In the wood flooring industry, the term ‘old growth’ continues to be the subject of interpretation and controversy. At Madera Floors we make it our business to know more about wood than any other company, and to educate our customers so that they can make more informed purchasing decisions. We frequently address questions about ‘old growth’ trees, especially in relation to reclaimed timber. In fact, we have talked with many consumers who thought the terms meant the same thing and were misled into thinking their old growth flooring was the same as our antique reclaimed flooring. Here we define some of the terms and address questions surrounding the mystery of ‘old growth’.

Old Growth refers to established forests that, up until the time trees are cut, have had little or no disruption. Advocates of cutting old growth timbers suggest that pruning selected trees is good for the forest. We disagree. Old growth forests maintain themselves through a natural process that does not include cutting into the delicate fabric woven by nature.

How Old is “Old” Growth? The actual age that determines “old” growth varies depending on the specie, but it refers to the age at which a tree has reached its maturity. For an eastern white pine, it is between 130-150 years, while many of the hardwoods reach maturity at 80 years. But, what is most important is that at maturity and thereafter the old growth tree is still contributing to the ecosystem in which it lives.

Virgin Growth refers to dense stands of various species of hardwood or pine trees that are indigenous to their habitat; they have never been harvested. Many virgin forests are protected, but tragically there are also many that are still being cut today for purposes that include mass-produced wood flooring. Essentially, virgin timber is old growth that has never been cut, while old growth may or may not be virgin timber.

Reclaimed Wood is also referred to as Antique wood, and for us the terms are interchangeable when describing the wood we use to make our floors. We agree that old growth flooring is beautiful; however, we prefer to reuse this majestic timber that was originally cut to build structures that have shaped our history in the United States and in interesting places all over the world.

“Deconstruction” is the core of the reclaimed wood industry. The emphasis is on utilizing materials that have outlived their usefulness and would otherwise be demolished, discarded or left to decay. Deconstruction helps to close the resource loop that we now realize is so valuable in this world of finite resources.In recycling this precious material there is a significant positive environmental impact.

Deconstruction differs from ‘demolition’ in that it is a painstaking process involving the selective dismantlement of building components. We work with experts who carefully manage dismantling projects to preserve the grand dimensions of the beams, posts and floor joists; this will be reflected in your floor as we work to maintain the superior widths and lengths of these ancient timbers.

Demolition, on the other hand, is unfortunately the more common method of taking down a building. Implosion or ‘wrecking-ball’ style demolition is relatively inexpensive and offers a quick method of clearing sites for new structures. Consequently this process results in significant waste and unusable material.

For more information please visit our website at

www.maderafloors.com or our blog www.maderafloors.blogspot.com

Thanks

The trend towards upscale kennels is making flooring paramount for good looks and healthful environments. Kennel epoxy flooring is not only seamless but can be Class III Laboratory qualified. Now used not only in veterinary operating rooms but also on kennel runways, divider walls and cages these mold and mildew resistant surfaces are easy to clean with hoses and squeegees. Bleach resistant epoxy flooring can take strong cleaners and heavy abrasion.

Epoxy coatings have been used successfully in swimming pools, laundries, warehouses, garages, and various types of shops for decades. Now they are being used increasingly in kennels with fine skid resistant textured surfaces that are still easy to mop and squeegee clean.

Kennel epoxy floors can be flooded, pressure washed and scrubbed back into service in minutes. Mold, bacteria, and contaminants can be rinsed off. The surfaces are impervious to penetration by liquid-born contaminants. Even diesel, gas, and oil will not penetrate them and can be washed or wiped up. Old technology floorings, including paint, carpeting, vinyl tile, linoleum, and wood, are subject to such severe contamination and damage if flood cleansing is used.

New designs in kennels offer beautiful flood-proof epoxy coated flooring from wall to wall, often including coated vertical surfaces to help further contain liquids. The beauty of kennel epoxy flooring can be enhanced and personalized by using colors. Colored chips, glitter, decorative stains, and artwork and decals can be laminated into these attractive floors. Kennel epoxy flooring is a solid choice when building or remodeling kennel spaces.

Durall Industrial Flooring supplies kits of materials that are customized to owner specification and delivered directly to the job site. Kits include full directions and 24/7 help lines staffed by seasoned flooring experts, so professionals and amateurs alike can successfully install a quality floor.

Web visitors can obtain free, job-specific quotes on materials or nationwide turnkey installations by completing a simple questionnaire at http://www.concrete-floor-coatings.com.

For a high-resolution photo example, visit: http://www.concrete-floor-coatings.com/photos/kennel/

For more information, contact Harvey Chichester at: harvey@concrete-floor-coatings.com Phone: 1-800-466-8910 or 952-888-1488 (24/7)

Epoxy coatings with 100% solids can be applied right over your ceramic tile for good looks and healthful environments. Epoxy flooring is not only seamless but can be Class III Laboratory qualified. These mold and mildew resistant surfaces are easy to clean with hose and squeegee. Bleach resistant epoxy flooring can take strong cleaners and heavy abrasion.

Epoxy coatings have been used successfully in swimming pools, laundries, warehouses, garages, and various types of shops for decades. Now they are being used increasingly in embalming rooms, smooth or with fine skid resistant textured surfaces that are still easy to mop and squeegee clean.

Epoxy floors can be flooded, during washing and scrubbed back into service in minutes. Mold, bacteria, and contaminants can be rinsed off. The surfaces are impervious to penetration by liquid-born contaminants. Even diesel, gas, and oil will not penetrate them and can be washed or wiped up. Old technology floorings, including paint, ceramic tile, vinyl tile, and linoleum, are subject to such severe contamination and damage, if flood cleaning is used.

New designs for embalming room floors offer beautiful flood-proof epoxy coated flooring from wall to wall, often including coated vertical surfaces to help further contain liquids. The beauty of epoxy flooring can be enhanced and personalized by using colors. Color chips, glitter, decorative stains, and artwork and decals can be laminated into these attractive floors. Epoxy flooring is a solid choice when building or remodeling embalming room spaces.

Durall Industrial Flooring supplies kits of materials that are customized to owner specification and delivered directly to the job site. Kits include full directions and 24/7 help lines staffed by seasoned flooring experts, so professionals and amateurs alike can successfully install a quality floor.

Web visitors can obtain free, job-specific quotes on materials or nationwide turnkey installations by completing a simple questionnaire at http://www.concrete-floor-coatings.com.

For a high-resolution photo example, visit: http://www.concrete-floor-coatings.com/photos/flood/

For more information, contact Harvey Chichester at: harvey@concrete-floor-coatings.com Phone: 1-800-466-8910 or 952-888-1488 (24/7)

All too often homeowners and businesses try to repair worn, eroded and pitted floors with materials that crumble which ends up leaving large holes or depressions. Once the repair attempt fails the fix is often more difficult then the original problem. Instead of having a few damaged areas, the new holes in the repaired material leave lingering doubts about the remaining repaired surfaces. Will more of the repair material fail? Should the owner go to the expense and effort of trying to remove it? While these questions do not have a universal answer you can make efficient and long lasting repairs to original repairs using 100% epoxy.

Top-coat repairs to floors are often laid with cement like materials that deteriorate from moisture and abrasion. These materials have limited adhesion and are subject to having pockets blister off the substrate which eventually crumble and become dust. A coating of 100% solid epoxy can level those floors and seal them from further damage. By using a squeegee type motion, liquid epoxy can be pulled over floor irregularities allowing them to fill in. Because epoxy is hard, durable and impervious to liquids once sealed further erosion is usually stopped.

Repair of repairs follows several steps.

1. Use a mallet and scraper to find areas of substrate which are about to come loose and remove it.
2. Clean the surface using a rotary scrubber with a high alkaline cleaner followed by a high acidic cleaner and scrub rinse.
3. After drying, use a 4″grinder with a masonry wheel to bevel the edge of craters so edges are about 45% towards the floor.
4. Sweep off excess ground material.
5. Use a glazing compound and putty knife to fill hairline cracks so the epoxy will not sink in and continue to show them.
6. For larger cracks, fill sand into them using a broom until sand becomes visible which will keep your epoxy from sinking through the cracks. Make sure no sand remains on the surface.
7. Mix up your two part 100% solid epoxy in one gallon batches so it stays as fluid as possible.
8. Use a brush and 3/16 lint free roller to cut in around the edge of the room and around legs and other obstacles.
9. Mix more epoxy just as you need it so you are not working with thicker, tackier material that is over 15 minutes old.
10. Dip your roller and apply to all flat areas.
11. Pour epoxy directly into any cavities and holes.
12. Use your roller like a squeegee pulling just towards you and lifting as needed to achieve level surfaces over each hole or problem area.
13. Allow the floor to harden about 15 hours and then use a 3M type-sanding screen on your rotary scrubber to remove high spots and problems.
14. Sweep off dust and residue caused by your screening.
15. Repeat steps 5 through 12 for a second coat.

You should have repairs to your repairs which will have a good chance of lasting quite some time. A heavy impact to your floor may still allow layers of cement type patch to let go but more often than not you will avoid additional problems. Your floor will be relatively flat and good looking while being easy to keep clean and maintain.

Durall Industrial Flooring supplies kits of materials that are customized to owner specification and delivered directly to the job site. Kits include full directions and 24/7 help lines staffed by seasoned flooring experts, so professionals and amateurs alike can successfully install a quality floor.

Web visitors can obtain free, job-specific quotes on materials or nationwide turnkey installations by completing a simple questionnaire at http://www.concrete-floor-coatings.com.

For a high-resolution photo example, visit: http://www.concrete-floor-coatings.com/photos

For more information, contact Harvey Chichester at: harvey@concrete-floor-coatings.com Phone: 1-800-466-8910 or 952-888-1488 (24/7)

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Ultra smooth floors (glass-smooth) are often a “required” look for showing off quality operations and merchandise. As is frequently the case in obtaining a high-end result, glass-smooth floors are achievable but at a cost in materials and effort. Of course, it helps to start with a smooth floor but even highly damaged floors can be brought back to glass-smooth with some hard work and…epoxy.

If you are going to invest in achieving a showroom quality smooth floor, you want to first make sure that your efforts are not spoiled by lifting or pealing. This means care must be taken to do a good prep job that will assure maximum adhesion to the concrete base. One good way to obtain a professional preparation is to use one of Durall Industrial Flooring’s kits of materials that are customized to owner specification and delivered directly to the job site. These kits include full directions and 24/7 help lines staffed by seasoned flooring experts, so professionals and amateurs alike can successfully install a quality floor. See www.concrete-floor-coatings.com for details.

After the preparation work is done, all of the low spots in your floor should be filled. Joints and concrete cracks from sagging can be filled with the grout provided in the Durall kit. Mixing the grout to a peanut butter consistency and working it into the cracks with a gloved hand or putty knife is the first step. Try not to smear too much on the surface and strike the cracks flush before they harden.

Next come those dreaded holes from tack strips or walls that were removed, or stones showing through from water erosion. These all need to be filled with 100% epoxy for maximum adhesion. Make sure all of the holes are dry and dirt had been sucked out of them during the preparation process. Mix up the epoxy and pour a small amount in each crater and hole. Note that the surface tension of the epoxy will create a little edge to each pour, like honey poured on a counter top. Once the epoxy has set up (12-15 hours) use a grinder with a masonry wheel to bring the edges flush to the surrounding concrete. Then use a vacuum to remove all the ground off powder and loose grout that may be on the floor.

Next comes your 100% solid Dura Poxy coating. To achieve a glass-smooth finish you will need to plan on three coats. The first coat is rolled and brushed on at about 125 to 150 sq. ft. per gallon. When mixing, be sure to do at least 200 strokes or 2 minutes with a drill mixer. Then transfer from the mixing container to another container before application to assure that no material remains unmixed. Use a 9-in. 3/8″ nap roller and a 4-in. china bristle brush on broomstick handles to apply. Mix the epoxy as you go to assure that it remains as liquid and fluid as possible. Mixing and applying the epoxy within 30 minutes will help it flow well. After 15 hours, you screen the entire floor with a 60-grit screen on a rotary scrubber. Then check all of the patched areas. If the filled holes or cracks show imperfections, applying additional epoxy to low spots, allowing them to harden, and regrinding may be necessary for that final glass-smooth finish.

For the second coat, plan on about 90 sq. ft. per gallon. Be sure to vacuum the floor thoroughly before proceeding with an additional coat. Again, mix the epoxy as you need it and pour it at the far edge of the floor and then use a 16-in. notched squeegee to pull the material over the entire surface. The notched squeegee will allow extra material to flow into any low spots to make them level. Pull back about 6 ft. and then use a 3/16″ nap roller and pull it over the squeegeed areas to remove any rack marks or pools that may appear. Fifteen (15) hours later, screen again, vacuum well, and repeat the process to arrive at your final floor.

Web visitors can obtain free, job-specific quotes on materials or nationwide turnkey installations by completing a simple questionnaire at www.concrete-floor-coatings.com

For a high-resolution photo example, visit www.concrete-floor-coatings.com/photos/flood

For more information, contact Harvey Chichester at harvey@concrete-floor-coatings.com or phone 1-800-466-8910 or 952-888-1488 (24/7).

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Often remodels can see no alternative but to reinstall similar adhesives and floor coverings like carpet and tile. Not only is this often expensive but provides pour ware and clean ability compared to hard Epoxy, Urethane and Glass emulsion services.

Even the most devastated floors can be brought up to level easy to maintain surfaces with hard long lasting seals that are attractive and cost effective. Renovators are often surprised how holes from old walls, and equipment stands can be made do disappear when filled with 100% solid epoxy and ground flush. The process is quick, easy and long lasting. Why would you fill with cheep cement products when you can get lasting results with the same or less labor, using epoxy fillers.

If concrete is exposed to ware it will eventually deteriorate. Friction ware, erosion, and contamination all can play a role in seeing a serviceable floor create problems. Dust, cracks, crumbling, ruff surfaces, and the inability to keep the environment clean are symptoms of a floor that has not been protected and is moving towards an unserviceable condition. Carpeting often hold your contaminants in place and can be a growth medium for mold and mildew. Vinyl tile can not hold up under heavy wheeled traffic, is subject o lifting when wet, and has a soft finish which too often is contaminated by solvents and dies.

Laminated coatings can create a ware barrier between a floor and its environment. These laminated services not only keep the concrete from warring but also provide a protective plate between it and its environment. Contaminants, and hazards, like PCB’s heavy metals, toxic chemicals and the like are kept out to porous concrete with a protective plastic layer. If applied well these laminated surfaces can provide decades of protection and service.

Durall Industial Flooring has installed floors that have provided over a decade of ware in high activity industries like Printing. Multi million dollar presses need to run 24/7 to pay for their high investment costs. There is no opportunity for shut downs and repairs or resurfacing. Companies like Japs Olson Printing have decade old Durall floors that are used 24hours a day, an are still protecting the concrete from ware, and are providing a clearable slow dust environment. The same is true for Airlines, Food processing plants and Breweries served by Durall Industial Flooring.

If your industry requires long ware and service you need to do the job right the first time. You need to protect your investment in your floors, and your long-term ability to keep in production.

Professionals and amateurs alike can successfully install a quality floor. Visitors can obtain free, job-specific quotes on materials or nationwide turnkey installations by completing a simple questionnaire at www.concrete-floor-coatings.com. This full-service concept allows anyone to enjoy the benefits of industrial strength floors successfully.

Durall Industial Flooring is different than others that make industrial flooring products. Instead of advising you to “apply to a clean surface” we are in the business of helping our clients to achieve that surface. Durall Industial Flooring, can provide adhesive removers, oil removing detergents, durable long lasting epoxy fillers for holes, joints, cracks, and crumbling surfaces. Durall provides factory-direct support for these products. Kits of materials are customized to owner specification and delivered directly to the job site. Kits include full directions and 24/7 help lines staffed by seasoned flooring experts. Durall Industial Flooring helps its clients restore floors to a smooth easy to maintain surfaces with over 500 specialty chemical cleaning and application products.

For photo examples and more detail, visit www.concrete-floor-coatings.comFor more information, contact Harvey Chichester at harvey@durallfmg.com Phone: 800-466-8910 or 952-888-1488 (24/7)

Water standing in low spots on garage, shop and warehouse floors can often last for days creating safety problems and cleaning issues. During the troweling of floors some uneven ness can create low spots where spilled liquids can form. Low spots or depressions can now be filled in with 100% solid epoxy to bring them to level. Berms can also be adhered within an epoxy floor to contain liquid spills rendering them easy to squeegee out. Often containment of liquids to safe areas is all that is needed to avoid damage to items stored on the same floor.

An easy way to berm flooring to contain potential liquid spills is to hot glue strips of molding onto the floor before the epoxy flooring is applied. The epoxy flooring then seals the edges of the molding to the floor creating a watertight barrier. Often just ¼ inch of berm is all that is needed to contain liquid spills to areas where they can be easily squeegeed dry.

Epoxy flooring is not only seamless but can be Class III Laboratory qualified. These mold and mildew resistant surfaces are easy to clean with hoses and squeegees. Bleach resistant epoxy flooring can take strong cleaners and heavy abrasion.

Epoxy coatings have been used successfully in swimming pools, laundries, warehouses, garages, and various types of shops for decades. Epoxy floors offer the option of smooth or fine skid resistant textured surfaces that are still easy to mop and squeegee clean.

Epoxy floors can be flooded, pressure washed and scrubbed back into service in minutes. Mold, bacteria, and contaminants can be rinsed off. The surfaces are impervious to penetration by liquid-born contaminants. Even diesel, gas, and oil will not penetrate them and can be washed or wiped up. Old technology floorings, including paint, carpeting, vinyl tile, linoleum, and wood, are subject to severe contamination and damage if flood cleansing is used. Beautiful flood-proof epoxy coated flooring can be used from wall to wall, often including coated vertical surfaces to help further contain liquids.

Durall Industrial Flooring supplies kits of materials that are customized to owner specification and delivered directly to the job site. Kits include full directions and 24/7 help lines staffed by seasoned flooring experts, so professionals and amateurs alike can successfully install a quality floor.

Web visitors can obtain free, job-specific quotes on materials or nationwide turnkey installations by completing a simple questionnaire at http://www.concrete-floor-coatings.com.

For a high-resolution photo example, visit: http://www.concrete-floor-coatings.com/photos

For more information, contact Harvey Chichester at: harvey@concrete-floor-coatings.com Phone: 1-800-466-8910 or 952-888-1488 (24/7)

Water standing in low spots on floors can often last for days creating safety problems and cleaning issues. During the troweling of floors some uneven ness can create low spots where spilled liquids can form. Low spots or depressions can now be filled in with 100% solid epoxy to bring them to level. Berms can also be adhered within an epoxy floor to contain liquid spills rendering them easy to squeegee out. Often containment of liquids to safe areas is all that is needed to avoid damage to items stored on the same floor.

Epoxy flooring is not only seamless but can be Class III Laboratory qualified. These mold and mildew resistant surfaces are easy to clean with hoses and squeegees. Bleach resistant epoxy flooring can take strong cleaners and heavy abrasion.

Epoxy floors can be flooded, and scrubbed back into service in minutes. Mold, bacteria, and contaminants can be rinsed off. The surfaces are impervious to penetration by liquid-born contaminants. Even diesel, gas, and oil will not penetrate them and can be washed or wiped up. Old technology floorings, including paint, carpeting, vinyl tile, linoleum, and wood, are subject to severe contamination and damage if flood cleansing is used. Beautiful flood-proof epoxy coated flooring can be used from wall to wall, often including coated vertical surfaces to help further contain liquids.

Durall Industrial Flooring supplies kits of materials that are customized to owner specification and delivered directly to the job site. Kits include full directions and 24/7 help lines staffed by seasoned flooring experts, so professionals and amateurs alike can successfully install a quality floor.

Web visitors can obtain free, job-specific quotes on materials or nationwide turnkey installations by completing a simple questionnaire at http://www.concrete-floor-coatings.com.

For a high-resolution photo example, visit: http://www.concrete-floor-coatings.com/photos

For more information, contact Harvey Chichester at: harvey@concrete-floor-coatings.com Phone: 1-800-466-8910 or 952-888-1488 (24/7)

But fortunately, a loyal friend of mine told me about Shop Floor Lamps – a site on the internet in which provides the lamps I’ve been looking for. Borrow the lyric of one of Anggun C Sasmi’s song, it’s like the snow on the sahara for me. This site with its various floor lamps really makes me feel complete. All styles of floor lamps are available here, such as traditional floor lamps, tiffany, rustic, and also Contemporary Floor Lamps can be gained easily through this site. And best of all, this site only provides high quality lamps in its various well know brand such as Kathy Ireland, Hubbardton Forge, and Cabana.

You’ll take the checker flag every time when you show off your collector cars on a checkerboard floor.

Now the Internet can get you complete quotes with step-by-step instructions on how to put down the checkerboard floor you have always dreamed of. By being artistic, you can make concrete floors develop character and give you easy maintenance. All too often collectors fail to take full creative advantage of their facilities largest single surface, their floors. Epoxy coatings can not only give you the ease of maintenance associated with a class III laboratory floor surface but great individualized looks as well.

Your project will start by measuring your floors, length and width. Then decide on the size and color of the squares that you want. 24″ x 24″ squares will be less work than 12″ x 12″ and will not give that tile look. The color can be traditional black and white, but if you have a blue car, dark blue might be the answer. Naturally, if you’re going to do the work to achieve a custom checkerboard floor you want it to last. Just as with that glowing car finish, we all know that it is prep, prep, and prep that make the difference between a good job and a great job.

Ever notice how when you walk across concrete in your socks they get all dusty on the bottoms. That’s because concrete continuously deteriorates and breaks apart leaving the garage dusty like your socks. A few dips of oil on concrete might still be seen years later as the oil soaks into porous concrete. But if you seal the floor with an epoxy coating that adheres well to the concrete because your prep job was good, you can just wipe off oil, gas, and dirt with a rag. You can hose out and squeegee that garage floor to a clean shiny surface in minutes.

Your prep should include a high alkaline cleaner used with a rotary scrubber and a black pad or stiff Nilo grit type concrete brush. Your prep should include a high alkaline degreaser to bring the pH of the floor up to nearly 12 as it removes the left over adhesive and contaminants. Then you shock the concrete and contaminants into letting go by switching to scrubbing with an acidic cleaner containing water softeners, detergents, and rinse agents that bring the floor down to a pH of 3.5. This jump in pH will force contaminants and vulnerable cement particles to release from the floor. The acidic cleaner also opens the floor up to allow the epoxy top coats to create a strong long-lasting bond. A final scrub rinse and the floor is ready to dry and start accepting repairs and artistic coloring.

First you should coat the entire floor with two coats of your light color. You can screen between coats with your scrubber to remove any sand, bugs or contaminants that fell into the first coat. Next pull a chalk line diagonally through the widest part of your floor to set your pattern. Now lay down any size template squares side by side in two rows along the chalk line, and remove every other one. Using blue tape, place paper that is cut one inch smaller than your templates, setting them in the open squares. Tape the paper masking down with blue tape and move on. Once complete, you just walk on the paper and use a roller and brush to fill in the open squares. Note that for best results, brush from the tape towards the center to avoid getting epoxy leaking under your tape. One coat of your dark color should be sufficient. Once you have filled in all the open squares with your dark color be sure to remove the tape and masking paper. You don’t want to glue that tape to your floor.

Durall Industrial Flooring supplies kits of materials including checkerboard templates in 24″ x 24″ size that are customized to owner specification and delivered directly to the job site. Kits include full directions and 24/7 help lines staffed by seasoned flooring experts, so professionals and amateurs alike can successfully install a quality floor.

Web visitors can obtain free, job-specific quotes on materials or nationwide turnkey installations by completing a simple questionnaire at http://www.concrete-floor-coatings.com.

For high-resolution photo examples, visit: http://www.concrete-floor-coatings.com/photos/checkerboard

For more information, contact Harvey Chichester at: harvey@concrete-floor-coatings.com Phone: 1-800-466-8910 or 952-888-1488 (24/7)

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