Video: Preventing Fires on Your Job

Jun 19, 2014

Have you ever had a spontaneous combustion fire on one of your jobs? I have. In this video I talk about them and, more importantly, an easy way to make sure those fires never happen to you:

Fm26 Articles Talking Shop Hearing Pro

What Do You Use for Hearing Protection on the Job?

January 28, 2026

Fm26 Articles Talking Shop Hearing Pro

What Do You Use for Hearing Protection on the Job?

Fm26 Articles Qn A Fire

Q&A: Can Wood Flooring Meet Fire Rating Requirements?

A still shot from a drone video from the Oak Island Fire Department shows the home completely engulfed in flames after oil-based stain rags spontaneously combusted.

North Carolina Home a Complete Loss After Spontaneous Combustion Fire

Changing Our Mindset About Our Best Tools on the Job

What Do You Use for Hearing Protection on the Job?

We asked wood floor pros what hearing protection they use on their jobs—here's what they said.

Fm26 Articles Talking Shop Hearing Pro

Q&A: Can Wood Flooring Meet Fire Rating Requirements?

For years, architects and specifiers assumed they had to sacrifice the warmth and beauty of natural wood to satisfy stringent fire codes.

Fm26 Articles Qn A Fire

North Carolina Home a Complete Loss After Spontaneous Combustion Fire

A fire that resulted in the complete loss of an Oak Island, N.C., home was caused by rags saturated in oil-based stain, according to the Oak Island Fire Department.

A still shot from a drone video from the Oak Island Fire Department shows the home completely engulfed in flames after oil-based stain rags spontaneously combusted.

Changing Our Mindset About Our Best Tools on the Job

Wayne Lee spent a lifetime working with his hands—but not doing preventive care for his hands. Now, many surgeries later, he has some advice for fellow wood floor pros.

Safe Concrete Prep: Navigating Old Adhesives and Asbestos, Including Concrete Grinders (Sponsored)

Concrete preparation is a common task for wood flooring pros, but it can pose significant health risks, particularly when dealing with old adhesive residues. Here's advice to make sure it's safe.

Spon Blog Concrete Safely

Wood Flooring Health 101: An OT’s Advice to Reduce Injuries and Prevent Pain

Wood flooring mechanics are what we call "industrial athletes"; so it's important to train like an athlete and put the advice in this article to use to work longer and with less pain.

Photos courtesy of wood flooring pros James Kramer, Alejandre Israel, Darin Grimes, Gregory Brown, Erick Pilier, Ken Ballin, Kent Rogerson, Jorge Perez, Benny Powell, Ed Sheridan, Pat Goodman, Lenny Hall and Mike Somodean.

Saskatoon Flooring Business Fire Causes Severe Damage to Roof

A flooring retail and installation business in Saskatoon, Canada, caught fire the morning of July 24, “severely compromising” the building’s roof, according to the Saskatoon Fire Department.

Neighbors Save House From Spontaneous Combustion of Floor Refinishing Dust

Trash bags of dust from floor refinishing spontaneously combusted, causing a house fire July 16 in Rockland, Maine, the Penobscot Bay Pilot reported.

Spontaneous Combustion From Floor Staining Rags Causes Ohio House Fire

A house was set ablaze in Parma, Ohio after rags used for floor staining spontaneously combusted, according to Parma Fire Department.

Firefighter sprays hose on house fire in Parma, Ohio.

Spontaneous Combustion of Stain-Soaked Rags Causes Oregon House Fire

The improper disposal of oily rags from staining caused a house fire in Bend, Ore., which resulted in $1.5 million in damages, according to Bend Fire & Rescue.

West Ridge House Fire Photo 6 19 24

How I’ve Adapted to Continue Being a One-Man Company

Rick Fyfe loves installing, sanding and finishing wood flooring, and he loves working alone, but to keep doing it as he ages, he's had to make some changes.

As I got older, I realized that even though I love installing, I had to pick and choose my installation jobs and focus more on sanding and finishing in order to physically be able to keep working.

My Trigger Phrase: ‘Been Doing It That Way for 35 Years’

T.J. Haas's father, Mark Haas, was highly motivated, supremely intelligent and well-liked among his peers in the industry, but a series of electrical hookup accidents may have contributed to his premature death.

My dad was an innovator in the industry, but his life ended too early, potentially in part due to being electrocuted when hooking up power. In this photo he is running a Sharpless Built Super Sander, which was a hardplate belt sander we used for our intermediate cuts and leveling.

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