Introduction

 

I would like to start by saying that I am not an expert.  I am a professional, but not an expert.  I know a lot of things about a lot of things.  Many of which I have mastered. There are still a lot of things that I have yet to do and learn, and most I will never master.  There are many experts out there who know far more than I do, and are still learning and becoming even more expertly every day.  Some day I will turn my professionalism into expertism, but by that time the experts will be further expertly and I may, alas, still be a novice professional to them.

Fashion is a fickle thing.  What is exciting and "in" today, is old and "out" tomorrow.  I will never understand it, especially when I hear that I should have saved the clothes I wore as a kid 30 years ago, as are the new fad and are worth more than I pay for my new jeans at the store.  Unfortunately, I wore holes in all of them when I really was a kid, and I think my mother still has remnants of them in a plastic grocery bag and uses them as dust rags.  Or my father uses them when he checks the oil in the car.  Needless to say, mine are not the gold mine I would like them to be.

What seems to be always "in" is hardwood flooring.  Second to rock, it is a flooring type with the greatest longevity.  It has been around for a thousand years or so, give or take.  It is relatively easy to work with.  It provides style and elegance to what otherwise would be a boring abode.  Oh, and warmth. I cannot forget the buzz word of  the architectural design world.  But most importantly, it is a medium that a true craftsman can create simple or extravagant works of art that will last several lifetimes. And, these works do not need to be roped off or put behind glass in fear of theft or inadvertent destruction.  They are enjoyed every single day.  Walked on.  Played on.  Worked on. Slept on.  Use your imagination and experience to input other every day life experiences that also can be done on hardwood floors.

While it does not take a professional to install hardwood flooring, it does take a professional and meticulous approach.  It can be done by a "DYI"er, but there are very specific procedures that MUST be followed to ensure centuries of warmth (there's that word again) and low-maintenance enjoyment. The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) is a national association comprised of flooring manufacturers and installers that created hardwood flooring installation guidelines that, if followed, will prevent most issues associated with poorly installed flooring. (Example: NWFAInstallGuide2019.pdf ).  Do not take these for granted!  Manufacturers strive to meet the quality standards and professional installers strive to meet the installation standards.  If the manufacturer did their job, but the installer did not follow the manufacturer's recommendations (i.e. the NWFA installation recommendations), good luck trying to get a claim approved. 

Since this is the first entry of what could be a seemingly endless blog (that's what blogs are, right?) I allow you, the reader, to digest all the information in the Installation Guide while trying to remain awake while I contemplate the next bloggable entry.  And may you ever enjoy MorningWood.