I've always known I have been allergic to dust because it would make me sneeze - a lot. I thought it was something I could live with and just one of those nuisances in life that some people have to deal with and others just don't. And so I trolled through most of my adolescent and teenage years just trying to stay away from dusty places ... that I could see. However, the real allergens that actually have caused me to develop allergic asthma can't even be seen by the naked eye! They are dust mites, pollens and pet dander. These are things you can't "see," but they infiltrate the environment in anything they can hang onto - mostly pillows, bedding, curtains and the main offender: CARPET.
As soon as I was educated to this fact, I promptly removed the carpet in my bedroom and revealed wood flooring that not only aided in ceasing my wheezing and coughing, but also incidentally looked much more handsome and welcoming than the carpet had. I ended up spending more time in my room than I ever could have before I had removed the carpet and vowed from that day forward there would be no carpet bigger than a throw-rug in my living space ever again! I'm really proud of this decision, as it has not only made me feel better physically, but I also have the peace of mind that I am not creating more non-biodegradable waste in the world from the chemicals used to maintain and produce carpet.
Another attribute I love about wood flooring is that it is so easy to keep clean; I can sweep it and damp-mop with an Earth-friendly mixture of a capful of vinegar and water and presto; good as new! Next time you're walking in your home and sneezing or wheezing, take a moment to look around you --- your worst enemy could be right under your feet!
Author's Name: Jen Fox
Posted Date: January 31, 2008 at 3:08 PM
Filed under: Home Flooring Choices, Jen Fox
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Tags: allergy, carpet, dust mites, Hardwood flooring, wood flooring
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If you are working on a new construction or renovation project, you've probably given some thought to making your home more eco-friendly. Using wide plank wood floors from a responsible provider can be a step in the right direction and here's why:
Reclaimed wood gives another lifecycle to an existing material. Using it means that you will be straining our resources less and avoiding sending old materials to the landfill. When you are looking at providers, keep in mind that 3rd party certification like Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) will be a sign that the materials are credible - however, that certification is not the end-all be-all.
Newly sawn wood from a well-managed forest is another GREEN option. These forests can be found nationwide and offer a really good local option. Focusing on the use of local materials is a great approach because transportation increases the amount of carbon we emit into the atmosphere.
Author's Name: Lindsay Barczuk
Posted Date: January 30, 2008 at 2:07 PM
Filed under: Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Lindsay Barczuk
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Tags: 3rd party certified wood, eco-friendly, FSC certified wood, green building, hardwood floors, source wood locally, wide plank floors
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I had a client recently ask if it would be ok to install wood floors in a full bath, often used by kids in the home. It reminded me of a blog I visited a while ago asking the same question, and out of the thirty or so responses, it was a pretty good split between yes and no, ranging from "NO WAY" to "Yes, I have been living on them for over thirty years and I love them."
There really should be very little concern about putting wood floors in a full bath, just the way kitchens are perfectly acceptable today, as they both have been for hundreds of years. And your floors do not have to be a laminate or a pre-finished floor to make it work. To the contrary, a true traditional wood floor will be so much easier to maintain, and will stand the test of time, just as our ancestor's floors have. I grew-up in a late 1800's home with one bathroom, and six siblings. The floor was original wide pine, and it is probably still there today.
Here are a few things you want to think about when installing your floors in a bathroom that has a shower and/or a tub and a commode. Today's bathrooms are well ventilated with a ceiling fan that wisks away the moisture. You can buy commodes with an insulated tank liner to help the sweating pipes from leaving water around ANY bathroom floor, and if you are doing a bathroom remodel, now would be a great time to have your plumber add a mixing valve to your commode, mixing warm water with the cold, to completely eliminate sweating.
A few more things to think about with traditional wood floors in a bathroom are: finding the most suitable finish for your home from all that is available today, using the best quality flooring to ensure stability of the boards, and assessing your true expectations of your flooring.
For a finish, I would suggest using a high resin tung oil, as this not only seals the wood, but it is the easiest finish to maintain that I have found. You can also back-seal the flooring and the sub floor to help prevent moisture from getting into the wood. If you are replacing your sub-floor, look into the wax impregnated OSB board, such as Adventec, as this will help seal moisture out.
As for the material, work with a company that understands wood, that will work with you on the installation methods, and is known for using only the best quality timbers available today. The installation can be perfect, but if the material is low quality, your chances of having problems are greatly increased. I would prefer to have a floor I can let acclimate to the home, then install it and put a good finish on it, rather then a pre-finished floor I have less control over.
Finally, what are your expectations? Are you looking for that perfect laminated, linoleum look, or is a natural wood floor, with a slight gap here and there, more your style? The beauty of real wood is unsurpassed, especially in today's plastic world. And the wider the plank, the more real your floor will look. Don't let a little puddle from the kids shower scare you away from having a beautiful floor. (Click here for some other tips to protect your wood floor.) The way we live in our homes today, with throw-rugs, and wiping up after ourselves, there really is nothing to be concerned about. GO FOR IT!
Author's Name: Rick Menard
Posted Date: January 25, 2008 at 7:52 AM
Filed under: DIY - Do It Yourself, Rick Menard
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Tags: Bathrooms, Carlisle Wide Plank Flooring, Flooring, Hardwood Floors, Kitchens, Linoleum, Tile
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With the market full of companies claiming to be GREEN, it's more important than ever that we critically assess the intentions and actions of these supposedly eco-friendly companies. Third party product certifications are an insightful way to evaluate the product(s), but how will we - as consumers - ever really know what happens behind the scenes?
A few days ago, we received an email from an architect who was rightfully challenging our GREENness after he received a triplicate mailing, which (interestingly enough) advertised our AIA Continuing Education Program - Building Green: One Plank at a Time. This potential client stated his concern that - for a company claiming to be so green - we were sending him a mailer (contained within an envelope) instead of communicating via a more GREEN method like email.
His concern is admirable and valid. To this point, it's refreshing to know that the public is being judicious in evaluating companies and their claims. We absolutely recognize the potential drain that such correspondence can place on our resources.
We have and will always be committed to reducing our carbon footprint, in every aspect of our business from procurement & manufacturing to sales & marketing. We pledge to the following:
We have reduced the amount of printed materials that we use by over 25% over the past year and will continue to reduce our dependency on paper communications in the future.
Where printed materials are the best medium for our customers to best understand our floors, we utilize the highest recycled paper content available and print exclusively with VOC-free soy ink.
In many cases, as in the mailer and envelope that this client received, the printed items were created from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, 100% process chlorine free, post consumer recycled paper and were printed with soy ink.
If any of you have additional questions or concerns about our internal procedures, I welcome your feedback. We are indubitably compelled to act within the best interests of Mother Nature and will work to make our practices increasingly transparent, as not to leave a doubt in your mind. For more insight into our efforts to remain faithful to our goal of conducting business in the most eco-friendly manner and to understand our passion for the planet, click here.
Author's Name: Lindsay Barczuk
Posted Date: January 24, 2008 at 4:22 PM
Filed under: Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Lindsay Barczuk
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Tags: accountability, Carlisle Wide Plank Floors, communicating as a green company, consistency of commitment, corporate transparency, eco-friendly company, evaluate products, Green company, Lindsay Barczuk
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How long do you think that a home built today should last? 50 years? 100 years? 150 years? Incorporating durable materials into construction means that the product will last longer - they will not need to be replaced. When a product does not need to be replaced, that means less strain on our natural resources and fewer items going to the landfill.
Another aspect of durability that we should take into consideration is the concept of Timeless Architecture. Timeless Architecture takes into consideration that a product might be designed well enough to last - but the aesthetical implications need to be long-lasting, as well.
I use the example of avocado refrigerators. These were the stainless steel appliances of the 1970s. Everybody wanted one. Nowadays, many of these appliances are still working perfectly in people's kitchens, but the durability of visual appeal is debatable.
So, the question becomes: how can you incorporate products into the design of a home that will not only last for years to come, but will also appeal from a design standpoint? Check out a couple sites where you can find eco-friendly products designed and built for timeless architecture:
- www.wideplankflooring.com
- www.lowimpactliving.com
- www.greenhome.com
Author's Name: Lindsay Barczuk
Posted Date: at 3:17 PM
Filed under: Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Lindsay Barczuk
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Tags: durability, eco-friendly products, green building, lindsay barczuk, product lifecycle, product selection, timeless architecture, waste reduction
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Check out this link to my sister's Denver Victorian Renovation blog. She has been converting a multi-apartment Victorian house in the Baker neighborhood into a single family home. She and her husband had originally hoped to salvage the existing floor, but they concluded the original floors were past the point of repair.
They came to Carlisle wanting to match the grain and color of the wood. They are restoring most of the original woodwork throughout the home and wanted a floor to complement the rich mahogany finishes. We custom crafted a handful of samples and ultimately found that this Old Growth Heart Pine with Autumn Leaf stain and Tung Oil finish was the perfect combination.
Check out the link and some of the other cool antiques they discovered along the process. Any of you have experience working on a similar type project?
Author's Name: Lindsay Barczuk
Posted Date: January 22, 2008 at 5:13 PM
Filed under: Hardwood Flooring, Lindsay Barczuk, Wood Grains & Styles
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Tags: autumn leaf, Carlisle Wide Plank Floors, Denver, example of installing hardwood floors, Hardwood, heart pine, home renovation, remodeling, tung oil, Victorian Renovation
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When I was in San Fran at a the PCBC Green Conference in 2006, one of the speakers told us that "Green Building is like pornography. It's difficult to define, but you know it when you see it"... I like that idea - it's not a black and white topic. If you ask 10 people what they think it means, you may see some similarities, but you will get 10 different answers.
Carlisle Wide Plank Floor's definition: Green building applies to the process of incorporating sound environmental consideration into design, planning, and construction.
How would you define Green Building? I think we've all seen some oxymoronic green buildings - like the 6500 sf Green Home (maybe not the best short term use of raw materials and long term use of energy). What Green Building agendas do you think are non-negotiable?
Author's Name: Lindsay Barczuk
Posted Date: at 2:17 PM
Filed under: Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Lindsay Barczuk
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Tags: Carlisle Wide Plank Floors, define green building, definition of green building, Green Building, green building agendas, Lindsay Barczuk, what does it mean to build green
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Popular home decor and home improvement blog Apartment Therapy has offered a fun entry about getting more tactile in the home. The Article cites several textures that are becoming popular. The use of wicker in home decor is on its way back in for sure. Mixing it with other textures is the thing to do. Consider combining it with hardwood floors. The great thing about hardwood floors is that they can support any decor. As trends come and go, hardwoods are here forever. Wide planks boards are very popular and unusual. They create a very free flow look in your floor not a choppy look that can fight with your decor.
Author's Name: Sharon Bondie
Posted Date: at 12:01 PM
Filed under: Home Decor, Sharon Bondie
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Tags: Apartment Therapy, Hardwood flooring, Home Decor, natural elements, Textures, wicker, wide plank boards
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It's my pleasure to welcome you to a new endeavor at Carlisle Wide Plank Floors - our very own blog. We wanted to find a way to acknowledge the special customer relationships that we've developed during the past 40 years and find even more ways to reach out into the community and make ourselves available to you.
Like our Surface newsletter, our new Surface blog reflects the idea that there is no more important surface than the one we live on. You could take this literally to mean the floor of your home -- or you could take it a bit deeper to mean the surface we all live on: our planet. Both are of utmost importance to all of us at Carlisle.
With an increase in environmental awareness and a widespread effort to "go green," many companies are finding ways to educate others about the importance of sustainability. At Carlisle, we've been "green" from the very beginning. And we see this blog as an opportunity to explore the many different ways in which our company is committed to the environment - from dispelling myths surrounding forestry practices to helping you understand the ecological benefits that a Carlisle Wide Plank Floor can offer.
I'll be posting periodically to give you updates on new happenings at Carlisle as well as my thoughts from the perspective of a second generation owner in our family-run business. I'll also be discussing a variety of forestry-related topics, including the approaches we use at Carlisle.
I hope that you will not only find the content in this blog valuable, but that you will carry with you the spirit and commitment that we uphold at Carlisle Wide Plank Floors: a company that maintains the highest of ideals and treats its customers the way we ourselves would like to be treated.
Equally important, we hope that you will share with us some of your stories, whether you're a past Carlisle customer or may become one in the future. With five contributing employee bloggers and the potential for more to join in, we like to think of ourselves as one big family and we hope you will feel the same. We encourage you to comment but just keep in mind that we do have some basic User Guidelines.
Our bloggers are:
Jennifer Fox - a Carlisle employee and customer whose focus will be on the health effects of wide plank flooring, forestry practices and her first-hand knowledge of the customer experience.
Lindsay Barczuk - the "green queen" of our company, she will bring her environmental expertise and passion for eco-culture to our blog.
Rick Menard - an experienced account manager and active outdoorsman, he will be sharing his expertise on topics appealing to builders, architects and homeowners alike.
Sharon Bondie - located in our Georgia office, Sharon will be discussing topics such as installing over slab and home decorating on a budget.
Stephanie Urquhart - one of our great customer service representatives, Stephanie will be here to discuss customer service, the Carlisle process and address your questions or comments.
While each blogger has a unique voice and message, we'll all be posting on a wide range of subjects including Carlisle as a company, the knowledge we have of our products, and our own personal interests.
We're excited. Thanks so much for visiting and we look forward to hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Don Carlisle, President
Carlisle Wide Plank Floors
Author's Name: Don Carlisle
Posted Date: January 17, 2008 at 3:12 PM
Filed under: Don Carlisle
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Tags: carlisle blog, carlisle wide plank floors, don carlisle, hardwood flooring, hardwood floors, message from the president, welcome, wide plank flooring, wide plank floors
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I recently read an article in the USA Today about Clarum Homes founder John Suppes. The article focused on how he started the company years ago based on green principles - even "before it was cool".
The story sounded so familiar and that's because Carlisle was founded over 40 years ago on the foundation of being a responsible steward of the environment. I hope to spend a lot of time talking about the foundation of our company, our current forestry and manufacturing practices, as well as our goals for the future.
The other point I'd like to address from the Clarum article is his position that "the most reliable material is timber harvested in an ecologically sound manner". Carlisle floors are made of these materials - timbers that are harvested selectively with long-term sustainability in mind.
Author's Name: Lindsay Barczuk
Posted Date: January 14, 2008 at 12:59 PM
Filed under: Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Lindsay Barczuk
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Tags: carlisle forestry, carlisle wide plank floors, Clarum Homes, deforestation, eco friendly flooring, eco friendly home, eco friendly wood harvesting, green building, green home, hardwood floors, safe forestation, USA Today, wide plank floors
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Hi, I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself. My name is Stephanie Urquhart of Carlisle Wide Plank Floors. I have been a proud member of the Carlisle Family in our Sales Support Team for over 6 years. I love working here and I can honestly say the part of my job that makes it the most fun for me is definitely my daily interactions with our customers. I love the thought of talking and corresponding with someone from the very first time they call in and then developing a lasting personal relationship/friendship with them as we get to know each other over time. This aspect of my job is truly what puts the "winds of passion" in my sails!
To top it off, I also feel lucky to have another important perk, which is to be surrounded by such wonderful people! When I'm here, the people that are around me, don't feel much like co-workers at all, in fact they seem more like close friends or an extension of my family.
In my upcoming blog entries, I plan on sharing stories with you about my relationships with our customers and how they affect me, as well as my journey as an employee.
Well, for now I'll let you go! I look forward to sharing some fun stories with you soon.
Take care,
Steph
Author's Name: Stephanie Urquhart
Posted Date: January 9, 2008 at 2:22 PM
Filed under: Stephanie Urquhart
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Tags: building customer relationships, carlisle blog, carlisle customer satisfaction, carlisle customer service, carlisle customers, carlisle wide plank floors, customer service stories, first post, maintaining customer loyalty, stephanie urquhart, wide plank flooring
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Hi all, My name is Rick, and I am an account manager for Carlisle Wide Plank Floors. I have been here for many years and I will be helping with discussions ranging from quality of wood, installation, radiant heat, concrete slabs, builders time tables, customer service, and anything else you want to talk about. Installing and finishing my own floors, and many of my family and friends' floors also, gives me a great appreciation for the trades, as well as the do-it-yourselfer. I have been a woodworker since 1980, building furniture for family and friends. One of my favorite tv shows is New Yankee Workshop, and I had the pleasure of visiting their studio and watching an episode being taped. Having lunch with Norm Abram and Russ Morash was a thrill I will never forget. I love wood, anything to do with wood, including antique woodworking tools from the 30's to the 50's. I have built a DN ice boat, a sail powered vehicle that skates across ice, one of the hardest woodworking projects I have taken on.
My passions now include, (beside my wife and two seven-year-olds), building a 31' Ford Model A Streetrod, hiking and snowshoeing the New Hampshire woods, wildlife photography, and many other outdoor activities including coaching little league baseball, hunting and fishing. I have started a photo collection of very unique trees I come across in the woods with the goal of making a coffee table book some day. Working here at Carlisle gives me the chance to work one-on-one with customers, fulfilling my need for helping out people and interacting with some amazing flooring projects. One of the biggest kicks I get is seeing photos of homes people have remodeled or built, using wide plank flooring.
I look forward to hearing from everyone,
Rick Menard
Author's Name: Rick Menard
Posted Date: at 2:21 PM
Filed under: Rick Menard
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Tags: carlisle blog, carlisle wide plank floors, concrete slab installation, DIY, do it yourself, first post, flooring contractors, hiking, hunting and fishing, new hampshire, nh, radiant heat, streetrod, wildlife photography, wood floor installation, woodworking
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Hi! My name is Jen Fox and I work as Sales Support at Carlisle Wide Plank Floors. I have been here for 10 months and I am very happy to be a part of the Carlisle family! I will be touching base every once in a while to let you know how things are going on my own flooring project, as I am installing our Old Growth Heart Pine and Old Growth Eastern White Pine in my new home. As soon as we are ready for the floors in our building schedule, I will be on hand to help install them myself and I am very excited!!
I have attached a photo of myself with my two year old Black Lab, Montana; as he will be living with me in my new home and naturally distressing my Pine wide plank floors. As a side note, I am allergic to animals BIG TIME. One of the reasons I will be able to keep Montana and my two cats in my new home is because I am installing all wide plank flooring and no carpet. This will reduce my allergy load tremendously because it will be so easy to clean the floors simply by sweeping and damp mopping with small amount of vinegar and water. I am happy to be able to do this for my allergies and essentially, to do my part to help the environment, as this flooring will last for generations and has not been artificially crafted into something that will take decades to deteriorate in a landfill once it has worn out its welcome in my home...
That's all for now - I will definitely tell more stories soon!
Kindly,
Jennifer L. Fox
Author's Name: Jen Fox
Posted Date: at 2:18 PM
Filed under: Jen Fox
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Tags: carlisle blog, carlisle wide plank floors, first post, install your own floor, jennifer fox, pet allergies, white pine floor, wood floor versus carpet old growth white pine
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Hey, I'm Lindsay Barczuk. I have been working for Carlisle for 3 years now out of the Denver office. I was originally hired as an Office Manager and spent most of my time keeping operations, IT, and other processes running smoothly. During the first few years, I learned a lot about wood and our practices. When I had some extra time, I offered my services and got involved with other aspects of the company, like sales and marketing.
About two years ago, I suggested to Don and Kerry Carlisle that we consider looking into the Green Building industry to see how our products might fit into the big picture. At the time, I knew we were already a green company based on how we had been doing business for 40 years - but I wanted to know more and see how we could improve. I think I'll spend a lot of time talking about the innate greenness of Carlisle and our products. From procurement to manufacturing and installation, we've thought of most everything and will stand 100% behind our practices. I look forward to sharing more of the specifics on this.
On a personal level, I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA and moved out to CO about 10 years ago to attend the University of Colorado. While in school, I traveled internationally as much as I could justify - including a term on Semester at Sea traveling through Europe, Russia, and the Middle East. Upon graduation, I moved from Boulder to Denver and started working for an international company offering Geographical Information System (GIS) services. I wanted a little more out of my profession, but wasn't sure what that was. So, I enrolled in graduate school for an International MBA at the University of Denver. This experience facilitated even more travel, specifically to Scandinavia and Africa. Towards the end of it all, I realized that culture was my passion: I love food, music, art, and understanding the unique traditions to a particular region or population.
On a beautiful Colorado day, I enjoy taking my 140 lb. Bullmastiff/Rottweiler mix, Ruby, for a long walk to the farmers market. My goals here are to 1) wear her out because we all know that a tired dog is a well-behaved dog; and 2) pick out new ingredients to inspire a never-before attempted meal. On a broader level, the latter is my outlook on life... I enjoy being put into new situations, evaluating all the surroundings, and figuring what I can do to make the most of it.
I look forward to participating in this project and hope I am able to offer some valuable insight into how we work and what matters most at Carlisle Wide Plank Floors.
Author's Name: Lindsay Barczuk
Posted Date: at 2:14 PM
Filed under: Lindsay Barczuk
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Hi, my name is Sharon Bondie and I am an account manager for Carlisle Wide Plank Floors located in our Southeastern region. I came to Carlisle Wide Plank Floors a few years ago from one of the largest home improvement chains in the world. It is a wonderful to be part of the Carlisle family. I feel like I am surrounded by family all day. They say that laughing is the mystery cure for all illnesses. Well if this is true then we are all really healthy in our Carlisle family.
We have a fun group here in the southeast as you see in the attached picture. The pink pig is a Christmas tradition that has been around Atlanta for about 30 years. People bring their kids every year to ride at Christmas. We thought it would be fun to put a picture of all of us in our Carlisle newsletter (yes, we even have our own newsletter) so we went as a group and took a picture after our ride.
I love to spend time with family and friends. Much of my free time is spent on decorating friends' and family's homes. They call me "the Queen of Returns". I actually leave tags on things for unlimited time frames so that I can get a feel for the flow of the décor. I can give you a run down of the return policy in most stores!!!! Many know me by name!!!! Oh well, if it fits wear it and if not return it except for a Carlisle Floor. This is something that will be with your home for hundreds of years. It is made to outlast us and carry on to be with our loved ones for years to come.
I think that it is truly a blessing to be able to have a Carlisle floor. Not only because of the beauty but because there is so much love and pride that goes into each one of our floors. There is nothing more satisfying than sharing my passion for our floors everyday with all of you out there.
There really is nothing more important than the surface that we live on with the people that we love. That is the message that I will share with people while blogging!!!
Author's Name: Sharon Bondie
Posted Date: at 11:39 AM
Filed under: Sharon Bondie
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Tags: carlisle atlanta, carlisle blog, carlisle wide plank floors, decorating on a budget, first post, home decorating, interior decorating, southeastern style, southern floor trends, the pink pig atlanta, wide plank flooring
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