Surface Blog

“God-created and Carlisle-touched” floors? We kinda like that

• Posted by
• Christine Halvorson

We got this nice note recently from Steve and Brenda Ellis in Grenville, South Carolina.  They’re in the middle of a home renovation and they sent us this note even before they completed their installation process.  They ordered 1,400 square feet of 5- to 12-inch original Hickory from us and, when it’s all installed, they’ll apply a high resin Tung oil finish to it.

Here’s what they had to say:

Things here are going well but we have yet to start on the floor. We have it all stacked in the master bedroom “curing” to the atmospheric condition of our house…We also have not completely finished painting walls and ceilings where the floor is going or replaced the subfloor all at the same level. Now with your knowledge of construction I know I have said enough for you to figure we are a few weeks away from starting on the floor. But we are really enjoying looking at it all stacked up. We started “grading” it between pretty boards and just regular boards and finally about gave up cause we didn’t see any boards that were not BEAUTIFUL!!! My carpenter son said the plaining job was the best he had ever seen. He can’t wait to start working with it. Not to take up your time, but we are thrilled with this God created and Carlisle touched floor.

… By the way, I pulled out only 14 boards that had any little bit wrong like a split end, knothole that went completely through or a strapping band mark, etc. out of the whole 1400 sq ft. We do appreciate all the help and appreciate the maple syrup as well. —-Steve and Brenda Ellis”

Posted on Jul 01, 2010 AT 12:42 AM in (0) Comments

A perfect dovetail fit

• Posted by
• Christine Halvorson

When Donna Carrigan of Damariscotta, Maine, started Dovetail Designs in 2002, she had already been successfully designing kitchens and baths for over a dozen years, and she had dealt with many different companies and product lines.

A Certified Master Kitchen & Bath Designer, Donna has done many medium- to high-end projects throughout Maine and even as far away as Florida. These projects often involve flooring decisions, and she is always happy to recommend Carlisle. When first introduced to Carlisle at a trade show, she was immediately impressed and soon chose to work with us on installing a new kitchen floor in her in-home showroom.

“The room was a real challenge: an uneven concrete floor with base cabinets already in place and nothing was level,” notes Donna. “Yet Carlisle worked with a professional installer and it wound up going down amazingly fast. I had selected the sustainably grown Eastern White Pine in 13- to 20-inch widths, with antique cut nails because many of the homes I get involved with are of that historic period. Then I applied the Indian Summer stain with Antique Satin Tung Oil finish myself.”

“I vowed when I started out, I was only going to work with the best of the best,” says Donna. “In addition to Carlisle’s great reputation and knowledge, their customer service is incredible. And I have not seen any other product that offers such consistent quality, beautifully finished and incredibly wide boards. Customers walk into my kitchen, look at the floor and say they had no idea the building was so old! Yet you can achieve a lot of different looks – from antique to modern – depending on your goal.”

Dovetail and Carlisle. A perfect fit in more ways than one.

Posted on Jun 29, 2010 AT 07:17 AM in Home Building & Contracting • (3) Comments

These winemakers now have Hickory undertones in their home

• Posted by
• Christine Halvorson

Dan O’Neill, who serves Carlisle customers out of our West Hollywood, California design center, sent along the link to this photo album of a recent project.  Brian and Johnine Talley, owners of Talley Vineyards in California’s Arroyo Grande Valley, recently had a Carlisle floor installed by builder Hunstad Homes. The floor was installed on site and is done in 5- to 10-inch Original Style Hickory.

You can see the full photo album here, but take a look especially at photos 22 and 30 for good views of the floor.

Posted on Jun 22, 2010 AT 02:54 AM in Hardwood Flooring • (0) Comments

Really high expectations met with Hancock Center project in Chicago

• Posted by
• Christine Halvorson

Getting 2,000 square feet of Walnut to the 92nd floor was definitely a tall order.

Hagerty Construction, Inc. has historically been involved in several condominium renovations in Chicago’s towering John Hancock Center, but surely none represented a taller order than this one on the 92nd floor.

To complement the killer view, Interior Designer Kara Mann specified a wide plank distressed Walnut floor, which eventually led Pat Hagerty to contact Carlisle.

“We had checked a few local retailers, but either the products they offered or their pricing didn’t meet our needs. I went to the Carlisle website and the samples they sent were just what we were looking for. We specified unfinished Walnut in 8-inch widths that had received a surface treatment they call footworn.

So how do you get 2,000 square feet of hardwood flooring up 92 stories?

“Carlisle was very helpful because we needed maximum lengths of 10 feet in order to get the boards in the elevators. So we asked for 3 to 10 foot lengths, which they provided. The actual installation was a nail-down over concrete. We first put down a sound barrier, then used a layer of 3/4-inch plywood and nailed the flooring over that.”

Of particular interest was the custom finish. The interior designer wanted a natural, unfinished look, but clear coats still darkened the wood. The final result was achieved after much trial and error with the application of a custom-mixed, subtle whitewash stain, which slightly lightened the Walnut while at the same time allowing the coloration and grains to fully show through. This was then topped with a clear matte finish that brought the wood back to its normal unfinished coloration.

“Everyone was pleased with the results,” notes Pat. “In fact, the homeowner liked it so much he had some installed on the ceiling of his entryway.”

Posted on Jun 15, 2010 AT 06:17 AM in Home Building & Contracting • (2) Comments

Ronald McDonald is all smiles. And so are we.

• Posted by
• Christine Halvorson

Many of us here at Carlisle are already somewhat familiar with our company’s contribution to the newest Ronald McDonald House which opened a little over a year ago in the Chicago suburb of Oak
Lawn. It’s a great example of our ongoing commitment to upholding our corporate social responsibility. So let me take a moment to share some of the details.

First, a bit of background. All Ronald McDonald houses are located near children’s hospitals across the country with the goal of providing out of town lodging for deserving families whose children are receiving medical care far away from home. Having this sort of cozy, safe haven not only helps keep families together during critical times – it also gives them a chance to share their stories and make lasting friendships with others who are going through similar experiences.

Food and lodging fees consist of small donations – in the case of the Oak Lawn facility, $10 per night, per family (although the organization welcomes additional donations, since their per-room operating costs are in the neighborhood of $50 per night). Located adjacent to the Advocate Hope Children’s Hospital, the Oak Lawn Ronald McDonald home was designed with a “house in the woods” theme and is indeed nestled amidst a nice stand of hardwood trees. It encompasses some 24,000 square feet, with 16 bedrooms and 4 extended stay suites with separate living and sleeping areas.

Carlisle’s involvement came through our Design Consultant Gary Ryer, who made us aware of the project. Naturally, we were happy to join others in contributing to the overall building effort. Gary worked with architect Constantine Vasilios and supervised the installation of a gorgeous FSC Antique Reclaimed Oak floor, which received a special surface treatment from our Custom Shop. He calls it one of the most satisfying projects he has ever been involved in, and we wholeheartedly agree.

The end result blends beautifully with the turn-of-the-century craftsman design, and since opening in December 2008, it has welcomed over 200 families. I encourage you to check out the website and take the photo tour of RMH near Advocate Hope Children’s Hospital. Then click on the “How Can I Help” page and join our corporate efforts to make a difference. Believe me, it’ll put a nice big smile on your face.

Posted on Jun 08, 2010 AT 03:11 AM in News & Events • (2) Comments