Surface Blog

Spring remodeling or construction projects in mind?

• Posted by
• Christine Halvorson

Spring is in the air and if that means you are thinking about a home renovation or construction project, now’s the time to consider whether there are ways you can make that a more environmentally friendly process. Using wide plank wood floors is one thing to consider, and we’re not just saying that because we sell them.

Reclaimed wood, which Carlisle gets from old structures mainly on the Eastern United States, can give another life to an existing material—saving on resources. Using reclaimed wood also means you’re avoiding sending the old materials to a landfill. Carlisle’s reclaimed floors have the third-party certification of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which makes sure our planks came from where we said they came from and that they adhere to certain standards.

You can read about our reclaimed options here.

When we’re not reclaiming old wood, we’re responsibly harvesting trees from well-managed forests.

Because we want to be part of the reclaimed wood industry and the forestry industry in a responsible fashion, we are members of the Forest Stewardship Council, National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, and Built Green. Our environmental commitments are spelled out in more detail here.

Posted on Apr 23, 2010 AT 12:23 AM in Green Building • Restoration Projects • (0) Comments

Square pegs in a Hickory floor an excellent combination

• Posted by
• Christine Halvorson

Sometimes the smallest detail can make all the difference.  In this home, Casa Dolores in Carmel, California, Carlisle’s original grade Hickory floors were finished by another company using square pegs to nail them to the floor. The pegs add an additional layer of authentic old-fashioned look that seems timeless, don’t you think?  This floor was sold through our California design center.

Read more about Hickory and special treatments all of our floors can receive.

Posted on Apr 20, 2010 AT 11:33 PM in Hardwood Flooring • (2) Comments

Crafting not just floors but a culture of personal warmth

• Posted by
• Christine Halvorson

Jim and Patsy Wilson of Summit, New Jersey recently completed having their new Cherry floor installed. As the last nails were driven into the floor, they were kind enough to send a note along to use about their experience working with Carlisle and, in particular, our sales and design staff Adam Whitney out of the Washington D.C. design center.

The Wilsons found Carlisle some two years ago now for their project.  They write, “Along the way we found an astonishing company that crafts a culture of personal warmth and professional excellence that is reflected in the entire order process and the wood floors themselves, and we made a new friend.”

We are delighted that they think of our Adam as their new friend and even more delighted that they took the time to send us a note.

If you have questions about the process we undergo to make sure you have an equally rewarding experience, please check out We Make Buying Easy.

Posted on Apr 19, 2010 AT 03:15 AM in (2) Comments

Brown Maple wide plank floors hold up to Montana’s big sky

• Posted by
• Christine Halvorson

You’ll have to click through to this PDF  Nienstedt.pdf to see the photographs of this spectacular house, featuring Carlisle’s Brown Maple floors, along with a lot of other beautiful design elements. 

Brown Maple is one of our floor options that is rarely used.  It’s not technically heartwood—that is, from the very heart of the tree—but it is as hard as White Maple.  It can achieve a wide range of color tones and hues, from nearly white to a dark brown, as you can see in the samples we have here.

As you might guess from the landscape, this house is out west, in southwest Montana, and serves as a vacation home for its owners.  We’re grateful to the owners who sent us this set of photos.  They had worked with our West Hollywood, California design center and our staff person Jason Wolfe.  The customer writes:  “We are very happy with the Carlisle product.”

We’re happy that they’re happy.  Wouldn’t you love to just drop in to southwest Montana for a visit?

Posted on Apr 16, 2010 AT 01:32 AM in Hardwood Flooring • (2) Comments

Carlisle’s heirloom grade Ash fits well in historic Georgetown row house

• Posted by
• Christine Halvorson

Our staff in Carlisle’s Washington D.C. showroom sent along these photos a recent remodeling project in their neighborhood.  The home is a 2-story condo occupying the second and third floors of the building, a Georgetown row house with retail space at the street level. The owners chose our Heirloom Grade Ash planks in six-inch widths.  The floor was then finished with Whitewashed Fence, one of our heirloom stains. Overall, we think, the floor is a great complement to the contemporary feel of the remodeling.

Our sales and design team can answer any question you may have on marrying traditional with contemporary, old with new. We do it all the time!

 

Posted on Apr 09, 2010 AT 02:44 AM in Hardwood Flooring • (3) Comments