Kim Wahlgren

Kim M. Wahlgren is the longtime editor of Wood Floor Business. Based in Madison, Wis., she manages the day-to-day operations of the WFB print magazine, website, E-News and social media. She holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin in journalism and Spanish. Away from the office, she’s busy enjoying her family, including two beautiful children, an extraordinarily silly black Labrador mutt and her husband, Brent, whom she met at … yes, wood flooring school.

State of the Wood Flooring Industry 2004: Seeds of Change

Aperpetual concern for wood flooring contractors and dealers is how to attract and keep good employees. Besides healthy wages, an effective strategy is to offer generous benefits, especially health insurance, but companies are finding it increasingly difficult to afford, especially as they bid against one- or two-man operations who have little overhead and almost no markup. And, medical insurance is just the tip of the iceberg. In addition, there’s the obligatory workers comp (required by law in every state but Texas), liability insurance, auto insurance and sometimes more.Contractors overwhelmingly responded in this year’s survey that they are concerned about rising material costs and supply. They express bewilderment at the continual wood flooring price increases, specifically for oak. A number of factors have combined to drastically increase the cost of red and white oak, which form the traditional backbone of the domestic wood flooring industry. They all come down to a simple fact, however—“There is a tremendous strain on the resource that the flooring industry depends upon,” says Judd Johnson, editor of Memphis, Tenn.-based Hardwood Market Report.In 2002 ...Of the contractors surveyed (more than one answer possible) ...Of the distributors surveyed...Of the distributors surveyed...In 2002, distributors said ...The contractor numbers in 2002 were ....The distributor numbers in 2002 were ....Contractor numbers in 2002 were ...Distributor numbers in 2002 were ...

March 31, 2004

Dealing With Existing Floor Coverings When Installing Wood Floors

Factors and risks to keep in mind, including asbestos, mold and more, when removing old floor coverings before installing wood flooring.

January 31, 2004

Don't Let Your Wood Floor Business be a Model of Bad Behavior

November 30, 2003

How Prefinished Wood Floors Are Made

In the '70s, a factory-finished floor was simply apiece of unfinished flooring that also went through a wax line. In the early '80s, the finish graduated to urethane, but the floors still left much to be desired. Today, factory-finishing is a state-of-the-art process that focuses on precision and results in an incredibly wear-resistant floor. The improved quality of the products has been a key factor in their increasing market share.

September 30, 2003

Understanding Wood Flooring Certification Programs

Small logs once destined for use in low-value products such as pulp and paper pulp have a new lease on life as flooring thanks to a pilot program in Western Australia. Researchers took logs from six-, eight- and 10-year-old southern blue gum (Eucalyptus globules), a common pulpwood species, and 12-year-old maritime pine (Pinus pinaster) plantation trees and manufactured them into engineered floating floor panels. These plantations have, according to a report from the Rural Industries Research and Development Corp, been on the rise so much that economists are predicting that the number of trees will outpace demand for pulp and paper woodchips, making it necessary to look for alternate markets for the juvenile wood.When it comes to wood flooring, environmentally friendly choices can be confusing—quality, price, certifications and marketing pitches can be a lot to digest. Some businesses, such as Madison, Wis.-based Eco-Friendly Flooring, are designed to help make the eco-friendly choice a simpler one.Coconut palms are the symbols of the tropics—anticipated from plane windows and gracing the cover of vacation post cards. They also are a part of industry in the Pacific Rim, providing fruit for the production of coconut oil and coconut meat. Even so, once they stop producing, these island icons are chopped down and either tossed into the ocean or burned. Thankfully, some flooring manufacturers are turning these previously wasted trunks into valuable wood products such as flooring.Buildings go up, and, eventually, they come down, creating waste that can be costly to dispose of. For years, the reclamation industry has gleaned wood from buildings such as barns, mercantile buildings and factories for wood flooring; however, there are still relatively untapped sources of salvageable wood—vacant U.S. Army buildings from World War II. These Army buildings often were constructed with solid wood siding, much of which was high-quality, old-growth Douglas fir, Southern pine or redwood. Unfortunately, the siding is covered in lead-based paint (LBP), posing a potential problem for recovery and production of a marketable wood product. However, new research has given a second life to these buildings. Dr. Robert Falk, a research engineer at the USDA Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, Wis., and Dr. John Janowiak, associate professor of wood products engineering at Penn State University in University Park, Pa., have determined that value-added products, such as flooring, can indeed be safely made from LBP-coated wood siding.Here is a quick summary of the certifications:

July 31, 2003

Step by Step: How Daily Maintenance Can Prolong the Life of Your Sanding Equipment

Steps to take for daily maintenance on wood flooring sanders, including the big machine, edger and buffer.

May 31, 2003

Performing daily maintenance on your sanding equipment helps ensure it will run when you need it, eliminating costly downtime.

State of the Wood Flooring Industry 2003

In recent years, there has been increased discussion about the role of the distributor in the wood flooring industry. Will distributors continue to serve a purpose, or will increased market pressures make them obsolete? As the industry evolves, distributors have felt the threat of big box stores such as Home Depot and Lowe's, as well as new types of competition, such as Mohawk and Shaw, which essentially serve as huge wood flooring distributors (see sidebar "Here to stay" on page 28). As the debate continues, the wood flooring distributor appears far from obsolete.Two years ago, carpet giants Mohawk Industries and Shaw Industries both announced they were entering the wood flooring business. Today, their long-term effect on the industry is still ambiguous, but their presence as national distributors of wood flooring is firmly established, having taken advantage of their expansive distribution systems and dealer networks to roll out their wood flooring brands. Both companies report that the introductions of their wood flooring lines have been a success, even though they were introduced not long before a booming economy slowed significantly.Contractors are more than three times more likely to buy from a wood flooring distributor than ageneral floor covering distributor, big-box store ordirect from the manufacturer.

March 31, 2003

Knowing the Differences Between Wood Flooring Species

March 31, 2003

The Basics of Finishing Wood Floors

Among many other consumer products, hardwood floor finishes contain Volatile Organic Compounds.VOCs that are released into the air react with oxides of nitrogen and sunlight to form ground-level ozone.Wax is one of the oldest floor finishes and is still commonly used in some regions. It is applied in thin coats, typically following the application of a sealer and/or stain, and then buffed. Periodic rewaxing is necessary when buffing doesn’t restore shine. Because liquids leave spots on wax finishes, wax is not ideal for applications such as kitchens. Wax is, however, one of the easiest finishes to mend. One of the most common problems with wax is people’s tendency to recoat the entire floor without treating damaged areas separately. This leads to unnecessary wax buildup,while leaving the damaged area still looking worn.Be aware of the safety issues involved infinishing a floor:

March 31, 2003

These 3 Wood Flooring Contractors Have Plans to Battle Moisture

When planning for moisture, a vital source is the NWFA’s Technical Manual A100: Water and Wood. In it, you can find information on understanding moisture content, computing wood’s potential expansion, using moisture meters and more.Contractors routinely are pressured to install wood flooring under bad moisture conditions. Asking abuilder to sign a waiver of responsibility can be enough of a threat to convince him to do the job right instead. If he does sign a waiver and you proceed with the job, you won’t necessarily be protected in court. Consult with your lawyer as to exactly what your liability is. Ultimately, it is up to each individual contractor to decide how much risk he or she is willing to shoulder.

November 30, 2002

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As25 Ora Winners

Thriving Through Innovation: See the Winners of the 2025 WFB Outstanding Retailer Awards

From reimagined showrooms and mobile studios to thoughtful mentorship, employee empowerment and social media marketing, these WFB Outstanding Retailers are proving that personalized service is key to long-term success.

Domestic pine three ways (from left): antique heart pine (courtesy of Joe Dawson), white pine (courtesy of Daniel Reddy) and Southern yellow pine (courtesy of Kyle Thompson).

Useful Advice When Dealing With Pine Flooring

As25 Techn Hed

How I Do These Jobs: Refinishing Decks

Shelby, Nick and Doug Lux.

How We Transitioned to a Second-Generation Family Business

Sawdust in Our Veins

Sawdust in Our Veins