Hardwood Floors August/September 2017

AUG/SEPT 2017

A Truly Sustainable Choice FROM FOREST TO FLOOR:

SELLING THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF WOOD FLOORING TECH FOCUS: UNDERSTANDING MOISTURE METERS FIRE SAFETY AT THE JOB SITE

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Still 11

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non-ambering formula | commercial or residential application superior flow and leveling | VOC compliant

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More than a beautiful floor. A delighted customer.

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| THIS FLOOR | RED OAK WITH QUICK COAT CHESTNUT + DURACLEAR MAX WATER-BASED CLEAR WOOD FLOOR FINISH SATIN |

FEATURES

O N T H E C O V E R

environmentally friendly flooring option available. 36

From Forest to Floor: A Truly Sustainable Choice | By Stacy Brown Of all the flooring products in today’s market, wood is the most

Understanding Moisture Meters By Brett Miller Moisture meters are an essential part of every flooring contractor’s tool box. 54

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Selling the Health Benefits of Wood Floors By Anita Howard Wood is a flooring option that never goes out of style, lasts for generations, matches every décor, and is easy to maintain. But did you know that wood floors have significant health benefits as well?

PUBLISHING PARTNERS

the magazine of the national wood flooring association

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CONTENTS

Industry Insights:

16 Government Affairs The carbon neutral and renewable nature of forest-based biomass fuels. 18 Designer Insights Grown in seconds...what it means to the world of hardwood flooring.

Chris Zizza | Chairman Michael Martin | CEO Anita Howard | COO Bree Urech-Boyle | CFO Brett Miller | VP, Education & Certification NWFA LEADERSHIP

By Dana Cole

By Emily Morrow Finkell

22 Market Matters U.S. wood flooring markets and factors driving demand.

PUBLICATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE Julie Russell, Chair & Board Liaison | Glitsa, a division of Rudd Company Len Daubler | Shaw Industries, Inc. Avi Hadad | Avi’s Hardwood Floors, Inc. Lenny Hall | Endurance Floor Company, Inc. Jessica Hickman | Allegheny Mountain Hardwood Flooring Kevin Mullany | Benchmark Wood Floors, Inc. Mike Sundell

By Stuart Hirschhorn

Business Best Practices:

24 Finance A focus on health and wellness can improve your business.

By Bree Urech-Boyle

28 Sales Savvy Influence buyers through storytelling. 30 Technology Technology on the job site = connected,

Jeremy Waldorf | Legacy Floors LLC Adam Williams | Palo Duro Hardwoods

By Paul Reilly

PUBLICATION TEAM

smart, and safe. By Jodi O’Toole 32 Marketing

Stacy Brown | Publisher/Editor | stacy.brown@nwfa.org Brett Miller | Technical Editor | brett.miller@nwfa.org Laura Boyle | Creative Director | laura.boyle@nwfa.org Megan Lhamon | Industry News Editor | megan.lhamon@nwfa.org Katie Schenk | Media Production | katie.schenk@nwfa.org Jodi O’Toole | Web Development | jodi.otoole@nwfa.org

Sustainability matters; tell your green story.

By Katrina Olson

At the Site: 44 Health & Safety Focus The importance of fire safety on the job site. 46 Job Site Accountability Who should determine when a job site is ready? 48 Wood Science Understanding the biology behind moisture content in wood. 51 Tech Talk What steps do you take when assessing potential moisture situations at the job site? 52 Tech Troubleshooting Why installers need to measure moisture content in wood subflooring.

By Paul Hoffeditz

111 Chesterfield Industrial Blvd. Chesterfield, Missouri 63005 P : 800.422.4556 Local : 636.519.9663 F: 636.519.9664 E: news@hardwoodfloorsmag.com W: hardwoodfloorsmag.com

By Kjell Nymark

By Brett Miller

By NWFA

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Bree Urech-Boyle Dana Cole Michael Dittmer Jason Elquest Emily Morrow Finkell Lenny Hall Stuart Hirschhorn Paul Hoffeditz Anita Howard Megan Lhamon Michael Martin Brett Miller Kjell Nymark Katrina Olson

Regional Instructors

Jodi O’Toole Paul Reilly Jason Spangler Ben Totta Chris Zizza

By Jason Spangler

58 Unique Techniques Board replacement.

By Jason Elquest

62 WFOY Spotlight How 1 Wood Floors created a masterpiece with reclaimed barn wood.

ADVERTISING SALES

By Stacy Brown

Product Focus: 70 Cork Flooring

Libby White Johnston Media & Advertising Sales libby.johnston@nwfa.org | 337.794.9232

71 Reclaimed Wood 78 A Focus on Green

Hardwood Floors Magazine (Print: ISSN 0897-022X and Online: ISSN 2475-5125) is published on a bi-monthly basis, plus the annual Industry Guide, by the National Wood Flooring Association and distributed as a membership benefit to its member companies and without charge upon request to qualified individuals throughout the wood flooring industry. Single copy price is $8, annual Industry Guide is $50. Subscriptions: $40/year (includes 6 issues and Industry Guide) in the U.S. and Canada. Publication office: 111 Chesterfield Industrial Blvd, Chesterfield, MO 63005. Phone: 800.422.4556. Printing office: Walsworth, 306 N. Kansas Ave., Marceline, MO 64658. Printed in the U.S.A. Standard postage paid at St. Louis, MO, and additional offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Hardwood Floors Magazine, P.O. Box 9147 Lowell, MA 01853. Copyright © 2017 by the National Wood Flooring Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited.

Also in this Issue:

6 Chairman’s Cut 8 Wood Stock 66 NWFA Resources 86 New Products 87 Ad Index

By Chris Zizza

88 Final Coat: CEO’s Message

By Michael Martin

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GETVERTICAL Formore information, contact us at: 1-800-726-7845 I www.bostik.com/us

CHAIRMAN’S CUT

By Chris Zizza Chairman, NWFA

the Sustainability of Your Health and Career FOCUS ON The editorial focus for this issue examines the multiple environmental and health benefits of installing wood floors. But when was the last time you took a moment to focus on your own sustainability and health? If I were to jump into the wood floor time machine and travel back to my first year in the business, when someone asked me about using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), I would have assumed they meant a helmet of some sort. Maybe a hard hat, which all of us installers certainly hate wearing these days on those sites that require it. It will just slowme down, right?That was my mental position back then: “Get out of my way and don’t slowme down! We have a closing coming up and we need to get this final coat down.” Fast forward to today, and there are many things related to the world of PPE that I would do differently if given that chance. For starters, I spent years with a B2 Edger humming in my ear with no ear protection. I can tell you now, at 51 years old, that was a big mistake. Just ask anyone who sits down to watch TV with me at home; I always need the volume higher, as I simply can’t hear it. What about knee pads? Howmany of you 20-something tough guys out there are racking a floor without them, or worse, using a trowel for glue on concrete with no knee pads? Big mistake. Huge. You are destined to develop some long-term issues later in life if you keep that up (particularly if you like to ski, which, I do). Eyewear is also a must unless you like a scratched cornea from the heavy dust coming off a chop saw. And while we are talking about dust, please wear a dust mask. ALWAYS wear a dusk mask. Did you know that oak dust is a carcinogen? Put simply, #notgood. Ever notice that when you’re cutting Santos or Brazilian cherry, your throat gets scratchy and swells up and closes in on your wind pipe? Like I said, not good. And respirators to combat fumes are a must, need I say more?There is a reason the VOC laws keep changing, and it is about your health.

Don’t want to take my word for it? Not sure where to start?The NWFA has you covered. Whether you need to brush up on the safety gear needed when sanding and finishing a wood floor, fire and electrical safety, or even the health and safety concerns associated with working with the materials we use every day, the Sand & Finish Safety learning path available through the NWFA Online University addresses it all. I’ll admit that when I first heard the term sustainability, I thought about trees. While that’s important too and we’ll get to that in the following pages, let’s think a little deeper. When you are out there on the job site and thinking about sustainability, add to that your career sustainability and safety. There are some things we know today that we didn’t know as much about in 1986 when I first started on the tools in this industry. Trust me, when you’re my age, you’ll thank me.

hardwood floors www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com

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Some things are better together

The world’s best protection for hardwood floors. The Bona Sealer & Finish System.

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Wood

CONTRACTOR CORNER

BY THE BEACH Sanding

• OSHA has announced that enforcement of the Crystalline Silica Standard will take effect Sept. 23, 2017. The standard limits silica exposure from sources like concrete to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air in eight hours. Crystalline silica exposure has been linked to lung cancer, silicosis, chronic pulmonary disease, and kidney disease. • At all NWFA technical courses, participants are given a “Wood Is Good” T-shirt. Join our contest by posting your picture on social media wearing your “Wood Is Good” shirt and tagging the NWFA. Be sure to use hashtags #NWFAtshirt, #WoodIsGood, and #NWFAtraining. At the end of the year, a submission will be chosen at random to win a new GoPro. Submissions must be posted by Dec. 31, 2017, at 5 p.m. Central Time, to be considered.

Phil Valenti, owner of Valenti Flooring in Ronkonkoma, New York, has been in the flooring business for nearly 20 years. His wife, Julia, joined Valenti Flooring as the manager five years ago. Last year, Phil and Julia joined NWFA and Phil earned his NWFA Install and Sand & Finish Certifications. “I run the business side of things, and Phil does the field work,” explains Julia. About 17 years ago, Valenti Flooring did the floors for the Beach Bar in Hampton Bays, New York. “This year, the Beach Bar is celebrating its 25th anniversary, so the owner contacted us and decided it was time for the floors to get a facelift,” says Julia. FLOOR FOCUS Being in a restaurant environment, the floors had been exposed to lots of wear and tear. “In addition to the high traffic the floors receive, there was also about 40 square feet of severely water-damaged flooring in the middle of the bar that needed to be ripped out and replaced,” says Julia. “The floors have been redone so many times that our crew had to put in a lot of hours sanding down the new boards before they could be installed.”

DID YOU KNOW? If wood flooring is delivered at a moisture content that coincides with the expected in-use (e.g., normal living) conditions of the facility, and these conditions are maintained, no on-site acclimation may be required.

Before

This 2-1/4 inch oak strip floor had several areas that needed to be replaced. After the install, it was sanded down to the last wear layer of the floor.

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Stock

MANUFACTURER MEANDERINGS

• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a direct final rule that would remove the prohibition on early labeling of compliant composite wood products and finished goods in the final Formaldehyde Emission Standards for Composite Wood Products rule, published in the Federal Register Dec. 12, 2016. Removal of this provision under 40 CFR 770.45(f) would allow entities to begin labeling compliant composite wood products and finished goods as TSCA Title VI compliant as soon as compliance can be achieved. • Pallmann® announced that Coastal Hardwood Inc. will distribute Pallmann’s Hardwood Complete range of wood flooring products throughout the Gulf Coast Region of Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle. • Bostik has acquired CMP Specialty Products, the flooring and floor preparation business of US-based CGM. • Pinnacle Interior Elements and Palo Duro Hardwoods have launched a new engineered wood flooring line in Colorado and the surrounding Rocky Mountain region. The line consists of 26 colors from four collections of textured, wide-plank flooring in hickory, white oak, and walnut. • Bona US announced the grand opening of a Bona Regional Training Center in Marietta, Georgia. The center, located just north of Atlanta celebrated with a Grand Opening event that included food, prizes, and hands-on product demonstrations.

By Megan Lhamon

The species installed was a 2-1/4 inch oak. “Being May and being that we let our wood previously acclimate to a similar environment already, there wasn’t a need to acclimate this particular wood on the job site,” says Julia. PROCESS DETAILS After installing the boards that had been sanded down, the entire floor was sanded and ready for finish. “This will definitely be the last layer for the life of this floor, so we finished with three coats of an oil-based finish to help provide a thicker top layer,” says Julia. MAINTENANCE “Being in a commercial environment, we recommend regular maintenance coats to help extend the life of the floor,” adds Julia. Valenti Flooring primarily works on residential jobs, but either way, they always provide their customers with a recommended maintenance schedule and a suggestion of cleaning products that are safe for the floor. “It’s important that the cleaning crews understand not to use chemicals on the floor,” says Julia. “We do what we can to try and prolong the life of the floor by providing our customers with care tips. The Beach Bar was a fun job. Every day is different, and that’s why we love what we do!”

Technical Note: NWFA guidelines state that generally, if the wear thickness is less than 3/32”, the floor should not be sanded.

After

The final product was finished with three coats of an oil-based finish to help provide a thick top layer that would ensure a longer life for the floor.

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Wood Stock

Revel-utionizing the Hardwood Buying Experience By Stacy Brown

Photo courtesy of Revel Woods

For many in this industry, hardwood flooring is a way of life. For the small team at Revel Woods, the story is no different. They grew up in the hardwood flooring industry; in fact, the group even jokes that hardwood is in their blood. As part of its growth process, this startup company is using new technology to enhance its business and evolve to meet the needs of an ever-changing consumer. You might even say they are Revel-utionizing the hardwood buying experience with the launch of their new website, revelwoods.com. “A few years ago, we took a hard look at our company and tried to forecast what our business and this industry will look like in five years, and maybe even 15-20 years into the future,” says John Dupra, Co-Founder, Revel Woods. The team noticed three major opportunities in the industry. First, there is still a large portion of the consumer population that doesn’t fully understand the nuances and benefits of installing hardwood flooring. Second, with the transition to more homeowners installing factory-finished flooring, some installation professionals are not making money like they used to selling flooring materials. Third, many manufacturers are in the unenviable position of manufacturing a product without direct contact with their end user. “We’ve seen numerous situations where consumers are making a buying decision without first talking to a craftsman who understands the materials. They’re going to a big box store, or they’re shopping online. Then the contractor hopes to get the labor for the installation and makes a decent living that way, but there’s still some money left on the table for him as he’s not as involved in the process of procuring that material,” says Dupra. “When we approached this project, our mission was to create an online boutique experience that solves these challenges. We wanted to remove a lot

of the complications for the consumer, and use technology to simulate the experience of an expert craftsman walking you through every step of the process,” says Dupra. “Our goal is to make buying beautiful, responsibly sourced hardwoods easy and affordable. It’s that simple.” Reaching the Next Generation of Buyers Millennials have changed everything – from the way media is consumed to the way our culture communicates. Soon, home purchasing and remodeling will be added to that list. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, “first-time Millennial buyers are rushing to buy homes after a decade on the sidelines, promising to kick a housing market already flush with luxury sales into higher gear.” “We’re just now buying homes. I bought my first house two years ago; I was 31. Previous generations were buying homes in their early to mid-20s. In my early to mid-20s, we hit the 2008 housing crisis, and the economy tanked. Most of my peers were not going to plunk down hundreds of thousands of dollars on a house,”

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like we care about them, their situation, and what they are buying. We care about what we’re selling. It’s not a disingenuous notion; we’re all in this industry,” he continued. Educating the Consumer Different types of hardwood flooring perform differently depending on a number of factors. Everything from climate to pets can impact performance. The first step when a customer visits the website is to provide the necessary information about his or her lifestyle and home. The site starts by asking a range of questions about the installation space and how the buyer plans to use it so that every option shown will be tailored to the consumer’s exact needs. To achieve these personalized results, the team created a database that cross- references a customer’s ZIP code with the Köppen-Geiger Climate Classification. Every one of Revel Woods’ SKUs was assigned to one of these ratings based on the climate performance of the product. When a customer takes the quiz, the website references the database in real time and displays only products that are suitable for the customer’s ZIP code climate rating for the space. Customers are then encouraged to order a sample box, which allows them to see their favorite selections in their home with their own lighting and surroundings. Up to four different samples can be included in one sample pack, including two pieces of each product to show the character and variation of the board. The sample box was strategically designed to be lightweight and portable so a customer can easily transport it as they are designing the rest of the space. Also included in the sample pack is a brochure explaining the next steps in the buying process as well as an overview of Revel Woods’ mission, commitment to environmental sustainability and responsibly sourced products, and commitment to the American workforce.

“Our goal is to make buying beautiful, responsibly sourced hardwoods easy and affordable. It’s that simple.”

says Dupra. “We just weren’t. We delayed, and we rented.” “Now, this generation that has changed the way consumer behavior works in every industry it has touched, is starting to get into buying houses and remodeling them. In the hardwood industry, we have to get plugged into that. We need to focus on the wave that is coming,” he continued. Over the past two years, the team carefully thought through how to combine its level of hardwood expertise and technology to target the next generation, the online generation. The end goal was to provide this consumer group known for conducting research online, with solid, credible information in a way that would allow them to consume this information, and to buy these materials safely and simply. “We put an enormous amount of care into the details. We private labeled everything, we came up with our own names, and we wrote copy and product descriptions that tie back to the name for every single product,” says Dupra. “Our overall theory is that there is a market out there for people who genuinely want to feel

Customers are encouraged to order a sample box, which allows them to see their favorite selections in their home with their own lighting and surroundings.

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Wood Stock Revel-utionizing (Continued)

Elevating the Flooring Professional Revel Woods not only encourages its customers to use an NWFA Certified Installer, but it also provides NWFA Certified Installers with the opportunity to create a professional account through its website. “We know that a lot of times, if you’re a craftsman working out of your van or in the garage, you don’t have access to a lot of factory-finished samples. You simply can’t handle the sample inventory the way a retailer or sample showroom can,” says Dupra. “One of the other strategies for the site was to provide a simple resource for contractors to use when walking their customer through the selection process. We’ll sell them the samples, deliver the flooring, and have it all ready to go for them.” Individuals interested in a professional account can submit an application. NWFA members are immediately granted one. Once granted a professional account, the individual receives a code that can be provided to his or her customers. When the customer uses that code at checkout, he or she will receive a discount on the order. Then the owner of the code used will be given a small percentage commission on that sale as well. “They don’t have to do any work; they just need to recommend us for the product. Then they know that they are getting a high-quality, responsibly sourced material to work with, which is going to make their installation easier. Plus, we allow them to earn a bit of money on the materials as well,” says Dupra. “We wanted to make sure that we didn’t forget about the craftsman in this equation. We’re trying to bring them back into the supply chain, so there are more and more trained experts working with hardwood flooring.” “We’d love to see this concept transform the industry – if it does what we think it can, it would be a positive revolution. We’ve got the story, we’ve got the product, it’s a plant-based, carbon- neutral, renewable resource. The story is there; we just have to start telling it,” he concluded. Stacy Brown is the Editor/Publisher of Hardwood Floors Magazine, the official magazine of the National Wood Flooring Association. She can be reached at stacy.brown@nwfa.org.

Transparency in pricing is another key component of the overall experience. Through an application program interface (API) with Old Dominion, Revel Woods is able to immediately calculate the cost of shipping and build it into the square footage price. “Let’s say you’re decorating two different spaces, one in St. Louis and one in Portland. That same product will be different prices per square foot, even if you buy the same thing. The reason for that is because the price per square foot on the website is delivered,” says Dupra. “There are no hidden fees, there’s no, ‘Hey, this is only $4.99 a square foot,’ and then you go to check out and see that there is $10,000 in freight. What you see is what you get. There’s a lot of technical engineering going on in the background, but we strive to make it seamless for our customers.” Once the customer places his or her order, and the delivery date is set, roughly a week before the shipment is scheduled to arrive a welcome kit is sent to the customer’s home. That kit includes a branded hygrometer so the customer can start monitoring the RH in the home before the floor arrives and post installation, a cleaning kit designed for the specific floor, and an owner’s manual. “The manual provides everything the homeowner needs to know to ensure a successful installation, including delivery information, recommended job site conditions, and basic installation guidelines,” says Dupra. “It also is designed to cover the lifetime of the floor, similar to what you would have for most major appliances in your home, and includes care and maintenance tips, as well as warranty information.”

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Maxwell Hardwood Flooring Celebrates 25th Anniversary

Maxwell Hardwood Flooring was established in 1992 when Maxwell purchased the facility from the P.E. Barnes Lumber Company. The company started with 33 employees and one production line. Since that time, the company has been committed to a continuous program of improvements in safety, quality, production, and service. Presently, the company and its sister companies, Ouachita Hardwood Flooring and Townsend Flooring, employ close to 200 people and operate three production lines. Maxwell Hardwood Flooring is family-owned and operated, and all products are made in the USA. A celebratory event was held during the NWFAWood Flooring Expo at the Sheraton Grand Phoenix Hotel. Around 250 guests, customers, and friends from throughout the industry, gathered for an outdoor event under a warm and starlit Arizona sky with hors d’oeuvres, drinks, and a special signature cocktail. The Apollo Trio band performed throughout the evening with a New Orleans jazz vibe. The company also held a community-wide celebration in March in Monticello, Arkansas and is planning two more celebrations this fall and winter with its employees.

Maxwell Hardwood Flooring, Inc. is celebrating its 25th year in business during 2017. “We are very proud to be able to celebrate 25 years in business. All of the credit goes to our hardworking employees, our great customers, and our loyal suppliers,” said Tommy Maxwell, President and CEO. “Without all of them, none of this would be possible. I look forward to many more years of growth with our team.” The Maxwell family hosted a celebratory event during the 2017 NWFA Wood Flooring Expo in Phoenix.

Alexey Steshak is not your typical wood flooring guy – although he has worked a lot with wood, he hadn’t actually installed a wood floor until now. As an artist living and working in Altai Republic, Russia, there’s much to find inspiration from – that’s how this project got started. “I live and work in one of the most beautiful places on earth,” says Steshak. “I am inspired by natural materials, and I like a complex and challenging project.” This floor was nothing short of complex and challenging. “The idea for the floor came to me one day while I was sitting on top of a cliff,” says Steshak. “I looked down and saw many trees and a flock of birds swept over them. And then ‘Bingo!’ That was it.” Wood Stock The Art of Wood By Megan Lhamon

FLOOR FOCUS “I’ve been combining the materials in my projects for many years, but never before on such a large scale,” adds Steshak. “For this project, I used a wide variety of species. Some came fromwind-fallen trees, some from cut trees left after thinning of the fruit orchards.” “In the end, I had 40 bags of small wood pieces. Some of the species included oak, Manchurian walnut, apricot, pear, karagach, ash, birch, maple ash, American walnut, cherry, larch, rowan, and a little mahogany.” “My hands are my art studio,” says Steshak. “I work directly on each job site and can easily travel where I need to do work, renting or buying needed materials wherever I am. Having this freedom allows me to travel and do cool projects anywhere in the world and this makes me very happy.”

Photo courtesy of Alexey Steshak

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Wood Stock

The Entryway to END GRAIN

By Megan Lhamon

“The previous homeowner had a leak in the entryway, so instead of properly repairing the leak, they cut out that section of flooring and replaced it with a few tiles,” says Neuroh. “My customer was ready for a proper refinish. They asked for it to be round but other than that, they let me go with whatever I could come up with.” FLOOR FOCUS “I used an eight-inch white oak board and laminated it into a four-inch radius,” says Neuroh. “I’ve wanted to incorporate end grain into a job for a while now, and this seemed like a great opportunity. I purchased 4×4 blocks fromKaswell Flooring Systems, who specializes in end grain, and played around with them to see what I could create,” adds Neuroh. “Once the floor was installed, I sanded over everything and finished it with Rubio Monocoat. It was a pretty basic installation, but it had a unique look to it. I like doing stuff that is out of the box – it makes it fun for me!” Not only was it fun for Neuroh, but the homeowners said their new entryway was above and beyond what they expected. Kyle Neuroh, owner of Neuroh Hardwood Flooring and an NWFA member, has been in the industry for 13 years; he started his company in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2011. Neuroh recently completed a unique installation where he was able to use his imagination and have some fun with the job.

Photos courtesy of Kyle Neuroh

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• Galleher entered into a distribution agreement with Tarkett to begin immediate distribution of its Johnsonite brand throughout Galleher’s distribution territory, which covers Arizona, Nevada, and California. • Denver Hardwood celebrated its 36th Anniversary with the Grand Opening of a new 100,000-square foot, state-of- the-art distribution center located in Denver. Customers and staff networked with more than 20 suppliers with product displays and demos throughout the day. • The North American Association of Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD) announced a new partnership with Caliper, a New Jersey-based talent management firm that guides businesses in developing their workforce and aligning talent with strategy. DISTRIBUTOR DOINGS • Armstrong Flooring announced its 2016 Elite Retailers of the Year: Gold – Baker Brothers; Silver – Riemer Floors; and Bronze –WorldWide Wholesale, as well as honorable mentions for United Flooring Group and Floor Covering Associates. The award is based on a variety of factors, including sales, lead conversion rates, overall program support, showroom quality, and website excellence. RETAILER ROUNDUP

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The hardwood forest product sector and the entire biomass value chain won a considerable policy victory recently when President Trump signed legislation to keep the government funded through September. A long sought-after provision that provides federal government recognition of the carbon neutral and renewable nature of forest-based biomass fuels was tucked into this spending measure and is now federal law. This victory is the culmination of years of work by the Hardwood Federation and its allies in the fight to promote the carbon neutrality of biomass. Hundreds of meetings were held and phone calls made to members of Congress and their staffs, Cabinet members, and administration officials of at least three Presidents. Some of our allies even reached out to state-level government officials. So why are we so committed to this concept of biomass carbon neutrality and codifying it at the federal level? In short, because it resides at the very heart of the wood products industry’s sustainability message and it is a principle that policymakers about the environmental benefits of forest products operations emphasize the fact that timber arriving at lumber mills represents one step in a larger “carbon cycling” process. Trees are harvested and efficiently converted into floors, millwork, and cabinets at mills that, once installed in homes and commercial buildings, will store the carbon embedded in that wood product for generations. Parts of the tree that are not fit for making wood products like bark, chip, GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS INDUSTRY INSIGHTS Sustainable Victor on Capitol Hill is increasingly under attack from anti-forestry activists. The Hardwood Federation’s ongoing education efforts with

By Dana Cole

and sawdust are combusted for energy recovery, typically in the form of heat and power at lumber facilities or sold to pellet producers or other end-users. At the point where forest biomass is combusted for energy, carbon that had been siphoned from the atmosphere and stored in the tree fiber through the duration of its growing years is released to the atmosphere. But what separates wood products’ processes from industries that rely on fossil-derived materials like oil, gas, or coal is that the thriving, sustainable forests from which raw materials are sourced continue the carbon uptake cycle in a virtual loop. In other words, wood product production does not introduce “new” carbon into the atmosphere as fossil fuel combustion does. That’s why we like to describe it as “carbon cycling.” The cog that makes this entire cycle work – and what distinguishes forest energy from fossil energy – is the renewability of the raw material. And that is another reason why this language that we helped secure in the spending bill is so important. Not only did it codify biomass as carbon neutral, but it also stipulates that forest-based biomass energy is “renewable.” Until recently, we had assumed this was a principle that was beyond dispute.

BigStockPhoto ©

BigStockPhoto ©

Timber arriving at lumber mills represents one step in a larger carbon cycling process.

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Unfortunately, bumper sticker messaging around saving trees by not using wood is the narrative that has prevailed among many, and it is a myth we continue to debunk on Capitol Hill and in the executive branch. But our recent win feels like progress and a major victory for our sustainability message. Both Republicans and Democrats supported the language, many of whommembers of the NWFA visited during the Hardwood Federation Fly-In to Washington, D.C. We are hopeful we can continue this progress with additional policy victories in 2017 on

However, over the past year or so, many opponents to timber harvesting began making claims that forest-based biomass is a nonrenewable resource. Many outside the wood products industry are unaware of – or refuse to acknowledge – the fact that robust markets for forest products actually promote the health of the nation’s forest resources. The beautiful and long-lived wood products, including flooring produced by the industry, provide critical demand for working forests so that landowners managing those forests can continue to keep those lands as forest lands.

Sustainable Reason to Be Pro Forest Products What separates wood products’ processes from industries that rely on fossil-derived materials like oil, gas, or coal is that the thriving, sustainable forests from which raw materials are sourced continue the carbon uptake cycle in a virtual loop.

some of our other, critical policy priorities like federal forest management reform and legislation to promote more wood use in tall buildings. As always, we will look again to engage all of you in those efforts and help us spread the word about the economic and environmental benefits the wood products industry brings to local communities and the nation. Dana Cole is Executive Director at the Hardwood Federation, a Washington D.C.–based hardwood industry trade association that represents thousands of hardwood businesses in every state in the U.S. and acts as the industry’s advocacy voice on Capitol Hill. She can be reached at dana.cole@hardwoodfederation.com.

A little-known fact is that most of the forest land in this country is privately owned in parcels that average well under 500 acres. These small, private landowner suppliers depend on a return on investment to keep their holdings forested and not convert them to other uses like row crop agriculture or development. Thriving markets for forest products are the primary reason there are more forested acres in this country today than in the 1950s – a time period during which the country experienced an unprecedented postwar home building spree.

the magazine of the national wood flooring association

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DESIGNER INSIGHTS INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

By Emily Morrow Finkell

Seconds Grown in

What Does it Mean for Hardwood Flooring?

After nearly 30 years as an interior designer, one of my favorite things to do is mentor and see new design students and new graduates “get their wings” and begin working in the real world. One way I’ve been able to work with those coming into the design field has been at the university level where I have served as a judge for senior design projects. On a recent project, one of the project prerequisites was that the students specify finishes and materials that were either recycled, rapidly renewable, or reclaimed. are regrowing faster than they are being harvested. To which the professor retorted that these trees are probably not the same quality as those that had been taken already and that we should leave the forests alone. Although I’ve told this particular story several times, it bears retelling as it is indicative of the misguided and misinformed, although well-intentioned, professionals who believe using bamboo (or another wood-lookalike substitute) over hardwood floors is better for the environment. Let us take this as a cue that we all have a responsibility to share useful information whenever and however possible. With that in mind, I wanted to share information I recently learned at the Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association’s (HPVA) annual meeting in Vancouver.

Images courtesy of AHEC

In the competition, all but one student included flooring that was either bamboo or reclaimed material. Those students all received words of praise from the panel of judges and the professor. I withheld any negative remarks until I was completely surprised to hear one student be reprimanded, nearly ridiculed, by the professor for specifying hardwood flooring that was made in the U.S. for her project. I was happy to offer the student encouragement and supporting data that she, in fact, had chosen well with her flooring. I also recommended that she and the others should visit the NWFA.org and woodfloors.org websites to find more information on the subject. This occasion occurred on the heels of having given multiple CEU-eligible presentations on “Sustainable Floorcovering,” so fortunately, I had the most recent data memorized. Specifically, the fact that U.S. forests

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NOFMA MAKE SURE THE PIECES FIT. Count on NWFA/ certified manufacturers

Anthony Oak Flooring, Inc. Buchanan Hardwoods, Inc./Manufacturer of Elite Brand Flooring Carroll Hardwood Co.

For more than 100 years, NOFMA Certification has provided a mark of distinction for wood flooring. NWFA’s NOFMA Certification provides an assurance that the wood flooring you are buying meets or exceeds the industry standards for grade, configuration, moisture content, and average board length. Look to NWFA/NOFMA certified manufacturers to assure an architect, designer or consumer that a particular product meets industry-accepted standards.

Cumberland Lumber and Mfg. Hassell & Hughes Lumber Co. Henry County Hardwoods Lewis Lumber & Milling, Inc. Lewis Brothers Lumber Co. Heppner Hardwoods Inc. Maxwell Hardwood Flooring McMinnville Manufacturing Co. Middle Tennessee Lumber Co. Miller and Company

Magnolia Flooring Mill/Chickasaw Brand

Missouri Hardwood (Since 1911) by Hardwoods of Missouri, L.L.C.

Monticello Flooring & Lumber Co.

Mullican Flooring

Ouachita Hardwood Flooring Quarter-Sawn Flooring, L.L.C. Roberts Wood Products, Inc. Shaw Hardwood Flooring Smith Flooring, Inc. Somerset Wood Products

NWFA WELCOMES THE NEWEST NOFMA CERTIFIED MILL:

Superior Hardwood Flooring/Herwynen Saw Mill Ltd.

P.O. Box 1575 Paris, Tennessee 38242

www.nwfa.org | 800.422.4556

DESIGNER INSIGHTS INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

AHEC’s website growninseconds.org features compelling data and graphics.

Images courtesy of AHEC

The presentation was given by Mike Snow fromThe American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) and was titled “Grown in Seconds.”The simple message is this: it only takes seconds for the hardwood used in a project to grow back in the U.S. AHEC’s website, growninseconds.org, features straightforward and compelling data as well as graphics to support their message. For example, the site states the amount of carbon stored, the carbon footprint, and the volume used per species. There are so many reasons to love U.S. hardwood, certainly for its beauty and overall variety in aesthetics, but add to that the knowledge that it comes from forests that are vast and diverse. Most importantly, these forests are “replenished by natural regeneration and harvested selectively.” Their research has clearly established that U.S. hardwood is a low carbon material and “as they grow, trees absorb carbon from the atmosphere, storing carbon while growing, when harvested, and after being manufactured into products.” The group’s collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service Inventory and Analysis program enables them to know the rate Grown in Seconds (Continued)

box store to compete with. Logical, rational thinking can also sometimes dovetail nicely with very important factors when putting together a design project, and in the case of hardwood grown in seconds, it’s easy to justify why we love wood. Wood is naturally beautiful, and unlike the wood-look substitutes, its authenticity is immediately apparent to four of the five senses: touch, sight, smell, and sound. Whether it be an architect, a design professional, a builder, or a homeowner who wants to be set apart from the pack, choosing quality materials that last and look not just good enough, but superior to the alternatives, makes hardwood a winner every time. Let’s take our opportunities with students, interns, co-ops, newly hired sales people, or even our friends and family to share this incredibly important information about our forests and hardwood as a whole. Imagine seeing a forest replenishing itself even more quickly than the gorgeous hardwood floor going into your project. Emily Morrow Finkell is an interior designer and CEO of EF Floors & Design, LLC in Dalton, a provider of hardwood floors and home furnishings, and NWFA design contributor. She can be reached at kikermorrow@gmail.com.

that American timber grows, as well as how quickly it’s replaced by species in states and counties all across the U.S. Having grown up in a family that comes from a long line of builders going back three generations, I’ve always been keenly aware of the sweet smell of freshly cut wood and newly bulldozed earth that go back to my earliest memories of checking on all the job sites with my dad before or after school. Going even deeper for a moment into sensory memories, the kinesthetic experience gets even better for me as an interior designer as wood cabinets, hardwood floors, walls, or ceilings are being installed. The scent of wood is exceptional and unlike anything else, certainly better to breathe in than the smell of synthetic materials like polyvinyl chloride (PVC). For reasons that are sensory, kinesthetic, cerebral, and emotional, I am certain we will continue to see hardwood flooring and hardwood materials as a whole continue to remain a major player in the interiors industry. Sometimes it is difficult to explain logically why one material is preferred over another, especially when there may be less-expensive and more easily obtained materials at every corner big

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The U.S. wood flooring industry depends heavily on residential markets. Catalina estimates residential markets – consumer and builder purchases – represented an estimated 78.9 percent of total U.S. wood flooring sales in 2016. This is up from 77.5 percent in 2012. Manufacturers and marketers increased their dependence on residential markets despite the housing market not fully recovering from the recession since wood flooring has significantly increased its share of new and replacement flooring sales. In fact, wood flooring’s share of residential replacement U.S. Wood Flooring Markets and Factors Driving Demand MARKET MATTERS INDUSTRY INSIGHTS

sales is estimated to have nearly doubled during the past decade. Wood flooring also made inroads in commercial markets. The wood flooring industry has been able to tap into the growing preference for more-upscale hard surface flooring

during this period. This is important since the turnover of an existing home drives residential replacement sales. This indicates that wood flooring manufacturers and marketers benefited from flooring replacement projects undertaken by non-movers. Consumer wood flooring purchases were able to grow at relatively strong rates as homeowners increased their preference for higher-end hard surface flooring. In 2016, some 16 percent of total residential replacement flooring purchases is estimated to have been for wood products. This is up from 12.9 percent in 2012. Wood flooring manufacturers and marketers were able to increase their share of consumers’ flooring purchases by offering consumers more price-competitive, easier-to-install flooring in a wider range of designs including distressed, hand-scraped, and rustic looks for do-it-yourself, buy-it-yourself, and contractor remodeling projects. Replacement sales also benefited from rising home values, which motivated moving and non-moving homeowners to invest in home improvements. The 7.2 percent compound annual growth rate in the value of an existing home between 2012 and 2016 contributed to wood flooring increasing its share of residential replacement flooring sales. In recent years, wood flooring consumer spending also benefited from sharper gains in employment levels and personal income. The key target markets for wood flooring manufacturers and marketers are high-income households, the baby boomer

looks by expanding the availability of prefinished and easier-to- install flooring products. Lower average selling prices during the recession also stimulated demand as competitively priced foreign- sourced products entered the market. Competitive pricing is currently becoming a positive driver of demand since the recent run up in wood flooring prices is already subsiding along with a decline in lumber prices. Consumer response to improved products and pricing has resulted in the residential replacement market increasing its importance to wood flooring manufacturers and marketers. Wood flooring residential replacement sales are estimated to have increased at an 8.6 percent compound annual rate between 2012 and 2016, and climbed to 52.6 percent of total U.S. wood flooring manufacturer dollar sales. This is up from 45.5 percent in 2007. Consumer wood flooring purchases increased at relatively sharp rates during this period despite the sluggish gains in U.S. existing home sales

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