Bring Your Skills to the Industry's Table

If you recall my blogs from some time back, I said my goal was to lose some weight, feel better, and get off of some of the medication the doctor had me on. I am happy to report that I am down to 230 pounds, way down from the 268 I was and am only taking my medication for diabetes and high cholesterol. I will never get off of the diabetes medication and the high cholesterol... being honest, well, I'm just not quite ready to give up the red meat.

Lately I've had the opportunity to help a few other contractors with some situations they've run into. Doug from West Virginia was having trouble with his edger with getting the deep scratches out along the walls, the door jambs, and any place that a large amount of light would show the scratch. With some luck and a whole lot of patience over the telephone, we were able to fix his dilemma and get him the flex pad I helped develop with Revolution Manufacturing. The flex pad has been a real help for me and guys like Doug that were having trouble getting that final scratch ready for stain. Doug is one of the guys I truly like to talk to over the phone because he doesn't just call and ask advice and go his own way, not heeding your information. He truly wanted to become a better floor man. I asked Doug to just take some time to write a few words about his experience and about something that I preach over and over here on this blog: the value that the National Wood Flooring Association brings to the table. (Note from the HF editors: Look for Doug's article in an upcoming issue of HF.) I also want to encourage anyone else that reads this blog, if you've got something to say, something to teach, something to show, something to illustrate, please take the time-let's get it in print! That way other contractors can learn, whether by a mistake or from some practical knowledge that you have.

If I could pick a job for the rest of my life, it would be to help other contractors become better floor men and women. Again, I'm going to put a crown on the head of the NWFA and tell you that if you have some skills that you can bring to the table and help other contractors, please take the time to share them, show them or teach them. When you read Doug's article, he'll mention the schools, the phone calls and the importance of networking through this organization. What I am about to say next is not to be ugly or hurtful to anyone, but when it's done, it's done, and you have got to tell the truth: When Doug was starting in the wood flooring business, a distributor he visited made it real clear that in his standing sequence all he needed to do was sand with 36 grit, then 80 grit, then 120 grit on every job. When it came to edging, they told him he should be able to sand with 36 grit and 80 grit, then buff the entire floor with a 120 grit screen. I will let the rest of the story be told by Doug in his article; it tells us about the challenge of gathering good information as a wood flooring contractor.

Well, for the rest of this month we've got some jobs lined up, but once more they are spread out. We have one resand due to water damage, and we're going to install our second ceiling. I've done seven estimates, and with any luck we'll get a few of them. Now this may just be me, and I need y'all to tell me: Has the work slowed down a bit since all this political nonsense on TV has been going on? I did a little background check on our jobs around this time four years ago, and during the last election it seemed to me that it just slowed down. If I had my pick, it would never slow down, but it's reality and so are the elections. The best advice I can give any of you is: Get out and vote.

Like always, I want to encourage all of you at any time: Please, if you've got something you want to share, I love to hear it. The folks at Hardwood Floors and the NWFA are looking for folks to step up, write articles, ask questions and just plain get involved.