For design pros: The right specs lead to success

• Posted by
• Jane Eklund

Here’s a posting designed for design professionals. It comes from our latest Email Newsletter. (Note: click here to subscribe to the newsletter.)

To Spec or Not To Spec

Maintaining the integrity of the interior design for any project is critical to its overall success. Design professionals labor for hours to select and specify the right flooring product that will help them achieve the vision they and their clients have in mind. Professionals choose Carlisle for a variety of reasons; yet, choosing a Carlisle floor does not always ensure it will be used.

You can guarantee the right product is used by outlining a detailed product specification, with all the pertinent details. Oftentimes we see architectural specs reading “Carlisle” only to be auto-populated with the wrong information, or the specs are very vague. Without the right details, a product spec can lead to a poor outcome: It gives suppliers creative liberties to find any product that is “close” in look and feel. Yet, they won’t be using the same wood, resulting in a dramatically different look. For example, writing “Old Growth Center Cut White Oak” in a specification order ensures you get the right product, rather than listing simply “White Oak.”

— It will result in the wrong grade being ordered. Listing “Country Grade” is open to interpretation, while listing “Original Grade,” which is Carlisle’s proprietary grade, will ensure you get the right look.
— It will result in inferior products being used that do not perform as promised. You could end up with a floor that cups, crowns, or has other negative movement. Your spec should read “air and kiln dried,” and should identify the correct wood grade.

— It will result in the floor having narrow widths and lengths. Carlisle floors are crafted in very wide widths and long lengths to reduce seams by up to 50% in a space.
— It will result in a floor that cannot perform on radiant heat or concrete slab. More than 50% of Carlisle floors made today are being installed on these and other subfloors.
— It will result in a floor that is not the same color or finish. This affects the overall look of the floor and its sheen, and it compromises the design.
— It will result in a floor that will now need to be finished on site rather than by Carlisle. This will create more work, additional expense, and runs the risk of not being done properly for the desired outcome. We finish more than 30% of our floors today, guaranteeing the most predictable outcome.
— The floor will not have the same maintenance schedule. This could make it more costly to maintain over the years, less durable, and result in a shorter life span.
— If the wrong floor product shows up on site, there will be delays and additional expenses. Consider the time and energy wasted to get things fixed.

— Most importantly you run the greatest risk of all — unhappy clients.

There is no doubt that writing the correct specification can take time, but ending up with the wrong product is a headache. So save time, avoid the aggravation, and contact your Carlisle Personal Design Consultant, who will write the spec for you and ensure you have all the pertinent details. We will also work with all contractors and sub contractors on the project to facilitate the ordering and installation process so your project is a success. We do it every day for clients all over the world.

Click here to see an example of a Carlisle specification.

Posted on Sep 20, 2011 AT 10:45 PM in Home Building & Contracting • (2) Comments