

son

A River Runs Through ItContractor installs an educational wood fl oor

Ignoring a wood flooring contractor’s typical aversion to water, John Christopherson, owner at Olympia,

Wash.-based Christopherson Wood Floors, had to get creative when tasked with displaying a river in the

wood floor at his hometown’s Hands On Children’s Museum, which opened in November. The museum

directors wanted something visually engaging to teach kids about Earth’s interconnected waterways, so

the stream winds through the museum’s differently themed play areas from rain forest to ocean. With

three coats of finish down on the floor, the company, which donated more than 600 hours of labor

and $5,000 in materials for the project, cut a ¼-inch-deep riverbed into the maple planks using

a router. Then an artist painted the waterway blue, and next Christopherson’s crew poured a

clear slow-dry epoxy over it. Last, a glossy finish coat was added over the river to make it

shine. Now the kids can learn about waterways and fine woodworking.—D.D.

See more photos of John Christopherson’s floor at the Hands On Children’s

Museum at www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com/MuseumFM13.

Pho

tos

cour

tesy

of L

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to C

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Today traffic on the Loretto Chapel’s spiral staircase is strictly regulated. “Our goal is to preserve it,” says Richard Lindsley, curator of the chapel, which is now a non-denominational museum with 200,000 annual guests.

www.hardwoodfl oorsmag.com February|March 2013 ■ Hardwood Floors 17

WOOD■works

Cou

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the

For

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His

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Soc

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Pho

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VINTAGE■moments

18 Hardwood Floors ■ February|March 2013

Fashionably FlyingExotic wood fl ooring is aplenty at this Danish airport

The waiting, the frustration, the bland mass-produced interiors. It’s

for good reason airports are somewhere between the carpet store

and dentist on the list of places we are most eager to visit. On the

other hand, Copenhagen Airport in Denmark should not be lumped

in there with, say, O’Hare or LaGuardia. Besides looking great, the

Copenhagen Airport’s operators are convinced the extra investment in

durable hardwood is more economical in the long run than install-

ing linoleum, for example (the airport sees 50,000 visitors a day, or

roughly 18.3 million a year). The oldest wood installations in the

airport are padauk (pictured in the airport’s shopping street in

terminal 2) and were installed in the ‘60s; since then the airport’s

directors have opted for more-affordable jatoba and merbau. All

the exotic material is sourced from Southeast Asia. For added

durability, the floors were finished with hardening oil, and care-

takers give them regular doses of Junckers conditioning oil. As

author and interior design critic Will Wiles puts it, “Airport carpets

are a byword for ugliness, but Copenhagen has this really classy

dark wooden flooring instead. It’s shrewd national branding for a

country which has a reputation for superb design.”—D.D.

View more interior shots of Copenhagen Airport’s beautiful

wood floors at www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com/AirportFM13

Jatoba, merbau and padauk (pictured above and left) from Southeast Asia are on full display at Copenhagen Air-port in Denmark.

She’s Not That Into YouThere was a time when setting up a kiss-

ing booth was deemed good marketing

for a cause. In this undated photo from the

Durham, N.C.-based Forest History Society,

ladies on behalf of Atlanta’s North Side

Kiwanis dole out smooches in exchange

for tree planting. We’re not sure how many

saplings were planted from this exchange,

but it appears the woman in the fore-

ground—with eyes shut and lips locked—

might have found the whole endeavor as

off-putting as our modern-day sensibili-

ties do.—D.D.

ShIn

for

Du

lad

Kiw

for

sa

bu

g

m

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t

Introducing the new ROYAL OAK Collection

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The timeless beauty of Royal Oak Collection compliments both contemporary and traditional

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in

WOOD■works

© www.CartoonStock.com

Green ■speakYour guide to green vocabulary


HARDWOOD FLOORING ■ mini-quiz


VPA:Voluntary Partnership Agreement

Europe is now developing

regulations similar to the U.S.’s

Lacey Act intended to prevent ille-

gally logged wood from being im-

ported, however, in the European

version, they are working on a system of international

VPA’s. A simple way to look at a VPA is as if you were

entering a country and wanted to pass through cus-

toms’ “green lane,” with “Nothing to declare.” Countries

with a VPA will be able to designate production for

the EU’s green lane. There are currently six countries

developing the systems required for a VPA, six negoti-

ating participation and many more that have expressed

interest (the U.S. is not yet one of them).

Elizabeth Baldwin is environmental compliance

offi cer at Metropolitan Hardwood Floors; this was

adapted from her HF Green Blog at www.hardwood-

fl oorsmag.com/blogs.

Answers: 1. Thick white 2. False (acclimation is dependent on moisture readings, not time) 3. a, b, c 4. True 5. a) walnut

1. When buffing a red oak floor, you’re more likely to dish out the grain with a ___________ (thick white or thick maroon) pad.

2. True or False? Typically, letting wood flooring sit, opened and stacked for ventilation, on a job site for at least 2 weeks before installation is sufficient for correct acclimation.

3. Which of the following add to the structural support of a home’s floor? (more than one an-swer possible)

a. solid 21⁄4-inch oak stripb. solid 5-inch-wide oak plankc. engineered 5⁄8-inch maple stripd. oak fingerblock parquet

4. True of False? Some hardwoods have wood that is “softer” (less dense) than some soft-woods.

5. Which of the following woods was NOT used in this 1995 Wood Floor of the Year winner by

late wood flooring legend Allan Pyne?a. walnutb. Brazilian cherryc. bocoted. wengee. cumaru

Your BusinessLive and Learn


Sco

tt M

aure

r


Choose Your Words CarefullySome wisdom after a lifetime in the wood flooring industry

By Don Conner

BUSINESS BRIEFS

thing I loved like a hobby. Over the years I’ve learned that

one of the only constants in our industry is change (al-

though people might say my bad jokes are one thing that

never seem to change). I’ve also learned to choose my

words carefully, to the point where I’ve had people call

some of my sayings “Donisms.” Here are some words I’ve

heard a lot and given a lot of thought to over the years in

this business.

If common sense were common … Back in the early

’90s I was up in Alaska doing a series of seminars for a

distributor. I said, “Common sense dictates …” and later

this big old boy who was about 7 feet tall with a long

beard came up to me. He said, “If common sense were

common, everybody would have it.” So I quit using that

terminology, because he was right.

Is this acceptable? One thing homeowners like to do

is show you their floor and ask, “Is this acceptable?” Well,

if I’m at your house and we’re talking, it must not be!

Over the decades I’ve just about seen it all on wood floor-

ing inspections. (I had one inspection where there were

these strange dents all over the floor that I had never seen

before. As I was bent over looking at the floor, I glanced

up and was eye-to-eye with an aardvark coming down the

stairs.)

Would you have this in your house? This one is simi-

lar to “Is this acceptable?” When you are doing an inspec-

tion, homeowners like to show you their “flawed” floor

and ask, “Would you have this in your house?” You can’t

answer that correctly. No matter what you say, it will be

wrong. I tell them that I can’t really comment on that.

Is this to grade? A customer will show you their “se-

lect and better” prefinished floor that they paid 99 cents

a foot for and ask, “Is this to grade?” Whose grade? What

you would like to say is, “You got what you paid for.” I

went on a complaint once where the floor installed was

labeled as “cabin grade” and they were upset about the

floor. Well, by my definition, “cabin grade” means there is

something “wrong” with it.

I paid $19,000 for this floor! When they are upset,

Examining Impact

During the Great Recession, most companies went through intense belt-tightening to survive. As we be-

gin a recovery, it’s tempting to breathe a sigh of relief and loosen that belt. But, increasing sales will be all for naught if expenses go up hand-in-hand with increasing sales. Here’s a simple illustration that brings home the impact of sales and expenses on your bottom line. Assuming you have a 5 percent profit margin, only a nickel of every dollar in sales “drops” to the bottom line as profit. But if you cut a dollar from expenses, the entire dollar drops to the bottom line. Keeping this in mind is critical if profitablity is going to be maintained for any business, whether it’s in a recession or a recovery.

I grew up in the family floor covering business and

was fortunate enough to end up in the wood floor-

ing industry for my whole career. After running my

own business for awhile, by the ripe age of 28 I had to

get off my knees, so I got a job selling factory-finished

floating flooring for Harris-Tarkett. Floating floors were

brand new then; I had to find distribution with a com-

pany nobody knew with a product they didn’t believe

in and from somebody they didn’t know … but it ended

up working out, to say the least. I’ve traveled all over the

world and made a career out of getting paid to do some-


Your Business | Live and Learn


can hear from an installer is “I’ve been doing this for 30

years.” That’s good, but have you progressed for 30 years?

The “30 years” statement usually goes along with another

one: “No, I didn’t use a moisture meter.” You have to keep

an open mind as the industry changes. I remember sitting

at my dad’s Sunday dinner table after he retired; I was

working for Harris-Tarkett by then and my brother was

running the family business. My dad was yakking at him

about how he should do this and do that. I said, “Dad,

that’s really cool, but you’re telling him to do things that

in today’s world are illegal!” Did I mention the only thing

constant is change?

There is one important thing that hasn’t changed: The

best part of my wood flooring career has been the wood

flooring people. Thank you all for the lifelong friendships,

experiences and opportunities you all have given me. I

hope I have given some back to you all.

Although Don Conner retired from NWFA at the end of

2012, he is available for consulting. He can be reached at

(423) 557-4032 or [email protected].

To read some of Don’s notorious bad jokes, go to www.

hardwoodfloorsmag.com/LLearnFM13.

homeowners like to throw out a dollar figure at you for

how much they paid for their floor. You want to say, “You

paid what for this junk?” But instead I say, “What you paid

for this is not anything I can control or speak about, be-

cause it has no relevance in me looking at this floor.”

Wood has no “defects”: Wood doesn’t have any de-

fects, it has character. The appearance of it is created by

wood’s natural characteristics from branches and the way

it grows. I always tell designers that wood is a biodegrad-

able renewable resource, and if you don’t like the look of

it, you can call 1-800-GOD. True story: I was talking with

a woman in Oklahoma once and trying to explain to her

that for wood to have no character in it at all, a tree would

need to not have any branches. She told me, (and she

wasn’t joking, I swear) that they have those all over where

she lives—the trees have wires attached to them!

Don’t call me an “expert”: I am very picky when be-

ing introduced when teaching or for a speaking engage-

ment that nobody refers to me as an “expert.” To me,

saying you’re an expert means you stop learning. I have

learned so much from teaching, and even after a lifetime

in the industry, I’m still learning today.

I’ve been doing this for 30 years: The worst thing I

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Your Business | Legal Brief


It is not unusual to see contracts

in the construction industry that

shift risks downstream. Especially

in markets where new projects are

scarce, subcontractors often have

little leverage to modify unfavorable

contract provisions dictated by the

project owner or general contractor.

In some instances, this has prompted

legislatures to pass a variety of

statutes designed to level the play-

ing field. Examples include “prompt

payment acts” (which are designed

to protect subcontractors from slow

payers), anti-indemnity acts and other

“construction fairness” legislation. Ad-

ditionally, in individual cases, courts

have imposed exceptions to specific

For example, if subcontractor A is

not initially paid because of a dispute

that has nothing to do with him—

such as the owner’s insolvency or the

owner’s holding payment from the GC

because of subcontractor B’s defective

work—subcontractor A may never

receive payment. Some subcontractors

try to modify the clause to require that

they be paid as long as the reason

for the owner’s refusal to pay the GC

does not stem from inadequacies

in the subcontractor’s work. Often,

though, subcontractors lack the lever-

age to negotiate these clauses.

However, some state courts do not

favor and/or will not enforce these

clauses. Other courts reinterpret

them, holding they merely require

the subcontractor to wait a “reason-

able period of time” for payment.

In other words, if the GC does not

receive his payment from the owner

or does not make the payment to the

subcontractor within that reasonable

period of time, the GC is obligated to

make the payment to the subcontrac-

tor. On the other hand, some state

courts enforce these provisions and

make the subcontractor the ultimate

banker. However, a growing minority

of states have held pay-if-paid clauses

to be unenforceable, declaring that

by preventing payment to the sub-

contractors these clauses go against

mechanic’s lien statutes.

2. Change-Order ClausesOne of the greatest sources of con-

types of contract clauses, effectively

limiting some types of liability.

It’s important to have a handle on

these risks since the effect of includ-

ing voided or unenforceable clauses

in a contract could void an entire sec-

tion or even, in some cases, the entire

contract. In short, knowing these

rules and their trends can be critical.

1. Pay If/When Paid ClausesThere are two primary conditional

payment clauses: “pay-if-paid” provi-

sions and “pay-when-paid” provisions.

Such clauses provide that the GC is

under no obligation to pay its subcon-

tractor or supplier unless (or until) the

GC is paid by the project owner.

Rendered UnenforceableJust because a clause is in your contract doesn’t make it a lock

By Josh M. Leavitt and Daniel G. Rosenberg

Private Eyes

Good retailers tend to know what their competition is up to, and now there’s an app to make that endeavor

a lot easier. Perch, developed by a former executive at MapQuest, is a tracking application for Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS that provides small business owners a bird’s eye view of competitors’ Yelp reviews, check-in specials, daily deals, Facebook and Twitter updates. (And it does so privately, so your competitors will have no idea.) Users simply bookmark a competitor’s social media sites and Perch compiles the data into a scrollable feed. Users can then keep tabs on other businesses and adapt strategies accordingly. Want to spy on your rivals? Now, there’s an app for that.

Starting with the next issue this section will answer social media ques-tions. If you have questions you would like answered, please email them to kim@hardwoodfl oorsmag.com.

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struction litigation is making claims for additional compensation. These claims

are often based on change requests that are performed and then subsequently

denied by the GC, architect or owner as not being required in the end since

the work completed was within the scope of the original project. Most clauses

require that change orders be approved in writing in advance and impose a

number of conditions, dispute resolution procedures and time limitations be-

fore claims for additional compensation be approved by change order.

Despite the general enforceability of such clauses, some courts recognize

the difficulties that contractors face in the real world when they are directed

to perform extra work and told not to wait for formal owner approval. Some

courts recognize that the requirements for written agreement to change orders

in advance can be waived by conduct. Courts may also allow claims for extras

or orally directed work but require an elevated burden of proof. Depending

on the circumstances, some courts may look closely at whether the contractor

sent or obtained a written confirmation for an oral directive to proceed and

the basis for compensation. Practically speaking, while such clauses are often

included in contracts, in many instances it becomes a question of fact as to

whether or not they are enforceable.

3. Anti-Indemnity ClausesTypically, construction contracts require downstream parties (such as subcon-

tractors) to indemnify upstream parties (like the GC) in the event of a lawsuit

due to personal injury and property damage claims. Upstream parties typically

seek such clauses by arguing that they should not be responsible when some-

thing goes wrong due to events primarily controlled by the downstream party.

The argument goes that the subcontractor that installed the wood floor, for ex-

ample, should be responsible for the result-

ing liability, not the owner or GC. It is not

unusual, however, for construction indem-

nification clauses to require the downstream

party to indemnify the upstream parties for

any claim resulting from the downstream

party’s work—even where the downstream

indemnitor had nothing to do with the acts

giving rise to liability.

Many, but not all, state legislatures have

responded to perceptions that upstream parties have too much leverage in

these situations by passing what are known as “anti-indemnity” acts, which

limit or void the effect of certain contractual indemnity clauses. The scope

of the various anti-indemnity acts varies greatly. Some acts—known as “sole

negligence” acts—void indemnity clauses that do anything more than make a

downstream contractor responsible for its own sole negligence. Other anti-

indemnity acts—known as “partial negligence” acts—are narrower and allow

the contract to specify that the downstream party is required to indemnify the

upstream parties if the indemnitee was a partial cause of the injury at issue.

4. Additional-Insured ClausesClosely related to indemnification clauses are “additional insured” clauses.

These clauses typically require the downstream party to include the upstream

party as an “additional insured” on the downstream party’s insurance—par-

ticularly on the party’s commercial general liability insurance. This way, if an

injury occurs, the upstream party can seek insurance under the downstream

party’s policy. In their broadest form, these clauses are not limited in any way.

Some courts recognize the

difficulties that contractors face in the real world.

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In theory, if anything goes wrong on a project, the owner

could seek coverage under the GC and all subcontrac-

tors’ policies regardless of whether the subcontractor, for

example, had anything to do with causing the liability.

There are two potential problems with additional

insured clauses. First, anti-indemnity acts increasingly bar

such clauses or severely limit their application. Legis-

latures in some states have determined that upstream

parties should not be able to force downstream parties to

provide insurance. Second, and not surprisingly, insur-

ers seek to limit and control their own exposure. Some

contractors or subcontractors may not be able to add

parties to their insurance or may only be able to do so

on a limited basis.

5. Choice Of Law ClausesParties with leverage often impose “choice of law”

clauses that allow them the protection of state laws with

which they are most familiar. Similarly, they impose

forum-selection clauses in their home states, creating cost

and time impediments to claims and affording perceived

“home court advantage” when claims are filed.

In some states, statutes have been enacted prohibiting

construction contracts from subjecting disputes to the

laws of a state other than where the project is located.

Similarly, mechanic’s lien acts and other statutes often

specify what court is to hear a construction dispute.

When it comes to the construction industry, there is

a surprising lack of uniformity to fairly common con-

tract provisions. Even within states, courts are less than

uniform in their approaches, and many statutes and

court decisions have left open critical questions about

the enforceability of certain types of clauses. To craft an

effective and enforceable contract for clients doing busi-

ness in multiple states, a drafter must be aware of state-

by-state nuances and trends. Every situation is different,

but one must also keep in mind the practical realities of

what is required in a contract. Contract provisions that

no contractor or subcontractor can comply with or that

result in extreme price increases may not serve either

party’s business interests. ■

Josh M. Leavitt is a partner at K&L Gates LLP. Daniel G.

Rosenberg is a former partner at K&L Gates LLP. This

article is not intended as a substitute for legal advice or

individual analysis of a particular legal matter.

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February|March 2013 ■ Hardwood Floors 29

Your Business | Money


The Healthcare OverhaulIs Obamacare good or bad for your bottom line?

By Phillip M. Perry

W ill “Obamacare” batter or bolster your bottom line? The federal Affordable Care Act (ACA)

comes at a time of rising health insurance costs for small business owners. Annual pre-

miums for employer-provided family coverage grew to just under $16,000 in 2012, a rate

some four percent higher than 2011, according to a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Will the new federal law help put a cap on rates? If you have 50 or fewer employees, you have a

good chance of turning the new federal law to your advantage.

“Generally speaking, the law is more favorable to smaller businesses,” says Shawn Nowicki, direc-

tor of health policy at Northeast Business Group on Health, a coalition of 175 employers, unions and

health care providers. Nowicki points to a number of advantages geared toward smaller operators,

including competitive state-wide insurance exchanges, premium reform and tax credits.

Key PositivesHere’s a rundown of how you may benefit from some of the law’s provisions:

Competitive exchanges. Competition is good. That’s the theory behind the new state-wide

health insurance exchanges designed to allow small businesses to shop for plans from competing

carriers. These exchanges will be available for employers with 50 or fewer people in 2014.

“To understand how the exchanges will work, imagine navigating

to a travel website that aggregates airfares,” says Karl Ahlrichs, benefits

consultant for Indianapolis-based insurance broker Gregory & Appel.

“You type in your parameters and the site sorts your options and you

pick what you want. That’s what employees will be doing with the

exchange sites.”

Under the best of conditions the new exchanges will also help trim

the human resources overhead by providing a host of robust adminis-

trative services. “Businesses that send employees to the health insur-

ance exchanges will be getting out of the health insurance manage-

ment business,” Ahlrichs says.

Premium reform. Small businesses have long been the targets of

prohibitive premium hikes when one employee is hit with a costly ill-

ness. The new law levels the playing field. “Starting in 2014 insurance

carriers will not be able to set premiums based on health status, sex or

claim history,” says Julie Stich, director of research at the International

Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans, a research organization based

in Brookfield, Wis. “That will help small group plans where one cata-

strophic claim can cause health costs to go up.”

Penalty exemption. If you have 50 or fewer full-time employees

you will be exempted from penalties for not providing health insur-

ance. If you have more than 50 employees and your employees

purchase insurance from the new state exchanges, you will pay a fine Flic

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of $2,000 per employee who does so, excluding the first 30

employees from the assessment.

Tax credit. The law provides for a tax credit for busi-

nesses with 25 or fewer employees if the company pays at

least half of the employee premiums. (See sidebar, “Figur-

ing the Tax Credit.”)

Downward pricing pressure. The law may also en-

courage more transparency in the area of fees for medical

services, Ahlrichs says. In consumer-driven health plans

people will be given a set amount of money with which

they can shop for services. They will be able to go to a

website, enter a service such as an “appendectomy” and

get a list of physicians that perform that procedure, a qual-

ity rating and a cost. “Comparison shopping should put

downward pressure on prices,” Ahlrichs says.

Transparency. Do you know how much your broker

is being paid for arranging your insurance? Today such

commissions are buried in your premiums. This may

change under the new law as pressure mounts to reduce

administrative costs. Brokers may start charging fees for

their services, which may well dampen overall costs while

promoting accountability and performance.

Employee MobilityThere is another hidden benefit the new law may provide

smaller businesses: access to higher quality personnel.

“Today at larger employers there are many high-quality

mid-career professionals who are frustrated because they

cannot be very entrepreneurial,” Ahlrichs says. “They

would love to join a smaller organization where they can

try things out, or they might want to band together and

start something.”

In the current system, says Ahlrichs, if such people quit

their current positions, they may be uninsurable. “They

may have a daughter or wife who is a diabetic or can-

cer survivor. Or they themselves may have some chronic

condition. As a result, they are handcuffed to their desks

because of healthcare.”

When the exchanges come online the handcuffs come

off. “There will be a significant shift in high-performing

talent out of the larger organizations and into smaller

ones,” Ahlrichs says. “This could be a huge benefit to small

entrepreneurial organizations which position themselves as

places where talented people can exercise some freedom.”

Decision TimeMany business owners are upset about the minimum level

of benefits required by the new law. In some cases those

levels are higher than what is currently being offered in

the workplace. That means greater expense in the form of

higher premiums.

Will employers, as a result, drop health insurance cover-

age completely and opt to pay the fine? Ahlrichs thinks

some will be tempted. “A lot of CEOs may want to tell their

employees, ‘I want out of the health care business. Go to

the exchange and I’ll pay the $2,000 fine.’”

Employers who decide not to offer the insurance should

realize there are additional ramifications, Ahlrichs says. The

first problem is that the $2,000 fine is not tax deductible.

The second problem is that the employees who go to the

exchanges find out insurance is not free. “Maybe the pre-

mium for a family is $8,000 annually,” Ahlrichs says. “Who

pays it? If the employer wants to keep the employees, the

employer may want to make them whole and give them

the $8,000 needed to pay for their insurance.”

The story doesn’t end there, adds Ahlrichs: The pre-

mium payments are now taxable, so paychecks have to be

grossed up to around $10,000, in the above example, so

the employees can pay premiums out of after-tax dollars.

Put it all together and cessation of a health insurance

program can backfire, Ahlrichs says.

Realistically, though, the decision to retain or drop health

insurance might depend less on the costs of noncompli-

ance than on what other businesses in the same employ-

ment market are doing. No one wants to lose top talent to

other employers offering better benefits.

As a result, many businesses seem to be playing a wait-

ing game. “We keep hearing statements such as, ‘We are

afraid to be the first one to drop coverage, but we are not

afraid of being the second or third,’” Nowicki says.

Maybe that’s why most employers say they will continue

to offer health insurance. “Employers see health insurance

plans as important tools for employee satisfaction, reten-

tion, and for attracting talent in the future,” Stich says. “In

Get Some Help

Knowledge pays. That goes double for a vast piece of legislation such as the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Want

to learn more? Check these resources:The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

has launched a website to provide information about the health care reform legislation: www.healthcare.gov.

The Kaiser Family Foundation has created an outstanding

compendium of documents summarizing the health reform legislation: www.healthreform.kff.org.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has posted infor-mation on how health care reform will affect small businesses: www.sba.gov/content/health-care-health-care-reform.

Mercer, the New York based consulting firm, has mounted a useful site with documents and guidance about health care reform, geared primarily toward larger employers: www.mer-cer.com/us-health-care-reform.




our surveys only one or two percent of employers say they will not provide

health insurance coverage.”

Act NowWhat steps should you take today? Start getting up to speed on the opportu-

nities and requirements of the new law. Then take steps toward compliance.

Employers need to take a look at their current health insurance plans and make

the changes required to be in compliance. Then communicate these changes to

employees and revise the plan descriptions and handbooks.

As for the decision whether to continue or drop coverage altogether, you will

need to tackle that one before the end of this year. The so-called “play or pay”

provision will activate in 2014. That means employers with over 50 employees

must either offer health insurance with minimum requirements or pay a fine.

“It’s not too early to look at this area,” Stich says. You will need to determine

if your organization is over the 50-employee threshold. That can be more dif-

ficult than it seems. You will need to calculate how many casual, part-time and

seasonal individuals fall into the category of “full-time-equivalent” employees.

As you tackle the vagaries of the ACA, keep in mind that the entire law is

very much a work in progress. The federal government will continue to issue

regulations that interpret the law for real-world operations. State governments

will jockey to set up exchanges of various kinds, or opt to let the federal gov-

ernment do the job. Finally, organizations competing for your employees may or

may not set up attractive health insurance programs.

Perhaps the only thing that’s certain is that change is on the way. Now’s the time

to get a handle on how the marketplace is changing. Then design a health insur-

ance program that maximizes employee satisfaction while minimizing cost.

Phillip M. Perry is a New York-based freelance writer and frequent contributor

to Hardwood Floors.

Figuring the Tax Credit

Answer the following questions: Do you have 25 or fewer full-time employees? Are their average annual wages less than $50,000? And do you contribute

more than 50 percent of your employee’s total premium costs?If your answered yes to all, you may well receive some assistance with your

health insurance premiums under the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA). You may be entitled to a tax credit of up to 35 percent of your contribution toward your employees’ health insurance for this tax year. The credit will increase to up to 50 percent for tax year 2014 and 2015.

For 2013, the full tax credit is available to employers with 10 or fewer employees whose average annual wages are $25,000 or less. The tax credit gradually scales down as workforce sizes and average wages increase.

Here’s an example. Suppose your business employs 10 full-time workers and the average wages are $25,000. If your annual employer health care costs are $70,000 you are entitled to a $24,500 credit in 2013. Starting in 2014 the credit will be $35,000.

For some help on calculating your own credit, see the guidance recently posted at www.irs.gov and click on “Affordable Care Act Tax Provisions,” then see “Small Business Health Care Tax Credit.”

Or, visit www.smallbusinessmajority.org and go to “Healthcare Tax Credit” in the upper right hand corner, and click on “Go to Calculator.”


Your Business | Management


Dal

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Choose WiselyUse these tips to invest in the right architectural photographer

By Dale Hall

Not all commercial photographers are created equal. There are

studio tabletop shooters, event shooters, annual report shoot-

ers, food photographers, aerial photographers, architectural

photographers, industrial photographers and location shooters, to

name a few.

All these photographers are grouped under “commercial photogra-

phers,” but each has his or her specialty. Event shooters may not be

the best choice to shoot food. Aerial photographers may not be the

best for tabletop. And if you want photographs of the most beauti-

ful wood floor installation you’ve ever done, you probably don’t

want an event shooter. Shooters who are studio photographers have

different equipment from those who shoot on location. Large soft

boxes are great for the studio but have little use on location unless

you are shooting a business portrait (which is best left for a portrait

photographer, anyway).

If you want to get beautiful photos of your wood floors, you’ll need

to hire an architectural photographer. But how do you choose one?

Here are a few tips that should help guide you to invest wisely in

your professional photography.

1) Room scenes should have natural-looking light.Architectural photographers use existing light and “balanced” fill light

to create a natural-looking interior. The interior should appear, once

captured, as it looks with the naked eye. What you

see should be what you get. The human eye has an

iris, as does a camera, but as your eye concentrates on

different areas of a scene, it has the capability to open

and close instantaneously so a dark corner has detail

and the shade on a lamp also does. A camera does not

have that advantage—it has a much smaller dynamic

range. The trick for the interior photographer is to

create an image where there is detail in the shadows

and highlights. A “blown out” window (way too bright)

will attract the attention of the viewer to the window

instead of the interior, as will a huge “hot spot” (glare)

on the floor.

2) Photo composition should be balanced.A well-balanced interior will have a correct exposure to

HF11_Lenmar1112.indd 1 10/25/12 7:20 AM




in their portfolio, they won’t produce

your shot on location.

4) Clarify your usage rights. One thing you’ll want to clarify up

front is usage rights. The phrase “usage

rights” refers to the way photographers

charge for an image. For example,

portrait photographers charge a small

sitting fee for taking the original shots

and then charge an inflated fee when

you buy prints. Commercial pho-

tographers get their money up front

with their professional fee, and then

they may also charge for usage rights

depending how you plan to use their

photography. Basically, if you use the

shots for advertising and make mil-

lions of dollars, or if the image ends

up on the cover of a design magazine,

the photographer wants his cut.

My personal philosophy has always

been to get paid a fair price for my

shots up front and give my clients

unlimited usage. Then when my client

makes a lot of money with my photog-

raphy, they will be more likely to buy

more shots from me in the future. In

fact, I encourage my clients to use my

photography in as many different ways

as possible. I don’t resell their imag-

es—if I shoot a floor for an installer, I

can’t sell that photo to another installer!

My advice is to clarify up front if your

photographer charges usage rights, and

if he does, make sure you only pay for

the usage you need.

5) Know that costs have gone down.

Since the invention of digital cameras, a lot has changed

for professional photographers; a huge change for me is the

speed with which I can shoot on-site and still keep my qual-

ity high. Another big change is that I have greatly reduced

my out-of-pocket cost per shot, which I have been able to

pass on to my customers.

Reducing the time on site is great for you (my customer)

and even better for your client, as there is less interruption

to your residential or commercial customer. My time on-site

is less than half of what it was back when I was behind my

4x5, shooting film. My post-production time has gone up,

though, so I work the same amount of time on each shot,

just not on-site. Turnaround times have also improved, since

allow the viewer to enjoy all the parts of the photo. Com-

position is key so the photographer can direct the viewer to

the most important parts of each shot. Going back to No. 1,

note that a strong composition cannot be effective without

proper lighting balance. You can have a shot with beautiful

composition but an over-blown window, which will distract

the viewer.

3) See examples of what you want in the portfolio.Be sure to examine any potential photographer’s portfolio or

website to make sure the type of photography you want is

prominent. If they can’t show you the types of shots you need

PHOTO 1 is a sample of an interior without the correct lighting, exposure, color bal-ance and composition. It is too “hot” on the right and has too much ceiling, plus the color balance is off. Your eye is drawn to the lightest area, not the fl oor that you want to show off. PHOTO 2 has correct lighting and balance—your eye can travel around the whole image and always fi nd its way back to the fl oor.

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e H

all




there is no running to the lab, waiting for processing and scheduling delivery. In most cases now I can deliver shots to the client within 24 hours.

6) Represent your work well.I can certainly go to a hardware store, rent a sander, get some abrasives and sand my own floor. Will I get a professional result? No! But, especially with today’s digital cameras, many people somehow think they are qualified to take their own photos. You can have the most beautiful wood floor in the world, but if the photography is average or worse, your floor will look average or worse. Remember, correct composition, lighting and color balance are what you pay a professional commercial photographer to deliver. Let the experts do what they do best—that is how the commerce of this country works. Also, pick your best jobs to advertise, but don’t forget to have examples of your day-to-day bread and butter jobs, too.

Remember that investing in great architectural photography isn’t a straight expense. If you invest well and use the images well, your photos should also be generating revenue for you and helping your business be a success.

Dale Hall is at Middleton, Wis.-based Dale Hall Photography LLC.

Beware the GlareGlare on the floor is a distraction. This can come from a window, lighting or a fireplace, like the example below. As you can see in the first photo, the glare on the floor distracts the viewer from enjoying the beautiful floor. In the second photo, the glare is taken out and this cre-ates a much more “balanced” photo. Remember, your shots should feature your floor prominently, since it is the product you are trying to sell.

www.hardwoodfl oorsmag.com36 Hardwood Floors ■ February|March 2013

On the JobAsk the Expert

Cleaning, ‘Barriers,’ More

Going GrayI got a call from a homeowner

who just moved into his house

and tried using his usual wood

floor cleaning product (from a

wood flooring manufacturer)

on his wood floor. He said the

floor started to turn gray. What

would cause this?

Brett Miller, director of certification

& education for the National Wood

Flooring Association, answers:

It sounds like the existing finish on

that floor was likely a penetrating oil

finish. As these finishes are becom-

ing more popular again, we’re seeing

more problems with homeown-

ers attempting to use typical wood

floor maintenance products on them

and damaging their finish. Usually

penetrating oil finish turns a grayish

or milky color when it comes into

contact with a standard wood floor

cleaner. The solvents in these cleaners

actually break down the waxes and/or

oils and can damage the finish.

Once the damage is done, the good

news is that it’s usually relatively easy

to repair the floor by re-oiling it with

the finish. Once repaired, the floor

must be maintained with the recom-

mended maintenance product (often

referred to by the manufacturer as a

soap or oil). Many times these mainte-

nance products are a derivative of the

actual finish; they are designed to be

part of the finishing system.

One way to identify a penetrating

oil finish is by looking at the finish

build on the floor. Penetrating oils

won’t appear to have very much

build, because they soak into the

wood. When in doubt, it’s best to

try any new maintenance product in

an inconspicuous spot like a closet

before cleaning the entire floor with it.

Barrier Guarantees?I have a customer who wants me

to install a solid wood floor in

a room over a crawl space. It’s

insulated but not sealed over the

ground. If I use the right under-

layment will it create a barrier

so there is no warping or move-

ment in the floor?

Roger Barker, market manager—

flooring at Fortifiber, answers:

When installing hardwood or any

other flooring material always obtain,

read and follow the floor manufactur-

er’s written installation requirements.

Those written installation require-

ments supersede NWFA Guidelines or

the guidelines for the other products

(such as underlayment) used during

installation.

Generally a minimum 6-mil poly-

ethylene over the ground in a crawl

space is recommended by most

floor manufacturers and the NWFA.

In many areas, the building codes

require one. The crawl space should

also be properly vented following

local codes, the floor manufacturer’s

installation instructions and NWFA

Guidelines.

Usually a floor manufacturer will

also require a vapor retarder, such

as asphalt felt, over a wood subfloor,

TRICK OF THE TRADE

Take the Pain Out of Staining Vents

Staining wood floor vents is both a pain and time-consuming, but here’s a trick for dark-stained vents that makes it easy and fast. Take out the grill part of the

vent, spray-paint it black and urethane it. Spray-paint the inside of the ductwork and the grill frame, too. When you sand the floor, the spray paint and finish will be sanded off the top of the vent so it can take the stain color (espresso stain was used here), and the inside of the grill will just look dark.

Thanks to Roy Reichow at Cedar, Minn-based National Wood Floor Consultants for his tip. For more tips and insights, visit his new blog at www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com/blogs. Do you have a Trick of the Trade? Send it to [email protected].

When wood was selected as the fl oor covering for both levels of the Lüke

Restaurant at the Embassy Suites Riverwalk Hotel in San Antonio, Texas,

Shelly Flooring took advantage of MAPEI’s complete line of products and

used Ultrabond ECO ® 995 premium wood-fl ooring adhesive. “This adhesive

worked very well with the wood,” said Project Manager Robert Cadenas. “It

bonded well, and there were no hollow spots when we tested it after drying.

The moisture-reduction barrier provided by the Ultrabond ECO 995 was an

added benefi t in terms of protection for this building located on the banks of

the river.” The sound-reduction qualities of Ultrabond ECO 995 were also a

positive for a wood-fl ooring installation in a busy restaurant.

Install with one wood adhesive, meet three needsMoisture barrier, sound reduction and superior bonding through a single product

Ask your local wood-fl ooring distributor for the complete installation solution – Ultrabond ECO 995.

On the Job | Ask the Expert


9 inches in length. The lower the grade or appearance of the floor-ing is, the shorter the average board length will be for that specific grade or appearance. There is no set num-ber of short boards; some manufac-turers do limit the number of shorter boards while others do not.

A good installer will disburse these shorter boards where they are not as noticeable. If you end up with a large number of shorter boards in a small area, that usually indicates you did not work the shorter boards in as needed. Try to explain to your customers that with the lower grades or appearances of wood flooring, they will get more shorter boards, and the more short boards there are, the harder it is to disperse them throughout the floor so they aren’t as noticeable.

Getting Shorted?I just installed a floor for a cus-tomer, and after looking it over he said that there seems to be a lot of short boards scattered throughout the floor. What can I tell him?

Glen Miller, a St. Louis-based in-dustry consultant, answers:

Shorter boards are allowed in all grades of flooring unless you specify you do not want any, and in that case, you can expect to pay more for the flooring. Nearly all floor-ing today is sold either in boxes or bundles that are typically 7 feet in length. The amount of shorts al-lowed will depend upon the amount of longer boards you may have in the packaging. NWFA/NOFMA al-lows for boards to be as short as

under the hardwood flooring. There are many such products available, but none will claim that their prod-ucts “will create a barrier so there is no warping or movement in the floor.” Over a wood subfloor, you do not want a “barrier” as it will trap moisture and may create other prob-lems such as mold, rot and mildew. That is why the NWFA guidelines recommend a Class II semi-perme-able (0.7≤ 1.0 perm) or Class III per-meable (1.0≤10) vapor retarder over a wood subfloor. Underlayments are designed to meet industry standards and perform best when installation recommendations are followed. When it comes to wood flooring, if there is excessive moisture and the source of the moisture is not addressed, floor-ing issues are always the result, no matter which underlayment is used.


TALES FROM THE FRONT

Hey Big Fella ...Builder inserts foot in mouth—big time

A bsolute Coatings’ Kathleen Freeman remembers an unforgettable incident at a job site back in her

contracting days. About 20 years ago in the middle of winter, she went to a job to sand and finish it. When she walked into the house, she asked the builder where the heat was. He took his hand and started to rub her belly and said, “Hey big fella, looks like you have enough to keep you warm.” “At that point, I opened up my coat to show him I was a woman and also pregnant,” Freeman recalls. “Needless to say, my guy and I had a great time with him through the rest of the job.”

If you have a true (and printable) story to share, email it with your name and phone

number to [email protected].

Consequences of DesignHow will design decisions impact your life on the job site?

By Avi Hadad

them through a ¼-inch round-over bit

at the designer’s request. The treads

were flush with the metal frame on

each side, and the front of each tread

had an overhang. After checking ev-

ery metal tread to make sure they all

were exactly the same size, the treads

were then cut to length. We used a jig

made on-site to make the cutting of

all the treads consistent, safe and fast.

• Some of the metal risers had a

gap to the vertical surfaces such as

the cedar walls. We made sure the

treads in those areas had the same

consistent 1⁄8-inch gap to match the

gap to the metal riser.

• The nosings had to be fitted

around the metal railing in some

places. That made the installation

challenging, and what made it even

more challenging was the fact that,

due to the open layout, you could see

every nosing from every angle.

• The landings had a layer of ply-

wood that was installed by the build-

er when they assembled the frame

on-site. Three sides on each landing

were open. A time-consuming detail

was having to work with ladders from

above and underneath the landings.

All the landings were sanded in place

while the crew used ladders to reach

the sides and bottoms of the exposed

nosings.

• The fireplace in the living room

was designed to be a poured con-

crete surface. It was agreed to wait

until after the wood was installed

the design called for straight, clean

lines. Choosing the wood—rift and

quartered red oak—was easy. But after

that, the job became more challenging:

• In many areas, there was vertical

T&G cedar on the walls. We had to

undercut the cedar and slide our floor

underneath, because no baseboards

were to be installed in those areas.

• The stair treads had to be in-

stalled over a metal frame. We had

the builder drill eight pilot holes in

each tread. After fitting the treads, we

screwed them from underneath with

wood screws. The treads were or-

dered with a square edge, and we ran

W hen we talk about design

for a wood floor job, we

usually think about pick-

ing out the style, width, species, stain

color and more. But different design

styles also require different skills from

the wood flooring contractor, and

realizing that before the job starts is

important for planning your time and

your bid.

As an example, let’s talk about a

contemporary design my company

recently did and what it required as

far as the installation, sand and finish.

The house had four stories with an

open layout between each floor, and

Flyt

osky

11 |

Dre

amst

ime.

com

February|March 2013 ■ Hardwood Floors 39www.hardwoodfl oorsmag.com

On the Job | From the Field

On the Job | From the Field



simple at first sight (like the treads on this job), may end

up consuming two or three times as much of your valu-

able time. ■

For more photos of this job, go to www.hardwood-

floorsmag.com/FTFFM13.

Avi Hadad is owner at San Pablo, Calif.-base Avi’s Hard-

wood Floors and is NWFACP-certifi ed in Inspection, Instal-

lation and Sand & Finish. Look for his new blog at www.

hardwoodfl oorsmag.com/blogs.

to pour the con-

crete over the floor,

because the design

concept was to make

the floor look like it

was running under-

neath the concrete.

Moisture was not an

issue because it was

such a small amount,

and there was no di-

rect contact between

the concrete and

the ends of the floor

boards.

• All the treads were

prefinished on-site to make life easier.

So, a “simple” design decision on this job was to have

clean lines and an open space between each floor. While

the decision was simple, it made the actual installation

and sand-and-finish challenging and time-consuming.

When you are bidding a job, appreciate what challenges

some designs may create for you on-site. What looks

WHAT’S WRONG?

The installer left plenty of space for the T-molding, but he glued it down to the subfloor with construction adhesive. This adhesive filled up the expansion space on both sides and then dried rock-hard. (Courtesy of Matt Skowron, The Floor Detective)

also stay connected with us onwith us on

hardwoodfloorsmag.com/enews

Sign up for the semiweekly HF E-News at:


On the Job | Troubleshooting

Hardwood Floors February|March 2013 41

They thought after they applied a

little stain and finish they would

be in the money … but not this time.

Shake It UpWorkers’ fear of finish bubbles creates a new problem

By Steve Crawford

The ProblemWe received a call from a contractor with a complaint

about an uneven sheen in different areas of a home his

crew had finished with satin water-based polyurethane.

The ProcedureThe flooring was impeccably milled. The distributor had

stored it properly and delivered it to the job site in time

to ensure acclimation to its new and permanent environ-

ment. After the subfloor was prepped, installers nailed in

the new floor. They

did three passes with

the big sander and

edger, and then some

screening with the

buffer “clocked” going

with the grain. They

thought after they ap-

plied a little stain and

finish they would be

in the money … but

not this time.

They applied one

coat of penetrating finish stain and two coats of single-

component satin water-based polyurethane. The next

morning, some areas of the floor appeared almost gloss,

while the hall appeared to

be matte flat. The master

bedroom area looked like

semi-gloss.

The CauseThe contractor and his fore-

man had left the finishing

to one of their newer crews.

New to water-base finishes, this crew rolled out two coats

of single-component satin water-based polyurethane as

told. Being new to using water-based finishes, the idea of

thoroughly shaking a finish seemed foreign to them, and

almost reckless. Having used an oil-based polyurethane for

years, they knew that if you shake that finish, bubbles and

foam would prevent a nice, smooth finish application for

hours afterwards.

But most modern water-based finishes contain really ef-

fective anti-foaming additives that prevent the foaming and

bubbling the crew had feared. When the label directions

encourage shaking, it is to ensure that all of the contents

become equally dispersed prior to pouring the first puddle

and line on the floor. This includes the flattening agents,

which may settle while in inventory. Gravity isn’t just a

good idea, it’s a law. When flattening agents aren’t equally

dispersed through the finish, the sheen won’t be even on

the floor, either, leading to exactly the problem they expe-

rienced on this job.

How to Fix the FloorThe floor needs to be screened well and recoated with fin-

ish that is mixed correctly.

In the FutureSometimes when you do almost everything correctly—

even craftsman-like—and drastically better than your

lowest-price competitors, bad things still happen. The

difference between getting paid by someone who’s going

to give you another enthusiastic reference and an unhappy

customer is too often risked by being left to the least expe-

rienced of the team.

As contractors transition from oil-based polyurethanes

to water-based coatings, it is important to recognize some

key differences in the technology, read a few labels, and

make sure everybody on staff is aware of the changes.

Talk with your representative at your hardwood floor

distributor and ask questions. Many features and benefits

remain constant in comparison, but there may be a key

difference or two. In this case, something as simple as

knowing that water-based sealers and finishes can be

shaken without risk would have avoided the extra trip

and recoating. Time is money, and (even more so today)

so is the gas to get there! ■

Steve Crawford is director of sales & marketing at Upper

Saddle River, N.J.-based DuraSeal.

On the Job | Techniques


I started installing floors in 1979 and have seen our industry change over the years. When I

bought my first set of tools from a guy who was retiring, my toolbox contained needle and

thread for sewing carpet seams. Fortunately, it also came with a 3-inch seam iron. I only had

occasion a couple times in my career where the needle and thread came in handy on a few sets of

stairs. The last 15 years of my contracting career I have focused my business on hardwood installa-

tion and sanding and refinishing. There have been many changes here as well, such as the switch

in the glues we use from high VOCs to water-based and urethanes. The primary method of installa-

tion has changed as well. Only 10 years ago, 90 percent of my business was glue-down prefinished

hardwood. The occasional floating floor I did was usually an edge-glued laminate. Today it has

totally flipped, and now 90 percent of the floors I install are floating wood floors and laminates.

Very seldom do I get to play in glue anymore, which is the good news, since the jobs go a little

faster and my jeans look good longer. The drawback is that they can cost you money if you aren’t

careful. The biggest problem I have found is some of the floors are a little noisy underfoot when

you walk on them. And the planks, once installed, can sometimes move and create gaps. Fortu-

nately these problems can usually be avoided; here are what I have found to be the primary causes

of these issues and how to prevent them.

Moisture & MovementEdge-glued floating floors are typically engineered floors that are assembled

with a bead of glue between the tongue and groove around the perimeter

of each board. They are assembled over a 6-mil moisture barrier and a

cushioned pad to reduce noise. These floors become one monolithic floor

(basically, the entire floor becomes one piece). If you have an edge-glued

floating floor that is making a lot of noise, chances are the issue is either

floor prep or moisture. Let’s take a look at each one.

We all know that we are supposed to leave expansion space when install-

ing any wood floor, but, because of their monolithic nature, this is espe-

cially critical when installing floating floors. Due to potential changes in the

environment, either in temperature or humidity, you must leave a proper

expansion gap around the perimeter of the floor and around any vertical

obstruction (kitchen islands, pillars, etc.) to allow for expansion and con-

traction. Because the floor acts as one large piece, T-moldings are required

to separate adjacent areas. This is because each room must be able to

expand or contract without affecting other rooms. If a floating floor installed

throughout an entire home were interconnected without T-moldings, what

happened in the kitchen would affect what happened to the floor in the

back bedrooms.

If your glued-edge floating floor is making noise, one potential cause is

that, due to moisture, the floor has expanded the maximum it can based

Floating Floor FinesseTake steps to avoid noise complaints with floating floors

By Ron Call

Ron

Cal

l

Being proactive about subfl oor preparation and customer communication will drastically increase the chances of customers being happy with their fl oating wood fl oor.



their heating or air-condi-

tioning if they are leaving

their home for extended pe-

riods of time. If they go on

vacation or if it is a second

home, they must maintain

a minimum range to avoid

drastic changes in tempera-

ture and humidity.

If the floor was acclimated

properly and the conditions

in the home have been fairly

consistent since installation,

it’s possible there is another

source of moisture. This

could be something like a

slab leak or external water

up against the slab dur-

ing the rainy season that is

wicking into the slab under

the floor. Raised garden beds

right up against the home

or sprinklers pointed in the

wrong direction can cause

the same problem. Always

make sure the property

is properly sloped so that

water drains away from the

home when it rains.

Floor Prep ProblemsIf you have a noisy floating

floor and you have removed

all your moldings and base-

boards and find there are

still proper expansion gaps,

you may have a floor prep

issue. Floating wood floors

typically require that the

substrate, or subfloor, be flat

to within a certain tolerance.

This should be included in

the directions that came with

the product; NWFA Instal-

lation Guidelines say most

manufacturers recommend a

flatness tolerance of 1⁄8 inch

in a 6-foot radius or 3⁄16 inch

in a 10-foot radius. Making

sure the subfloor is relatively

flat minimizes vertical move-

ment of the floor when peo-

ple walk on it. Note, though,

on the expansion gap left

during installation. At this

point, the floor is locked

in, hitting the walls or door

jambs around the perimeter.

You may notice that the

floor seems a little softer or

bouncier compared to what

is was right after installation.

This is because the floor is

still trying to expand and

now has no place to go but

up. What you are hearing is

the bond between the glued

boards breaking as you walk

across the floor. If you don’t

repair this quickly, the floor

may begin to show separa-

tion and gaps between the

boards. If that happens, the

floor may not be able to be

repaired, and replacement

may be necessary.

Before the floor gets that

far gone, the good news is

that repair is possible. You’ll

need to remove the base-

boards and moldings to find

where the floor is hitting

the walls or moldings and

is locked in. You will need

to use a toekick saw to cut

the floor back to allow for

proper expansion. Once

you have made the cuts, the

floor should drop back down

almost immediately and

should be fine.

Note that when this hap-

pens, it’s possible that the

floor wasn’t acclimated

properly prior to installation.

Or, it’s possible the floor was

acclimated properly but the

temperature and moisture

changed too much after

installation. Be sure you

educate customers about the

importance of maintaining

fairly consistent temperature

and moisture in the home,

and the fact that they should

never completely turn off If debris like this is left on the fl oor, it can cause excess move-ment and noise when walked on.

If a subfl oor like this one isn’t fl attened and cleaned, the resulting movement can break the bonds between the boards.

Moisture testing your subfl oor is key so you don’t install a fl oating fl oor where it will absorb too much moisture, expand and make noise. Photo courtesy Ron Call.



noise may also be inherent in the design of the lock-

ing mechanism of the floor itself. Let me be clear: That

is certainly not true for every glueless floating floor. But

over the last several years, as glueless floating floors have

flooded the market, some manufacturers have rushed to

keep up with others to secure their market share. As a

consequence, I have found that some glueless floors will

make noise no matter what you do.

As a contractor, I have seen my installation business

change to where almost all the floating floors I install now

are glueless-type installs. Some of these floors are easy to

install and perform well, while others can be a nightmare.

When I say “nightmare,” what I mean is that it’s all about

customer expectations. I have personally installed thou-

sands of square feet of these new products manufactured

by almost every company in the business. If a customer is

told at the point of sale that these floors tend to be a little

noisier than glued floors, there is usually no problem. If

they’re not informed of that fact, the floor may not meet

their expectations. From my experience, in general, the

wider the plank, the quieter the floor. I have found that

a 3-inch wide board made by Manufacturer X sounded

like walking on Rice Krispies, while the same floor from

that with a floating floor you will always have a certain

amount of movement, as it is installed over a pad. When

you walk, the pad compresses and the floor will move. But

too much movement—such as when the floorboards are

spanning too big of a dip in the subfloor—can cause the

floor to flex so much that the bond of the glue between

boards will weaken. Over time, the bond can break, caus-

ing the floor to fail. If this is the case, you may be hearing

loose boards beginning to rub against each other.

Even if the subfloor was properly flattened prior to instal-

lation, there is another floor prep issue that can cause noisy

floating floors: There may be loose debris under the floor

crunching as you walk. In either of these cases, whether the

problem is an uneven subfloor or a dirty subfloor, there is

not much you can do to fix the floor except pull it up and

start over, making sure that the floor prep is done properly

and the subfloor is clean of all loose dirt and debris.

Glueless Interlocking IssuesIf the floor at issue is one of the newer glueless floating

hardwood floors that lock together without adhesive, the

cause of the noise may very well be the ones I discussed

above: moisture or floor prep. But it’s possible that the



the boards. The powder will act as a lubricant and may

solve the problem. Note that you should check with the

manufacturer to make sure they approve this fix.

2) The nice thing about these floors is they can be dis-

assembled and put back together at least three times, so

if the problem is throughout the floor, you can pull it up

and glue it down, or pull it up and edge-glue it. This will

generally solve the problem, but it may affect the warran-

ty, so check on this first. I would call the technical services

department of the manufacturer and see if this can be

done; ask them to send you an email verifying you can do

this. If you don’t get it in writing, you’re leaving yourself

open to a costly replacement.

Creeping GapsSomething else I’ve noticed the last few years regarding

floating floors is that sometimes they move due to foot

traffic, exposing the expansion gaps. I have seen this

most often at the pivot point of a hallway. For example,

if the floor is installed in a hallway crossways (like the

ties of a railroad track), each board is at most 3 to 4 feet

wide. When the floor was first installed with a proper

expansion gap on both sides of the hall and the gap was

covered with baseboard or shoe moldings, it all looked

great. Now there may be a board or two that is showing

a gap between the edge of the floor and the molding.

This happens very gradually and may not appear until

several months after installation. The reason is that as the

homeowner walks and turns to go down the hallway, the

slight sideways pressure exerted by the pivoting foot cre-

ates a gap. The board(s) is moving a very slight amount

each time, and eventually a small gap begins to appear.

This can be fixed a couple of different ways. The first

is very simple—it may or may not work and is only tem-

porary. Put on a pair of good sneakers that grip the floor

and try kicking the boards back in place. If this does

work, you may have to do it on occasion, as the prob-

lem will most likely reappear later. If you cannot get the

gapping boards to move back into place using your foot,

remove the baseboard on the wall opposite the gap, take

a pry bar and gently pry the boards back to their original

location. Again, this will most likely be only a temporary

fix. To prevent the gaps from reoccurring, it will be neces-

sary to disassemble the hallway back to the affected area

and use some flooring glue (the type you would use on a

glued-edge floating floor) between the tongue and groove

and then reassemble. The glued boards will be able to

withstand the sideways pivot pressure that caused the

problem and this will be a permanent fix. Now remember,

doing this may affect the warranty, so check first.

What Can You Do?To prevent these issues from costing you headaches and

the same manufacturer in 5-inch was fairly quiet. What

is causing the noise in some of these products is the

fact that although the manufacturing tolerances of these

products lock the boards together, there is some move-

ment between boards, so they can squeak and make noise

when walked upon.

A couple years back I did an experiment on a job

where I was installing 2,500 square feet of 3-inch-wide

Product X. After installing the first room (approximately

250 square feet), every step was creaking and popping.

The floor was properly acclimated and the floor was flat-

tened and prepped to meet the manufacturer’s require-

ments. At this point I had the homeowner walk on the

floor, and he was not happy with the performance/noise

the floor made when he walked on it. I pulled the floor

completely up and re-flattened the subfloor so that it was

completely flat, exceeding the manufacturer’s require-

ments. I took photos and video of the subfloor prep and

perfect flatness (just to protect myself) and then rein-

stalled the floor. Guess what? The floor sounded exactly

the same—no change whatsoever.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with

these floors. They can be a great value for the money,

and easier to install. They can just tend to be noisier than

a glued or nailed-down hardwood floor. So, what can

you do? In the example/experiment I mentioned above,

I returned all the underlayment and kept the flooring

but switched the customer over to a glue-down instal-

lation. This did not affect the warranty, as this particular

floor could be floated or glued down directly to the slab.

Once glued down, the floor had no movement and made

no noise at all. It cost the customer the extra expense of

adhesive and a little more in labor costs, but in the end he

was happy with the installation and the floor looked great.

If you are looking at an installed floor with this problem,

there are two things you can try to help minimize the noise:

1) If the problem is localized to a small area, a tradi-

tional fix is to try sprinkling a little talcum baby powder

between the boards. Then gently tap the floor with a rub-

ber mallet so as to not damage the wood. This will create

vibrations, and the powder will migrate down between

Now, don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with

these floors. They can be a great value for the money,

and easier to install.

Mo|Mo 2012 ■ Hardwood Floors 47



with the creaking? Some people will tell you that it’s fine,

because the old hardwood floors that they grew up with

made noise and they expect it. If that’s the case, keep

going. If they tell you they were not expecting the floor

to creak and they don’t like it, stop and call the person

who sold the floor. Most salespeople don’t even know

that noise with floating installs is a potential issue. If you

don’t stop but instead finish the install and your customer

ends up being unhappy, he or she will call you or the re-

tailer. The retailer will call the manufacturer, and they will

send out a company inspector. Best to avoid this scenario

entirely by making the customer happy up-front.

As technology changes, you’ve got to keep up. Try

to attend as many manufacturer training classes as you

possibly can when they are in your area. Make sure you

schedule time to bring everyone in your crew as well;

they need first-hand training as much as you do. Also be

sure your subscription to Hardwood Floors is up to date.

Make sure you know about all the latest changes that may

affect your business as the industry moves forward. ■

Ron Call is owner at Harmony Flooring in San Diego,

Calif., and Cleveland, Ohio.

money, there are a few things you can do. First make

sure you have done the proper moisture testing recom-

mended by the wood flooring manufacturer and have

documented your testing. Never cheat on floor prep or

acclimation, since most failures in our industry are related

to either moisture or improper floor prep. If you pull up

the existing floor and discover extensive prep is required

but the customer is not willing to pay for repairs, do not

do the install. Even if they tell you something like, “I

don’t care if the floor fails later—I’m just trying to sell the

place,” etc., do not do the job. If you install it, you own

it. Even if you get it in writing that the customer was OK

with you installing it that way, if you get sued later, you

will lose in court. The judge will rule you were the pro-

fessional and you should have known better. Plus, your

name is on it, and you don’t want your name out there

associated with bad work.

Once you begin your floating install, check it after you

have installed the first several rows. Walk on it back and

forth, and if it’s quiet, you’re good to go. If it’s noisy, stop

and have the customer walk on it. Explain to them that

they chose a great floor but that some floating floors are

a little noisier than glued-down floors, and are they OK

Get all the information you need at your fingertipsyyyyou need at yyyour fifinggggertipppps

Online. Anytime. Anywhere.

hardwoodfloorsmag.com/resourcebook/

A whole new way to use our Resource Book.

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Discover...


Putting Down RootsA LEED-Certifi ed Beauty For The World’s Largest Philanthropy Takes Root in Seattle

By Doug Dalsing

Lake Oswego, Wash.-based Oregon Lumber provided roughly 42,000 square feet of end-grain alder for the Seattle headquarters of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.


SOFTWARE CREATED BY MICROSOFT

transformed the way businesses oper-

ate on a day-to-day basis. From emails, to

PowerPoint presentations, to spreadsheets,

these tools helped companies, large and small, in

myriad industries work faster, connect more easily

and be more productive. But no matter how powerful

these digital tools are, they cannot replace the ben-

efits of an in-person collaboration: the morning shop

meeting, the lunch break with colleagues, the chance

hallway encounter.Before 2011 this was something missing at the Bill & Melinda Gates

Foundation, the world’s largest philanthropic nonprofit started by the Microsoft co-founder and his wife. With staff spread throughout five leased buildings in

Seattle, Melinda Gates started in 2006 to craft a vision for a new campus that could support all of the nonprofit’s nearly 1,000 employees, who work to improve health, cre-ate opportunity, advance education and fight poverty around the world. The work culminated in the June 2011 opening of the foundation’s 900,000-square-foot head-quarters in the heart of the city.

Built at a cost of $500 million and occupying an entire city block, the campus comprises two office build-ings (one anchoring the lot’s northwest corner and another

to the southeast), a reception area and a visitor’s center. It boasts several fea-tures designed to lessen its carbon footprint, including a vegetation-covered, in-ground parking ramp; a million-gallon tank that stores rainwater for use in toilets, irrigation and reflecting pools; solar energy installations; and daylight-ing that keeps all workstations within 30 feet of sunlight. What’s more, over 20 percent of the campus was built using recycled or regional materials extracted and manufactured within 500 miles of the job site—including some 42,000 square feet of beautiful end-grain alder wood flooring. With the assistance of

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In the reception area, Seattle-based Northwest

Millworks installed end-grain alder on walls and ceiling

portions, while the GC also installed cherry-colored

acoustic ceiling cladding made by Decoustics.

foundation’s connection to the Pacific Northwest.The 1-inch-thick, 31⁄4-inch-wide alder was manufac-

tured by Lake Oswego, Wash.-based Oregon Lumber. The company, situat ed 180 miles south of Seattle, makes solid flooring, solid/engineered hybrid flooring and end-grain flooring for commercial applications such as the foundation’s campus. Most of the company’s end-grain flooring is reclaimed from pre-consumer waste, but this particular product came from FSC-certified lumber sup-plied by Cascade Lumber Inc. of Camano Island, Wash. “[NBBJ] wanted something unique; they wanted some-thing durable; they wanted something that would add warmth in an environment where there is a lot of glass and other materials that are more sterile than wood,” says Charles Couch, Oregon Lumber’s president and owner. “They also wanted something that would lend itself to the Northwest.” The wood flooring was installed in the office structures’ common spaces and stair treads, while it also features prominently on walls and ceiling in the reception building. “They liked the look of the end-

architectural firm NBBJ and subcontractors of the Pacific Northwest, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pla nted permanent roots in Seattle and can now offer its employees a holistic workplace in which they can strive to improve lives around the world.

Uptown in DowntownThe Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s 12-acre cam-pus makes for yet another architectural destination in downtown Seattle’s Uptown neighborhood. The campus sits kitty-corner from the world-famous Seattle Center, the arts and entertainment park that is home to the Space Needle and the Frank Gehry-designed Experience Music Project museum. On the foundation’s block, the V-shaped office buildings are the two most prominent features. Their interiors are characterized by glass, steel and expansive daylighting, and there are many common spaces where workers can see their colleagues and work in groups large and small. Underfoot, end-grain alder flooring adds an organic element and reinforces the

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of its workers would take on an area at one time, gluing and then side-nailing the alder pieces into place, Sessions says. About 7,000 square feet of alder was installed in the campus’s reception area, while 10,000 was installed in the southeast office building; the remaining 25,000 square feet was installed in the northwest office building, which includes the lion’s share of common space in a large atrium. Wherever the alder gave way to a different floor covering, Sessions’ workers installed a ¼-inch-wide strip of cork to accommodate for expansion.

With the flooring installed, the crew next flattened the floors with three drum-sander passes using a 60-80-100 grit sequence; following this, they did three passes with a multi-disc sander. After the flooring was flattened, Sessions’ crew applied a hardening-oil finish. One of the biggest challenges on this job was coordinating crews so they could finish their work while so many other contractors worked around them, Sessions says. “It had to be phased from installation, to sanding, to finish-ing,” he says. “We mapped it all out in a calendar and

grain and then wanted to highlight it in a way other than just on the floors,” Couch says.

Fashion a FloorFor installation duties, NBBJ turned to Bellevue, Wash.-based Western Flooring & Hardwood and its president, Mark Sessions. This company specializes in installing large commercial and residential floors and is the union-ized arm of Western Tile & Marble, a firm that won an NWFA Floor of the Year award in 2004 for work at Las Vegas’ Palms casino, which Sessions also led. Western Flooring & Hardwood started work at the campus by installing a layer of ¾-inch plywood that was nailed and glued to the concrete raised-access subfloor. Sessions and his team installed the plywood to minimize the chances of panelization, or separation along the sub-floor’s seams, which he’s seen elsewhere from raised-access subfloors.

With the plywood in place, Western Flooring & Hardwood next installed the alder pieces. About 15-20

Bellevue, Wash.-based com-mercial installation fi rm Western Flooring & Hardwood created nearly 500 custom stair treads used throughout the campus.

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52 Hardwood Floors ■ February|March 2013 www.hardwoodfl oorsmag.com

Project DetailsArchitect: NBBJ (Seattle)

General contractor: Sellen Construction (Seattle)

Lumber supplier: Cascade Lumber Inc. (Camano Island, Wash.)

Flooring manufacturer: Oregon Lumber (Lake Oswego, Wash.)

Finish manufacturer: Woca Denmark (Lunderskov, Denmark)

Flooring installer: Western Flooring & Hardwood (Bellevue, Wash.)

a unique, elegant curve to it, so Sessions and his crew were required to custom-make each tread, and then sand and finish them. In total there were 500 treads, so the task was time-consuming.

Sustainable VisionAfter work on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s new campus was completed, the accolades began pil-ing up. With all its energy-saving features, it has the distinction of being the world’s largest newly construct-ed nonprofit LEED Platinum-certified building in the world (NBBJ originally aimed for Silver certification). “Most satisfying is that this sustainability achievement was the result of an integrated and engaged design process, not a race to acquire points,” says Cormac Deavy, a principal at Arup, a consulting firm that assisted with the project’s design. “The design choices that the team selected have resulted in a high perfor-mance building.” The campus also garnered praise from Interior Design, winning highest honors for large corporate offices in the magazine’s Best of Year 2012 contest. (The campus has also won recognition from the American Institute of Steel Construction as well as Engineering News-Record.)

Reflected in the foundation’s sleek, new corporate headquarters is its commitment to sustainability and its philosophy that “all lives have equal value.” It makes perfect sense, then, that the foundation took that motto and applied it to future generations through building a sustainable campus. Most important is the fact the foun-dation’s employees now have a centralized office—a place that will promote creative and collaborative work among staff, a place where the foundation can finally plant roots and grow well into the future. ■

sequenced it. For a while, we’d have one group of guys installing, another sanding and another group of guys doing the application of the oil.”

“All my lead guys took a copy of the schedule, folded it up and put it in their pockets,” Sessions says. “Then they just walked around and made sure everyone was hitting their milestones. It was detailed out not quite to the hour but the half-day. They knew the flooring was dry in one spot and that they needed to apply oil and give it the right amount of dry time.”

Another challenge was applying that much harden-ing oil over such large areas; they practiced on a mock 250-square-foot alder floor. “We were confident that we had it down, but it was much more difficult when we had to take the steps we were doing on the 250-square-foot area and translate that to an 8,000-square-foot atri-um that all had to be finished at the same time for uni-form appearance.” Sessions recalls that he and his crew learned very quickly that lap marks would be their worst enemy during the finishing process. “Eventually we got it down to where we had one guy rolling and two guys behind—one guy painting between the roller lines and the other guy blending the two together. Once that was done, we let it dry for 48 hours and then applied the second coat.”

Between the first and second coats Sessions spot-applied a filler he describes as a “dough” comprising sanding dust mixed with oil finish. A third finish coat was applied using a buffer with a synthetic abrasive pad equivalent to a 400 grit, and then they applied a fourth coat—“to make it pop as we walked out the door,” he says.

The staircases throughout the campus’s office build-ings—which have six stories—posed another challenge for Western Flooring & Hardwood. Each staircase has

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SUBMIT YOUR PRODUCTSEVERY NWFA MEMBER is eligible to participate in Hardwood Floors’ product focuses at no charge. All members who have checked rel-evant product codes as published in Hardwood Floors’ Resource Book are sent product focus invitations via email. If you are not receiving these invitations, email [email protected].

ADHESIVES

Moving Forward


Bona USBona US says its moisture-con-trolling, silane-based adhesives are unique and have a carefully weighted combination of elasticity and strength. The company says its adhesives are an integral part of the Bona system for bringing out the best in hardwood floors.www.bona.com

Ardex Engineered Cements/W.W. Henry Co.Ardex’s Henry brand 1171N SureLoc- Acrylic Urethane Wood Flooring Adhesive is a professional acrylic urethane adhesive for installing solid wood, engineered wood plank, wood parquet flooring, and cork under-layment. Ardex says it has excellent initial grab, fast strength development, high ultimate bond strength and elongation, and anti-microbial product protectionwww.ardex.com

Advanced Adhesive Technologies Inc.AAT-535C Professional Wood Flooring Adhesive utilizes proprietary solvent technology to produce an aggressive, VOC-compliant adhesive with coverage rates up to 90 square feet per gallon. The company says it requires no open time, rapidly develops tremendous strength and can be used for installing bamboo, solid and engineered wood flooring.www.aatglue.com

The adhesive, filler, finish and subfloor product categories always seem to be changing. That’s why it’s important to keep abreast of the major players, keeping an eye peeled for the greatest and

latest coming down the pike. Here, once again, is Hardwood Floors’ annual Adhesive, Filler, Finish and Subfloor Product Focus.

Adhesives, Fillers, Finishes + SubfloorsProduct Focus


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Product Focus | Adhesives, Fillers, Finishes + SubfloorsAdhesives

Stauf USA LLCCBR 970 is a moisture-cured product designed to adhere wood flooring directly over old cut-back mastic without removing the existing cutback. CBR 970 was specifically designed to not dis-solve the old cutback and will provide a shear strength of up to 218 psi. Stauf says it will not damage finish when left on for prolonged periods of time.www.staufusa.com.

Royal Adhesives and SealantsEMC 4011 is a one-part moisture cure urethane adhesive and moisture-control system in a single product, and it can be used for glue-down installations of all types of wood flooring. For new-construction concrete applications, no moisture testing is required; it need only be dry to the touch with no visible dampness, Royal says.www.parabond.com

MAPEI Corp.MAPEI says its new Ultrabond ECO 995 provides both superior bonding and moisture vapor emission control of up to 15 pounds (6.80 kg.) MVER or 85 percent relative humidity. MAPEI says this single-component, 100 percent-solids, moisture-cure urethane system is excellent for all types of wood flooring, including exotics and bamboo.www.mapei.com

Harris Wood Floors/QEP Co. Inc.Harris’ Roberts brand R1530 is a solvent-free, 100-percent-solids moisture cure urethane product that performs as an all-in-one, single-application adhesive, moisture vapor barrier and sound reducer for wood and bamboo flooring installa-tions. It helps to protect against unforeseen moisture vapors emissions that can destroy a wood flooring installation.www.harriswoodfloors.com

DriTac Flooring Products LLCDriTac says its 7500 Eco-Urethane is the only urethane wood flooring adhe-sive to be certified by the Carpet and Rug Institute’s (CRI) Green Label Plus Program for Indoor Air Quality. Containing zero VOCs and zero solvents, DriTac 7500 Eco-Urethane offers an easy-to-spread formula that is very low in odor.www.dritac.com

Bostik Inc.Bostik’s Ultra-Set SingleStep is a one-part, trowel-applied, tacking, moisture-cure urethane adhesive, as well as a moisture-vapor and sound-reduction membrane. This scientifically formulated adhesive and mem-brane is very tenacious, has very low moisture permeability, and is formulated with the company’s patent-pend-ing Thickness-Control Spacer Technology to ensure proper thick-ness between hardwood flooring and the sub-strate, Bostik adds.www.bostik-us.com


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Product Focus | Adhesives, Fillers, Finishes + SubfloorsFillers

Glitsa, a division of Rudd Co.Glitsa says its Wood Flour Cement provides an exact match between filler and 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. Wood Flour Cement ac-cepts stain and ages consistently with the flooring since the actual sanding dust is used.www.glitsa.com

Bona USPacific Filler is a waterborne compound specifically designed for filling cracks, holes, chips, gouges and broken edges in hard-wood floors prior to finishing. Its high-solid formula is ready to use and trowelable direct from the pail, or it can be thinned with water for full-trowel filling. It is also Greenguard Indoor Air Quality Certified.www.bona.com

ATOM Ventures LLCGork’s GoodFilla from ATOM Ventures LLC is a water-based wood filler that does not shrink, sink or crack. ATOM Ventures says it is proudly made in the U.S. from a proprietary formula, and that it is odorless, stainable, sandable, tintable and has an unlimited shelf life.www.goodfilla.com

UFloor Systems Inc.The Pallmann brand P5 is a one-component moisture-cured silane terminated prepolymer hybrid adhesive that, UFloor says, combines the powerful flexibility of a polyurethane adhesive with the advantages of modern modified silane technology.www.ufloorsystems.com

TECH.B. Fuller’s TEC brand Multi-Powered Wood Floor-ing Adhesive can be applied to damp concrete (ranging from 75-90 percent RH) and has up to 120 minutes of open time, reduc-ing waste from product skinning. It features a strong initial grab as well as sound-deadening and crack-bridging capabilities.www.tecspecialty.com

Synthetic Surfaces Inc.Synthetic Surfaces Inc. says that many installers prefer its Nordot Adhesive #113D because it’s a user-friendly, one-part curing urethane that pours and spreads easily, unlike paste adhesives. Nordot Adhesive #113D is environmentally friendly, VOC-compliant, low-hazard and water-free, Synthetic Surfaces says. Plus, it fights mold and does not contain toxic or flammable solvents, the company adds.www.nordot.com


FILLERS


Product Focus | Adhesives, Fillers, Finishes + SubfloorsFillers

Basic CoatingsBasic Coatings says its Emulsion Pro is designed for the wood coating professional and provides excellent de-foaming coupled with maximum leveling that makes the toughest jobs easy. Emulsion Pro is a versatile, self-sealing, dual-cure polyurethane water-based wood fin-ish that, Basic adds, offers fast dry times, water-cleanup and superior durability that common oil-based products lack.www.basiccoatings.com

Arboritec USA Inc.Arboritec says its Avenue is a high-performance commercial two-component waterborne wood floor finish, and that it is enhanced with ceramic, which provides extreme durability. It is produced with the company’s exclusive accelerated NanoTechnology and offers excep-tional flow, leveling and adhesion. What’s more, Arboritec adds that it will not show white stretch lines.www.arboritec.com

Absolute Coatings Inc.LNL-1500 Commercial Grade WaterborneWood Floor Finish incorporates added protection with aluminum oxide, Microban antimicrobial protection, and UV absorbers in a single-component, non-yellowing urethane finish, and it is backed by a 15-year residential wear warranty. Absolute Coatings says the waterborne formula is environmentally friendly, and that the finish has low odor and a fast dry time.www.lastnlast.com

Woodwise/Design Hardwood ProductsWoodwise/Design Hardwood Products says it is continuing its research and development efforts to keep up with the wood flooring industry, and its wood fillers have been formulated to meet the demands of wood flooring experts. Its 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

UFloor Systems Inc.UFloor’s Pallmann brand Pall-X Kitt is a waterbased joint filler compound intended to be mixed with sanding dust and used for joint- and trowel-filling wood floors. UFloor says it is suitable for strip, plank and parquet flooring of all species where color-matching is important and where filler stability and adhesion are vital.www.ufloorsystems.com

Timbermate GroupTimbermate Group says its wood filler is a no-waste product. If it dries out, it can be reconstituted with water, and the filler’s excess material can be returned to the container for future use. The VOC- and toxin-free filler is freeze/thaw stable and available in 13 pre-mixed colors or a neutral tint for custom color matching.www.timbermategroup.com


FINISHES


Product Focus | Adhesives, Fillers, Finishes + SubfloorsFinishes

MonocoatMonocoat says its natural oil floor finish provides extraordinary durability and ease of maintenance. Entirely VOC-free, Mono-coat says its interior and exterior finishes are an important element in any environmentally sound application. They are available in clear as well as more than 30 colors, all of which are applied in a single coat.www.monocoat.us

Harco Clear CoatingsHarco Clear Coatings’ Radiance is a one-part oil-modified waterborne polyurethane wood floor finish. The finish does not require a catalyst or cross-linker, and Harco says it has a rich traditional oil look. What’s more, the residential and commercial finish has low odor and low VOCs.www.harcocoatings.com

Glitsa, a division of Rudd Co.Glitsa says its Infin-ity II single-component waterborne finish was developed specifically for professional wood floor-ing contractors. Infinity II is 100 percent urethane waterborne and can be used as a self-sealing system or over a sealer. Infinity II’s optional crosslinker, CrossLink, can be added for faster full curing and improved durability.www.glitsa.com

DuraSealDuraSeal’s DuraClear Water-Based Polyurethane is a high-performance, low-VOC alternative to oil-based finishes. Ideal for lighter colored wood, DuraClear spreads easily with excep-tional flow and leveling for a non-ambering floor finish without an additional hardener. The company says that floors will retain their commercial-grade durability long after application. www.duraseal.com

Bona USBona US says its industry-leading waterborne finishes have always been VOC-compliant and healthier for people and the environ-ment than most other finishes. Along with unsurpassed durability and beauty, Bona says that when using its finishes there is no need for the homeowner to vacate during the finishing process. Plus, it’s Greenguard Indoor Air Quality Certified.www.bona.com

Berger-Seidle AmericaBerger-Seidle says its reputation is built on providing depend-able, high-quality and environmentally friendly products at a solid price-to-performance ratio. The Berger-Seidle family of wood finish products are produced to work together as a system that will give contractors optimal confidence in achieving a beautiful hardwood floor.www.berger-seidle.com



Product Focus | Adhesives, Fillers, Finishes + SubfloorsFinishes

WoodCareUSA LLCWOCA is a penetrating and hardening oil finish for commercial and residential applications. It provides a hard-wearing and natural-looking floor, WoodCareUSA says, and is available in many colors. This easy-to-re-pair finish is VOC-free and requires only one application when using the WOCA single-coat polishing pad, the company adds. www.woodcareusa.com

Waterlox Coatings CorporationThe Hawkins family says its American-made resin-mod-ified tung oil products have been nurturing and beautify-ing wood by penetrating and building to a film to seal and protect for over 102 years. Its finish remains elastic, is easy to maintain, and moves with the wood to accommodate changing conditions and heavy traffic.www.waterlox.com

UFloor Systems Inc.UFloor’s Pallmann brand Magic Oil 2K is a two-component oil/wax hybrid penetrating finish for residential and commercial applications. UFloor says it provides a velvety, matte finish that repels dirt and water, and that it gives the floor a rich European hand-rubbed appearance.www.ufloor-systems.com

PoloPlazNSB is the new wa-terborne sealer from PoloPlaz. It features fast drying, excellent adhesion and easy abrading. It is also resistant to sidebonding and panelization. NSB is compatible with all PoloPlaz waterborne or polyurethane finishes, and it is available in 1- and 5-gallon containers.www.poloplaz.com

Professional Coatings Inc.Pro-Coat Premium Radcoat is an aliphatic UV waterborne urethane finish designed for on-site, heavy commercial applications with limited downtime. Because of new polymerization technology, this product yields outstanding scuff-, scratch- and abrasion-resistance, Professional Coat-ings adds.www.procoatinc.com

Old Western Paint Co. Inc.Old Western Paint Co. says its Poly Faux Polyurethane Finish is a unique interior pigmented coating system designed to help create a rich faux-stain look. It offers eight colors and four sheens for covering stains, flaws and imperfections on hardwood floors, giving a beautiful look over prob-lem areas.www.oldwest-ernpaint.com



Product Focus | Adhesives, Fillers, Finishes + SubfloorsSubfloor Prep

MAPEI Corp.MAPEI offers three products for subfloor preparation. Planiprep AR (adhesive remover) softens and lifts old latex adhesive resi-dues from the concrete subfloor. Planiprep SA (scouring agent) eliminates any adhesive remover residue and etches the concrete. And Planiprep ET (epoxy treatment) caps the subfloor to control moisture emission rates and prepare the floor for new adhesives.www.mapei.com

Harris Wood Floors/QEP Co. Inc.QEP’s Natural Cork Underlayment is available in two forms—rolls and sheets—to meet the needs of an assortment of professionals. These rolls and sheets are offered in a range of thickness and lengths, making them readily available for a variety of room sizes.www.harriswoodfloors.com

Foam Products CorporationFoam Products Corporation says its Eco Ultimate Silencer is the industry’s most durable and versatile underlayment, and that it of-fers unparalleled acoustical properties. It can be used in floating, glue-down and nail-down applications, and it is made in the U.S. with recycled granulated rubber tires and high-density polyure-thane foam.www.foamprod-ucts.com

Fortifiber Building Systems GroupFortifiber’s Aquabar B Class II, HWD-15 and Seekure Class III vapor retarders for wood flooring have all earned the prestigious NWFA Accepted Product Seal. The company also makes Moistop Ultra Class I, an impermeable moisture and radon barrier for use over concrete and in crawl spaces.www.fortifiber.com/floor-ing.html

DriTac Flooring Products LLCDriTac says its Moisture Block 3-In-1 is a green concrete mois-ture control urethane wood flooring adhesive that also acts as a crack suppressant. Containing zero VOCs and zero sol-vents, DriTac Moisture Block 3-In-1 is a one-part, trowel applied eco-friendly adhesive system that offers a one-day installation of hardwood flooring when a concrete mois-ture control system is required.www.dritac.com

Ardex Engineered Cements/W.W. Henry Co.Ardex Feather Finish pro-vides a smooth, permanent finish to a variety of sub-strates prior to the installa-tion of today’s demanding floor coverings. The product mixes with water, is ready for flooring in as little as 15 minutes and covers up to 300 square feet per bag.www.ardex.com


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SUBFLOOR PREP


Product Focus | Adhesives, Fillers, Finishes + SubfloorsSubfloor Prep

Weyerhaeuser CompanyWeyerhaeuser’s premium OSB flooring product—Edge Gold—has a proprietary edge seal to help eliminate edge swell, and Down Pore drainage technology that channels rainwa-ter through the panel, reducing construction delays. Weyerhaeuser offers a 200-day no-sand guarantee plus a 50-year limited war-ranty against panel delamination.www.woodbywy.com/edgegold

UFloor Systems Inc.UFloor says its new Pallmann brand P25 self-leveling, rapid-setting underlayment and smoothing compound with Level Plus Effect has been designed exclusively for wood floor instal-lations.www.ufloorsystems.com

TECLiquiDam by H.B. Fuller’s TEC brand is formulated to be applied to concrete as little as 48 hours old (up to 100 percent RH), and is designed to reduce the MVER to less than 3 pounds per 1000 square feet per 24 hours. It penetrates to fill gaps and voids and contains low VOCs.www.tecspecialty.com

Sound SealSound Seal says its CeraZorb is a light-weight 5-mm-thick synthetic cork underlayment offering excellent thermal in-sulation under radiant floor heating systems. CeraZorb offers high-energy impact with low weight and will remain unchanged after repeated impact loads, the company says.www.cerazorb.com

Signature Innovations LLCSignature Innovations’ FlexiKork is manufactured from cork and recycled rubber. It offers sound control, flexibility and shock absorption. It is anti-microbial and has a construction height as low as 1⁄8 inch. The company says it’s suit-able for use with all floor heating systems.www.flexikork.com

RB Rubber Products Inc.RB Silent-Tread is an acoustical underlayment designed to dramatically reduce room-to-room and in-room ambient noise. RB Silent-Tread exceeds national building code and property association sound reduction requirements, and RB Rubber Products says it is the superior choice for high-rise, office, hotel and multi-family applications, or simply for the personal comfort of the homeowner.www.rbrubber.com


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Questions Answered


More than anyone, manufacturers want to help your company succeed when you use their products. In our annual Technical Spotlight section, these manufacturers—all advertisers in this issue—offer insight into best practices when using their most popular products.

TECH SPOTLIGHT


SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

OOllddee WWoooodd LLtttd....WhWhatat d doeoes s ththhe tetermrm ““rereclclclaia memed”” o orr “a“antntiiqiqueue” ” acactutualallyly mean whheen rerefefeerrrining g totot harardwdwoood d flfl ooooriringng?“RRecececlalaimimmedededed” ” oor “antique”” fl flfl o oooro ing referss t o hahaardr wowoodod productts ss maadedee frromomm t tthehee s s ssalalala vavavagegg d lumberr fror m century-old babab rns or wooden structuureses ththhaatat hh havavavve eee ouooo tltlivii ed their ppururrpopose. The wood uuses d to build theeses struccctuturreeeess s sswawawawas sss sosososourrrrced frfrf om the virirgigig n timber trees (250-0-plus years old at harvrvvesst)t)t)tofofofof o o o ourururur n n nnatioioioon’nnn s s now-prototeecce tet d old-growth foresesestststs. . During these fi rrststt y yeaaaae rsrsrrs ofofofof ss ssererere vvicecee, thtththiiis slow-grrowowo th lumber was exposeseed dd tototo o o ovevev r a centuru y oofof uuuusesese ana d d nannanatututuurarararal lll weww atheringngngg,, aging it like a a fi ne wininne.e.e. T T Thihiis s auauauthththt enenentititic c c bebb auauautyyy, dadadadarkrkrkrk sssururuu fafaacececece pata inna ananand dchchchchararararaaacteer,rrr couplp eded w wwwititith an eleee ememeemene t t offf truue AmAmmeree ican hihihihiststststoroo y, iis whw at mmakakkkes reeecclcc aiiiimemem d fl ooooriringnngng u nin que, dededed sirablb e e annd d reeeadady y for ananananotooto heh r cec ntnttturry yyy ofo service.

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OOOOOllld Mastter Products IInnccc.ThThere e are e quite a fefew w Frenchh C Cononnen ctctioion-tyype fl oorrs s out thhherererere.e. HHHHoowow ddo o I I kknoww w which is s ththe beestt pproroduductct t too bub y?ThThThe e GaGaGarrrrisisisononn C CCCololollelelectctc ioioon n dedeefi fines s ththe “best” as beingg g thhthhe prodddducucucu t thththhataat hass thththe e bbebeststst vvvalalalueueue. . . ThThTherere e e ararre e a few w lil nes that look simimimimilallar tot TTThehehehe G GGararra ririisosson CoCoCollllecectitiiononono ’s’s FFrereencncn h h CoCoCoC nnnnecction line; however, wee feel thhatatatat t t t theh bbesesse t t valuue ecaan n bebebe foundd i iinnn nn FrFFrFrenenencchch Connection, as we usee a actual FrFrenencch ooakak wwith the e eththhicicickekest wweaeaar r r lalaalayeyeyey rr,r, longest lengths ananand best sssubububu ststststss raaattte (Baltic birch). Also, we applylylyly a a sssuufuffifi fi ccient amount of oil on theee flflfl oorininng, eliminating the need for rereree-oilinngg g afa ter instalallation, which saaavevv s cooststst and increases the value of thhht e prodododuct.

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MAPEI Coorpp..For my particulaar r prprojojecect,t, w whahat t isis t thehe b besest t adadhehesis vee ttypype?e?If it is an engineered product we confi dently recommend Ultrabond Eco 975. If it is a domestic solid on a dry concrete slab, we always recommend Ultrabond Eco 980. If it is a high-end exotic on a concrete slab with pos-sible moisture issues, we always recommend Ultrabond Eco 995. Last, if it is a bamboo product we highly encourage the installer to use Ultrabond Eco 985. Bottom line is that MAPEI has solid system solutions for virtually all types of wood and bamboo fl ooring.

www.mapei.com

Lenmar Inc.How much time shouuld I leave bbetetweweenen fifi nnisish h coats?If the fi nish has had timem to curere, , ththe e cocoatatining g nen eds to be abraded in some way for the next coat off fi nish toto a adhdherere.e. T Thehe a amount of abrasion needed is directly related to the e amamountt oof f cucuriringng t thahat t has taken place. This is a good rule of thumb: The lonngeg r the cucurere t timime,e, t thehe m more aggressively it will need to be abraded in ordere tto o achiieveve e gogoodod a adhdhesesioion n with the next coat.

www.lenmar-coatings.cs omm

TECH SPOTLIGHT


SSttaauuff UUSSAA LLLLCCWhWhatat i is s ththe e bebestst a adhdhhesese ivive for r my ppproror jej ctt t ttypypy e?WeWe r receceie vev queststions ccovovovovo erinnng g evvveeryttthihhingnggn from m rararadidianant t heeatat t to o gogooini g ovverer c cututbab ck masastitic.c MMMososssst,tt iif f nonot t ala l offf t t hehehehehh ses queeststs ioonsns c can be e answswwereredeonon oourur w webebsis tete aat t wwwww.w sttauauauaufufusasa.c.como . ThTT ererrrre,e,e y y ouou caanan fifi n nd d a a wewealth ooof f fteechchninicacal l knknowowleedgdge e anaa d innststststalallalatitiono viideoooeoos,s,sss aaa s s welll aaas ss ththe e momostst c ommomomon nnasskeked d ququesestitionons.s. O Ourur ttecechnhnicicccaalala d datata a sheeee tsts, ppprprprproovovooo ididede iin nn PDPDPDF F fof rmat at the e bobotttomom o off eaeacch pproroduductt, , cacaaan nnn prproovide ann iindndddndivivvivivididuaual wiw ththth aall of f thhe ininformrmata ioon n reeququqqq irireded f oror a a s sececururrreee e anand d soounnuu d d instststststalalaa lalal titionn. TThThisis information isis m monnititoreded a andd uupdpdaateded f frereququenennntltlt y.y. M osost t of thehee ttt t timimmmime e an iinsnsnsn tatallllere canfi findnd t the a ansswewer onon oouur wwebebsisitee f fasasteteteer r than thehey cooc ulululuuu d dd byby ggetettttititingngn i in n touch hwiithth t tece hnhnicicalal s sererviviceces.

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SShhheeeooooggaaa HHardwoood Flooring && Pannnneeeeellinngg IInncc..HoHow w loonngg sshohoullu d d II alallolow w mymy flfl ooro ing to acclimaatete bb efffororo e innsttalallalaatitionon??We are fffrreer quq ently y yy asasasaskekekedd d fofof r ththe ee lengngngthth of f timemememe o ooourururur 3⁄⁄⁄⁄3

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PoollooPPlllaaaazzzzHoHow w imimpoportrtana t is aairirfl fl owow i in n ththe e cucuriringng p prorocecesss of soolvvene t-baseed fi nishhess??It is critical. After solvent evaporation the fi lm is very weak. The fi lm must then build strength by crosslinkingng wwitith h oxoxygy enfrom the air directly over the coating. If the air is stagnant, the solvent vapors (which are heavier than air) blblanankeket t ththee fl oorand block access of oxygen to the fi lm. Things such as wrinkling, early scratching, blemishes, and peeling cann o occccurur. AfAfteter the fi lm has become tack-free, even slight air circulation will bring oxygen in contact with the fl oor and initiate ththe e cucurere. FoFor more details, see PoloPlaz’s Tech Bulletin on “Drying vs. Curing.”

www.poloplaz.com

Shamrock Pllank FFloorinngWhat is the ideal humidity to keep hardwood fl oors from showing gaps orcupping from changes in moisture content?Maintaining a home at 30-50 percent relative humidity will help assurethe minimum amount of movement from changes to the fl oors’ moisture content. Environeered fl ooring from Shamrock is less susceptible to cup-pippp ngggggg, , swellinggggg and shrinkingggg because it has been designed for enhanced didiimeememeem nsnsnsnsnsioioioioionanananananal l ststabaaa ilitity.y.

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Rust-OOleum CorporattiionWhat are the benefi ts of using the Nano Shield Prefi n Additive withthe Nano Shield Advanced Floor Finish?The Nano Shield Advanced Floor Finish is a commercial-grade fi nishengineered for professionals. When the Nano Shield Advanced Floor Finishis combined with the Nano Shield Prefi n Additive, it greatly improves thesppppeed of the cure time from 10 dayyyyyys to four daysyyyyyy , ,,,, allowinggggg for a faster reererer tttuuuurnrnrnrnnn tt t o o o seseseses rvrvrvrvicicicciceee.e. III Itttt llalalsoso p pror mottes bebeeeetttttttterererer a a aa adddhd esion and chemical rereeessissis stststanannnannce, , providinng g longer-lastingprprprooto eccctittititt onon o on n ala l fl oor r r types. This s issspaparrrticcululllaraaa lyly i impmpm oro tatantnt w when fi nishshinng g lamimm nanatetette flflfl oooorors s anand d prprefiefi n nisheed d fl fl oooorsrs. . Plusus, whhhhenenen u uuseses d d wiwiththth tthehe g glolossss s sheheenen, , tht e e sys sttemememe iis s s MFMFM MAMA-c-c-cererertitifi fi eded f foror gymnm asiiuium mm flfl fl flooooooo rsrsr ..

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION TECH SPOTLIGHT

New Products


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1 IndusParquet says its Brazilian rosewood has a distinctive

rose-gold hue that offers a feminine touch to any space. The

solid fl ooring comes in 25⁄8- and 3-inch-wide planks and random

lengths from 11 to 88 inches. The fl ooring is factory-fi nished with

the company’s proprietary colorless ClearVue fi nish for lasting

durability.

www.indusparquet-usa.com

2 Porter-Cable’s PCL120MTC-2 cordless oscillating multi-tool

has a tool-less design, meaning contractors can change the tool’s

accessories without bolts, washers or wrenches. It has a 12-volt

battery, an oscillation angle of 2.8 degrees and weighs 2.2 pounds.

www.portercable.com

3 Mullican Flooring recently expanded its hand-sculpted

Chatelaine Collection to include Oak Sienna, Birch Chestnut

Brown, Oak Winesap and Hickory Natural (pictured) selections.

This prefi nished solid ¾ -inch-thick fl ooring carries Mullican’s Alpha

Alumina Real World Finish, which has a 25-year warranty.

www.mullicanfl ooring.com

4 Coswick Hardwood launched its prefi nished oak Heritage

Collection in January. This fl ooring is made using a “bi-color”

technique in which darker and lighter stains are used together for

visual contrast, giving the fl oor a dramatic effect. It is available in

multiple colors (pictured is French Gobelin) and includes character

marks.

www.coswick.com

5 Columbia Hardwood’s solid oak Adams Signature Collection

comes in semi-gloss and satin stains. These ¾-inch-thick planks

have eased edges and square ends, and are available in widths of

2¼, 3¼, and 5 inches. Columbia says this product can be installed

on or above grade.

www.columbiafl ooring.com

6 Bosch Measuring Tools says its GLM 80 is the fi rst lithium-

ion-powered laser distance measurer. All it requires is one click

of a button to measure both distance and angles. What’s more,

the tool works either in a horizontal or vertical position, and it is

rechargeable via micro-USB cable.

www.boschtools.com

7 Premiere Finishing & Coating LLC says its prefi nished

EcoGrain fl ooring is an alternative to imported hardwoods. Using

what it deems “wood-grain-enhancing technology,” the company

produces EcoCumaru, EcoIpé, EcoJatoba, EcoSantos Mahogany and

EcoTigerwood (pictured).

www.ecograin.net


New Products


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8 ICA Group offers Wood Look, a software program that lets users

take a photo of a room and swap in different wood colors. Using

15 shades tailored to contemporary design trends, Wood Look lets

clients to see the fi nal result of a coating without requiring the

production of prototypes.

www.icagroup.it

9 Viridian Reclaimed Wood now offers four types of engineered

reclaimed fl ooring: Jakarta Market Blend (pictured) is made from

used shipping crates; European beech is derived from crates used

to ship wind turbines; white oak is made from industrial shipping

crates; and old-growth Doug fi r is recycled from gym bleachers.

www.viridianwood.com

10 CS Unitec’s CS 1435 wet/dry vacuum has a fi lter that

automatically cleans itself when it detects decreased airfl ow.

It weighs 33 pounds and has a 6.6-gallon capacity. Users can

connect power tools directly to the CS 1435, and the vacuum will

automatically turn on when the tool is powered on.

www.csunitec.com

11 South Mountain Hardwood Flooring’s latest product is its

Monterey Series, which is available with hand-scraped or wire-

brushed fi nishes in six different color options (pictured is Bark).

The fl ooring is 3⁄8 inch thick and 5 inches wide, comes with a UV-

cured fi nish and is available in oak, maple, birch and American

hickory.

www.southmountainfl ooring.com

12 CDC Larue’s new vacuum is the 3000 Series, an industrial-

strength HEPA-rated vacuum that can be used in continuous-duty

manufacturing operations or with surface-preparation equipment

up to 60 inches in diameter. The vacuum allows a user to fi ll the

bag, remove and replace it without shutting it off.

www.cdclarue.com

13 Allwood Floors’ solid bamboo Dream Collection is installed

using a “click” system. It has a nine-coat infused fi nish to give what

Allwood Floors calls a “paint type” look with the durability of a UV-

cured factory fi nish.

www.allwoodgrp.com

14 Rockler Woodworking’s Bench Dog Pocket Push Stick is

for pushing wood through saws, and it fi ts inside a pants pocket.

It is 9¾ inches long and made from durable polymer, which can

accommodate some stress inside a pocket or tool box to keep it

from breaking. The end is notched 90 degrees to accommodate

board corners.

www.rockler.com

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AdIndex


Quickly locate an advertiser in this issue using the list below:

3Mwww.3M.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Appalachian Lumber Co. Inc.www.appalachianlumber.net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Basic Coatingswww.basiccoatings.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Bona USwww.bona.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Bostik Inc.www.bostik-us.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

D & M Flooringwww.dm-flooring.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

DuraSealwww.duraseal.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Garrison Collection, Thewww.thegarrisoncollection.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10, 11

Lenmar Coatingswww.lenmar-coatings.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Lignomat USA Ltd.www.lignomat.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

MAPEI Corp.www.mapei.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Mercer Abrasives div. of Mercer Tool Corp.www.mercerabrasives.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Mullican Flooringwww.mullicanflooring.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

NWFAwww.nwfa.org . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27, 42

Olde Wood Ltd.www.oldewoodltd.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Oneida Air Systemswww.oneidavac.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Oregon Lumber Companywww.oregonlumber.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

PoloPlazwww.poloplaz.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Rust-Oleum Corporationwww.rustoleum.com/nanoshield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Shamrock Plank Flooringwww.shamrockplankflooring.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Sheoga Hardwood Flooring & Paneling Inc.www.sheogaflooring.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Stauf USA LLCwww.staufusa.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

Wagner Meterswww.wagnermeters.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Woodwise/Design Hardwood Productswww.woodwise.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

CORRECTION

NWFA member and distributor CFS Corporation should have been listed in the Hardwood Floors 2013 Resource Book. The company’s information follows:

3371 Martin Farm RoadSuwanee, GA 30024 Contact: Philip Key Phone: (770) 614-8009 | (866) 751-4893 Fax: (770) 614-5833 www.cfscorporate.com Areas Covered: AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, DC, FL,

GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KN, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY.

Get all the informationyou need at your fi ngertips at:hardwoodfl oorsmag.com

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