Hardwood Floors August/September 2025

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

“I'm in the process of creating an apprenticeship program. I encourage people that if they want to go out on their own, they should do it. I am a firm believer that competition is a weak mindset, to a certain degree. Competition happens at the bottom, while collaboration happens at the top. The real goal for me is to get young people involved in the industry and let them know that there is good money. I don’t think you need a degree to make good money. There are a lot of people out here making a great living working with their hands. We want to get these people into the NWFA certification program, and then if they want to go out on their own, that’s fantastic. We won’t be covering payroll, but in some ways, they will still be working with us.” – Alex Hamilton NWFA Wood Talk Podcast A Conversation with Alex Hamilton

“We train inspectors to identify the causes of issues. With a good supply chain history, they can talk to the manufacturer, supplier, installer, and builder to create a timeline and sequence of everything that has occurred with the floor and verify if proper installation methods were followed. However, mysteries can still arise. They will find the floor was installed perfectly, the subfloor was perfect, and the jobsite conditions were ideal. So why is the floor failing? Many people jump to the conclusion that it must be a manufacturing defect. In some cases, that may be true. What we often find, though, is that a single event at one point in time – where the floor was exposed to something extreme – caused it to cup, split, or fall apart. It takes analyzing historical data to pinpoint that one critical moment. It's a tricky one.” – Brett Miller NWFA Wood Talk Podcast A Conversation with Rose Fall of Fall Designs

Allegheny Rift & Quarter Sawn Red Oak

Increase your profit margins and start using Allegheny Red Oak!

Beautiful, Affordable, Sustainable

Long Lengths 7'-12' Nested Bundles 1'-7' Natural or S&B solid & engineered herringbone custom surface treatment 100% FSC Certified

@HICKMANWOODS

www.hickmanwoods.com | Sourced & Manufactured in Pennsylvania | 724.867.9441