Lindsay Barczuk Category Archive
In the spirit of Earth Day, Carlisle has challenged its employees to commit to greening one aspect of their personal lives. We figure that, over the course of 365 days, our 150+ employees will reduce the drain on natural resources in over 55,000 ways!
Some of the suggestions we made are:
Bring in a coffee mug and stop using the paper/styrofoam cups Buy reusable bags instead of using paper or plastic at the store Switch from incandescent to compact fluorescent light bulbs Walk or take public transportation instead of driving once a week Support local business to cut back on transportation demands Buy organic - you'll reduce the amount of pesticides in our food chain Step up your recycling If you are having a baby, consider cloth diapers Bank online - stop your paper statements Remove yourself from mailing listsDo any of you plan on participating in a similar commitment? Do you have any other suggestions of simple ways to make a difference?
Author's Name: Lindsay Barczuk
Posted Date: April 21, 2008 at 1:08 PM
Filed under: Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Lindsay Barczuk
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Tags: Earth Day, green building, greener life, personal change, reduce waste, simple ways to live green
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Green Building Programs and Standards are emerging everywhere. While many are casually compiled and branded, there are a lot of strong programs out there. Two of the leading programs are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and EnergyStar.
The LEED Program is a product of the USGBC (United States Green Building Council). I think the LEED is strong for two reasons: 1) it takes into consideration different building types - there are different LEED programs for Homes, Schools, Retail, Healthcare, and more; and 2) it considers a broad scope of Green Building objectives - including Materials & Resources, Water Efficiency, Site Sustainability, and Indoor Environmental Quality. In contrast, the LEED program has been criticized for 1) having limited emphasis on lifecycle analysis; and 2) demanding a higher implementation cost.
Energy Star, on the other hand, is a residential program that focuses primarily on energy efficiency and indoor air quality. This program appeals to homeowners because it evaluates and makes recommendations on improving the heating, cooling, and water systems within a home - all of these improvements will translate into savings on the energy bill. This government program also offers tax benefits to subscribers - another popular and tangible enhancement. Unfortunately, this program does not consider other Green Building objectives, like Material or Site Selection.
Have any of you been a part of one of these or another Green Building program? What was your experience like?
Author's Name: Lindsay Barczuk
Posted Date: April 17, 2008 at 11:42 AM
Filed under: Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Lindsay Barczuk
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Tags: Comparison of green building programs, Energy Star, Environmental Sensitivity, Green Building, LEED
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As green initiatives are implemented into our communities, I think we'll see more and more unexpected contradictions. In this case, we are talking about the tree vs. the solar panel. The New York Times recently reported on an incident in California, in which one neighbor's treasured redwoods block the direct sunlight from hitting another neighbor's solar panels. The battle culminated in a courtroom and a judge ordered that the tree growing neighbors must ensure that no more than 10% of the panels are blocked - risking fines of $1000/day for infringement.
Not too long ago, I read about a similar issue in local Denver. Have any of you come across your own versions of this impending dilemma?
Author's Name: Lindsay Barczuk
Posted Date: April 8, 2008 at 5:36 PM
Filed under: Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Lindsay Barczuk
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Tags: californai, green building, legal action, new york times, trees vs. solar panels
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The AIA, American Institute of Architects, is a coalition of over 83,000 members - including licensed architects, designers, corporate sponsors, and government representatives. The organization is multi-faceted; however one of the foremost initiatives is ongoing education.
For us, the opportunity to present is about getting the chance to educate key decision makers on the application of our products. Currently, we offer three approved courses - each at 1.5 (CEU) Continuing Education Units and 1 Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) unit:
- Wide Plank Wood Floors Over Radiant Heat: Yes You Can!
- Antique Woods: Reclaiming the Past
- Building Green: One Plank at a Time
Are any of you architects interested in learning more about our AIA-CEU program? For the rest of you, don't you think it's critical that our architects stay update on available products and applications? What other seminar topics do you think we should consider covering?
Author's Name: Lindsay Barczuk
Posted Date: at 5:10 PM
Filed under: Customer Service, Lindsay Barczuk
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Tags: AIA, Antique Floors, Building Green, Carlisle, CEU, HSW, Radiant Heat
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Hi, everyone! I'm Lesley and I have the privilege of working with the great folks at Carlisle to help with their new adventure in blogging. We're excited to announce Carlisle's first guest post, written by our resident 'Green Queen', Lindsay Barczuk over at the FloorTalk Blog! Lindsay took some time and crafted a really great entry for FloorTalk, discussing her journey at Carlisle from a newbie to a now seasoned employee with a deep appreciation for the wood that Carlisle offers and the methods used to produce it. Some topics you'll find in her entry include:
Choosing slow-growth wood
Antique reclaimed floors
Responsible and sustainable forestry and harvesting
Carlisle Wide Plank Floors' processes from forest to floor
The health benefits of hardwood floors
and more!
Basically, whether you're looking to purchase a floor or just want to learn more about wood flooring, this article takes you on an indispensable tour through the things to consider and how to achieve the best quality floor for your time and money. Congratulations, Lindsay, on a job well done!
Do you have a blog that you'd like to feature one of our bloggers on? Do you have a story you'd like to share with us to feature on our blog? Leave us a comment!
Author's Name: Lesley Anderson
Posted Date: March 17, 2008 at 1:23 PM
Filed under: Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Hardwood Flooring, Lindsay Barczuk, Wood Grains & Styles
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Tags: green building, green living, hardwood flooring, lindsay barczuk, slow growth timber, sustainable forestry, wood flooring blog
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Since the onset of Christianity, believers have shared the mindset to "use only what you need." This approach to living has recently been revived: Two Leaders in the Church of England are calling on worshippers to give up carbon, or reduce their carbon footprints, during the season of Lent.
I think this is an interesting concept and the article contains a few practical tips to accomplish this goal. Have any of you heard of anyone participating in this carbon fast?
Author's Name: Lindsay Barczuk
Posted Date: March 11, 2008 at 12:56 PM
Filed under: Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Lindsay Barczuk
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Tags: carbon + fast, carbon emissions, carbon footprint, Church of England, give up carbon, green living, Lindsay Barczuk, penance for lent
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Over the past few weeks, I read about two very different approaches to green building.
The first type of green building are the green "McMansions", if you will. They triggered stark disapproval by an eco-terrorism group - who claim that the 4000 sf homes are oxymoronic to green building. Obviously, a larger home will require more initial building materials and ongoing resources for maintenance.
The other - more innovative and noteworthy - type I read about occurs in Luling, TX, where they really do use fewer natural resources. These tiny homes are only 200 sf to start!
Do you all think there is a limit to square footage for a green home?
Author's Name: Lindsay Barczuk
Posted Date: March 7, 2008 at 5:35 PM
Filed under: Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Lindsay Barczuk
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Tags: 200 sf green home, eco-terrorism, green building, lindsay barczuk, McMansion, natural resource management, seattle, tiny homes
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We've done a lot of work with an Interior Designer on Mercer Island, WA - who named her company Six Walls. She was visiting our Denver showroom a few years back and took the time to explain why she chose the company name. She said that most people think a room has only 4 walls - but including the ever important floor and ceiling - there are actually six walls. Clever, I thought.
Now, we are teetering on the edge of adding yet another wall - or surface - on which we can imprint our personal touch. In this case, we are talking about Green Roofs - roofs made of soil, grasses and other organic materials that are designed to promote improved stormwater runoff, protect buildings from the heat of the sun, and more. People have even taken this so far as to create a pasture for grazing animals on the roof of their building!
Here's a picture of a Green Roof in Tokyo from Dissonanc3 on Flickr via Ecogeek.org
It's a great idea and, while it may not be ideal in desert climates like in the Southwest, there is certainly something to be said about incoporating a little more color into one's exterior design.
Author's Name: Lindsay Barczuk
Posted Date: February 20, 2008 at 11:04 AM
Filed under: Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Lindsay Barczuk
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Tags: green building, green design, green roofs, interior design, mercer island, six walls, solar energy, stormwater runoff
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EcoTimber, a fellow provider of Green Flooring, recently announced that they are expanding their offerings to include bamboo flooring. We've heard a lot about bamboo in recent years and I think there are definitely some advantages to using this material - mostly because of the quick regeneration cycle and reduced cost. For many consumers out there, this flooring option is a great one.
Carlisle has never considered offering bamboo. To begin, bamboo is a plant - not a wood. We sell only high quality wide plank wood floors. Bamboo is an imported product and, while the growth patterns and harvesting techniques are favorable, the transportation implications taint the overall "greenness" of the product. Another question that only time will answer is the long-term aesthetic appeal to the American public.
For now, Carlisle remains focused on the tried and true GREENness of our North American FSC certified Antique and Selectively Harvested Woods.
Author's Name: Lindsay Barczuk
Posted Date: February 19, 2008 at 2:48 PM
Filed under: Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Lindsay Barczuk
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Tags: Antique Wood, bamboo, Carlisle Wide Plank Floors, domestic wood flooring, EcoTimber, FSC certified wood, green flooring, harvesting, regeneration
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A few months back, I was interviewed by Green Living Idea's founder and Carlisle customer Sean Daily. We discussed a variety of topics from our selective harvesting techniques to reclamation of old wood to tung oil and more.
If you have a moment, check out this podcast - you can even download it to your iPod! Nothing will keep you moving at the gym quite like this discussion :)
Author's Name: Lindsay Barczuk
Posted Date: February 5, 2008 at 2:10 PM
Filed under: Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Lindsay Barczuk
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Tags: Carlisle Wide Plank Floors, Green Living Ideas, lindsay barczuk, podcast, reclamation of old wood, selective harvesting, tung oil
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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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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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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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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: January 9, 2008 at 2:14 PM
Filed under: Lindsay Barczuk
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Tags: biography, Carlisle Wide Plank Floors, Hardwood Floors Company, Lindsay Barczuk, Office Manager
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