Have you noticed?

Have you noticed prices increasing? On everything? What about wood flooring? We've received notifications from suppliers with price increases. However, we are working hard to continue providing you with the best prices possible. We have been given some reasons for the price increases of the raw materials, which directly affect the prices of the flooring.

In March, Armstrong World Industries, who manufacture Bruce, Armstrong Hardwood, and Robbins brands, have attributed their price increase to these contributing factors:

• Significant reduction and capacity from lumber mills due to a decrease in board feet demand from 11.6 billion in 2005 to 5.7 billion in 2009. In conjunction with the tightening of credit, it has reduced the number of lumber mills.
• Weather conditions in 2009 and 2010 have prevented loggers from getting to the wood with no relief in sight.
• Decrease in high-end furniture sales, causing an increase in the cost of select grade products, as the lumber mills are shifting that wood to flooring.
• Lumber demand has increased over 30% since August 2009 and now there is less capacity to fill.

Just this week Armstrong announced another price increase:

[Lancaster, Pa.] Armstrong announced that it will initiate a six percent price increase in the U.S. and Canada on solid hardwood flooring products effective with shipments on July 1st, 2010.

"Since the announcement of our last price modification, lumber and energy prices have continued to rise. Early signs of a recovery in housing are putting continued volume pressures on saw mills. The cost impact on solid hardwood flooring is clearly visible through the price on commodities such as unfinished strip, which has increased 20 percent in the last 60 days. Armstrong's continued focus on productivity and overhead reduction allows us to protect our customers from the full severity of raw material increases," said Daniel Call, vice president, wood product management.

It seems unavoidable at this time, and for an unknown amount of time. We'll all be battling this together. Know that we will do our best to keep your prices as low as possible.

Radiant Heat & Wood Flooring: Part 1

Wood floors are successfully installed over radiant heat every day. When deciding to install a hardwood floor over a radiant heating system, you will need to consider the experience of your installer, his understanding of the radiant heat system and his knowledge of the hardwood flooring being used, and most importantly – moisture. These variables need to be controlled or your dream floor will be a disaster.

Moisture is hardwood flooring’s most-feared and intimidating nemesis. Even without radiant heat, moisture is the leading cause of wood flooring problems. Add radiant heat, and the potential for moisture problems is exponentially increased because the radiant heat dramatically exacerbates the moisture fluctuations in a wood floor.

To understand better, some basic information about radiant heat may be helpful. Radiant heating consists of "radiant energy" being emitted from a heat source; this radiant energy (commonly known as
heat) then penetrates all objects in its path, including people. For example, the heat felt from the sun or fireplace is radiant heat. Radiant energy travels through a space without heating the space itself (unlike forced-air heating systems which actually warm the air). When radiant heat comes across a cooler surface (like a human being), it attempts to equalize the temperature difference, thus giving off heat. Most radiant heat systems used in the United States today are hydronic, meaning the subfloor has plastic tubes through which hot water flows. The water may be heated by anything from natural gas or electricity, to solar energy. A radiant heat system heats all the materials around it. In the process, it drys everything out, while driving moisture from the joists, slab, subfloor and flooring.

There are many product choices you can make to increase the chances of a successful radiant heat flooring installation. However, there are no guarantees.

• Quartersawn & Rift-sawn Floors: More dimensionally stable than plain sawn wood flooring. They expand in height, whereas, plain sawn boards expand in width.

• Narrower Boards: Shrink and swell less than wider boards. Less than 3” wide is recommended.

• Engineered Floors: More dimensionally stable than solid wood flooring. The more plies, the more stable the product.

• Reclaimed Woods: Have a tighter pattern of growth rings, making them more stable.

• Parquet: Less expansion and contraction tendencies.

• Dark floors: Darker colors make seasonal gaps in boards less noticeable.

• Floors with Obvious Grain Patterns: They also downplay the appearance of seasonal gaps between boards.

• Distressed Flooring: Minimize the appearance of seasonal gaps.

• Beveled Edges: Make seasonal gaps less obvious.

• Tongue and Groove Strips

• Dimensionally Stable Species: North American Oak, American Cherry, and American Walnut are known for their inherent dimensional stability. Species that are more dense, such as Beech, Australian Cypress, Maple, Brazilian Cherry, and some Bamboo products are less stable. Exotic species can be particularly susceptible to problems resulting from bad drying practices.

• Products made Specifically for Radiant Heat

In Part 2 of our series on Radiant Heat, we will talk about the best ways to stabilize your floor and avoid disaster.

For more helpful information on hardwood flooring options, or to buy the right flooring for your radiant system, please visit www.GateWoodFloors.com.

Hardwood Flooring is Eco-Friendly

The nature of trends is that they don’t last. However, rising concerns over environmental issues indicate that “being green” has surpassed the “trend” stage and has now become a way of life for many consumers. There is evidence of this in our grocery stores with organic and natural foods displays, on packaging for brand name products, advertising “all-natural” or “no hormones,” and in the wave of community recycling programs for everything from paper to children’s toys to furniture - not to mention the free-cycling sites on the internet. So it is now safe to say that "being green" is not a “trend." It is a movement.

The move to environmental responsibility has reached the hardwood flooring industry as well.

Hardwood flooring is, in itself, green. It’s green because it already has the potential to be timeless - used forever as long as it’s maintained properly. It’s made from all-natural renewable resources. Manufacturers around the hardwood flooring industry are making an even bigger push to create flooring products with less waste and longer life. For example, engineered hardwood flooring continues to gain in popularity with consumers. It is a preferred flooring option in most every residential sector. In response to this increasing demand, manufacturers are creating engineered flooring that provides solutions to contractors’ and consumers’ concerns associated with construction, styling, performance and installation. In addition to coming from managed forests, some of these new engineered flooring products are produced with up to two-thirds less harvested wood than with typical wood flooring options. Manufacturers are using the dense inner layers of wood fiber, which are created as by-products from the manufacturing of other products like sawmill by-products. Otherwise these fibers would be thrown away, burned or put into landfills. An example of this extremely eco-friendly product, that showcases unsurpassed structural integrity, impact resistance and moisture tolerance, is Shaw’s EnviroCore ™ - used in their Epic engineered hardwood collection.

We’ve come to a time where “what’s old is new again." And it’s becoming increasingly popular, and important. Reclaimed wood flooring manufacturers are turning old timbers into beautiful wood flooring. Consumers appreciate the reclaimed flooring for its character and time-worn look. And they feel good about choosing a floor with minimal environmental impact.

Whether you are buying new, refinishing old, or reclaiming and reusing, being aware of how your flooring decision effects the environment is important. As the move to go green continues, many hardwood flooring manufacturers will only continue to offer more options to their customers. And GateWood Floors will be here to guide you along the way.

Welcome to the World of Hardwood Flooring!

Thanks for visiting the GateWood Floors Blog! We are thrilled to introduce ourselves and share lots of great information with you. Check back often for all kinds of useful content about hardwood floors:

You’ll learn how to plan a hardwood floor purchase, from pro’s and con’s of flooring types and guidance for decision-making to how to install and take care of your new floor.

We’ll also share hardwood floor industry information and updates, such as the latest production techniques and hot trends from manufacturers. Of course, we’ll always keep you in-the-know about brand new products, as well.

Lastly, don’t forget to check our blog for sales and special promotions – you’ll find the best deals on our hardwood flooring mentioned here.

Sharing our experience and knowledge with you in our blog is just the first step – visit GateWoodFloors.com to shop from wide variety of wood species in a range of widths, finishes and grades to suit any taste and lifestyle.

Bringing you the best of Hardwood Flooring!

It’s so fun to watch the competition at Churchill Down’s. The preening, the jockeying for position, and who gets left on the backstretch. We’re not talking about horses. We’re talking about lady’s hats.

People down in the infield will assume you have a thoroughbred in the running when they look at your hardwood floor from GateWood Floors. It’s a smart, across-the-board bet – a guaranteed win – and the style is something that will turn heads like the coolest hats at Churchill Downs.

When people see things they like, they immediately think one of two things. I can’t have it. I gotta have it. With a hardwood floor from GateWood Floors, you think the latter because it’s designed to appeal to the way people with style like to live – at a price that makes us an odds-on favorite for your customer satisfaction.

By style, we mean taste and class that endures, not this week’s trend. That’s what’s so good about GateWood Floors. It's the real thing. Our team knows exactly who we’re supplying…people who love the world to know that they’ve got a beautiful home with a “thoroughbred” hardwood floor. Our team negotiates the best deals from exclusive hardwood flooring sources around the globe so our customers can pay the best price for the best look.

At GateWood Floors, we have only two real passions.

Hardwood floors.

And you.

Bringing you over 20 years experience, GateWood Floors offers high quality hardwood flooring in 15 wood species in a wide range of widths, finishes and grades that appeals to many tastes. Our products are high quality and durable at appealing prices.

That makes us happy to sell it. And it makes our customers thrilled to showcase it in their homes.

Add GateWood Floors to your favorites list, and visit our blog often for tips, trends, specials and more!