NWFA member and second-generation wood floor man Sprigg Lynn recently was featured in the Washington Post's Express Night Out; in the interview he talks about his various high-powered clientele-from presidents to Supreme Court justices to the Kennedey family-and what he's witnessing in today's wood flooring market.
While Washington, D.C., is a traditional city, within the past five years Lynn has seen the use of wide planks and darker colors increase as consumers ask for more natural looks. This has also led to increased acceptance of less-perfect floors, too: "There's nothing wrong with a knot," he told the publication. Instead of merely serving a mundane household function, flooring is now viewed as a design element, he added.
For consumers, Lynn advised that they pay attention to the implementation of subfloors, and what installation products-like adhesives-the contractor uses in installation. Also, he stressed that consumers mind the durability of a product if putting wood flooring in high-traffic areas. "If you buy the best material you can for underneath the floor, it's going to outlast any warrant," he said.
Lynn made no bones about how he feels about laminate: "It's like a nice steak dinner and a piece of baloney. You get what you pay for."
