Surface Blog

Earth Friendly Folks ‘Drink it All In’...

• Posted by
• Jen Fox

... At Carlisle Wide Plank Floors in Hollywood, CA tonight, 02/21/08! Check it out if you’re in the area and would like to hang out with some environmentally conscious friends on some environmentally sound wide plank wood flooring!

Posted on Feb 21, 2008 AT 04:22 AM in (2) Comments

Green Buildings - LITERALLY!

• Posted by
• Lindsay Barczuk

We’ve done a lot of work with an Interior Designer on Mercer Island, WA - who named her company Six Walls.  She was visiting our Denver showroom a few years back and took the time to explain why she chose the company name.  She said that most people think a room has only 4 walls - but including the ever important floor and ceiling - there are actually six walls.  Clever, I thought.

Now, we are teetering on the edge of adding yet another wall - or surface - on which we can imprint our personal touch.  In this case, we are talking about Green Roofs - roofs made of soil, grasses and other organic materials that are designed to promote improved stormwater runoff, protect buildings from the heat of the sun, and more.  People have even taken this so far as to create a pasture for grazing animals on the roof of their building!

Here’s a picture of a Green Roof in Tokyo from Dissonanc3 on Flickr via Ecogeek.org

It’s a great idea and, while it may not be ideal in desert climates like in the Southwest, there is certainly something to be said about incoporating a little more color into one’s exterior design.

Posted on Feb 19, 2008 AT 11:34 PM in Green Building • (2) Comments

Green Bamboo or Bust?

• Posted by
• Lindsay Barczuk

EcoTimber, a fellow provider of Green Flooring, recently announced that they are expanding their offerings to include bamboo flooring.  We’ve heard a lot about bamboo in recent years and I think there are definitely some advantages to using this material - mostly because of the quick regeneration cycle and reduced cost.  For many consumers out there, this flooring option is a great one.

Carlisle has never considered offering bamboo.  To begin, bamboo is a plant - not a wood.  We sell only high quality wide plank wood floors.  Bamboo is an imported product and, while the growth patterns and harvesting techniques are favorable, the transportation implications taint the overall "greenness" of the product.  Another question that only time will answer is the long-term aesthetic appeal to the American public.

For now, Carlisle remains focused on the tried and true GREENness of our North American FSC certified Antique and Selectively Harvested Woods.

Posted on Feb 19, 2008 AT 03:18 AM in Green Building • (2) Comments

Recycling History: The Claremont Riding Academy

• Posted by
• Rich Marrila

Good morning everyone. I have attached some pictures of a building that we have secured some great Heart Pine from in New York City. This building is not being demoed, but they are taking the wooden frame work out of it and replacing it with steel to preserve the building. I did a quick google search, and there is a lot of info available on this building.

The Claremont Riding Academy, the last riding stable in Manhattan, was located at 175 West 89th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam Avenues in New York City. Built in 1892, and a National Historical Site that was designed by Frank A. Rooke [1], Claremont was the oldest continuously operated equestrian stable in New York City[2], and a regular attraction for horsey tourists.

Claremont was a very sophisticated yet homey environment. It was an unusual multistory barn, its floors connected by ramps, housed its horses in individual stalls in the basement and on the second floor. There was an indoor riding ring, but it was quite small and obstructed by posts.

Posted on Feb 11, 2008 AT 11:04 PM in Green Building • (2) Comments

Customer Service That Lasts Generations

• Posted by
• Stephanie Urquhart

I recently read an amazing blog/article written by C.B. Whittemore called Luxury Marketing: It Surrounds Us!  In her blog, ironically called Flooring the Consumer, Whittemore speaks about the Luxury Market and how it behooves anyone in the Luxury industry to take their customer service very seriously.  I couldn’t help but make a correlation between it and my position at Carlisle Wide Plank Floors, not to mention our general company philosophies.  You see, at Carlisle, we responsibly procure and handcraft Wide Plank Wood Floors of only the highest quality.  Every floor we make is handcrafted with each individual customer’s wants, needs and desires in mind.  Each plank that goes into a Carlisle Floor is meticulously inspected by dozens of skilled craftsmen to ensure the desired characteristics are met while also being carefully examined to meet Carlisle’s stringent standards for excellence.  These concepts are carried throughout every aspect of our organization.  In many ways our wood receives the same type of individual attention that we strive to provide each customer with every time we are in contact with them.  I’m sure by now you can see where my analogy is headed.  In essence, from the moment a customer calls in for the first time, throughout every step of their decision making process, all the way until they place their order and beyond, it is the apex of our business to develop a relationship with each customer.  Some of these relationships last weeks, yet most of them last years and even generations! 

I work in Customer Service at Carlisle Wide Plank Floors, so I am at the front lines of this initiative.  Proudly, I am often the first voice our customers hear when they call in.  Each person on my team shares a common goal to create a memorable experience in every contact each customer has with us.  We then take this concept and expand upon it by following up with our customers to check to see if they got our brochure they requested, received the samples our shop crafted for them, as well as answer any questions they may have.  To top it off, we then contact each customer after their floors have become a part of their home or project to see how everything turned out.  At this point, or at any point for that matter, we encourage them to let us know if there is anything we may be able to improve upon.  We consider this feedback to be among the most important we receive, as it’s truly what allows us to continue with our mission and evolve as a business.

Each string woven into the fabric of our company contributes to these philosophies.  Whether you’re a Finisher working in our Sample Shop handcrafting a sample to match a particular customers cabinets, a Craftsman in our Mill selecting the perfect plank of Old Growth White Oak because it has a beautiful knot that’s going to fit right into the Country Kitchen it’s being crafted for, or if you work right beside me in Sales/Customer Service; each member of the Carlisle Family shares this common goal: to provide superior customer service that leaves a footprint of memory behind; and much like a Carlisle Floor, will last generations and won’t ever be replaced.

Posted on Feb 08, 2008 AT 05:22 AM in (2) Comments