Hardwood Floors December 2025/January 2026

CONTENTS

Industry Insights

PUBLICATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE Robert McNamara | Chair, Sheoga Hardwood Flooring Jason Elquest | Blackhawk Floors Inc. Steve Brattin | Chair Stephanie Owen | President & CEO Anita Howard | Sr. VP, Industry Partnerships & Meetings NWFA LEADERSHIP

20 Government Affairs No end to trade action. 24 Market Matters Facing a mixed forecast. 28 Design Trends Warmth and rhythm set

By Dana Lee Cole

By Santo Torcivia

By Bryan Hodges

the tone for 2026 color palettes.

Lenny Hall | Endurance Floor Company Inc. Kevin Mullany | Benchmark Wood Floors Inc. Jim Schumacher | Mirka

Business Best Practices

PUBLICATION TEAM

32 Sales Savvy Driving profitability

Libby White Johnston | Publisher | libby.johnston@nwfa.org Burt Bollinger | Editor | burt.bollinger@nwfa.org Brett Miller | Technical Editor Rhonda M. May | Creative Manager | rhonda.may@nwfa.org Bridget Norlie | Engagement Manager | bridget.norlie@nwfa.org Cassie Weiss | Advertising Coordinator | cassie.weiss@nwfa.org

By Doug Howard

through people and processes. 36 Special Content New campaign takes on

By Derrick Daye

hardwood’s imitators.

At the Site 68 Moisture Content A peek behind the dimensional change coefficient curtain for solid wood floors. 76 Tech Talk Perimeter expansion space. 78 WFOY Winner Spotlight Best in Circles/Curves/Bent Wood: J.L. Vivash Custom Wood Floors Ltd. 80 Hardwood Hints Checking a fastening schedule.

14 Research Park Drive St. Charles, Missouri 63304 P : 800.422.4556 Local : 636.519.9663 F: 636.519.9664 E: news@hardwoodfloorsmag.com W: hardwoodfloorsmag.com

By Dr. Alex C. Wiedenhoeft and Dr. Samuel V. Glass

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Burt Bollinger Steve Brattin Dana Lee Cole Derrick Daye Samuel V. Glass

By Burt Bollinger

Reid Lambright Jon Namba Santo Torcivia Alex C. Wiedenhoeft

Bob Goldstein Bryan Hodges Doug Howard Don Jewell Libby White Johnston

By Jon Namba

Product Focus 86 Borders, Inlays, Vents, Mouldings, and Stair Parts 88 Specialty Wood Flooring

ADVERTISING SALES

Katie Schenk Advertising & Brand Growth Director katie.schenk@nwfa.org | 314.488.4669

Also in this Issue

6 Chair’s Cut

By Steve Brattin

Hardwood Floors (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: 14 Research Park Drive, St. Charles, MO 63304. Phone: 800.422.4556. Printing office: Walsworth, 306 N. Kansas Ave., Marceline, MO 64658. Printed in the U.S. Periodicals postage is paid at Chesterfield, MO and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Hardwood Floors, P.O. Box 9147, Lowell, MA 01853. Copyright © 2025 by the National Wood Flooring Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. Hardwood Floors' subscription base is AAM audited. An AAM audit provides advertisers and agencies with assurance that what they choose to invest in does, in fact, reach target audiences for specific ads. The AAM audit also helps media companies by documenting the quality of their audiences.

8 Business Briefs 12 Wood Stock

By Burt Bollinger

38 Emerging Leaders From vision to action.

By Reid Lambright

82 Technical Publication Tips 84 Special Content NWFA welcomes new Certified Professionals. 94 TISE Preview 98 Seen at NWFA Schools 100 New Products 102 Overheard on NWFA Podcasts 103 Wood Talk: Matt Garcia 104 Ad Index