When reading Wayne Lee's blog posts versus mine, I've often gotten the feeling that people think I'm sort of a pencil pusher who talks about running a company more than what's going on day-to-day in my business. The truth is that I work with the tools aplenty. In fact, Wayne Lee was a trainer at the very first NWFA school I went to 10 years ago, and he was just as funny and damn good at what he knows then as he talks about these days.
Log in to view the full article
When reading Wayne Lee's blog posts versus mine, I've often gotten the feeling that people think I'm sort of a pencil pusher who talks about running a company more than what's going on day-to-day in my business. The truth is that I work with the tools aplenty. In fact, Wayne Lee was a trainer at the very first NWFA school I went to 10 years ago, and he was just as funny and damn good at what he knows then as he talks about these days.
This was a crazy week because here in Portland we are on a two-week floor sanding and installation marathon called spring break. We are on a custom whole-house installation that was booked since January. We put this project together and it has been fun because the homeowner trusted me to run with the design elements. In the dining room we installed a herringbone that is patterned to match the ceiling detail. We're still not done, but I thought this part was cool enough for the blog:
In addition to the Powerpoint for convention I promised Anita at NWFA, we got everything done and cleaned up by 6 p.m. Friday. The day wasn't done yet, though, because I still had to get back and watch Star Wars Clone Wars with my boys when it started at 8 p.m.
We installed our herringbone the right way using a full-trowel spread of Chemrex adhesive and cleats. Trust me, I HATE working with adhesive, but on herringbone it is worth it. We needed to remove a few boards before we cut the header around the field and the glue tore out the subfloor before it let go of the flooring. That glue is AMAZING. I was covered in adhesive by the end of the day, but our floor looks perfect.
I got all of the adhesive off before my evening of Star Wars with the boys:
It wouldn't have been fun getting the glue off, but luckily I had some tubes of 3M Paint Buster, so I smell like citrus instead of lacquer thinner. It even works when you get that stuff in your hair, which I had done on Thursday.
When I was really young, there was a family friend I knew who ran a business in automotive repair and towing. He did really well financially, but he always told my dad that he enjoyed his business not because of the money but the "thrill of the hustle." Thirty years later I see exactly what he was talking about. Our business is full of ups and downs, but the constant challenge of "hustling" makes it all worth it. Some days I play the roll of "pencil-pusher" with sales and marketing efforts, but some days I'm still in the trenches getting frustrated about working with glue and nailers that jam. Either way, it's so rewarding that I wouldn't change a thing. Let's talk shop at the Expo, everyone, because I'm looking forward to meeting a ton of cool new friends.
All Things Wood Floor, created by Wood Floor Business magazine, talks to interesting wood flooring pros to share knowledge, stories and tips on everything to do with wood flooring, from installation, sanding and finishing to business management.
