Surface Blog

Welcome to Surface, a blog by Carlisle Wide Plank Floors. Join us in discussion about hardwood flooring wood grains & styles, home decor, green building products, trends and more.

Hermitage Inn, Vermont uses Carlisle’s Heart Pine, Eastern White Pine in historic renovation

Posted by Christine Halvorson

Everything went smoothly, Glen says, because everyone had realistic expectations. “Every project is different and every person is different. There’s always something that will be misunderstood or not communicated well. But our builder did a great job and the client was very pleased,” Glen said. “Now they’ve got guests thinking the floor is original, from the 1800s, and we’ve got some of them going home to New Jersey and deciding they need a Carlisle floor in their lake home.”

The inn project probably took 10 months from start to finish, but it continues. An addition to the inn will also be done with about 2,500 square feet of Carlisle ’s pine flooring.

Read more about our Pine floor options here.

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Posted on November 4, 2009 at 03:29 PM in Green Building and Eco Friendly Products • (0) Comments
Green By Design event October 10 attracted a crowd

Posted by Christine Halvorson

More than 100 people attended the Green by Design Open House hosted by Carlisle partner ABODE Builders of New England on October 10 in Plymouth, New Hampshire.

Attendees had the chance to see and hear ideas for building their dream home or remodeling their current home in an environmentally friendly way against a backdrop of the infamous New England foliage, live music and food.

Vendors like Crown Point Cabinetry (another Carlisle partner), Landscape Design Architects, Interiors East Design and Green ICF Building solutions had the chance to address the attendees about their products inside a model home that featured Carlisle’s 4- to 8-inch pre-finished Antique Oak.

Visitors got to see Carlisle’s 4-to-8-inch Antique Hickory floor, which was installed in the Abode Design Center.

Posted on October 30, 2009 at 02:15 PM in Green Building and Eco Friendly Products • (0) Comments
Carlisle floors showing up in LEED Platinum homes designed to be “net zero”

Posted by Christine Halvorson

One of our customers, architect/designer Marc Batchelder of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, recently sent us word that the super “green” home he designed was completed this past spring and has now become a LEED Platinum certified home—only the 218th one in the country! Certification comes from the U.S. Green Building Council. and recognizes homes that are designed and built to be energy and resource efficient and healthy for occupants.

The floor chosen by Marc Batchelder was Carlilse’s FSC Certified 100 percent Reclaimed Antique Long Leaf Heart Pine in Premium Grade, in 3- to 9-inch random widths. He also chose our Amber Custom Coat prefinish because of its no-voc content. The homeowners installed it themslves.

The house was designed to be a “net zero” home, consuming less energy than it produces for the family of two that lives there. Everything in the house is electric, with a PV system installed, that will generate all the electricity they need. Also, the home’s location was optimized and oriented toward the sun for peak passive solar gain. The roof overhangs will shade the windows in the summer and let full sunlight in during the winter.

Batchelder points out that when he and his wife, Cheryl, began this construction project more than a year ago, there were only 28 LEED Platinum homes in the country, so you can see where this “green” building trend is going.

The home was built by Little Green Homes and is 1,460 square feet of efficiency. The home has a solar hot water system and numerous other features that led to its recognition as a LEED home. It is the first such home in New Hampshire’s seacoast region. The home was recently featured in the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association green buildings open house tour on October 3.

Carlisle’s floors were installed in the home and Marc writes us “We have been enjoying the wood floors since we moved in in April and look forward to enjoying them for years to come. The floors get instant attention from everyone who comes in to view the house. Thanks again for these fantastic floors.”

Posted on October 21, 2009 at 09:44 AM in Green Building and Eco Friendly Products • (0) Comments
Carlisle’s Hickory floors featured in Lighthouse Point “green” development in Plymouth, MA

Posted by Christine Halvorson

We’re excited to be working with Richard McLaughlin of Terrene Sustainable Building Supply in South Yarmouth, MA on a project he’s developing in Plymouth, Massachusetts, with a focus on “green building.” Terrene is one of several retail partners we work with in helping customers find the right floor for the project. You can see our own president, Don Carlisle, speaking about the partnership with Terrene Sustainable Building Supply on ““What’s in Store”“:http://www.wideplankflooring.com/blog/detail/whats-in-store-terrene-and-carlisle-wide-plank-floors/, a Boston-based television program.

The Lighthouse Point Residences were constructed this past summer and eventually 14 homes will be ready for purchase there. Carlisle’s Hickory floors, done in 3- to 7-inch widths, are featured in the development’s model home which opened in August. You can see photos of the model below. The Hickory floors were finished with four coats of a Tung Oil natural finish.

Richard says he’s been selling Carlisle floors to his customers for about 8 months and really wanted to showcase the floors at Lighthouse Point, where the whole focus of the housing project is green building design and construction.

“Visitors to the site are very impressed at the grains and richness in the wood,” Richard said. “The finish is amazing. We have put Cherry into the next unit with the Tung oil as well. We have just received White Oak to be installed in the third unit. I am sure that when the buyers see these floors they will choose Carlisle floors when they go to design their own units at our development.”

“Sustainable building practices aren’t just good for the planet. They also increase energy efficiency, reduce maintenance, and provide a healthier, more comfortable living environment for families and pets,” he writes. “That’s why we made such a strong commitment to integrating green construction and design into the residences at Light House Point.”

Got a question about Carlisle floors? We’re always happy to talk. Call us at 1-800-595-9663.

Posted on October 13, 2009 at 03:50 PM in Green Building and Eco Friendly Products • Home Building and Contracting • (0) Comments
Using Carlisle’s antique flooring has “sentimental value” for this customer

Posted by Christine Halvorson

A customer in Pennsylvania sent us these shots of his recently installed Antique Milled Barnwood, which he tells us has “sentimental value” for him. John Cassimatis has been working with Carlisle for a few years and now plans another floor in Antique Oak.

Posted on October 1, 2009 at 11:56 AM in Green Building and Eco Friendly Products • (0) Comments