Wide Plank Flooring

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Last Spring I did a series on flooring. You can see that here . Since then I have been contacted by various flooring companies wanting to give me information or sell me something.

Most, I have ignored, but since I have a fascination with wide plank flooring, this one caught my eye. 
It is from a Company called Carlisle.
Carlisle Wide Plank Floors is known in the industry as having the widest and longest flooring planks available.  Carlisle meets the desires of home owners by offering an array of premium wood flooring sizes, custom made up to 20 inches in width. 
According to the National Association of Remodeling (NARI), the industry is observing a drive toward rustic and authentic design of which reclaimed floors with wider planks play a large role.
Reminiscent of old New England country homes and colonials, wide plank floors authenticate rustic and natural indoor environments. With the ever growing popularity in wood floors, wide plank flooring is well worth exploring.
Early New England settlers had it right when they incorporated wide plank flooring into their small homes.  Wider floors open up most rooms, creating an illusion of more space, even if parameters are tight. Because wide planks leave fewer joint lines, a wide plank floor looks less choppy and allows onlookers’ eyes to admire the wood’s detailing. Furthermore, a wider floor improves a room’s beauty and significantly increases its value as larger widths are more desirable and unique.  
Here is  bit about the process too:

Each board is selectively sawn from the heart of the tree, containing the densest and most beautiful vertical grain. Staying true to 200-year-old traditional sawing methods, Carlisle planks are then put through an extensive drying process of up to 12 months to avoid undue tension on the wood. The extended drying period paired with the use of heartwood ensures maximum stability which is especially imperative for wider boards.

Carlisle floors are not only custom-made to meet the consumer’s aesthetic wishes, but the floors are structurally superior. Because Carlisle craftsmen use only the sturdy center of old growth trees, the floors do not experience cupping or twisting, a problem often encountered with lesser quality wide planks.

If you are looking into wood flooring for you home in the near future I would recommend checking out this company.

For more information about sizing options or to find the nearest Carlisle showroom location, call 1.800.595.9663 or visit www.wideplankflooring.com.

Flooring

Good morning and Happy Monday Everyone. I am starting a new mini series. I hope you will join me.
With the increased popularity in "going green" consumers are looking for better options in flooring as well as other building materials. It occurred to me that many of us are unfamiliar with some of the flooring options available. My next several posts will try to explain some of the options out there and the pros and cons associated with them.  

I would like to start with Bamboo flooring.

Technically bamboo is in the grass family but is often called a wood because of how hard and durable it is. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on Earth. Some species have actually been measured to grow over 4 feet in 24 hours. A pole of bamboo can regenerate to its full mass in just six months! Bamboo can be continuously re-harvested every 3 years, without causing damage to the plant system and surrounding environment. During the time it takes to regenerate, the bamboo plant's root system stays intact so erosion is prevented. Continuous harvesting every 3-7 years, actually improves the overall health of the plant. 

Most of the bamboo used today comes from China,although India is the largest grower of bamboo in the world.

To make the flooring, the hallow shoots are sliced into thin strips and boiled to remove the starch. They are then dried and boiled in a solution to remove the natural sugars in the plant. It is then dried and laminated into boards that are milled into floorboards with tongue and groove on all sides for easy installation.

Bamboo flooring is extremely durable, almost as hard as oak and because of it's density, refinishing is not required as often a your traditional wood floor. Bamboo is a preferred "green" choice over hardwood flooring, because it takes from three to six years to reach maturity compared with more than 50 years for oak or maple. Pricing is comparable to other wood flooring products, so the only drawback I can see really is that the design is very specific. It shows the "knot" or the "knuckle" that is so specific to bamboo (note in the picture below) If this doesn't bother you, then this may be an appropriate flooring choice for your home.