Hardwood Floors April/May 2025

OVERHEARD ON NWFA PODCASTS Listen to full episodes by visiting hardwoodfloorsmag.com

“There are a lot of jobs that are going to be impacted, but not a lot of jobs that are going to be eliminated. People might bring on automation to improve efficiency, but the people replaced were fit into different roles in the organization. The fastest areas where people are seeing a return on investment with AI aren’t when it is replacing people wholesale, but when they are using the technology to make existing employees even better. It can help accelerate decision-making or create new opportunities and ideas. I think there is a lot of angst about AI and what it might mean for your job. What I see is that for those who embrace the technology, those are the ones who are going to stay ahead of the competition.” – Clyde Calhoun, Founder & CEO, Root Idea LLC NWFA Wood Talk Podcast

“The challenge we have in our market — and I assume people have it across the country — is subcontracting, where the contractor who is putting up the frame of the house will ask the trim guys to throw the flooring down while they are on the jobsite. They have no moisture meters, no moisture readings ahead of time, but they call us once they find out they have a problem. We will ask them what the moisture content readings were, what the subfloor moisture content was, and they look at us like they don’t have a clue what we are talking about. This is why NWFA Certified Professionals are so important. You never want to cut corners and save a few bucks to have a floor installed by someone who really does not know what they are doing. It usually will come back to haunt you.” – John Kiepper, Sheoga Hardwood

Flooring & Paneling, Inc. NWFA Wood Talk Podcast

BECOME A MEMBER of the NWFA TODAY! Unite with wood flooring professionals from across the globe who are dedicated to education, industry standards, and quality service and products. For more details, visit NWFA.ORG/MEMBERSHIP/

ONE MEMBERSHIP. MANY BENEFITS. JOIN NWFA TODAY!

the magazine of the national wood flooring association

125