Surface Blog

MONDAY MORNING MAILBAG: Perfectionism noticed in Carlisle floor installation

• Posted by
• Christine Halvorson

We made happy customers out of Jackie and Paul Duso down in Carrolton, Georgia, where we recently installed our prefinished Birch and Cherry with a custom-coat that was meant to look like Tung oil.

Thiese customers found us when doing a search on the web and they were helped by our Matt Farhm, who also arranged to have his firm, Farhm Fine Floors, install the new floor in this remodeling project. Farhm Fine Floors travels all over the country to do floor installations and has apparently installed over 50,000 square feet!

Here’s what customer Paul had to say about his experience:

“Matt—You are right, we do love our floors. It is surprising to me that we get the most ooooohhhhs and aaaaaahhhhhs from our birch floor in the bedroom. I really can’t decide which I like the best, both are outstanding. I couldn’t believe how easily they were able to fit the wood to the walls and in the bedroom around the glass block wall. It looks fantastic. (Installer) Chris was here most of the time with Micah coming on the last day and I must say he was a joy to work with and be around. Carlilse is lucky to have you guys. You are all such perfectionists.”

Read more about our prefinished floor options.

Posted on Nov 01, 2009 AT 10:41 PM in Hardwood Flooring • (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 Oct 30, 2009 AT 03:45 AM in Green Building • (2) Comments

Carlisle’s Quarter Sawn White Oak:  It’s A Grain Thing.

• Posted by
• Christine Halvorson

White Oak is a very unique wood because its grain lends itself to a variety of different looks, depending on how it is sawn.

Normally, a log is plain sawn, i.e. it is first cut into a rough square by taking off four sections of the outer bark and sapwood, and then sawn with a series of parallel cuts — as if a loaf of bread were cut lengthwise to yield long slices. Grain-wise, this typically gives a floor a little bit of everything: straight lines as well as a variety of swirls and “cathedral patterns” — several swirls inside one another. This is the way most floors are cut.

Quarter sawn cuts generally only apply to Oak and a few other hardwoods. They are made by first cutting the log into four pie-shaped wedges and then making a series of cuts which are more or less perpendicular to the tree rings, which produces straighter grain. Without getting too technical, let’s just say that quarter sawn White Oak produces more “rays” or “flecks,” which is the hallmark look of Mission furniture/cabinetry. In addition to being visually interesting, this grain pattern produces extremely stable boards.

Various stains can then be used to further enhance the grain or make it more subtle.

This Long Island, New York residence features a beautiful mixture of quarter sawn, rift sawn and plain sawn White Oak. Note the contrast between the various grain patterns.

Posted on Oct 29, 2009 AT 04:53 AM in Hardwood Flooring • (2) Comments

MONDAY MORNING MAILBAG: Longleaf Heart Pine is the answer for this North Carolina living room

• Posted by
• Christine Halvorson

A couple in North Carolina sent along pictures of their living room as they prepare to do some more of their house.

Their living room was done with premium grade Longleaf Heart Pine then finished with Autumn Leaf stain and Tung Oil.

Gregg and Marsha Martin are looking to other parts of their house and doing it in prefinished county pine with the challenge of matching the new with the existing living room.

Posted on Oct 26, 2009 AT 04:18 AM in (0) Comments

Tim in the Carlisle Sample Shop saves the day for architect in New Jersey

• Posted by
• Christine Halvorson

Here’s a little story from our Sample Shop, from back in August.

Tim LaRoche from Carlisle’s sample shop in Stoddard, NH

Our Sample Shop does just what it sounds like—they make custom-ordered board samples to show to clients and customers so they can get an idea of what an actual type of wood combined with the type of stain and finish actually looks like. (This, of course, helps the customer and helps us.) Well, one day in August, an architect working out of New Jersey called Carlisle Wide Plank flooring in a panic! A supplier on the project had not been able to come through with a delivery of French Oak flooring and this architect needed 1,400 square feet of floor right away—like yesterday, as our sales manager Peter Switzer says. Well, Peter had Tim LaRoche (that’s him below) in our Sample Shop pick out two of the best representative boards of our White Oak to send along to the architect. And, the architect loved them and rang us up immediately to discuss installation and finishes. Despite the Sample Shop being very, very busy at that time, Tim had come through with providing what the client needed right away. It’s probably what got us the job…

Posted on Oct 23, 2009 AT 03:32 AM in Home Building & Contracting • (0) Comments