October 14/21, 2019: Volume 35/Issue 8 By Mike Pigeon As with all trades and trade skills, there are different levels of expertise and capabilities that everyone can achieve. When it comes to resilient flooring installations that require an integral cove, this is where it usually separates the good, the bad and the ugly. (Especially when you add in the seamless floor factor and every seam needs to be welded, both vertical and horizontal.) As...
Read MoreAugust 19/26, 2019: Volume 35, Issue 5 By Arthur Mintie Chip and Joanna Gaines from the syndicated HGTV series “Fixer Upper” may be responsible for most of the world’s recent obsession with shiplap. While not everyone is building a home where shiplap can be found hiding beneath the surface, style-minded homeowners can create a similar look by installing flooring on walls. In fact, many homeowners today are approaching flooring from a new angle—using it...
Read MoreJuly 8/15, 2019: Volume 35, Issue 2 By Amy Johnston Recently at an industry dinner I was embarrassingly reminded that I need to stay current with manufacturer installation instructions. I am not sure how the topic came about exactly, but I was mentioning that at our shop we charge considerably more money to install one manufacturer’s product over the same type of product made by others. When I was asked the reason why, I...
Read MoreApril 29/May 6, 2019: Volume 34, Issue 24 By Jason Spangler When installing finished flooring materials over concrete, general contractors on a tight construction schedule often face a catch-22 situation. They know a concrete slab needs to be sufficiently dry before installation, but they also realize the drying process can be a slow-moving affair. Due to schedule pressures, finished floor surfaces are sometimes installed when concrete is too wet—often resulting in flooring failures, costly...
Read MoreApril 1/8, 2019: Volume 34, Issue 22 By Jerry Lee Commercial-grade vinyl sheet goods were once one of the most popular commercial flooring options on the market. These goods have been regarded for decades as functional, durable, decorative and relatively easy for contractors to install. These flooring products have been used in a wide variety of commercial applications in which the color, pattern and size could be customized to fit specific project needs. However, over...
Read MoreFebruary 18/25, 2019: Volume 34, Issue 19 By Paul Stuart One of the most important questions we can ask in our industry is what drives quality installers? What really makes them tick? Not what makes them quality or great installers—that’s easy. Great installation, on schedule, dependable, on time, highly trained to work with and has all the products and tools necessary for a beautiful project. These are the symptoms of being a quality installer,...
Read MoreJanuary 21/28, 2019: Volume 34, Issue 17 By Christopher Capobianco Some of my friends call me “the cork dork of New York” because of my passion for this flooring material that’s been around about 100 years. I’ve been involved with cork flooring for a long time. I’ve seen cork forests and factories in Europe, watched bottle stoppers get drilled out of tree bark and saw the waste become tile. I’ve worked on some cork tile...
Read MoreOctober 29/November 5, 2018: Volume 34, Issue 10 By Graham Capobianco If you’re anything like me, the concept of installing a resilient floor tile or plank without adhesive likely made you scoff the first time you heard it. However, when installed correctly, loose-lay LVT can be a problem solver for many projects, especially in commercial environments. Loose-lay LVT has many of the same attributes of traditional glue-down or click-and-lock LVT. It has a durable...
Read MoreSeptember 17/24, 2018: Volume 34, Issue 7 By Marlene Morin It’s a given that a high content of moisture in a concrete slab will damage a floor. But where does the moisture come from? How can it be tested and measured? More importantly, how do you solve a moisture issue? Following are a few answers to these critical questions. Where does moisture come from? Concrete is made of five elements: cement, sand, aggregate, air and...
Read MoreAugust 6/13, 2018: Volume 34, Issue 4 By Jeff Johnson Wood and bamboo flooring are natural products and, as such, are probably the most moisture-sensitive flooring products we deal with in this industry. Moisture problems can literally destroy a perfect wood floor by causing it to cup, buckle and warp, leaving no other solution than to remove and replace it. Following are some dos and don’ts that can help save time and money on wood...
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