Surface: There is no surface more important then the one we live on

Georgia Pet Vet Picks Hickory Hardwood Floors for Second Home

South Georgia-based veterinarian Dave Richards has had an unlikely connection to Carlisle... for 36 years: Carlisle is his wife's maiden name (no relation). Okay, maybe that's a bit of a stretch for similarities here, but this coincidence struck a chord with him during the process of building his second home.

When approaching building a second home, Richards knew what he didn't want from the beginning. "We went to some home shows, and looked at flooring in other people's homes, and some of the wood looked artificial, even though it wasn't! It was just the way it was finished...those standard skinny little boards. It just wasn't our style." he said. "I said, 'I want some wider boards. I want something that really looks like it came out of a tree!" which should come as no surprise coming from this self-proclaimed "tree hugger". After a quick Internet search for wide hardwood floors, the relationship with Carlisle Wide Plank Floors was born.

The icing on the cake came when Richards found out that Carlisle had a hardwood flooring design center in Atlanta, only a few hours away from where his son lives. The Richards family took the trip into Atlanta to meet Sharon Bondie at the hardwood flooring design center, and got started on planning their hardwood flooring choice for their second home.

"We just kind of bonded." chuckled Richards. "She was so helpful, very knowledgeable about the product, and so committed and loyal to the company. It meant a lot to me because, having employees myself [as a veterinarian], you want that same feeling when people call your office." Despite Richards' initial worries about cost and the installation process, Sharon was able to put his mind at ease as each step was carried out, from communicating with the builder to the finishing touches on the hickory hardwood floor that the family decided on.

When asked about his flooring choice, Richards exclaimed his delight in the hickory wood grain and the light and dark contrast, in addition to its hardness when compared to alternatives like oak floors. "When you have a real new home, no matter what happens, you always cringe." he laughed. "The first mark is almost like getting a first scratch on a new car."

Now, when looking at his completed second home and the hickory hardwood floors he's installed, the little unavoidable dents and scratches symbolize a home with life and activity. When pushing past that initial "cringe" phase, Richards has come to love the authenticity and life that hardwood flooring provides. I could sense his smile on the other end of our long distance phone conversation as he paused and said, "think of it like a beauty mark!" I couldn't have put it better myself.

Author's Name: Lesley Anderson
Posted Date: May 29, 2008 at 3:35 PM
Filed under: True Hardwood Story

View or post your comments here (1)

BLOGGING GADGETS
Tags: building a second home, hardwood flooring, hardwood flooring design center, hickory hardwood floors
Social Bookmarks: | | | TrackBack (0)

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.hardwoodsurface.com/trackback/3517

Comments

Post a comment

Name:

E-mail Address:

URL:

Remember personal info?

Comments: (you may use HTML tags for style)