Doug DalsingDoug Dalsing is a former associate editor at Hardwood Floors.TroubleshootingProblematic Pooches: For Dog Nails, Booties Could be the AnswerKaren Luther sees the difficulty in owning both wood floors and a heavy dog. "The unfortunate thing is that I don't think people realize dogs can damage wood floors before it's too late," she says. Luther started her Internet-only retail shop AllDogBoots.com in May 2010, and she's been surprised by how often people contact her with this problem, something to which any wood flooring installer or retailer can also relate. "I get quite a few phone calls for this, and it's not something that I would've expected," she says, "but a lot of people put in brand-new hardwood floors, and they've got a 40-, 50-, or 150-pound dog that has ruined the floors the first week." For the homeowner-cum-wood-floor-defender, Luther recommends Meshies by Barko Booties, an AllDogBoots.com house brand. Selling for $24.99 and available in red or blue, Barko Booties are lightweight, fit securely and won't slide-best of all, they're breathable so that dogs can still sweat through their paws when they have them on. (You knew dogs sweat through their paws, right?) So there you have it: Meshies will keep you, your customers and their dogs happy.November 30, 2011Green IssuesNonprofit Exchanges Healthcare for Rainforest PreservationIt's a very simple concept: In Kalimantan, Indonesia, there is a medical clinic that provides locals discounted healthcare if they help preserve the rainforest. And it's working. Health in Harmony is a U.S.-based nonprofit group that partnered with Indonesia-based nonprofit Alam Sehat Lestari (ASRI) to launch the project. So far, the project has made possible 20,000 patient visits since its clinic opened in 2007. The patients who cannot afford the discounted services have the opportunity to reimburse the clinic by raising crops on an organic farm or planting seedlings to regenerate Indonesia's depleted rainforests. Services include everything from regular checkups, to dental care, to more involved healthcare like treatment for tuberculosis and cancer. Simply put: Health in Harmony is solving local and global problems at the same time.November 30, 2011ContractingFor Lighthouse Restoration Job, Landlubbers Get Their Feet WetRough waters and a salty sea boat captain: These were the major obstacles the crew at Winterport, Maine-based Don Dickel Floors encountered during a wood floor restoration job at the Rockland Breakwater Lighthouse last fall.November 30, 2011DesignWide-Plank Walnut Flooring-And A Lot Of History-Accent This HomeAs a boy, Tom Jones would spend his summers in Wisconsin's Northwoods, an area to which his family has had ties since the late 1800s. Hunting, fishing, hiking and observing the fauna were regular summertime activities for him and his family, who held permanent residence in Southern California. These memories and others, such as venturing up to Lake Superior to watch the iron ore ships carrying their freight on the great glacial lake, are still vivid in his mind. So when his parents Ray and Janette asked him to design a new Midwestern retreat for them, Tom, owner of Trabuco Canyon, Calif.-based Thomas R. Jones Design, fashioned a dwelling imbued with family history, memories of his youth and a family ethos steeped in ecology, the study of organisms and their surroundings.Architect: Tom Jones, Thomas R. Jones Design (Trabuco Canyon, Calif.)General Contractor: Mike Arnstad, Arnstad Home Builders Inc. (Eau Claire, Wis.)Flooring Installer: Terry Nelson, Terry's Installation Service (Hayward, Wis.)Floor Finisher: T & C Hardwood Solutions (Duluth, Minn.)Wood Flooring: Carlisle Wide Plank Floors (Stoddard, N.H.)Finish Manufacturers: Dura Seal (Upper Saddle River, N.J.) and Bona US (Aurora, Colo.)November 8, 2011DesignWood Floors Lend Organic Charm To This Scottsdale HomeWhen Cindy and Jim Carpenter asked Phoenix-based architect Bob Bacon to design the couple a "very European, very authentic" home, Bacon handed them a 113-question questionnaire. Of course, it was for good reason. Bacon needed to know every last detail, from what size furniture the couple wanted, to whether they exercise in their bedroom, to where they'd like wood floors installed. The Carpenters also provided Bacon with many photos of homes from their trips to Europe; most of them came from northern Italy. What resulted was Cindy Carpenter's dream house: an Old World, pan-Mediterranean dwelling, complete with reclaimed jarrah flooring, an indoor water feature and plenty of breathtaking views to boot. To Bacon it resembles a pre-industrialized home one might find packed between winding streets somewhere in a Mediterranean country.Architect: Bob Bacon, RJ Bacon Design (Phoenix) Designer: Elizabeth Rosensteel, Elizabeth A. Rosensteel Design Studio (Phoenix) General Contractor: Mark Malouf, Malouf Coble Custom Homes (Scottsdale, Ariz.) Flooring Contractor: Paul Newman, Premiere Wood Floors (Phoenix) Wood Flooring: Recycled Lumberworks (Ukiah, Calif.) Finish Manufacturer: Bona US (Aurora, Colo.)November 8, 2011History1912 Ad: 'Floor Dressing' Is Ideal for EducationAn ad for Standard Oil Company's Standard Floor Dressing product from the May 1912 issue of American Educator gives an interesting snapshot of wood flooring care of the time.October 4, 2011DesignForest Products Lab Takes Guessing Out of Wood IDOctober 4, 2011ManagementCharity Work Brings Office Staff to Wood Floor Job SiteOdds are most people with office jobs don't understand how difficult wood flooring work really is. Cristina Ortega, executive sales support at Downers Grove, Ill.-based Apex Wood Floors, admits that's how she felt a few months ago before she volunteered with four other Apex employees to install wood flooring in three rooms at a nearby group home operated by nonprofit organization Trinity Services Inc. With 2¼ prefinished maple flooring donated by Mullican Flooring, and trim and thresholds donated by John Lessick, Apex's president, the volunteers removed lots of carpet and installed 765 square feet in about nine hours on Aug. 27. "I had never used a nail gun, racked out a floor, or installed a floor before that day, so I guess I can put that on my résumé," Ortega says. "I had never done carpet removal before, either, so that was a little interesting. It's really not a pretty job!" And, turns out, the Apex crew is all the better for their charity. "Used to be, the crew guys would come back to the office all sticky and sweaty and I'd be, like, 'Eew, why are you so sticky and sweaty?'" Ortega says. "But now I know it's because this is hard work!"October 4, 2011InstallationWood Flooring for the StarsFor most people, the draw of ABC's smash reality hit "Dancing With the Stars" is the goofy celebrities, outlandish costumes and, for better or worse, the dancing. Undoubtedly, though, wood flooring professionals are sneaking a peak at that gleaming dance floor. In the midst of the show's 13th season, Junckers Hardwood Inc. is enjoying having its wood flooring on display yet again for millions on network television twice a week (Monday and Tuesday, 8/7 Central). In the spotlight is the company's DanceFlex system, which comprises 7/8-inch solid beech flooring floated over ½-inch-thick DanceFlex Dance Foam. In order to achieve adequate flexibility in the floor strips, Junckers stabilizes the press-dried prefinished strips by joining them into 5-inch-by-12-feet planks using a double-dovetail. Then the planks are given a tongue and groove on all four sides and a specially milled clip slot underneath. "The clips are the real magic with this system, as they allow for each plank to flex independently on top of the foam," says John Safarik, sales manager at Junckers. "At the start of a season, we'll generally add about 10 to 15 percent of new wood to replace some damaged pieces, but the bulk of the floor from the previous season goes right back in. There are some planks from season one that can still be seen this season," Safarik adds. So how did Junckers first win this coveted job before the show's debut in 2005? Turns out the dancers asked for it. "Once the pro dancers were selected, they recommended to ABC that they use our system," Safarik notes.October 4, 2011ContractingDynamic Duo: A Day in the Life With Contractors Gary and Lisa HorvathOctober 3, 2011Previous PagePage 4 of 7Next PageTop StoriesDesignIntroducing the Winners of the 2025 WFB Design AwardsEach winner of the 2025 WFB Design Awards exhibits dedication and passion for wood flooring craftsmanship. These award-winning projects showcase the achievements of wood flooring pros and their unique visions that transform flooring into works of art.Machines/ToolsPlanetary and Multi-Disc Sanders 101: A Technical PrimerLegal AdviceWhat To Do When a Customer Backs Out of a ContractNewsEnter the 2025 WFB Outstanding Retailer AwardsExtraordinary FloorsHome's Floors Become Giant Wooden Jigsaw Puzzle
