Friday, September 25, 2015

Easy weekend DIY - Parquet flooring

When we bought the old Harris-Tarkett flooring plant a few years back, we were fortunate enough to acquire some of the parquet flooring they manufactured there.  I guess one of the perks of being a part of the Historic Flooring team is getting to test the products :)  I wanted to check the difficulty level of installing parquet flooring.  Turns out it is surprisingly easy!

Whenever I start a DIY project, I tend to research it to death, so today is your lucky day! Just to put this in perspective, I am 55 y/o female, and I installed 350 s.f. of this flooring by myself. I took my time and did a little every day after supper and on weekends, but if you have a couple friends helping and clear your schedule, it can easily be accomplished in a weekend.

Follow these simple steps, and you can have a beautiful parquet floor in as little as a weekend!

Here is what you will need:

1/8 X 1/8 X 1/8 in. notched trowel Something like this
Wood Flooring Adhesive I used Bruce Everbond, easy to work with, and I got it at Lowe's 
Palm Sander
Something to cut wood with (I used a jigsaw)
Measuring Tape
Sponge applicator
Finish (I used 1 coat of Waterlox, which brings out the grain and seals the wood. Then, I applied 2 coats of Vermont PolyWhey which leaves a satiny finish)
Call Steve for details on finishing. We can ship this with your flooring.

First, remove any old carpet or other flooring. Pull (or sink) any nails or tacks to make sure you have as smooth a surface as possible. It doesn't have to be perfect, My sub-floor was in good condition, but it did have a couple of uneven spots.

Sweep and vacuum the sub-floor to remove any and all debris and dust.

Determine the center of the room and snap intersecting chalk lines. This will be where you lay your first 4 tiles.  I  had to lay my floor on a diagonal because there was a gap in the sub-floor, so I did my first "row" along that line which happened to be down the middle of the room.



Lay the first 4 tiles individually to make sure they are straight. Spread some glue in the corners of the intersecting lines about the size of 1 tile, being careful not to smear your chalk. I let the glue sit for about 10 minutes. (This is called "Open time") Place your first tile square with the intersection of your chalk lines repeat with the other 3 tiles. The parquet is very easy to work with as far as closing any gaps between the tiles. Some articles I read recommend rolling over the tiles with a special floor roller, or even a rolling pin and some elbow grease. I simply stood on the freshly laid tiles. This also gives you a chance to straighten them if needed, and/or close any gaps (I just lightly "kicked" the edges when needed)



Now, you can start working your way out. Once you get comfortable spreading the glue, and get a feel for how long it takes, you can determine how large of an area you can do at a time. I started with a couple at a time, until I had a longer row. Then I could do about 10 or 12 at a time (2 rows of 5 or 6 tiles).

When you get close enough to the wall where a full tile won't fit, you will need to start cutting the tiles. Be sure to leave about 1/2 inch around the perimeter to allow for expansion. Your baseboard and/or corner round will hide the gap.

The nice thing about the parquet is that it is made up of several small pieces of wood and held together with a webbed backing.  This makes it easy to trim; simply remove some of the smaller pieces, or break it into 4 smaller squares (pictured)

To cut, first measure and mark a line on the tile with pencil or chalk. I used a jigsaw to cut my tiles and it was really easy. I put painter's tape along the line which made it easier to follow and it also kept the wood from shifting and splintering. I measured a few at a time, then marked and cut them all.


When you are done laying your floor, you can choose to sand lightly or not. It all depends on how smooth your surface was to begin with, and how well you laid your tiles. If you decide to sand, be sure to vacuum thoroughly to remove all of the sawdust before applying your finish. I followed vacuuming with a slightly damp microfiber cloth.

I used a sponge applicator to apply my finishes. I started with the waterlox, which has a little longer drying time, but it's well worth it. Be sure to have ample ventilation when applying the waterlox.


After that, I followed with 2 coats of Vermont PolyWhey, a milk based product that has very little odor, is fantastic to work with, and dries very quickly. You can probably do 2 coats in the same day. I let the floor "cure" for a couple days before moving the furniture back in.




I love my new floor...the ash parquet brightened up the whole room :)




Tuesday, September 15, 2015

You could WIN an iPad!

Write us a Review on Houzz, and you will be entered to win a new Apple iPad!

Just Click on the "Review me" Link




Houzz

Thursday, August 20, 2015

It's Here!

Historic Flooring Fall / Winter Catalog is out NOW!

All of our products are now in a handy catalog, complete with pricing. You can view it online whenever you like...on your PC or on the go!  You might even see a photo of your floor!

We want to thank all of you who have sent us photos of your finished projects...it's really exciting to see our products installed in your homes and businesses.  

Please keep them coming! We are constantly updating our website, and now, our online catalog.

Help spread the word by sharing on Facebook, Twitter, etc.  We really appreciate it!


Thursday, July 9, 2015

The quintessential male sanctuary (a.k.a. The most awesome man cave ever!)

Early last year, the father (Steve C.) of one of our NYC customers wanted to convert his basement into a "Cigar-Room".  He sent his son links to some flooring photos he found on the internet to get his opinion, to which replied:

"Dad, go to historicflooring.com
You want really nice reclaimed wood you need to talk to Steve McKinney…
Steve did my ladders, beams & planters. You should face time with him showing his warehouse/s
Nicest stuff ever!  My feeling is to do a reclaimed floor with something really rich dark tones, think leathery-smoky-smooth, but texture too!"
Joshua C

So the project began.  After chatting, e-mailing, and a trip to NY, it was decided...the flooring was to be extra-wide antique oak, with a barn wood wrapped bar base, topped with a stunning live edge Black Walnut bar top.  To add to the ambience, the customer chose to accent the room with a custom loft ladder, and a c. 1870's beam to hang the lighting from.



The flooring, our most requested, is extra wide plank antique oak c. 1800's.  We hand selected each plank based on the character he was going for...random growth rings, worm holes, solid knots, small checks.  Then, we carefully hand sanded the surface, taking care to preserve the historical integrity of the wood.  We added a shallow micro-bevel on all the ends and edges of each plank.  Finally, our signature hand rubbed finish to give the flooring that satiny smooth feel you can only get from Historic Flooring.

Our craftsmen built the bar base from reclaimed hand-hewn beams and red barn wood in-house according to the customer's specs.  The bar top is an amazing live edge walnut slab with a "Y" at the end that we accented (connected) with a white oak spline.

The lighting has an industrial look using old hay trolleys suspended from a c. 1870’s hand-hewn beam complete with original mortise and peg holes still present…

Steve C. wasted no time having everything installed, and as you can see by the text of his email, I think he was very pleased…

"Steve I hope you are proud. Everyone who enters this room does NOT want to
leave I have to throw their [censored] out of there. My favorite room in the
house!!!"

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

BHG!

Look Familiar?  Seems "La Maisonette Napa" (from my "East Meets West" post last year) made the April Issue of Better Homes and Gardens!  Of course, the real story here is Florence Choux's incredible talent, but I can't help but want to brag about our floors :)

A special thanks to Reed Davis Photography for allowing me to share.
You can see more of Reed's work here




Friday, August 30, 2013

A Week in the Life... Part 1

10 clients in 11 locations in 3 different states in 7 days...that's how Steve rolls!  I have yet to figure out how he gets so much done.  Sometimes I get tired just thinking about it!

Although it's not unusual for Steve to cover this much gound in a week, this trip is special because he got to see so many amazing installations of our products.  I am sure what I am about to show and tell is too much for just one post.

Friday, July 5, 2013

East Meets West

From the foothills of East Tennessee to the lush, fertile valley in wine country goes a freshly milled batch of our eastern white oak flooring. We have been involved in so many interesting and creative projects over the years, but I never dreamed our flooring would wind up in a "Maisonnette".  In French, a maisonnette is a "little country house".  "La Maisonnette Napa" is a delightful little vacation rental off the beaten path in Napa, California, owned by Photographer David Duncan Livingston, and his wife, Interior Designer Florence Choux.