Doug DalsingDoug Dalsing is a former associate editor at Hardwood Floors.DesignModern Re-Do Transforms Austin Home With Ipé FlooringThere once was a single-story duplex at the corner of E. 39th Street and Avenue G in Austin's Hyde Park neighborhood. Modest ferns and bushes sat at most every corner of the home's profile; a lone tree shaded its southern-most corner. Between the flanking greenery were the home's industrial steel-encased windows with 20 sashes each, the type that frequently graces old factories but were also common in homes built in the '50s. Throughout the interior, dark and damaged pecan flooring, nondescript baseboard, and cornice ran everywhere; rigid walls, hallways and doors delineated every one of the home's areas, resulting in a cramped atmosphere. All of this changed, however, when architect Kevin Alter and floor man Darrell Black got a hold of the duplex and transformed it into a single-family home that mediates the battle between modern architecture and the historic architecture for which Hyde Park is known.Architect: Alter Studio Architects LLP (Austin, Texas)February 27, 2014HistorySealed With a Kiss: Old-Fashioned Reforestation EffortsIn this undated photo from the Durham, N.C.-based Forest History Society, ladies on behalf of Atlanta's North Side Kiwanis dole out smooches in exchange for tree planting.February 3, 2013MaintenanceExotic Wood Flooring is Aplenty at Copenhagen AirportThe waiting, the frustration, the bland mass-produced interiors. It's for good reason airports are somewhere between the carpet store and dentist on the list of places we are most eager to visit. On the other hand, Copenhagen Airport in Denmark should not be lumped in there with, say, O'Hare or LaGuardia. Besides looking great, the Copenhagen Airport's operators are convinced the extra investment in durable hardwood is more economical in the long run than installing linoleum, for example (the airport sees 50,000 visitors a day, or roughly 18.3 million a year). The oldest wood installations in the airport are padauk (pictured in the airport's shopping street in terminal 2) and were installed in the '60s; since then the airport's directors have opted for more-affordable jatoba and merbau. All the exotic material is sourced from Southeast Asia. For added durability, the floors were finished with hardening oil, and caretakers give them regular doses of Junckers conditioning oil. As author and interior design critic Will Wiles puts it, "Airport carpets are a byword for ugliness, but Copenhagen has this really classy dark wooden flooring instead. It's shrewd national branding for a country which has a reputation for superb design."February 3, 2013DesignA River Runs Through This Educational Wood FloorFebruary 3, 2013StairsThis Astounding Staircase is Long on Legend, Short on FactHammer, saw and T-square. These are the only three tools the builder of this Loretto Chapel staircase used to create this magnificent example of inspired craftsmanship, according to pious legend.February 3, 2013ParquetEnd Grain Floors Take Root at the Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationSome 42,000 square feet of beautiful end-grain alder wood flooring was installed at the headquarters for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.January 28, 2013HistoryVintage Moments: Why Does the Celtics' Court Have Square Panels?The interesting reason why the Boston Celtics famous basketball floor ended up being parquet instead of strip.November 29, 2012DesignThis Isn't Your Grandma's Oak FlooringNovember 29, 2012Extraordinary FloorsContractor Uses Time-Tested Artist's Effect on Bathroom FloorNovember 28, 2012ManagementTechnoTip: Keeping That Smartphone Battery JuicedWe've all been there-at the most inopportune moment, your smartphone battery dies and you're unable to call your supplier, customer or fantasy football commissioner. Rather than keeping your phone tethered to an outlet all day, here are a few tips to help keep your smartphone battery juiced: 1. Lower the brightness of your screen; this will be adjustable under "Settings." Keep in mind that the screen is one of the biggest power hogs on any smartphone, so shut it off when you're not goggling at NFL stats. 2. Shut off your GPS, Bluetooth or WiFi when not in use. If these are turned on but you're not following a map, using your Bluetooth earpiece or downloading team rosters, your battery is working overtime for no reason. 3. Disable your email "push." Unless you know you're expecting a crucial injury report, err … change order, odds are you don't need your phone to automatically download email. With this turned off, your email will download only when you tell it to. Keep these tips in mind and you should be able to remain in-touch, productive and on top of your fantasy division as well as your business.November 28, 2012Page 1 of 7Next PageTop StoriesRetailStriving for Excellence: See the Winners of the 2024 WFB Outstanding Retailer AwardsWFB Outstanding Retailer Award winners of 2024 have displayed excellence in their retail businesses through stunning showrooms, exceptional customer service and clever digital tactics.ContractingWood Flooring Health 101: An OT’s Advice to Reduce Injuries and Prevent PainSports FlooringJumping Into the Unknown to Pull Off a Water-Effect FloorContractingRecognizing Wood Floor Contractors: Enter the 2024 Ultimate Wood Floor Guy/Gal ContestContractingThe Winners' Circle: See the Winning Vehicles in the 2024 WFB Truck & Van Contest
