Carlisle Wide Plank Floors

Surface Blog

• 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 June 29, 2010 at 05:47 PM in Home Building & Contracting • Home Decor • (0) Comments

• Why Harley-Davidson is revved up about Carlisle

  Posted by Christine Halvorson

  

  When Harley-Davidson started designing its stunning new 6,000- square-foot showroom in Wichita, Kansas, owners Paula and Dan Alefs considered various flooring options. They loved the look of antique wood but were concerned about installing it directly over the concrete slab.

  Not to worry. Our design consultants shared with them that over the years, Carlisle floors had been installed directly over concrete and/or radiant heat dozens of times with no problems whatsoever.

  We then recommended our FSC Certified Antique Reclaimed Oak in 3-to 5-inch widths, which the owners readily approved.

  Scott Clyne of Clyne’s Custom Hardwood Floors handled the actual installation. The first step was to lay down Bostik’s MVP Moisture Vapor Protection to seal the concrete with a moisture barrier and provide the base for the adhesive. The boards were then glued to this using Bostik’s Best Wood Floor Adhesive.

  

  “I really credit the quality of the wo o d flooring… the milling was great,” says Scott. “The boards went together with ease, and that is extremely important when dealing with a
  glue-down application.”

  The floor was then finished with four coats of Carlisle Transparent Tung Oil followed by two coats of Carlisle Antique Satin Tung Oil.

  “We may have done a nice installation job, which is what we were hired to do, but the wood itself is ultimately the reason for the beauty. It’s nature’s miracle,” Scott said.

  Also involved in the project were John Hancock of Key Construction and Sheldon Architecture. Harley-Davidson’s Marketing Manager, Milt Mounts adds, “We really love the natural richness of our Antique Oak floor. It adds great warmth to the showroom and presents an interesting counterpoint to the awesome power of all those high-tech Harleys.”

  Posted on June 22, 2010 at 05:24 PM in Customer Stories • Hardwood Flooring • (0) 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 June 22, 2010 at 01:24 PM 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 June 15, 2010 at 04:47 PM in Home Building & Contracting • Home Decor • (0) 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 June 8, 2010 at 01:41 PM in News & Events • (0) Comments

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