WFB asked its followers on Facebook and Instagram what the first thing that comes to mind when they think about their first wood flooring job. Here’s what they said:
Troy Stanfield
Slow.
Daniel Springer
Getting tools thrown at my head.
Lorie Davidson
The smell of polyurethane, sawdust and Marlboro.
Bob Alberding
Being left alone with a Lägler Trio and the manual in 1998 on a new install. My new boss showed me how to change the paper and lift as I start, and turn off the machine before he left me to figure it out.
Kyle Saks
Getting yelled at by my dad. 😂
Kevin Knauff
1980. running edger (cutback) for months. Persian rug warehouse. San Francisco, Calif … didn’t touch a BM for almost a year … working with Steve Bushumi… we were drunk the whole time … I was 16.
Paul McHugh
Racking and … dust.
Jim Hyde
Being given a 10-minute lesson on running an edger and being left on the job for the day alone. I remember it had a rubber cover, and I hit it pretty good a couple of times.
Brian David Schultz
I can’t take my shirt off in someone else’s house. WTF!
Donald C. Bouchard
Using a tip sander and putting boards in and nailing by hand!!
David Shugrue
Taking an 8-inch plank out of the middle of a $5 million house in Beverly Hills, replacing it, sanding and black stain to match, coming back the next day for finish, was in awe of the floor man lead, put first coat, dried, second coat over patch, then the next day coated the entire house. Went on to do hardwood floors and stairs for 45 years.
Bob Jewell
Galaxy belt sander solo with zero experience.
Alex Franklin
OMG 😳 where do you even start? This is definitely a Monday topic with coffee. ☕️
Builders Flooring
Mentors making us learn the hard way. 😂
Dave Marzalek
Knowing my parents will trip out when they get back home to see their floors recolored and sanded with a palm sander.
Doug LeClair
The hills overlooking the Rose Bowl. 🌹
Tom Schultz
Players of lead paint with wax. Good times in the 70s. 🥴
Steven Sherman
I remember the guy ran over his wire with the big machine. He was having a problem getting it out of the machine and I asked if it happened a lot, and he was more mad. 🤷🏻♂️
Wesley Goetz
Heat! And no experience at all.
Chuck Kutchera
Been so long, can’t remember. But I started out in a warehouse and 20 years later as a scheduler/supervisor.
Glenn Harris
Bleach, moisture cure.
Bart Douglas
Pain.
Rob Chewning
Copenhagen, Mountain Dew and a resand!
Scot Williamson
Coating with no shoes on.
Joe Dawson
Johnson paste wax and 4-grit paper.
Jeremy Harrison
At some point, it’s got to be edged.
Jeff Bryant
Took hours to install a 4-by-4-foot closet.
Obe Martell
Resand. 😂
Tom Dittmann Frandsen
Hard work.
Benny Powell
My very first hardwood job involved watching Enrique cut his finger with a chop saw, then being left alone on the project while everyone else went to the hospital with Enrique!!
Jonathan Gramajo
Freaking corners and spindles ugh!!!!
Greg Ozols
Don’t put Baby in the closet. 🤣They didn’t want to take the time to teach installation and said you’ll figure it out. 🤷♂️
Dylan Siddle
Essex Silver-Line SL7.
The Fudgenator
Blisters, the size of a small cauliflower, on my hands from pulling up old carpet and underlay. I was so proud of myself.
Molitor Traditional Flooring LLC
Can light holes.
Jared Robinson
Lacquer sanding sealer highs!
Eric freeland
“This isn’t so bad.” 🤡 🤡 🤡 💀 💀 💀
All American Floor
Moisture-cured urethane.
DS Hardwood Flooring
Like when a baby albatross flies for the first time.
Kyle Thompson
Hand-scrape under the oil furnace …
Travis Speight
Simple days when I wanted more. Looking back, I wish I had kept it simple.
𝔾𝕠𝕝𝕕𝕚𝕖⚡️𝔹𝕦𝕣𝕘𝕖𝕣
Splinters... 😢 Denailing & scraping clean 100+ year old heart pine, 8–16 inches long, and relaying it... 15 years ago. Boy, do I miss painting! 😂😂😂
Amish Wood Floors
Edging off coaxial cable lines…
Golden Wood Works
Manual nailer.
Josh Faye
This is way better than sitting behind a desk.
Tody Price
The fact that I’m apparently losing my memory…
Dodenhoff Hardwood Floors Inc.
Sweaty and dusty.
Josh Faye
Knowing the generations of knowledge passed down to me will be worthwhile.
