Surface Blog

Don Carlisle offers some floor nailing tips

• Posted by
• Christine Halvorson

Erik Paulson, a client, wrote to our Lauren Power about his pre-finished Eastern White Pine with Indian Summer stain, 8” to 12”.  The floor was installed in his house that was under construction.

Thanks for all your help. We love the floor, although I haven’t yet put the antique nails in, partially because I don’t want to ruin anything.— Erik Paulson

Don Carlisle dropped in with this note to give Erik some confidence in putting in the nails:

Pre-drill the holes with a small pilot drill 1/8” to avoid splitting. Make sure the nail is parallel to the grain. In doing this, you’ll get some little areas around some of the nail heads where there is bare wood from the nail going in. Trust me, I tried not to and you just can’t help but get some.   I took a little tiny sponge brush—you could even use a paintbrush—like the little ones you use for artistry.  Just dabble a little stain in around the nail head and let it sit while you do the whole row. Then go back with a little rag and wipe off any excess that gets on the surface of the floor.  You would also only want to put nails in every other joist. I’d only use three on the face every other, and two on the ends and every other. --Don Carlisle

Posted on Feb 20, 2009 AT 02:40 AM in (0) Comments

Even the dogs were happy when the floor arrived

• Posted by
• Christine Halvorson

We got a nice note from Todd Gourley, owner of Powder River Construction in Breckenridge, Colorado, who had been working with Edie Putnam, director of our customer specialist group. Todd was thanking Edie for the dog treats and a Carlisle hat that Edie had sent to him along with the delivery of his floor. Todd also noticed some higher-ups in our company had called him personally. Todd writes:

You must have been listening when I mentioned I had two doggies and no kiddies.

 All is well with your product…17” E.W.P. (Eastern White Pine) is huge and beautiful.  It will be easy and fast to install.

 Your attention to customers’ satisfaction and to quality sets the standard!

Thanks again and thanks to H.Q.—Todd

Posted on Feb 18, 2009 AT 01:04 AM in (0) Comments

New White Pine floor in New York looks good even without finishing

• Posted by
• Christine Halvorson

Bob and Melissa Meyer of Alden, New York saw a Carlisle ad in Country Living Magazine and, once they decided to build a new home, contacted us and worked with Shanon Sterrett to come up with a design. Shanon, in our Stoddard offices, helped them choose Wide Plank Eastern White pine, 8” to 12” wide, and had it finished in a Bradford Umber stain and Tung Oil-what we call our “Signature floor.” Bob and his father, a builder/carpenter, installed the floor themselves, and they did the finishing of the stain and oil. Shanon said the Meyers “were probably one of the sweetest couples I’ve worked with.” 

The photo Bob and Melissa sent (below) shows the floor in its installed but unfinished state, and it still looks great!

Posted on Feb 16, 2009 AT 01:59 AM in (0) Comments

One designer’s unsolicited endorsement for Carlisle flooring

• Posted by
• Christine Halvorson

Sales Account Manager Peter Switzer, in our Stoddard offices, has been working with Linda Sypherd, a potential customer, and getting some samples sent to her, etc.  He was tickled when Linda took the time to send along this note recently:

Last night, I ran into a friend that I haven’t seen for years and she does designing for new construction, etc.

Told her I wished I had bumped into her a few months before, as planning my kitchen was somewhat overwhelming; but as we talked, she was asking about my house, and then she asked the big one:  What kind of flooring are you looking for?

So I told her wide planking!  And she immediately said, “Carlisle was the best!”  She was even more surprised that I knew that!. )

Linda moved to Egg Harbor City in New Jersey about two years ago and lives in a 2-story farmhouse on the river. Her house dates back to the 1800s and she and her husband began talking to Peter about using hickory with a hand-planed surface or antique heart pine. 

Going to try and do all the floors downstairs at one time to make it look complete - kitchen, dining room, hallway & then the living room.  Never know what we might come across once we get started…but that is our goal…hope!!!—Linda

Peter has now sent her some samples of, not just the two she wanted to see, but two more he thought might work in this old house. He wrote:

I also sent some samples of heart pine and even antique ash.  I have been doing this a long time, and there are so many ways to make “new” wood look old.  At the same time there is just something about the look of say antique heart pine that just adds 200 years to the home!

Posted on Feb 12, 2009 AT 11:39 PM in (0) Comments

Customer happy to have some leftovers with new Eastern White Pine floor

• Posted by
• Christine Halvorson

One of our customers in Virginia completed the installation of an Eastern White Pine floor, pre-finished with Plymouth Pumpkin. The floor is 6” to 10” widths.  We were a little late with the delivery of the floor because of a massive ice storm the state of New Hampshire had right around the holiday season. (You may have heard about it? Click here, if not). We’re grateful that Mr. Young was incredibly nice about the whole thing and that he sent along this note and photo featuring his new floor. Thanks, Mr. Young! 

The floor is beautiful, we cannot imagine a better color, and with all
those long boards it went down soooo fast….The folks living here clearly did NOT measure the floor but quoted the size from memory - and it is 15x16 not 18x16, so we have quite a pile left over. With luck, we might get a small bedroom re-floored.—Russell Young

Posted on Feb 11, 2009 AT 01:47 AM in Hardwood Flooring • (0) Comments