DIY - Do It Yourself Category Archive
Randy Harris came to our Atlanta Design Studio nearly a year ago, when his ultra-modern home in Atlanta was just in the conceptual phase of drawings. He wanted a very contemporary look and--well--he certainly achieved it! His home was featured this past weekend on the "Modern Atlanta Home Tour" and he dropped Carlisle a note to tell us about it. He wrote to Caitlin in our Atlanta offices:
Caitlin:
Hope you are well! I just wanted to tell you that our home was on the Modern Atlanta home tour this past weekend, and we got many compliments on our floors! ...Thanks again for all your help!
Randy Harris
Even while constucting this very contemporary house, Harris wanted to showcase the natural characteristics of Carlisle's wood floors and he chose our Old Growth Hickory, with an Antique Farmhouse stain. We think the contrast is quite awesome.
Photos by: TaC studios/architecture, Atlanta
Author's Name: Christine Halvorson
Posted Date: May 20, 2009 at 3:38 PM
Filed under: Customer Letters, DIY - Do It Yourself, Hardwood Flooring, Home Building and Contracting, Home Flooring Choices, Regions
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Tags: architecture, Atlanta, Atlanta Modern Home Tour, Carlisle Wide Plank Floors, Hickory
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Back on March 25, we told you about Cheryl Parker and Marc Batcheldor and how they are building one of the greenest homes in the country, over in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, not so far from our Carlisle headquarters. We're quite proud to be part of this project, which is now about to be revealed to the public in the Portsmouth Sustainability Tour. Cheryl and Marc's house is featured on the May 16 "Sustainability at Home" tour featuring homes and organizations that are demonstrating sustainable building materials or other energy saving practices. Their home appears on this map as #7: The Zero Net Energy Home! Cheryl and Marc intend that their home will achieve platinum level LEED certification and their zero net energy designation means they will produce as much energy as they use. Their home is a 1,350-square-foot passive solar that they designed and engineered themselves. Each material they used in their home was considered for where it was manufactured, its chemical content and its sustainability--and that's why they chose Carlisle Wide Plank Antique Heart Pine, crafted in 4-inch to 10-inch random widths. March and Cheryl installed the floor themselves.
If you're in the Portsmouth, New Hampshire neighborhood on May 16, why not drop in to the Sustainability at Home tour and see Marc and Cheryl's home up close?
Author's Name: Christine Halvorson
Posted Date: May 11, 2009 at 7:51 PM
Filed under: DIY - Do It Yourself, Events, Green Building and Eco Friendly Products
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A customer, JoAnn Johnson, sent us these photos of the Premium Grade Ash floors she had just put in. She reports that she did the staining and tung oil finish herself, and that she had a lot of fun choosing which of the many boards to "highlight" in each of the rooms she finished. Besides these two rooms, she's also undertaking a new floor in her Great Room. Way to go, JoAnn!
Author's Name: Christine Halvorson
Posted Date: May 8, 2009 at 4:05 PM
Filed under: DIY - Do It Yourself
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Tags: Ash, Carlisle, tung, wood floors
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Our Sarah Bergren got a nice note from Diane (and Bob) Billingsley from Whidbey Island, Washington. They ordered a Carlisle floor about one year ago--a 3" to 7" Anitque Oak and, as a cost-saver, they installed the floor themselves and did the final finishing with Tung Oil. Good for them! Here's the note from customer Diane:
Hi Sarah:
I am not a photographer but these will give you some idea of how beautiful the floor came out in the kitchen. We still have not put the great room floor down or the stairs and landing. Do you think the wood will be 'acclimatized' sufficiently? We hope to get it all down within the next month or so....
We went to see a house that is being remodeled here on the island yesterday and one of the gals with us remarked on the floor. It was a simple, tight knot (she said) pine, stained and sealed. The owner said she was disappointed with the floor, that it was not a "Carlisle" but she had to live with it. I didn't say anything, didn't want to make her feel any worse, but I was beaming inside and Bob (my husband) and I exchanged a wink. She and her husband are coming over to see our progress next Saturday...
Ciao,
Diane
Author's Name: Christine Halvorson
Posted Date: March 5, 2009 at 9:03 PM
Filed under: Customer Letters, DIY - Do It Yourself
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Jason Wolfe, an account manager in our L. A. office, sent along these photos of a Carlisle Antique Milled Barnwood floor. The floor, in a Sierra cabin in Markleeville, California, was installed and finished by the customer, Mr. Ed McCormick. Thank you to Ed for sending along these photos!
Author's Name: Christine Halvorson
Posted Date: February 27, 2009 at 4:19 PM
Filed under: DIY - Do It Yourself, Home Flooring Choices
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Erik Paulson, a client, wrote to our Lauren Power about his pre-finished Eastern White Pine with Indian Summer stain, 8" to 12". The floor was installed in his house that was under construction.
Thanks for all your help. We love the floor, although I haven't yet put the antique nails in, partially because I don't want to ruin anything.-- Erik Paulson
Don Carlisle dropped in with this note to give Erik some confidence in putting in the nails:
Pre-drill the holes with a small pilot drill 1/8" to avoid splitting. Make sure the nail is parallel to the grain. In doing this, you'll get some little areas around some of the nail heads where there is bare wood from the nail going in. Trust me, I tried not to and you just can't help but get some. I took a little tiny sponge brush--you could even use a paintbrush--like the little ones you use for artistry. Just dabble a little stain in around the nail head and let it sit while you do the whole row. Then go back with a little rag and wipe off any excess that gets on the surface of the floor. You would also only want to put nails in every other joist. I'd only use three on the face every other, and two on the ends and every other. --Don Carlisle
Author's Name: Christine Halvorson
Posted Date: February 20, 2009 at 2:11 PM
Filed under: Customer Letters, DIY - Do It Yourself
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Bob and Melissa Meyer of Alden, New York saw a Carlisle ad in Country Living Magazine and, once they decided to build a new home, contacted us and worked with Shanon Sterrett to come up with a design. Shanon, in our Stoddard offices, helped them choose Wide Plank Eastern White pine, 8" to 12" wide, and had it finished in a Bradford Umber stain and Tung Oil-what we call our "Signature floor." Bob and his father, a builder/carpenter, installed the floor themselves, and they did the finishing of the stain and oil. Shanon said the Meyers "were probably one of the sweetest couples I've worked with."
The photo Bob and Melissa sent (below) shows the floor in its installed but unfinished state, and it still looks great!
Author's Name: Christine Halvorson
Posted Date: February 16, 2009 at 1:29 PM
Filed under: DIY - Do It Yourself, Home Flooring Choices
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Lauren Power of our New Hampshire design team received this photo and letter from her clients in Walpole, NH! The floor is unfinished… but GORGEOUS just the same. We hope to get some additional photos once the finish is applied!
Hi Lauren. Hope this email finds you and the baby in good health. Thought I would send you a small section of the floor. As of yesterday, it is all in. Moe and I are so pleased. It is absolutely beautiful!! Thank you so much for your time and your help through the process. We will never forget all you did. Are you all settled into your house?
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: November 12, 2008 at 4:27 PM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, DIY - Do It Yourself, Hardwood Flooring, Home Building and Contracting, Home Flooring Choices, Regions, Wood Grains & Styles
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Laura Leier of our Denver Sales team sent in these photos of her DIY project, prefinished wide plank Red Pine!
See her notes and photos below!
Here are some pictures of Our New England Red Pine prefinished with a cherry stain 8-12” wide. The install would go much faster if we did not have so much help but it fits together perfectly. The only trick with really long wood is when squaring the ends you have to really push down on the boards to keep it flat and flush with the fence on the saw. Additionally, we have not experienced any “regional contraction” in the wood. All of the boards have remained the same width and it has been in Colorado since May! This will be a huge selling tool for me when I am selling pre finished in more arid climates where this tends to occur more often!
Thank you to the mill and prefinsihing for making us such a beautiful floor that every neighbor has stopped in to covet!
Laura and family
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 21, 2008 at 12:40 PM
Filed under: DIY - Do It Yourself, Home Building and Contracting, Home Decor, Home Flooring Choices, Regions
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Tags: DIY, red pine, wide wood over concrete
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Lynne Rafuse of our New England sales team received this email and photos from her client Bruce of Walpole, New Hampshire!
Lynne- Just a note to let you know that the floor is finished. The floor looks like I expected it to, and there is a consistency of finish on the knots as well as the rest of the planks.
I am attaching a few pictures of the floor, although the rooms still need door and window casings and mopboards. The radiators seen under the windows can now be hooked up too. There are other features to be added to the fireplace (mantle) and a wall of bookshelves to finish the look in one of the rooms. I'll send you those pics when the job is finalized.
Thanks, Bruce
--
Bruce Blanchette
Visual Artist
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 12:11 PM
Filed under: Customer Letters, DIY - Do It Yourself, Home Decor, Regions
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Tags: home rennovation in new hampshire, tung oil finish, wide plank pine floors
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Our clients Jennifer and Kevin Stallman of Iowa sent Lauren Fanti, of our sales team, these photos! Jennifer and Kevin installed their own floors and custom pattern!
FSC Certified Antique Hickory
Custom Pattern in newly sawn Hickory
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 13, 2008 at 10:49 AM
Filed under: DIY - Do It Yourself
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Tags: custom pattern, DIY Iowa, fsc antique hickory, hickory
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Kevin and Carole Schumann of Orwell, Vermont sent us this letter
Love the flooring! Installed and sealed successfully with advice and guidance from Rick. Thank you!
Kevin and Carole installed their own floors! They purchased two floors: wide plank Eastern White Pine with our signature Plymouth Pumpkin Stain and our wide plank Birch.
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 7, 2008 at 10:28 AM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, DIY - Do It Yourself
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Tags: birch and eastern white pine, DIY, vermont
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We received this customer letter from Bean Lacey of Kenai, Alaska! Bean installed his own floors, wide plank Eastern White Pine with our signature Gingerbread stain.
This stuff looks great! What a beautiful floor. It looks just like the old dance halls and saloons. Everyone that comes in just stops and looks!! Thanks Carlisle and also Tim Galvin.
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: October 6, 2008 at 10:12 AM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, DIY - Do It Yourself
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Tags: DIY, eastern white pine, floors in alaska, stained pine floors, wide plank floors, wide plank pine
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We received this nice letter from customer Skip Ressel of Martinsville, Virginia.
Had it not been for Crystal Knowles' patience, knowledge, help and friendliness, I probably would not have my beautiful floor. She is the greatest!
Skip installed his Eastern White Pine floors too!
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 10:06 AM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, DIY - Do It Yourself
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Tags: DIY, eastern white pine, floors in virginia, stained pine floors, wide plank floors, wide plank pine
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We received this customer letter from Felix and Tarrole Mifeld from Desoto, Missouri.
Best floor I have ever seen! Easy to install, looks as old as our other floors from 1836!
By the way, Felix installed the Eastern White Pine floors!
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 10:01 AM
Filed under: Customer Letters, Customer Service, DIY - Do It Yourself
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Tags: DIY, eastern white pine, floors in missouri, stained pine floors, wide plank floors, wide plank pine
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This is a nice letter paired with photos from a couple who installed their own floors: our wide plank Eastern White Pine with our custom Plymouth Pumpkin Stain
Dear Scott,
Here are the photos. We have yet to upholster some furniture as you will see. That will be our next project. Any chance Carlisle does upholstery???! Thanks for the great floor!
Jill
Before
After
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: September 24, 2008 at 4:24 PM
Filed under: DIY - Do It Yourself
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Tags: DIY, eastern white pine, floors in pennsylvania, stained pine floors, wide plank floors, wide plank pine
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Shanon Sterret shares this personal email from her clients in Virginia!
Hi Shanon,
I am sorry to take so long to get back to you. We have been just crazy busy. I am sending you some of our photos. We have a lot more :-) I will send five pictures in each email. We love our floors and we love the look it gives our home. My hardwood floor installer, AKA my husband Roland, is out of town for another week. When he gets back we will write our account of the installation process.
Thank you,
Michelle and Roland Hankey
Author's Name: Chad Cassin
Posted Date: September 2, 2008 at 3:09 PM
Filed under: DIY - Do It Yourself
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Sarah Bergren of our Denver office shares this information and personal letter from her clients Stan and Tracy!
Sarah -
We installed the floors this weekend. They look great. Everyone was impressed with the quality product. Installation went smoothly. I had to leave before we started to apply the oil, but Tracy has been able to get a couple of coats down. It looks like the brochure! Magnifico! You can check out our pictures here:
We're calling in a friend (professional) to do the stairs in a couple of weeks. Next up, new moulding and casing that we can match to the floors. Your advice is certainly welcome on that topic.
Thanks for helping me get through this. Let me know when you're coming up to Summit, and we'll get you in to take a look.
Regards,
Stan and Tracy
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 8:00 AM
Filed under: DIY - Do It Yourself
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By Albert Waitt
If a homeowner is environmentally conscious and chooses to install a wide plank hardwood floor, it's easy for them to remain consistent and "go green" when caring for that floor and keeping it looking its best. Whether one has chosen a responsibly forested white pine or an antique reclaimed hickory, a green approach to upkeep and cleaning will benefit the homeowner and their wood floor.
When considering how to maintain and clean hardwood floors,
The American Hardwood Information Center offers the following advice:
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Place floor mats and throw rugs at entrances to trap dirt.
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Sweep floors weekly with brooms that have fine, exploded ends.
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Weekly vacuuming will also keep hardwood floors clean.
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Wipe up spills, pet accidents, and other liquid mishaps as soon as possible.
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It is important to remember that water exposure can harm a hardwood floor.
Instead of relying on commercial floor cleaners that may have toxic ingredients, the consumer has green alternatives when choosing materials to keep a wood floor clean and lustrous. The first step is to determine what kind of finish is on the hardwood floor.
For hardwood floors finished with polyurethane, Greenerchoices.org, thedailygreen.com, and Martha Stewart recommend damp mopping with a solution of one cup of vinegar per gallon of water. The mop should be barely wet, just enough to pick up dust and dirt, but not enough to leave water streaking on the floor itself.
For wide plank hardwood floors and soft wood floors with a penetrating finish, such as Carlisle's Tung Oil Finish, water should be avoided during maintenance. In addition to sweeping, dry-mopping, and vacuuming, Care2.com's Live Green Producer
Melissa Breyer recommends a natural
Citrus Solvent be sprayed on the floor in a light film and then dry mopped off with a micro-fiber or regular dust mop.
New green cleaning products are being rolled out on a daily basis and there's no doubt that consumers will have more choices in green floor care in the coming years. But the tips offered here (and now) are safe and effective. Through these simple practices, a homeowner can preserve their floor and protect their planet at the same time.
Author's Name: Guest Blogger
Posted Date: August 9, 2008 at 8:05 AM
Filed under: Authors, DIY - Do It Yourself, Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Guest, Hardwood Flooring, Home Flooring Choices
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Tags: Carlisle Floor products, green cleaning, green floor cleaning, green flooring, green products, hardwood floor cleaning, hardwood floors, Tung Oil
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By Phil Johnson
I'm not a big Do-It-Yourself guy. Generally, my DIY activities are limited to painting, wallpapering and unclogging the toilet. Other than that, my main handyman skill is writing a check. It's no surprise, then, that the thought of installing my own wide plank hardwood floors seems about as doable as building the space shuttle.
However, after a little research, I've come to think this is the kind of project that even I could handle. At the very least, it's less life threatening than other home improvement projects like:
Plumbing – Plumbers use blowtorches. Can you say, "burn unit"?
Electrical – They use electricity to execute convicts. No thanks.
Roofing – I'm not afraid of heights; I'm afraid of falling from heights.
So far as I can tell the odds of installing hardwood floors and living to tell about it seem relatively high!
If you're thinking of installing a hardwood floor yourself, there's lots of helpful information out there about it – even videos tutorials! After careful review, I get the feeling that, with a little patience and free time, I could actually handle it.
For starters, nowadays you can buy prefinished flooring – even for wide plank flooring – eliminating the need for sanding, staining and sealing. Since using a drum sander sounds about easy as operating a Zamboni, this reduces the project complexity – and potential medical co-payment costs - quite a bit.
Next, the tools involved aren't all that complicated. They include – among other things – a hammer, a crowbar, a floor nailer and a miter saw. Now, sure, a power saw sounds a little dicey, but I figure you can lose a digit or two and still maintain a high quality of life.
As for the actual hardwood floor installation, it sounds quite reasonable, and has been described as a weekend project. It involves some variation of the following basic steps:
Remove any existing baseboard – Heck, even I can take stuff apart.
Prepare the floor base – You can put hardwood flooring on top of a plywood sub-floor, an existing hardwood floor or even concrete! Usually, you put down a plastic or felt vapor barrier to keep the moisture out.
Install the floor - Start laying planks or boards from one wall, nail them in place using said floor nailer (try not to do this) and work your way across the room. Be sure to stagger the seams where the boards join!
Edge special room aspects - If the room has floor vents, fireplaces, or some such thing, make sure to edge them, which requires a few extra cuts, no biggie.
Replace baseboards, sweep up and enjoy your new floors! At this point you may want to enjoy a celebratory beverage of your choice (in my case that'd be beer).
The more I think about this, the surer I am that I'm going to have give this project a go! Now I just need to convince my wife that I won't maim myself doing it …
Author's Name: Guest Blogger
Posted Date: August 8, 2008 at 8:19 AM
Filed under: DIY - Do It Yourself, Guest, Hardwood Flooring, Home Building and Contracting, Home Flooring Choices
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Tags: DIY Floor Installation, Home Improvement, Project, Safe DIY Idea, Wide Plank Hardwood Flooring
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Believe it, or not, there’s a very simple way to make your own wood floor cleaning solution—right in your own kitchen!
Next time you wash your wood floors (after you’ve vacuumed or swept them clean), try adding a few cap-fulls of white vinegar to your bucket of hot water. It’s that simple! There’s no need to add any soap or floor cleaners to the solution, simply the vinegar and water.
I have even heard of some people adding 8-10 drops of an essential oil to the vinegar/water solution—this gives the room a nice, fragrant smell without adding any harsh chemicals like some of the store bought cleaners. Consider peppermint or lavender!
Choosing to make your own wood floor cleaning solution is very cost effective, simple and great for the environment. Try it out the next time you are doing your weekly chores.
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: July 23, 2008 at 11:27 AM
Filed under: DIY - Do It Yourself, Hardwood Flooring, Megan Sprague
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Tags: Cleaning, DIY
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By Nancy Shohet West
Until very recently, it was something of an oxymoron - two irreconcilable opposites - to look at cleaning products as environmentally friendly. Many of us are accustomed to thinking that clean equals germ-killing, and killing germs might not be compatible with preserving all other life forms. When you go into a hospital, you smell bleach; when you pick up clothes at the dry cleaner's, you smell...well, we're not sure what the smell is, but it definitely connotes a pristine wardrobe, even if it's not an aroma found in nature.
In other words, in the past it was almost taken for granted that in order to rid surfaces and substances of pollutants - whether the item to be cleaned was wood flooring, dishes, household appliances or clothing -- a certain amount of eradicating might be necessary. Sometimes you have to prioritize, we believed then, and let your ecological principles lapse a little if it meant getting your home germ-free.
Fortunately, that kind of thinking has changed. With more and more people feeling guilty about pouring chemicals into the groundwater every time they mop a floor or polish an antique, the demand grew for environmentally friendly cleaning products, as this article on green cleaning explains. So now, it really is possible to do both: preserve the environment and protect your home from germs and dirt.
Of course, the best way to keep things clean is not to let them get dirty in the first place. Your most environmentally correct choice when it comes to a cleaning substance is to avoid cleaning substances altogether. In the case of floors, there is a lot you can do to prevent the need for stringent cleaning. Bearing in mind that the three most powerful foes of wood flooring are dirt, sand and water, consider these very easy tips that promote "holistic" - i.e., non-chemical - cleaning:
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Encourage the removal of shoes as people enter your house by placing a mat or a durable runner made of indoor-outdoor carpeting just inside your front door. Even more generous is to have extra pairs of slippers handy in a basket by the door for visitors.
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Sweep your hardwood floors regularly, using a natural or nylon bristle broom with slightly frayed ends. Doing this every day if possible will make a huge difference in terms of the quantity of grit that gets ground into your wood floors on a regular basis.
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Clean up liquid spills right away, including water, which often comes into the house in the form of snow clumps.
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Dry-mop with a terry-cloth dust mop. Dry-mopping provides the benefits of buffing and polishing without the harshness of cleaners.
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If you have pets, keep their toenails short.
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Avoid dragging heavy objects across your wood floors.
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Place felt casters under furniture legs.
When you do need to go the extra mile and wet-mop or polish, there are several environmentally friendly products designed for use as wood floor cleaners. For example, Floor Kleener from Earth Friendly Products has been specially developed for cleaning a variety of flooring, including sealed hardwood floors. Another good example is Envirorite Hard Floor Cleaner, which uses soy in place of chemical substances and can also be used on sealed hardwood flooring surfaces. Envirorite boasts the added advantage of being safe for people with allergies, asthma, and chemical sensitivities, which is also important if you have babies or toddlers crawling on your floors. You can find these products and more at the Floor Cleaners and Kokopelli's Green Market websites.
Author's Name: Guest Blogger
Posted Date: July 15, 2008 at 3:22 PM
Filed under: DIY - Do It Yourself, Green Building and Eco Friendly Products, Hardwood Flooring
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Tags: Eco-Friendly, Environment, Germ Removal, Green Cleaning, Hardwood Flooring, Wide Plank Floor
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Check out this great do-it-yourself project out of Trabuco Canyon, California. Donnelle & Tony Koselka decided to purchase our wide Eastern White Pine floors to complete the look of their New England-Style Farmhouse. Originally, Donnelle & Tony chose Marmloeum for their living room, but after some thought realized that a solid wood floor would be more reminiscent of the look they were trying to achieve. While searching the internet and flipping through several magazines, they came across Carlisle Wide Plank Floors. They thought the wide Pine floors would truly fit the New England feel they were hoping for. After speaking with Dan ONeill in our West Hollywood office, they made the jump. Dan helped them understand how long wide boards can extended their home visually, and enlarge the prospective of their living space.
With the help of Dave Delfs, a local installer, the pine floors were easy enough to install. Dave used the Bostik’s 2-part glue system directly over the existing floor. The truth is in these before and after photos! Such an easy change drastically brought the Koselka’s the look they were dreaming of. Donnelle recites, “While I loved our unusual Marmoleum floors (cork-based lineoleum), the wood floors complete our New England-style farmhouse. What a difference the pine makes!”
With a slight eased edge to emphasize the dimensions, warm honey tones of the tung oil finish, and the slow natural distressing that comes with life, it was a perfect fit…especially for their little dog, Riley.
Are you dreaming of a New England-Style home?
Click here for more photos and information.
Already a Carlisle customer…want to upload photos of your DIY project? Click here:
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: June 23, 2008 at 2:22 PM
Filed under: DIY - Do It Yourself, DIY - Do It Yourself, Megan Sprague
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Check out this great do-it-yourself project out of Trabuco Canyon, California. Donnelle & Tony Koselka decided to purchase our wide Eastern White Pine floors to complete the look of their New England-Style Farmhouse. Originally, Donnelle & Tony chose Marmloeum for their living room, but after some thought realized that a solid wood floor would be more reminiscent of the look they were trying to achieve. While searching the internet and flipping through several magazines, they came across Carlisle Wide Plank Floors. They thought the wide Pine floors would truly fit the New England feel they were hoping for. After speaking with Dan ONeill in our West Hollywood office, they made the jump. Dan helped them understand how long wide boards can extended their home visually, and enlarge the prospective of their living space.
With the help of Dave Delfs, a local installer, the pine floors were easy enough to install. Dave used the Bostik’s 2-part glue system directly over the existing floor. The truth is in these before and after photos! Such an easy change drastically brought the Koselka’s the look they were dreaming of. Donnelle recites, “While I loved our unusual Marmoleum floors (cork-based lineoleum), the wood floors complete our New England-style farmhouse. What a difference the pine makes!”
With a slight eased edge to emphasize the dimensions, warm honey tones of the tung oil finish, and the slow natural distressing that comes with life, it was a perfect fit…especially for their little dog, Riley.
Are you dreaming of a New England-Style home?
Click here for more photos and information.
Already a Carlisle customer…want to upload photos of your DIY project? Click here:
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: at 2:22 PM
Filed under: DIY - Do It Yourself, DIY - Do It Yourself, Megan Sprague
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You know that phrase, "if you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen"? Well, remodelers are heeding the opposite, making the kitchen the hottest place in the house for renovations, and it's not too hard to see why. The kitchen has become more than just a place where food is prepared. It's become the family and social gathering place. No matter how big or small the home, people always seem to end up in the kitchen. Sometimes it's to keep the cook company during a family get-together, or to lend a helping hand. Other times, it's to gather around a bowl of snacks or to do homework after school. When you think about it, the kitchen really is the life force of modern living, so it's only reasonable that during the recent housing dip, people are turning to renovate their own homes instead of purchase new ones. Kitchen renovations top the list of home improvements, according to Remodeling Online.
As a result of this kitchen craze, kitchen manufacturers are cranking out more and more high-quality, eco-friendly options for DIYers and contractors alike. The green movement seems to have hit at a perfect time, since buyers are now looking to not only save the environment, but save money and be able to feel that they're doing their part by working on home projects themselves. Now, instead of simply renovating the look and feel of a kitchen, owners are becoming more invested in the long-term affects of their kitchen renovations by carefully choosing environmentally friendly materials and appliances.
Recyclable materials like glass and quartz are becoming more common in kitchen countertops, and of course you knew we'd mention hardwood flooring! Wood is one of the best examples of nature's renewable resources! Many people often think that once a piece of wood has lost its lustre that it's destined for firewood, but this isn't the case. Reclaimed wood in particular adds character and beauty to kitchen cabinets, and you can also have the satisfaction in knowing you're using a natural, renewable resource for your home that will last for generations. With so many different finishing options available, you could turn virtually any wood surface into something to suit your lifestyle.
Not far behind kitchens on the renovation list are bathrooms. Ironically, kitchens and bathrooms are two rooms we've talked about on the blog that seem further from the front of people's minds when thinking about hardwood flooring, but they can actually be some of the most affordable hardwood flooring projects since their square footage is generally smaller than that of a living room or bedroom. Have you recently renovated your kitchen? What were your biggest priorities in reshaping and refreshing your decor?
Author's Name: Lesley Anderson
Posted Date: May 21, 2008 at 3:00 PM
Filed under: DIY - Do It Yourself, Green Building and Eco Friendly Products
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Tags: DIY kitchen remodeling, hardwood in the kitchen, home remodeling, home renovation, kitchen remodeling, kitchen renovation
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As a proud member of Carlisle’s marketing team, I wanted to share my most recent do-it-yourself project—the installation of my very first Carlisle floor! I chose Walnut because of its beautiful brown tones with highlights of golden honey and the nice figuring in the grain patterns.
I began my project in September 2007 when my boyfriend Dan and I first decided to embark on the demolition of our current bathroom. We knew straight off that it was going to be a fairly large undertaking, but we also knew it had to be done. After two days of destroying, hauling pieces of old sheetrock, insulation and tile out by the truckload we were finally down to the rafters.
As we have delicately built the bathroom back up we decided to make our project as custom as we could afford. Firstly, we’ve done the entire project ourselves: plumbing, electrical, everything! (We did have the extra hands of our dads helping out, which is great.) Dan invented his own radiant heat system—it’s a built-in subfloor unit with PEX tubing (which we purchased on EBay inexpensively). We were able to install our Carlisle floor directly on top of our radiant heat system. We also did a tile inlay underneath our toilet and in front of our bathtub, and it was really easy to make both the tile and the walnut work nicely together during the installation—we had zero hiccups.
One of the best parts during our renovation was applying the tung oil to our floor. We thought the wood was stunning before we started the finishing process, but as we added the coats of tung oil we were amazed at how it heightens the swirling grains and warm chocolaty tones.
A few holidays, snowmobile season and a litter of Weimaraner puppies later and we are still working on our bathroom! We are hand making our vanity and that’s our current stage of the process. Stay tuned for the vanity and completion of my bathroom
Author's Name: Megan Sprague
Posted Date: April 22, 2008 at 11:54 AM
Filed under: DIY - Do It Yourself, Megan Sprague
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Wood over concrete? Yes, it can be done! For the longest time, homeowners were warned that wide plank wood floors installed over concrete would result in moisture problems. But that’s not so anymore. A concrete sub-floor is no reason to deny yourself beautiful wood floors. Nowadays, they can go virtually anywhere.
It is true that wood is affected by climate change: wood fibers expand and contract with fluctuations in relative humidity. However, this movement and the resulting moisture problems can be controlled with proper installation techniques and the use of high quality wood products. If you’re going to be installing over concrete, it becomes even more critical that you understand what part of the tree the boards are cut from and the manner in which the boards were processed; both of these factors are vital to your overall satisfaction with the floor. Wood cut from the center of a tree contains a higher percentage of vertical grain, which makes it less susceptible to movement and thus a higher quality material.
Before you embark on this installation process, we recommend certain rules of thumb to manage moisture and ensure the stability of the wood:
1. Be sure the wood supplier has properly dried the wood. (We recommend 6-12 months of air drying followed by a period of kiln drying.)
2. Let the wood acclimate in the home or business for 7-10 days.
3. During acclimation in your home or business, keep relative humidity at 45 percent.
4. Make sure the wood flooring has proper stress reliefs (These ridges on the underside of the wood relieve tension in wood, reduces board movement, and provides
a greater glue surface).
There are two options for installation of wide plank wood floors. Both options are driven by the height allowance between the slab and door. To determine height, measure the distance from the top of slab to the bottom of the exterior door or measure the transition to other flooring surfaces. Check accuracy by swinging door completely in both directions.
Here are some step-by-step installation guidelines once you know the height allowance: Option One: Gluing directly to concrete -- 1/2 to 3/4 inch height allowance
Using either Bostik’s Best or Sika adhesive product, spread one layer of adhesive onto the concrete per manufacturer’s instructions and place your Carlisle planks, milled to 1/2 to 3/4 inch thickness directly onto the adhesive. Allow 12 hours drying time before finishing your floors.
Option Two-A: Concrete slab with plywood sub-floor – 1 inch height allowance
Place a layer of 6mm polyethylene onto the concrete as your moisture barrier. Using a Hilti Direct fastening tool, shoot concrete nails into 1/2 inch plywood to apply directly onto concrete. Install Carlisle Wide Plank Floors, milled to 1/2 inch thickness by blind nailing and gluing.
Option Two-B: Concrete slab with plywood sub-floor – 1 1/2 inches or more height allowance
Lay down 3/4 inch plywood and then follow the directions above.
The cost associated with both options for installing wood over concrete is similar. However, due to the cost of the adhesives, it can be slightly cheaper to use the plywood method. It’s also possible to install Carlisle floors over concrete slabs with radiant heat. The installation process calls for using a floating plywood sub-floor. Proof that this method of installation has gained industry acceptance is its prevalence in high end commercial applications. For instance, the Park Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C., used Carlisle White Oak wide plank wood flooring over concrete in the public space of their main level. Given the resources for high quality wood, like Carlisle Wide Plank Floors, and the variety of mastic adhesives available today, you too can install wood floors over concrete in your home.
Author's Name: Don Carlisle
Posted Date: April 8, 2008 at 3:08 PM
Filed under: DIY - Do It Yourself, Don Carlisle, Home Building and Contracting
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In the June, 08', issue of TimberHome Living, on page 12, there is a section called "Ask the Flooring Guy." I was asked to contribute to this section with questions ranging from "What is handmade flooring?" and "How is it different from other hardwood flooring?" to "What is antique wood and how does it differ from reclaimed wood?"
I always find these sections very helpful in educatiing the consumer because there are so many myths out there about flooring, especially when it comes to wide plank. With the average price of homes rising every year, homeowners want to make sure they are going to have the floors they have always dreamed about. Additionally, they want to have confidence that the value and stability of the floor is everything they had hoped for.
Author's Name: Rick Menard
Posted Date: March 25, 2008 at 3:56 PM
Filed under: DIY - Do It Yourself, Rick Menard
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Tags: antique flooring, Ask the Flooring Guy, hardwood flooring, reclaimed flooring, Timberhome Living, wide plank flooring
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We received a question from a homeowner about installing our floors over a concrete slab in an earth contact built home. Although I am not familiar with this type of home, I am very familiar with installing our floors over slab as dipicted in the photo to the left.
Contrary to belief by many, you do not have to have a floating floor, or an engineered floor, if you are planning on installing wood floors over a concrete slab. What you do have to have is the best quality wood to start with, and the basic knowledge of how to do the installation, for your specific needs. So many of our floors are either glued directly to slabs, or installed over 3/4" subfloors on slab, especially in areas throughout the southeast. (Click here to see a video on the subject.)
Let's start with the wood itself. The best quality planks will come from the slowest growing trees, and from the center of those timbers. The more heartwood and the tighter the growth rings, the more stable the planks will be. A 4" red oak plank with 1/2" between the rings, will move more then a 12" plank with 1/6" between the rings. A plank with 10% heartwood will take on much more moisture then a plank with 70% heartwood. Then air drying these planks for a long period of time before kiln drying them will add tremendous stability.
Then the next decision is whether to glue directly to the slab or to use a 3/4" plywood or OSB sub floor which is then nailed and glued to the sub floor. The deciding factor here is what you have available for height. In other words, can I get away with 3/4" flooring and 3/4" sub floor, for a total of 1 1/2" height, or am I limited to 3/4". If you are limited, then you will want to glue directly to your slab. We can also mill your floor to less then 3/4" if you are really limited.
Checking for moisture in your slab is easily done by taking a sheet of newspaper and taping all of the edges down and then checking it a few hours later. If it is wet, your slab needs to be cured more.
To glue directly down to your slab, use a concrete sealer first. Bostik's MVP works great. Then the next day you can glue directly to the sealer with a full spread mastic.
Installing over a sub floor is always less expensive, and takes less installation experience. Seal your slab by covering it with a 6 ml poly, then cover it with a 15 lb. roofing felt, then nail your sub floor down using a concrete nail gun. Advantec makes a great OSB sub floor that is impregnated with a wax to help seal out moisture. Your floors can now be nailed and glued just like a typical installation.
If anyone has any questions regarding this process, please give me a call for further explanation.
Author's Name: Rick Menard
Posted Date: March 19, 2008 at 9:22 AM
Filed under: DIY - Do It Yourself, Rick Menard
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Tags: Carlisle Wide Plank Floors, concrete, earth homes, engineered, glue direct to slab, hardwood floors, heartwood, sealing concrete, slab, slow growing, stable wood floors, subfloors
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Pre-finished flooring has been out there a long time. But we waited until we could be sure of getting it right. Right, in terms of the lustrous traditional look for which Carlisle finishes are famous. And right, in terms of the environment.
Announcing Carlisle Custom Coat finishes.
For starters, virtually all other manufacturers leave the bottom of their boards unfinished. Which, because of moisture absorption, could mean mold and mildew problems as well as instability due to seasonal effects. But our new Custom Coat finishes are applied to the top, bottom and even the tongue and groove by our Custom Shop craftsmen so that the board will stay dry, flat and stable. Plus, they incorporate a special additive which effectively combats mold, mildew and other unhealthy airborne microbes. And because they are completely sealed and cured, they are ready for immediate installation. So customers don’t have to first stack them in the house to let them acclimatize. Or wait, wait, wait while each coat dries, which can be a real problem in humid climates. Which means any professional installation will now go faster and more economically. And do-it-yourselfers won’t have to live with smelly fumes, sticky floors and stacked furniture for days on end.
Pro-environment. Super-tough.
Our Custom Coat finishes are formulated to be environmentally friendly. For example, they contain no measurable volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which can pose a significant health hazard as they escape into the air when finishes are applied on site. Another big advantage is that these new finishes are three times more durable than typical site-applied polyurethane finishes –yet, unlike other pre-finished flooring options, can be easily be touched up when accidents happen. Or be totally refreshed after years of wear – a huge breakthrough. In addition to a clear top coat, our Custom Coat finishes are available in all thirteen of our Historic Stains or any individually-created custom colors. And in board widths up to 12 inches – something no one else offers. We can also pre-finish any and all of our custom surfaces, including foot-worn, hand-scraped and saw kerf. And we even offer a commercial version that stands up to the heaviest foot traffic in the busiest of places. Carlisle Custom Coat finishes – just the thing for the floors we – and our customers – have all come to love.
Check out our latest issue of Surface for more details.
-Don Carlisle
Author's Name: Don Carlisle
Posted Date: February 25, 2008 at 2:28 PM
Filed under: DIY - Do It Yourself, Don Carlisle, Home Flooring Choices
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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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