Hardwood Floors February/March 2025

CONTENTS

Industry Insights

PUBLICATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE Robert McNamara | Chair, Sheoga Hardwood Flooring Jason Elquest | Blackhawk Floors Inc. Steve Brattin | Chair Michael Martin | CEO Anita Howard | COO Brett Miller | VP, Technical Standards, Training, & Certification Stephanie Owen | Executive Director, NERF NWFA LEADERSHIP

18 Government Affairs The 2025 Congressional line up. 22 Market Matters Uncertainty regarding incoming policies. 26 Special Content Missouri campaign fights for real wood over lookalikes.

By Dana Lee Cole

By Santo Torcivia

By Sydney Jones

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

Business Best Practices

30 Sales Savvy How sacrifice determines

Libby White Johnston | Publisher | libby.johnston@nwfa.org Burt Bollinger | Editor | burt.bollinger@nwfa.org Brett Miller | Technical Editor | brett.miller@nwfa.org Rhonda M. May | Creative Manager | rhonda.may@nwfa.org Amy Burris | Digital Manager | amy.burris@nwfa.org Bridget Norlie | Engagement Manager | bridget.norlie@nwfa.org PUBLICATION TEAM

By Paul Reilly

true value. 34 Legal Five key advertising and marketing

By Iqra Mushtaq

issues for businesses.

At the Site 58 Acoustic Ratings Unraveling the misconceptions and confusions. 62 Tech Talk Gluing down solid wood flooring. 64 WFOY Winner Spotlight Best Marquetry/Inlay:

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 Jared Kress

By Burt Bollinger

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Burt Bollinger Steve Brattin Dana Lee Cole Libby White Johnston Sydney Jones

Ourada Designs 66 Hardwood Hints Moisture testing. 67 Sponsored Content Raising the standard in

Iqra Mushtaq Paul Reilly Scott Taylor Santo Torcivia

Jared Kress Michael Martin Brett Miller Jim Muggleton

By Scott Taylor

By Paul Stanko

temporary surface protection. 68 Technical Publication Tip Subfloor panels.

ADVERTISING SALES

Katie Schenk Advertising & Media Manager katie.schenk@nwfa.org | 636.736.5230

Product Focus

70 Adhesives, Subfloors, and Underlayment

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.

Also in this Issue

6 Chair’s Cut

By Steve Brattin

8 Business Briefs 12 Wood Stock

By Burt Bollinger

74 New Products 76 Overheard on NWFA Podcasts 78 Wood Talk: Jorge Perez 79 Ad Index

80 Final Coat: CEO’s Message

By Michael Martin