Featured Product: Wenge

Overall Construction Spending - Good; Residential Construction Spending - Not so Good

As reported by the National Association of Home Builders, overall construction spending is improving, but residential construction spending continues to struggle.

The Census Bureau reported that the Value of Construction Put in Place improved in August, rising 0.4% to $811.8 billion from an upwardly revised $808.6 billion in July. Despite the modest gain, construction spending was down 11.2% year-to-date from a year earlier.

The monthly increase was driven by a 2.5% rise to $313.6 billion in public construction spending — which included strong gains in public residential construction (up 6.7%), commercial (up 8.2%), healthcare (up 5.1%) and road construction (up 5.0%). With funding from American Reinvestment and Recovery Act continuing to roll out, public construction spending should continue at a healthy pace in the near term.

Much of the increase in public construction spending was offset by a 0.9% decline in private construction spending — the fourth consecutive month it has fallen. At $498.2 billion, this spending was at its lowest level since January 1998.

Much of this decline was in private non-residential construction spending, which fell 1.4% to $259.7 billion. Spending was down in the power (2.9%), commercial (2.8%), transportation (1.8%) and communication (1.8%) sectors.

Overall private residential construction spending fell 0.3% in August, with single-family construction spending slipping 4.2% to $109.5 billion, just above its October 2009 level. This was expected, given the decline in single-family housing starts since the conclusion of the home buyer tax credit in April.

However, the rise in single-family housing starts in August signals that the payback from the home buyer tax credit may be drawing to an end, and we can expect to see the value of private single-family residential construction put in place to stabilize soon.

Private multifamily construction spending also fell sharply in August — down 11.4%. This more than offset the marginal increases in June (0.3%) and July (0.6%) and, at $11.85 billion, is just above its February 1994 level.

With multifamily housing starts exhibiting a modest upward trend in recent months, the multifamily value put in place numbers should begin to move higher in the next few months.

BR-111 & Bamboo

BR-111 has announced the launch of its very first Bamboo Collection, BR-111 Bamboo.

In an interview with Ricardo Moraes, president of BR-111, Floor Covering Weekly highlighted the changes coming to the fall catalog.

“We are committed to developing the most unique and beautiful flooring products available anywhere in the world,” said Ricardo Moraes, president. “The focus of our new product offering is uniqueness, quality and value.”

In addition to BR-111’s African species Wenge, Iroko, Afzelia and Sapele — which will be available in several different width, thickness and construction options — the company will introduce a comprehensive collection of bamboo.

“We are very excited to introduce our new superior quality bamboo line,” said Moraes. “We have always been interested in offering bamboo products. We just wanted to take our time to develop the absolute best bamboo flooring available today. We are very happy with the results and we know our dealers will be too.”

Moraes said the bamboo collection includes, “jaw dropping colors, board widths and lengths, and unparalleled durability.”

BR-111 will also introduce a new 3/4” solid line of exotic products that has, “the same warranty and wear layer as our 3/4” solid line and many of our most popular species including Brazilian Cherry, Tigerwood, Amendoim and Machiato Pecan but with amazing low pricing, installation flexibility, and extensive environmental consideration,” said Moraes.

The company will also add to its recently developed high end line of 5-inch engineered locking products an array of handscraped and brushed looks in species like Classic Walnut, Angico, and Antique Amendoim. “We are so excited about our new product offerings and increased margins to our dealers that we have decided to fully re-merchandise our patented BR-111 FUF display, with an eye catching new header, footer, info panels, product flip cards and sample boards for all of our product lines,” said Moraes. “These new product lines will be available in the coming weeks and we will be contacting each of our BR-111 exclusive dealers to schedule delivery of the new BR-111 FUF re-merchandising kit, including new sample boards. Our new re-merchandising program will be followed by very aggressive and wide spread marketing campaigns.”


Ask us about these great new products!

Elephants and Wood Flooring

In a recent release by National Floor Trends, they featured Mohawk flooring and their SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona carpet. Their PR people have designed quite the event. I can't wait to see the results! And a great cause too!

Here's what National Floor Trends said:

Mohawk is teaming up with The Dallas Zoo to put SmartStrand carpet to a new durability test that includes six African elephants. For two weeks in October, six African Elephants with a combined weight of 45,000, will test the resiliency of the carpet. In 2009, Mohawk placed SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona carpet into the enclosure of a 2,800 lb. Black Rhino for two weeks. At the end of the test, people across the country—flooring retailers, national media, and millions of consumers—“were astounded to watch the carpet restored to brand-new condition with a simple cleaning,” Mohawk says.

In addition to its latest challenge, Mohawk is also introducing a new Human Habitat element to the challenge, where zoo guests can visit four different household situations: a living room, kitchen, bedroom and foyer. Each living situation will incorporate Mohawk flooring products—carpet, laminate ceramic and Mohawk’s brand new strand woven bamboo—“allowing visitors to interact with the exhibits and see for themselves how the flooring is tough enough to stand up to their wildlife. This special area also allows consumers to engage with Mohawk’s GreenWorks sustainability platform. Because we are all part of something bigger than our individual selves, the Human Habitat makes consumers aware of available sustainable products they can select for their homes,” the company notes. Further, in an effort to help its retailers take full advantage of the merchandising and promotion opportunities available, Mohawk is providing comprehensive point-of-purchase kits, customizable advertising materials like television spots and print ads, among other elements. “We have an extraordinary product and we’re challenging it in an extraordinary way to prove the unmatched durability of SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona,” said David Duncan, Mohawk’s vp of Marketing. “After having 45,000 pounds of pressure applied to the carpet repeatedly for two weeks showcasing its supreme resiliency, consumers will be confident in putting SmartStrand in their own wildlife situations at home. And we’re getting additional ‘human testing’ on our hard surface products with the Human Habitat! The SmartStrand Zoo Challenge is back and bigger than ever—all designed to drive consumer traffic to retail store locations.”

SmartStrand Zoo Challenge t-shirts will be sold, benefitting the Dallas Zoo’s “Zoo2Wild” Conservation fund, and supporting field conservation partnership programs such as Charles Foley’s Tarangire elephant project, the Cheetah Conservation Fund, International Rhino Fund and Gulf Oil Spill relief efforts.

Featured Product: Ash

Visit our Ash Collection from Chelsea Plank for more information and more flooring selections.

Summary of Trim Profiles

Trim

Reducer

T-molding

Threshold

Stair Nosing

Nosing

Socia

Quarter Round

Crown Molding

Thanks to Allwood Floors for the images.

Remember that trim and coordinating accessories can make all the difference in finishing your new floors!

Featured Product: Tigerwood

Tips to Save you Money

In doing some research for a different project, an article online made me stop and think about what goes into a flooring purchase. Everyone has a different reason as to why they make the choice they do. And I think we all consider the cost. Here are some things to think about when you are making that decision.

Most consumers choose hardwood flooring for the feeling of warmth, beauty and comfort it can give a room. Because of today's modern technology, many manufacturers are coming up with great new synthetic flooring that not only looks good, but is also durable and low-maintenance, a definite plus for those who are always on the go but want stylish floor coverings; however even though synthetic flooring is a great alternative, many people still crave the look and feel of all-natural floor coverings such as wood.

There are many other reasons to go with hardwood floors, such as the value they add to your home, easy care and easy cleaning, great style and durability and they're natural and safe for the environment. Although carpeting is an easy alternative to floor decorations, many home decorators are now setting a new trend with exotic hardwood flooring.

If you know a building contractor or hardwood floor contractor, they may be able to help you get a nice discount. In most cases, refinishing your floors will increase the value of your home, not to mention, adding style and beauty. Some of the most well known hardwood floor manufacturers include Bruce, Shaw, Mohawk, Mannington and Armstrong.

If you're looking for great ideas, get a copy of Hardwood Floors magazine; it's sent to more than 24,000 hardwood flooring professionals throughout the world, including contractors, dealers, distributors, manufacturers, builders, architects and many other industry professionals. If you own an older home, if the floors are structurally sound, why not go ahead and refinish them and bring your old hardwood floors back to life. After all wood is wood, and what can be more ecologically clean than natural wood planks after very little chemical processing?

There is no need for cleaning chemicals, carpet shampooing, or replacement carpets whenever you have big spills. When you're deciding on what type of flooring is the best for you and your home, the first step to making sure it's really right for you is to list all the pros and cons.

Today's hardwood flooring has made advances in style, durability, maintenance and care, making it more widely usable throughout the home, except in the bathroom where its use is not recommended due to possible moisture problems. Many people are now installing hardwood floors in their kitchen and it can also be installed over concrete. The cost of hardwood flooring depends on what type you choose.

With tons of web pages online, you can easily check online for all types of hardwood flooring including: red oak, white oak, American cherry, Brazilian cherry, maple, red birch, ash, hickory, walnut and even bamboo. If you're thinking about a do-it-yourself project, you can easily learn how to install flooring with a few of the proper tools like sanders, nailers or nail guns etc. which you can easily rent or borrow.

Summarizing, we can say that hardwood flooring provides the utmost warmth and beauty for your home. Most hardwood floors almost never need to be replaced and can add thousands of dollars to the value of any home.

Hardwood floors are the healthiest choice for interior living, especially if you live with children. If you're looking for a great way to improve the look, durability and value of your home, they are definitely the way to go. They are one of the most important design elements in any home or business.

Visit GateWood Floors to see what options are available to you and to find out more about your flooring choice. As always, if you don't see what you want, ask - we usually have it!

Featured Product: Brazilian Walnut

Featured Manufacturer: Bois Chamois

European White Oak

Fumed White Oak

Check out our website for more from Bois Chamois! And others! As always, if you don't see what you want, ask - we probably have it for you!

Featured Product: Prefinished Heart Pine

Warm Sable

Golden Honey

Antique Brown

Bamboo Used in Sports Flooring

As a follow up to the last post about bamboo flooring, we received an email from Smith & Fong Plyboo, announcing their increasing success with bamboo sports flooring. Here's what they said:

Bamboo emerges as a solid contender in the sports flooring segment.

Mt. Vernon Presbyterian School
Atlanta, Georgia

PlybooSport® – North America’s first bamboo sports flooring – faced a uphill battle in the marketplace when it was introduced five years ago. But as more and more corporate and institutional building projects have adopted sustainable products into their plans, PlybooSport has experienced dramatic growth.

The company sold its first PlybooSport floor to the City of Dallas, Texas, in 2005. Since then PlybooSport has enjoyed a robust annual growth rate in sales. Floors have been installed in 16 states as well as Mexico and the UK, and the company has a backlog of orders for projects as far and wide as the UAE, Pakistan and China.

Smith & Fong attributes PlybooSport’s increasing popularity to a growing awareness of sustainability and environmental health among commercial and institutional architects. PlybooSport is PlybooPure formaldehyde-free, California Section 01350-compliant, FloorScore®-certified and Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified, offering numerous green attributes attractive for school gyms, recreational centers and corporate fitness centers.

“We identified PlybooSport flooring as a product that would make a highly visible statement about the importance of sustainable and rapidly renewable materials,” said architect Clayton Daspit, of Atlanta-based Collins Cooper Carusi Architects. His firm specified PlybooSport for a gymnasium project in Atlanta’s Mt. Vernon Presbyterian School, which ultimately achieved the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification, in part due to its use of PlybooSport flooring.

And some more recent installations:



NetApp Corporate Headquarters
Sunnyvale, California
PlybooSport


Hillside High School
Marlborough, Massachusetts
PlybooSport


Singing Hills Recreation Center
Dallas, Texas
PlybooSport

If you are researching sports flooring, bamboo may be right for you. Contact us to find out more!

A Review of Bamboo

Some interesting facts about bamboo in a review posted by Fast Floors:

Bamboo is not just for pandas anymore. Its fibers are used to make clothing. The shoots of young bamboo trees are nutritious and to some quite tasty. But it can also be used for new home construction, and it makes for some spectacularly beautiful flooring.

To a lot of people, the use of hardwood trees for flooring is a poor use of a precious resource. An oak tree takes 60 to 120 years to grow. While on a larger scale, all wood could be called a renewable resource, the 'guilt tax' for a hardwood floor is a price more and more people are unwilling to pay.

That's where bamboo comes in. Bamboo goes from seedling to mature plant in just five years, growing several inches per day. It grows in a variety of climates, both in its native Asia and even here in the USA.

Bamboo provides a habitat for small animals where it's grown. Because it's basically 'mowed' and not cut down like a tree, the habitat isn't destroyed by the harvest. Pesticides are unnecessary, as the plant has natural chemical defenses against insects and disease.

All of that is wonderful, but the fact is that unless it's a good product, it won't succeed on the merits of its environmental resume alone. So here are the selling points of bamboo flooring.

• Hardness and durability: Bamboo flooring is as hard as oak or maple, yet resilient and flexible. This means it's pleasant to walk on and easy to work.
• Cost: While quality varies, bamboo is generally quite inexpensive, sometimes running half of the price of hardwood.
• Upkeep: Bamboo requires some upkeep, but no more than hardwood floors. The care for bamboo is the same as for wood. Bamboo, a tropical plant, is naturally resistant to moisture. This makes it the perfect choice for kitchens and utility rooms.
• Appearance: Bamboo floors have a unique look, unlike any comparable wood or laminate product. The grass has a system of nodes that creates darkening bands of spectacular color. Bamboo can also be finished into darker colors to match any decor.

Customer Service is Essential to Success

In an article in the August edition of National Floor Trends, the author presents some interesting and important tips for great customer service. Seems likely that most consumers will agree that they prefer businesses that have excellent customer service and would pay more to do business with those companies.

The results of an American Express study show that Americans will spend 9% more with companies that provide excellent customer service. Leading the author to pose these questions:

• How does your company rank in customer service?
  
• Does your store have the highest rating amongst consumers?
  
• Do you have a presence on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook?
  
• Are customers writing favorable reviews about you on Angie’s List, Yelp and blogs?
  
• Is your store known as the customer service leader?

And concluding that if this is not the case, it is time to re-evaluate your company's procedures and how you and every person in the company interacts with your customers.

He lists eight key items for top quality customer service and how to use or know if you are already using them.

1. Know your customer’s desires. Your customers will let you know what they want and how you can provide good service.



2. Be a good listener. Ask questions of your customer to determine their flooring needs. Listen to their words and tone of voice, watch their body language, and most importantly, find out how they feel. Don’t make assumptions or guess what the customer wants. After your conversation, can you list three things that are most important to your customer?



3. Make your customer feel important and appreciated. Always find ways to compliment them. The goal is to generate good feelings about doing business with you. Thank them every time you get a chance and be sure to convey sincerity. Customers don’t buy products or services. They buy good feelings and solutions to problems.



4. Explain the purchase process. Take time to explain how your store works, including the sales, measuring, and installation steps.



5. Provide continuous solutions. Always look for ways to help your customers. When they have a request, show them you can do it. Make doing business with you easy. Always do what you say you are going to do.



6. Apologize when something goes awry. Deal with problems immediately and let customers know what you have done. Oftentimes if you work extremely hard to solve any problems that come up, your customers will be more likely to recommend you to their friends.



7. Give more than expected. Elevate yourself above the competition. What can you give customers that they cannot get elsewhere? Follow-up and thank people even when they don’t buy flooring from your store. Perhaps the buying situation changed and they will return soon.



8. Get feedback. Encourage and welcome suggestions about how you could improve. Listen carefully to what they say and provide a method that invites constructive criticism, comments and suggestions. Check back with your customers regularly to see how things are going.

The way we do business is changing quickly with consumers doing more research online to find flooring products and choosing where to shop for them. A successful business must provide all of the information the customers need without ever interacting with the customer. The customer is now seeking out the business, not the business seeking customers. The customer is directing the sale and leading the interaction. And as businesses, we must meet them there, or we'll lose them to the ones that are.

Featured Product: Caribbean Heart Pine

Featured Product: American Cherry

Hardwood Floors are Easier and More Beautiful than you Think

Hardwood floors bring an unparalleled richness that makes them seem a bit intimidating in regard to maintenance and decor. One of the arguments against hardwood flooring is usually that "they are so hard to maintain". However, hardwood flooring is exactly the opposite and may be the easiest flooring type to maintain. Sweeping is all you'll need to do. The main advantage to wood flooring is that there is a lot you can do to prevent problems. Mats and rugs and inexpensive furniture pads will prevent damage from regular use.

Unlike carpet, vinyl, tile and linoleum, hardwood flooring does not need to be replaced after only a few years. Refinishing, which used to be expensive, cumbersome and messy, is hardly "necessary" anymore. Old products that were used to maintain wood floors were not very "user-friendly" and refinishing may have immediately been recommended by your flooring professional then. However, with today's finishes, if a wood floor is properly maintained, it will outlast you, your mortgage and your house.

Not only is wood flooring easy to care for, but the natural beauty and long-term value it adds to your home make it the reason you'll want to incorporate it into your design and decor. The species and finish you choose can set the atmosphere for your whole room. Home Gurus shows how wood flooring fits into any style and decor. For a traditional style, oak is the most popular choice. Oak grains are classic and timeless and you'll have your choice of practically any stain color and finish. A modern look may include the smooth look of maple or the surprising pattern of an exotic wood like tigerwood. If rustic is your choice, hickory and cherry are great options. Walnut is a great choice for a worldly look.

Design is also important in decorating with hardwood flooring. Dark finishes on your wood flooring and light finishes on furniture (or vice versa) may appeal to you if you prefer contrasts. For a modern look, a high-gloss dark stained floor may fit your image. Rich colors like mahogany or honey seem to appeal to traditionalists. And country lovers will be drawn toward antiqued or hand-scraped hardwoods.

Last thing to consider in design and decor is the size of the flooring boards you'll use. Strip flooring is the most popular and is considered to be any board's width that is 3 inches or less. Strip flooring gives a traditional and modern look. Plank styles, any board width greater than 3 inches, or Wide Plank, any board width greater than 5 inches, will give your space a rustic feel. And Parquet flooring is easily recognized from is square pattern. Parquet floors were used in churches and palaces and give a formality and majesty to your design.

So when you hear: "Wood flooring - so hard to maintain, so expensive, and so hard to install", you'll know what to tell them now.

Featured Product: Breckenridge Skip-Sawn Hickory

The product description from the manufacturer is all you need to envision this flooring in your home.

"Sun glistens off mountain peaks where the snow is so cold and powdery it radiates an ice-blue glow. Ahead, the windows of the log resort beckon tired skiers with warmth and hospitality. This upscale lodge, with its warm handcrafted hickory floors, could be high in the French Alps, or as close as the Colorado Rockies. The beauty and tradition of hickory is a superior choice for even the most discriminating of tastes - character and charisma meets practicality with a charm uncompromised. A solvent-free, seven-coat, UV-cured coating makes the floor abrasion resistant, resilient, and easy to clean. Breckenridge Skip-Sawn Hickory brings the beauty of a classically superior lodge floor to your log home or retreat."



For more Harvest Timber products, check out our selection at GateWood Floors.

Description and images courtesy of Pioneered Wood.

Where do Reclaimed Floors come from?

Sometimes from old Chestnut log cabins or barns.




They are given new life and turned into gorgeous Reclaimed Wormy Chestnut wood flooring.


Images provided by Timeless Wood Floors, one of our manufacturers.