Surface Blog
All entries by Don Carlisle
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The floors we’ve all come to love now come prefinished.
Posted by Don Carlisle
Pre-finished flooring has been out there a long time. But we waited until we could be sure of getting it right. Right, in terms of the lustrous traditional look for which Carlisle finishes are famous. And right, in terms of the environment.
Announcing Carlisle Custom Coat finishes.
For starters, virtually all other manufacturers leave the bottom of their boards unfinished. Which, because of moisture absorption, could mean mold and mildew problems as well as instability due to seasonal effects. But our new Custom Coat finishes are applied to the top, bottom and even the tongue and groove by our Custom Shop craftsmen so that the board will stay dry, flat and stable. Plus, they incorporate a special additive which effectively combats mold, mildew and other unhealthy airborne microbes. And because they are completely sealed and cured, they are ready for immediate installation. So customers don’t have to first stack them in the house to let them acclimatize. Or wait, wait, wait while each coat dries, which can be a real problem in humid climates. Which means any professional installation will now go faster and more economically. And do-it-yourselfers won’t have to live with smelly fumes, sticky floors and stacked furniture for days on end.
Pro-environment. Super-tough.
Our Custom Coat finishes are formulated to be environmentally friendly. For example, they contain no measurable volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which can pose a significant health hazard as they escape into the air when finishes are applied on site. Another big advantage is that these new finishes are three times more durable than typical site-applied polyurethane finishes –yet, unlike other pre-finished flooring options, can be easily be touched up when accidents happen. Or be totally refreshed after years of wear – a huge breakthrough. In addition to a clear top coat, our Custom Coat finishes are available in all thirteen of our Historic Stains or any individually-created custom colors. And in board widths up to 12 inches – something no one else offers. We can also pre-finish any and all of our custom surfaces, including foot-worn, hand-scraped and saw kerf. And we even offer a commercial version that stands up to the heaviest foot traffic in the busiest of places. Carlisle Custom Coat finishes – just the thing for the floors we – and our customers – have all come to love.Check out our latest issue of Surface for more details.
-Don Carlisle
Posted on February 25, 2008 at 01:28 PM in DIY • (4) Comments
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A Message from Don Carlisle
Posted by Don Carlisle
It's my pleasure to welcome you to a new endeavor at Carlisle Wide Plank Floors - our very own blog. We wanted to find a way to acknowledge the special customer relationships that we've developed during the past 40 years and find even more ways to reach out into the community and make ourselves available to you. Like our Surface newsletter, our new Surface blog reflects the idea that there is no more important surface than the one we live on. You could take this literally to mean the floor of your home -- or you could take it a bit deeper to mean the surface we all live on: our planet. Both are of utmost importance to all of us at Carlisle.
With an increase in environmental awareness and a widespread effort to "go green," many companies are finding ways to educate others about the importance of sustainability. At Carlisle, we've been "green" from the very beginning. And we see this blog as an opportunity to explore the many different ways in which our company is committed to the environment - from dispelling myths surrounding forestry practices to helping you understand the ecological benefits that a Carlisle Wide Plank Floor can offer.
I'll be posting periodically to give you updates on new happenings at Carlisle as well as my thoughts from the perspective of a second generation owner in our family-run business. I'll also be discussing a variety of forestry-related topics, including the approaches we use at Carlisle.
I hope that you will not only find the content in this blog valuable, but that you will carry with you the spirit and commitment that we uphold at Carlisle Wide Plank Floors: a company that maintains the highest of ideals and treats its customers the way we ourselves would like to be treated.
Equally important, we hope that you will share with us some of your stories, whether you're a past Carlisle customer or may become one in the future. With five contributing employee bloggers and the potential for more to join in, we like to think of ourselves as one big family and we hope you will feel the same. We encourage you to comment but just keep in mind that we do have some basic User Guidelines.
Our bloggers are:
Jennifer Fox - a Carlisle employee and customer whose focus will be on the health effects of wide plank flooring, forestry practices and her first-hand knowledge of the customer experience.
Lindsay Barczuk - the "green queen" of our company, she will bring her environmental expertise and passion for eco-culture to our blog.
Rick Menard - an experienced account manager and active outdoorsman, he will be sharing his expertise on topics appealing to builders, architects and homeowners alike.
Sharon Bondie - located in our Georgia office, Sharon will be discussing topics such as installing over slab and home decorating on a budget.
Stephanie Urquhart - one of our great customer service representatives, Stephanie will be here to discuss customer service, the Carlisle process and address your questions or comments.
While each blogger has a unique voice and message, we'll all be posting on a wide range of subjects including Carlisle as a company, the knowledge we have of our products, and our own personal interests.
We're excited. Thanks so much for visiting and we look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Don Carlisle, President
Carlisle Wide Plank FloorsPosted on January 17, 2008 at 02:12 PM in (4) Comments
Milling Eastern White Pine
Stoddard, New Hampshire