The raw chicken in the air vents of the home was bad enough, but tearing up the hardwood floors with cleated hiking boots?

Ronald Smith, a 58-year-old lobbyist from Denver, faces up to 18 years behind bars after he was found guilty of vandalizing his ex-wife’s home and causing thousands of dollars in damages, according to multiple media reports. Smith claimed his ex-wife, Michelle Young, did the damage and then blamed him, but, after deliberating for six hours, the jury found Smith guilty of second-degree burglary and criminal mischief.

Besides mutilating her wood flooring and stashing chicken meat throughout the home, it has been reported that Smith also poured liquid bleach onto Young’s baby grand piano and posted a posted a “death notice” on Young’s back door erroneously informing visitors of her death, among other offenses.

This isn’t the first time the wood floors have been used as a pawn during an ugly divorce. In the Tale from the Front “Ugly in Every Way” from the February/March 2009 issue of Hardwood Floors, a man asked contractor Matt Morgan to install a red oak, white oak and walnut floor—the “ugliest floor” Morgan had ever seen. Just as installation was being completed, a woman arrived and asked Morgan what he was doing there. “She said, ‘I own the house,’ and I said, ‘Excuse me!?’” Morgan recalled. The full story can be read here.

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Newmarket, Suffolk (UK) based Natural Oak Floors have launched a website selling solid and engineered oak flooring direct to the public. They will for the first time bring wholesale prices to homeowners who will benefit from top quality real oak flooring in a range of unique finishes that add value to any home. Natural Oak Floors, who have been a wholesaler of oak flooring for many years, are offering their range of solid and engineered oak flooring via a new ecommerce website (http://www.naturaloakfloors.co.uk) aimed at homeowners across the UK. For the first time the public will be able to buy high quality solid and engineered oak flooring directly from the wholesaler – cutting out the middle man and saving them money.

The company offer a wide range of engineered oak flooring and solid oak flooring in prime and rustic grade oak. Customers can match their existing decor against contemporary and traditional finishes to find the perfect look for their home. Natural Oak Floors are one of the few remaining companies to manufacture their solid oak flooring in the UK. This gives flexibility to the product range and enables Natural Oak Floors to offer different flooring widths – up to 260mm wide – and a bespoke colour matching service so customers can achieve that elusive finish. As a family run business Natural Oak Floors have over a decade of experience – benefiting customers with expert help and advice. Customers can visit the Suffolk based factory to see their flooring being manufactured to get a real feel for the quality.

Craig Butler, Managing Director of Natural Oak Floors, commented: “We’re delighted to have opened up our business to the public. For the first time consumers will be able to buy high quality oak flooring in pretty much any finish they want and at wholesale prices.”

“We welcome customers interested in seeing for themselves how their flooring is being manufactured to get in touch with us and arrange a visit to our factory.”

Engineered oak flooring is imported from abroad but as the key importer Natural Oak Floors can offer unbeatable pricing and assurance that the wood comes from sustainable sources. A solid environmental policy ensures that all wood is legally sourced so customers know they are buying oak flooring that is both kind to the environment and helping develop sustainable communities.

The website has been designed and built by web design and search engine optimisation company SWAYsearch (http://www.swaysearch.com) who specialise in user friendly ecommerce websites for SMEs. The website provides detailed information on buying and fitting oak flooring as well as a range of solid and engineered oak flooring that can be purchased online. John Cafferkey, Director at SWAYsearch, added: “We’re delighted to be working with Natural Oak Floors who offer exceptional quality and value for money. Whilst oak flooring may not seem the obvious product to sell online the success of the website so far speaks for itself.”

“By combining an easy to use website with Natural Oak Floors great product range and extensive experience we hope to help many customers benefit from oak flooring that will last them a lifetime.”

Many products can be delivered next day as Natural Oak Floors hold the stock in the UK ready for dispatch. To see the full range of oak flooring on offer visit www.naturaloakfloors.co.uk Natural Oak Floors is a family run business that has been operating for twelve years and are one of the very few factories in the UK manufacturing and finishing solid hardwood flooring and engineered wood flooring. This gives them a unique position within the market place to assist customers in getting the size and finish of floor they require.

Although Natural Oak Floors have been trading for twelve years they have not so far sold directly to the public but feel that now is the right time to do this. As a UK manufacturer they hold large stocks allowing them to pass on their vast knowledge and experience and to give the customer exceptional value for money.

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US Hardwood and Carpet offers Johnson ForeverTuff as part of its Wood Promotion. here is a quotation from Santa Clara, CA (PRWEB) September 20, 2011 :

The Bay Area’s US Hardwood and Carpet is announcing they are offering a special wood promotion for Johnson’s ForeverTuff hardwood floors.

“This is a revolutionary finish unlike any other on the market today. ForeverTuff offers an unheard of 50-year Limited Residential Finish Warranty and a 10-year Limited Commercial Finish. ForeverTuff has a 17-step factory finish using an advanced resin compound technology that provides an incredible scratch resistance finish without sacrificing smoothness and clarity. This floor feels wonderful to the touch while maintaining the woods natural beauty and clarity. This is truly a finish you need to see to believe,” said Herminio Bustos of US Hardwood and Carpet.

ForeverTuff is legally harvested, is in compliance with the Lacey Act, and meets emission standards for better indoor air quality. The material also has 2200 Tabor Abrasion Cycles that outlast others in a tabor abrasion test. ForeverTuff can also be used over radiant heat floors, with a limited lifetime structural warranty. Clients can choose from a variety of woods ranging from Brazilian Cherry, Brazilian Walnut, Patagonian Rosewood, Tiger Wood, Santos, Mahogany, Red Oak, White Oak, Canadian Maple, American Walnut and American Hickory.

The Bay Area’s US Hardwood and Carpet is offering a special wood promotion for Johnson’s ForeverTuff hardwood floor installation and laminate flooring.

ForeverTuff offers a 17-Step Finish process that involves an extended process and RC17 Finish Technology that is durable. The material also has 2200 Tabor Abrasion Cycles that outlast others in a tabor abrasion test. ForeverTuff is legally harvested, is in compliance with the Lacey Act and meets emission standards for better indoor air quality.

Interested clients can visit US Hardwood and Carpet’s website at www.ushardwoodandcarpet.com/ or call for more information at (408) 987-9610. Clients can also view ForeverTuff’s website at http://jfloor.com/content/content_detail.jsp?number=100.</blockquote>

US Hardwood and Carpet of the Bay Area specializes in hardwood floors, laminate flooring, and ceramic tiles and staircases installation. They have built a solid reputation based on honest value, quality products and expert installation. They have an impressive showroom that is complete with large, realistic wood flooring samples to give customers a clear picture of the products.

The Victorian-styled home at 1330 Albina Ave. – built in 1889 on a double parcel for Julius A. Lueders – was one of 13 original to Berkeley’s Peralta Park neighborhood.

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(EMAILWIRE.COM, October 13, 2011 ) Rochester Hills, Michigan T

The current S.E.Michigan home buying industry has taken some twists and turns lately. There have been a lot of talk about underwater mortgages and real estate professionals are looking at short sales for answers. It seems a lot of Metro Detroit real estate pros have something to say when it comes to the economy. But there has been a strong economic indicator that has slipped under the industry radar. Legendary hard wooden flooring expert Al Havner of Al Havner and Sons has come back to Metro Detroit. He has very distinctive ideas on how to add value to some of S.E. Michigan’s older homes and to add just the right incentives for buyers.

See also www.howto-hardwoodfloors.com

This group has been creating memorable flooring in homes for decades. The Havner company goes back a total of five generations. They bring a very popular style of hard wooden flooring back to S.E. Michigan. For the last ten years Havner has had his company stationed in Knoxville, Tennessee and has been creating award winning flooring that has received notable attention. Now he is going to bring his unique style and approach to a variety of home remodeling projects to Metro Detroit. That is good news for Michigan home project builders who are looking to add finishing touches to real estate properties.

Economy experts predict that we are currently sitting in the bottom of a low cycle. Home builders are optimistic that things can only improve from here. Outside investors are looking into getting involved with the Metro Detroit housing market and making a profit. This is what has so many real estate developers and home builders alike so excited. The unique hand scraped floors offer a very dynamic impression in a home environment. It is just the thing that home developers are counting on to sell a real estate property. Sometimes it all boils down to one outstanding element in a home that can trigger the buyer into making a purchase. These floors are outstanding and offer that unique experience.

Making an impactful impression is exactly what real estate developers are looking for. The home development projects in Troy, Royal Oak, and Pontiac, Michigan have been all about remodeling older homes to create something for a new affluent market. The floor work has been a powerful addition to the typical remodeling standbys. They are in many cases deal makers. This is an added edge that Havner and Sons are adding to this climbing housing market.

To get more information log onto: http://www.1woodflooringmichigan.info/ or call them at 865-740-3164

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With the popularity of hardwood floors on the rise, Viridian Wood wants to offer consumers products that are more environmentally responsible than traditional hardwood flooring made of virgin lumber. (See us at our mainsite www.howto-hardwoodfloors.com )

The Portland-based company makes flooring, decking, counters and other architectural products using wood reclaimed from shipping crates, pallets and scrap lumber, discarded at local docks.

Last month, Viridian introduced two new exotic hardwood flooring products – both made of 100-percent recycled wood and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.

Viridian’s new Jakarta Market Blend is a mix of dense hardwoods from the tropical lowlands of Asia, arriving in Portland as transpacific shipping crates carrying heavy steel railroad track. Available in four finishes – dark sort, light sort, tropical mix and rustic – this wood has a deep black oxide character from where the rail sat in the crates.

The other new product, Fishtail Oak, is an exotic oak species reclaimed from cargo shipping crates from the Port of Portland. The wood displays variations of chocolate, honey and cinnamon with tinges of burgundy, and the grain pattern, with its iridescent copper flecks, almost resembles the scales of a fish.

Viridian offers a range of other upcycled wood products, including paneling made from old-growth California redwoods used to make wine casks in the early 20th century, as well as tables made from old Douglas fir sports bleachers.

Alexis is a contributing reporter for Earth911. You can follow her on Twitter @alexispetru.

More articles by Alexis

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By Cameron Chai

As the company is not willing to comprise on the style and quality of its products, US Hardwood and Carpet has announced the collaboration with Style Select. The company also understands the requirement to craft a change for environmental protection.

The partnership between US Hardwood and Carpet and Style Select will continue to offer flooring products with high durability. The striking range of flooring products is produced in ISO 9001/14001-certified facilities and is tested in qualified labs to corroborate that all the products fulfill the quality requirements specified by the company. This novel flooring product range couples the beauty of nature with advanced technology to offer a wide-range of floorings to a house.

The environmentally-friendly hardwood flooring collection comprises a style engineered lock, style engineered, style vantage, style select, style lock and restyle for redesigning hardwood floors. The lightweight products are made of original solid strand bamboo, which offers a strong and enduring floor installation. They have superior stability, and their Uniclic locking system facilitates easy and flexible installation. (see also www.howto-hardwoodfloors.com  )

Herminio Bustos, who serves as President at US Hardwood and Carpet, stated that the company is happy to offer and deploy its novel and aesthetically pleasing flooring products.

Source: http://www.ushardwoodandcarpet.com/

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Hardware stores sell wooden floors that virtually anybody can lay down, and there aren’t any nails needed, in most situations. Laying down mint hardwood flooring can be as straightforward as clicking pieces of pre-cut slats together in a tight fit. All you have got to do is select the sort of wood and colour you like, pull up your old flooring and replace your worn linoleum or stained carpet with attractive hardwood. Now that you have got those luxurious-looking and easy-to-care for hardwood surfaces that elaborate your house, you wish to confirm you”re providing the most conscientious care for your floors.

You”ll need to find what kind of care that is, and the right hardwood floor cleaner which will keep the wood looking bright and new. There are numerous different products out there that make it harder to pick the best hardwood floor cleaner for your house. Bottles are all touting makes a plea to be the sole hardwood floor cleaner you must ever have to purchase, letting you know they”re safe and will make your floors shine. You”ll need to remember the manufacturer’s directions and care tips for your floors. Did the package suggest a selected kind of hardwood floor cleaner? Some flooring does not even need a special product and you can simply use regular soapy water. In reality most new flooring today does not need much upkeep . Preferred click-it fashions of flooring come pre-varnished with their own protecting coating and it could be better to not employ a hardwood floor cleaner .

If there isn’t any manufacturer’s information that came with your hardwood flooring, ask about care tips at the ironmongery shop where you purchased the wood, or contact the maker yourself. For older homes with existing floors laid down years back, you might find that a cleaning solution containing waxes could help to supply a better shine and protection. Another hardwood floor cleaner will guarantee to strip down wax increase and remove dirt from traffic, but be careful that you do not finish up leaving your wood unguarded. Stains and dust may tarnish your floor, leaving spots or scratches that you will not be well placed to clean away. Research the kind of flooring you’ve got and look up what could be the best hardwood floor cleaner that will not damage the wood. While hardwood flooring are designed to last a whole life, shortage of correct care can leave you wishing you might sand down the uppermost layer to return a scarcity of lustre and that rich look the floors originally had. Regardless of if your floors are old or new, making the effort to select the right hardwood floor cleaner, or whether you need to use a special product on your floors to start with, could save you difficulty and cash later on along the line.

STAMFORD — After more than seven years away from the South End, Prosource Wholesale Flooring of Stamford is back in its original location at 25 Harbor View Ave. where the branch was founded in 1999.

“It’s ironic, especially when you talk about businesses in the area. A lot of business have come and gone,” said William Perrone, manager of ProSource who has been with the business since the branch opened. “A lot of builders have come and gone but we are still here. We did what we had to do to hold our own. It has really come full circle.”

Opened this summer, the new 1,500-square-foot location boasts a new look specifically designed to showcase ProSource’s range of flooring materials ordered straight from the manufacturer.

Everything from hardwood flooring to tile to vinyl to carpeting is available at ProSource. The clientele, however, is professionals only, meaning only builders, contractors and designers are served and no residential clients are taken.

“Canal Street has come a long way since we were there in the late 90′s,” Perrone said. “Harbor View and the city of Stamford have done an outstanding job with that area. In the past couple of years you have definitely seen (the South End) grow.”

ProSource has been serving Fairfield and Westchester county builders, interior designers and contractors for almost 11 years. [ http://discount-blog.howto-hardwoodfloors.com/ ]

“When we first started out business was strong, the economy was great,” Perrone said, “so we went to a bigger location at Fairfield Avenue.”

After weathering the recent economic turmoil at 330 Fairfield Ave., ProSource Wholesale Flooring is returning to the South End, in its original location at 25 Harbor View Ave. The original sign from their 1999 opening was still visible.

ProSource Stamford is one of 165 locations nationwide. With customers all over Fairfield and Westchester counties, the business caters to a predominantly up-scale clientele, Perrone said.

“Being in Fairfield County, you deal with more designers in Greenwich, North Stamford, Shippan, Wilton, Danbury and Westport. A lot of these clienteles are into the more higher end stuff, some even want custom (work).”

Prosource is one of the largest, by volume, floor cover retailers in the United States and the Stamford branch has been in the top 10 in sales for ProSource locations nationally, year after year, Perrone said.

Although the “new-old” warehouse is just a fraction of the size of the 5,400-square foot Fairfield Avenue location employees are excited to be back in the original location, especially Perrone.

“For me it’s a great experience,” he said. “Being with this company for so long, starting out as a sales consultant and moving my way up to manager, I am really excited about (the move).”

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If you want your home to make a big impact, look down and assess what you see.

A gleaming new floor can not only update a space, it can actually transform it and make it feel like an entirely different room.

“If you install one type of floor throughout, it can make the space seem larger and more warm,” says Miranda Richardson, interior designer with Premise Design Inc. in Calgary. “When you feel like you have more space, you can just relax better. A new floor can really give new life to a space.”

But before making a decision homeowners will be living with for years, they should take into consideration their lifestyle and needs.

“Your flooring is something that is an aggressively used element in your home,” says Peter Fallico, host of HGTV’s Home to Flip and Home to Stay. “Think about who’s using it and what room it is in. You want something with great wear and tear.”

Fallico says on-the-go families, for instance, will appreciate the durability of a laminate floor. The synthetic flooring that often mimics the look of real hardwood is fashionable and functional. And the best part for families with young children and pets is it’s easy to clean.

“There are really good quality laminates out there,” says Fallico. “And the best part, you can sweep it up with your Swiffer and it cleans up beautifully.”

For those who prefer hardwood, Fallico says engineered hardwoods are an innovative option for their style, ease of installation and their environmentally friendly benefits.

“There’s a real direction going towards engineered hardwood because of the scarcity of wood,” says Fallico. “They’re also easy to install. They can be applied over an existing floor and some can just be glued on or float like a laminate.”

Fallico also says there are more varieties of engineered hardwoods on the market now than ever, including all wood species from maple to mahogany. “And they’re offering different wood plank sizes, too,” says Fallico. “As opposed to skinny two-inch strips, you can go up to six-inch planks. There’s a lot more selection.”

In addition to engineered hardwoods, homeowners who want an eco-friendly flooring option should look for FSC-certified products, according to Ian Jackson, president of Nadurra Wood in Toronto.

If you purchase a FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)-approved product, you can rest assured that the product is sustainably harvested and forests haven’t been cut down, therefore encroaching on any natural habitats.

Although bamboo flooring is a popular eco-friendly choice, since it’s a renewable product harvested every five to seven years, Jackson says homeowners can get almost any type of wood they want with an FSC certification.

Having made a choice, the next step is installing the new floor. Trying to do so yourself without the right tools or skills can be a costly and frustrating mistake.

Stefan Haag, a contractor with Haag General Contracting in Toronto, says one of the most common mistakes homeowners make is not giving hardwood enough time to acclimatize before installing it.

“With any type of hardwood, homeowners should bring it in their home and let it sit for at least a week so that the wood can get up to room temperature,” says Haag. “The wood will expand with heat and if not given the appropriate time to acclimatize will cause buckling.”

He also sees many homeowners using the wrong installation tools, which can cause them problems down the road.

“If they don’t use the proper tools, such as staples, they’re going to get a lot of squeaking. Also, if the floor isn’t nailed down correctly the nails will release and the floor will come apart.”

Haag advises any homeowner with doubts about his ability to do the job right to call a professional for any floor installation. Although it will be more expensive up front, it could save them a lot of money in the future.

“If you mess it up once and it all has to be redone, you’re going to have to pay someone to remove it and fix your mistakes,” says Haag. “It could end up costing you twice as much.”

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“It’s estimated that about 90 percent of the world’s forests are not certified,” said NWFA CEO Michael Martin. “This creates a real problem for our industry to prove its products come from renewable sources, even though nearly all of the timber our members use comes from U.S. renewing forests. This is the purpose that the RPP serves—to provide a tangible way to measure and promote best environmental practices, rather than just creating another green initiative not based on tangible proof.”

To that end, the NWFA was involved in the recent FSC certification of 12,000 acres of forestland in South Carolina. The project was headed by the RPP’s FSC Procurement Group, and it marked the group’s first major project.

After overtures from Anderson Hardwood Floors’ (Clinton, S.C.) timber buyer, South Carolina’s White Wood Timber Group met with the FSC to discuss certification via both the FSC and the RPP. During those discussions, International Paper contacted White Wood to inquire about FSC-certified pulpwood. Based on information provided by the FSC Procurement Group, White Wood was able to mobilize landowners to do the initial group certification.

“What’s even more rewarding, however, is that the certified acreage is expected to grow to 80,000 [acres] in just five years, combining the resources of landowners in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida,” said Don Finkell, NWFA RPP Governance Board chairman and president of Anderson Hardwood Floors.

The White Wood certification was also made possible through a grant from a Wood Education and Resource Center grant made possible by the Rainforest Alliance. The FSC Procurement Group was originally established under the direction of the RPP.

“This is a tremendous accomplishment for the FSC Procurement Group as it represents a significant increase in FSC-certified wood,” Martin said. “The efforts of Anderson to initiate the relationship and foster the certification process are testimony of Anderson’s commitment to the RPP program and environmentally conscious forest management.”

Five wood flooring manufacturers are currently certified under the RPP, including Anderson Hardwood Floors, Augusta Flooring (Waynesboro, Va.), Mannington Hardwood Floors (Salem, N.J.), Mullican Flooring (Johnson City, Tenn.), and Sheoga Hardwood Flooring & Paneling (Middlefield, Ohio). Several more companies are expected to complete the process of becoming RPP members by the end of the year, and more information on joining can be found here.

In related news, the 2010 FSC market survey was recently published online. More than 3,500 companies in 29 countries contributed, and FSC said the survey is proof that its label is continuing to gain momentum in developed and emerging markets worldwide.

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