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.

The “Hart” (House) of New England, and Other Refurbished Colonial Buildings

Posted by GuestBlogger

By Sean O'Reilly

British comedian Eddie Izzard once quipped, "I'm from Europe-where the history is," and then went on to parody how short a time span Americans consider "historic." And many people, both Americans and foreigners, seem to share that view-that the U.S. is too young to have acquired much history. But if there's one place in the U.S. where the accumulation of history can be felt, it's in New England, in the old-style architecture, the surviving examples of colonial houses with their sturdy hardwood floors and rustic, endearing ambiance.

In my own community, I was surprised to discover how many examples survive of this colonial era architecture, many with most of their walls and floors still intact. One of the best examples is the Balch House (just see the history soaked into those well-worn floor-boards!) once thought to be the oldest surviving wood-frame house in the United States until dendrochronology dated the oldest timbers to 1679. But it just so happens that Massachusetts has quite a few colonial-era wooden houses, including three in Ipswich and three in Salem (including the famous House of Seven Gables). Just walking around in these houses, hearing the wide-planked hardwood floors creak comfortingly under your step, can convince you that you've traveled back in time to the colonial era: you're standing on floors that someone's hands painstakingly built, and built well.

One of my favorite colonial houses is the 1640 Hart House in Ipswich, not least because it's been turned into quite a nice restaurant. And what makes it so nice? It's not the food, although that's good, or the air conditioning, which is sometimes on too strong for my taste; no, it's the ambiance, the atmosphere of a house that's steeped in history, that's witnessed centuries of inhabitants and guests walking over its still sturdy floors. And it's remarkable how much of that atmosphere is literally grounded in those hardwood floors, from how they feel underfoot to how they look and even how they smell. If I just wanted a nice meal, I could go to any number of restaurants, but if I want to have a historical experience, nothing beats the 1640 Hart House.

Interestingly, there are a number of historic buildings that have been refurbished with Carlisle wide plank floors in recent years. One example is the Jethro Coffin House in Nantucket. Another is the Saugus Iron Works in Saugus, MA, and a third is the Milleridge Inn in Jericho, NY. These three structures, while not quite as venerable as the Hart House, give examples of how even modern remodeling efforts can retain that historic feel, and a comprehensive list of such buildings restored by Carlisle is available on the Historic Wood Floor Restoration Projects section of the website.

Does anyone else have stories of colonial houses in their area, and what it feels like to walk around (or eat lunch!) in them? I'd love to hear them, if so! And for anyone curious to learn more about colonial architecture, I'd recommend Within These Walls, a virtual exhibit offering various interactive activities and explaining all about colonial house construction, from their hardwood floors to their rooftops.

Posted on July 11, 2008 at 09:43 AM in Hardwood Flooring • (0) Comments
Carlisle Helps New Orleans Rebuild

Posted by ChadCassin

We have partnered with Deltec Homes of Ashville, N.C. in order to build a new home in New Orleans to replace those destroyed by Katrina.

Carlisle has donated 2,500 square feet of its traditional Southern Heart Pine flooring as part of a participating effort on “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition". The popular TV show has asked builders and suppliers from all over the country to help out in New Orleans continuing road to recovery.

The program will air at 8/7c on ABC Sunday, May 18, 2008.

Deltec homes and buildings are of a classic round design, noted for their beautiful cathedral ceilings. So ironically, that is where Carlisle’s Heart Pine flooring will be featured.

“We say we craft our floors one board at a time, but in this case it was a ceiling,” says Don Carlisle. “We’ve known the folks at Deltec for quite a while and have partnered with them on other projects, but this one was really special. The whole Extreme Makeover: Home Edition effort to help Katrina victims is a very worthy cause and we’re proud to have contributed.”

Joseph Schlenk, Deltec’s Director Of Sales and Marketing adds: “To build a home in four days was an impossible task. We accomplished our mission because a lot of ordinary people exerted extraordinary efforts. It would have never been possible without the help of our builder coalition, the volunteers and our sponsors, especially Carlisle Wide Plank Floors. The heart pine Carlisle provided was stunning and anyone who entered the was amazed by its beauty. We thank them for their generous contribution.”

Posted on May 9, 2008 at 02:09 PM in Hardwood Flooring • (1) Comments
All about wood: Longleaf Yellow Heart Pine Flooring

Posted by Chris Sy

Longleaf Yellow Pine used to be the dominate species in Southeastern United States. It was the Driving force behind the South’s post Civil War industrial revolution Established the social status of hard wood floors Primary wood used in early 1900s Southern homes, mills, and factories. Not to be confused with Shortleaf Yellow Pine, a fast growing timber that is used today for plywood, pulp and pressure treated lumber.

What makes Longleaf Heart Pine so special and prized by our customers is the deep amber-colored patina which darkens and becomes more beautiful as the wood ages. If a floor rich in history, family tradition, and color is your idea of the perfect surface for your home, ask for a sample of Carlisle's Old Growth Heart Pine today. It will be a floor that grows with your family for generations.

John Crosby and Don Carlisle on the Crosby Alabama plantation.

For more than 40 years, Carlisle Heart Pine has come from a 30,000-acre plantation in Alabama, owned and operated by the Crosby famliy.

This is the first in an on going video series we are calling All About Wood, highlighting the history, facts and thoughts about our most popular wide plank hard wood flooring.

Posted on April 10, 2008 at 01:14 PM in Hardwood Flooring • Wood Grains & Styles • (0) Comments
Conflicting information about Hardwood floors… HELP!

Posted by Don Carlisle

A few weeks ago while browsing the Garden Web forums, I came across a concern we hear from time to time regarding durability.
Posted by mamadadapaige
Hi,
Please help me get to the bottom of this...

We are renovating our house and putting in hardwood floors which will run continuously through several rooms, including the kitchen and butt up against some existing vertical grain fir floors.

I want something that will work harmoniously with the fir but be much more durable since this will be in the kitchen and since we have young kids in the house.

I would like to go with old growth Cherry from Carlisle (http://www.wideplankflooring). They have assured me that because the cherry is old growth it will be hard enough to be durable in a kitchen. The architect (albeit a young architect) also assured me of the same thing (said that if it were cherry from anyone else he would say no, but that the Carlisle cherry is denser). The contractors are saying there is no way this is hard enough to be durable in a kitchen and are STRONGLY advising me against it.

I love the look of it and really want to go with it but I also trust the contractors and am afraid.

If we don't do this, we will go with quartersawn white oak and deal with the fact that where the oak meets up with the fir the contrast is great (and probably not very pleasing to the eye). Unfortunately where they meet is very visible as you enter the house so not an ideal situation.

Anyone with specific experience with Carlisle Cherry floors?? or even if not, any advise for me?

thanks!!!

I've grown up with traditional wood floors as my parents loved them and made this there passion to bring to others to enjoy. Now I am carrying on the tradition and would love to help share some thoughts on your decision.
Its very interesting to me to see what others have said about your desire for Cherry flooring, good quality cherry will last for generations and there definitely are not any durability concerns. Pine flooring still remains in good condition in many of the Early American architecture and is a highly sought after and beautiful floor. Cherry is much harder and every bit as durable. If you aesthetically love the look of Cherry you shouldn't change this direction. Cherry has been used in homes all over the country for a long time with fantastic results. Your children will add character to the cherry, the extent to which this happens will directly correlate to the finish that is used. I am a proponent for a softer finish that allows the normal aging process and doesn't look like plastic plus maintains the beauty of the Cherry. There is no issue regarding the floors durability, yes you can use Ash or Oak but make your decision based on the look you want. The difference in the wear and durability will be negligible to you and both floors will be there for another generation to enjoy!
-Don

Posted on April 7, 2008 at 03:43 PM in Hardwood Flooring • (0) Comments
Our first Guest Post!

Posted by Lesley Anderson

Hi, everyone! I'm Lesley and I have the privilege of working with the great folks at Carlisle to help with their new adventure in blogging. We're excited to announce Carlisle's first guest post, written by our resident 'Green Queen', Lindsay Barczuk over at the FloorTalk Blog! Lindsay took some time and crafted a really great entry for FloorTalk, discussing her journey at Carlisle from a newbie to a now seasoned employee with a deep appreciation for the wood that Carlisle offers and the methods used to produce it. Some topics you'll find in her entry include:
- Choosing slow-growth wood
- Antique reclaimed floors
- Responsible and sustainable forestry and harvesting
- Carlisle Wide Plank Floors' processes from forest to floor
- The health benefits of hardwood floors
- and more!
Basically, whether you're looking to purchase a floor or just want to learn more about wood flooring, this article takes you on an indispensable tour through the things to consider and how to achieve the best quality floor for your time and money. Congratulations, Lindsay, on a job well done!
Do you have a blog that you'd like to feature one of our bloggers on? Do you have a story you'd like to share with us to feature on our blog? Leave us a comment!

Posted on March 17, 2008 at 12:23 PM in Green Building • Hardwood Flooring • Wood Grains & Styles • (1) Comments