Maxx Rapaport, vice president of Englewood, N.J.-based J. Rapaport Wood Flooring, says flooring installation can often be a repetitive job of nailing down boards and running the sander day in and day out. But when presented with an opportunity to create a unique pattern for an entryway in an Englewood home, his team embraced what he says was a fun challenge.
After installing red oak throughout the home, the homeowner’s designer approached Rapaport’s team to continue the wood floors into the entryway but with a tri-colored, tile-like design—something Rapaport had never attempted before. Rapaport’s dad Allen, whom he runs the business with, always says, “Book the work, then figure it out.” And that’s precisely what they did. Through much trial and error over two weeks, his crew tried different strategies to get three colors placed in the intricate pattern envisioned by the designer.
The most challenging part was sketching out the pattern, which they accomplished by using stencils and lasers, he says. From there they achieved the wooden tile look by using the original color of the red oak planks, using ceruse on another area and finally using a dark stain on the remaining pieces. His team used yellow FrogTape to ensure the colors didn’t bleed into the nearby pieces.
Taking his dad’s advice to tackle the new project brought a sense of excitement to Rapaport’s team. Looking back on it, Rapaport says it’s a good example of why flooring professionals should “keep an open mind about trying something new.”
Abrasives: 3M, Norton Red Heat | Buffer: American Sanders, Dust containment: American Sanders | Edger: American Sanders Super 7 | Filler: Woodwise | Finish: LED Coatings Solutions | Moisture meter: Tramex | Sander (big machine): Lägler Hummel | Sander (palm): Mirka | Sander (multi-disc): Lägler Trio | Stain: DuraSeal, LED Coating Solutions | Vacuum: ProTeam
J. Rapaport Wood Flooring's entryway stencil design.Courtesy of Maxx Rapaport
