OVF January Newsletter

Welcome New Year! We're in late January of 2024. We all have the privilege of a restart. Isn’t that a wonderful concept? Like a clean sheet of paper. Are you trying something new? Or maybe you will reboot life with a fresh outlook and new intentions. I hope that 2024 is treating you well so far. But as the old year has transitioned into the new, one floor covering project will lead to another. It seems like now is a good time to discuss the subject of TRANSITIONS!

It’s All in the Details: Finishing Accessories.

Items known as flooring transitions serve a couple of different purposes. The first involves safety and eliminating trip hazards. When two flooring types are installed adjacent to each other, a gradual slope from the higher floor into the lower floor is necessary. Extruded rubber transitions are commonly used in commercial projects as they are made in 12’ lengths, are very durable, and are reasonably priced. Another purpose for transitions is to protect the edge of the floorcovering from premature wear. You can spend hours researching and specifying that just right floorcovering for your project. But as we all know, it’s the details that count! By selecting and specifying your finishing accessories along with the flooring, you’ve taken care that all elements are covered well in advance of the installation. Good design is intentional. Don’t allow your owner to end up with whatever is in stock with the supplier that day! Tarkett / Johnsonite offers the best selection in all types of transitions so making the right choice is not all that difficult if you know where to look. You’ll find the entire collection of profile images by clicking Here: A pocket guide is also available. I’m happy to get you a copy. Just ask!

What about saying “No” to transitions? It can be very nice to have two flooring types of the same height installed side by side so that no transitions are needed. However, end users should keep in mind that this may cause the need for much more careful maintenance. Care should be taken that the carpet is not subjected to mop water when the resilient floor is being cleaned.

January Product Spotlight: AHF Contract's "Nod to Nature", the Commercial LVT Flooring That Offers a Choice of 3 Platforms!

Its great to have choices, right? The affordable AHF Contract Nod to Nature LVT Collection is all about choices. Maybe part of your project would do well with a 5.0mm thick product to go next to the carpet tile. In other areas, a traditional glue down LVT would work best. On the other hand, an SPC may be the better idea. With Nod to Nature LVT, you can get all three in the same visual and the same wear layer. All with the benefits of the high performing protective HARTGUARD? ULTRASHIELD coating. This breakthrough coating system provides best-in-class protection. The formulation is infused with an integrated technology to not only provide superior resistance to scratches and stains, but also offers easy cleanability and inhibits the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew – lowering maintenance efforts and costs. I’ll have samples of all three styles of Nod to Nature that I look forward to showing you soon. Architect folders are available. See the collection by clicking Here:

If Your Goals for 2024 Include Staying On Top of Continuing Education, Take Note: SCH?NOX DELIVERS!

Flooring products continue to evolve and offer more solutions than ever before. Continuing education is the cornerstone to understanding new technology and techniques to better help with your next project. HPS Sch?nox is a registered provider with the continuing education system of AIA, GBCI, and IDCEC. HPS Sch?nox offers several CEU presentations that meet the criteria of Health, Safety & Welfare (HSW) with AIA and qualifies for 1-LU (learning unit). Titles include: "The Evolution of Self Leveling Compounds", "Moisture Mitigation: Planning for Success" and a new CEU on Sustainability. This is a course which examines the development of substrate repair materials as it relates to sustainable design. These learning opportunities also meet the standards for GBCI and qualifies for 1.0 GBCI CE hours for LEED Professionals and qualify for 0.1 LU with IDCEC. Sch?nox offers continuing education for you and your coworkers in your office / studio. Let me know if you have interest and we can discuss scheduling. Periodically, on-line courses are available for your convenience. Follow HPS Sch?nox on LinkedIn to keep up to date with the on-line CEU schedule and more.

Mirage Hardwood Also Offers a CEU: "Designing Sustainably with Wood."

This is a terrific 1 hr CEU for design professionals! You’ll gain insight on:

-The history of wood flooring, flooring options, the market size and the manufacturing process.

- Specifying the correct hardwood floor including an understanding of finishes, widths, and physical properties.

-The characteristics of hardwood floors.

- Credit is registered with IDCEC, and AIA.

If you have interest in this CEU, reach out and we can discuss scheduling this year.

Thoughts to Ponder:

All kidding aside, no client wants to spend too much. Yet our client has a vision of what he / she expects. You do the research and design and sometimes things just don’t manifest in the same reality as the original vision. I’ve always thought of design as a mixture of form and function with a healthy dash of psychology. How can we please our client and also make things affordable? How do we balance value with budget? When you are working with a distributor partner such as Ohio Valley Flooring, we can guide you to more than one option to get you to the end result. This is because we represent so many manufacturers we are able to offer a wide assortment of products in different price points. I’ve always enjoyed helping design professionals balance the best products for the best value. What are the project’s goals? What is the expected budget? What capabilities and resources does the client have regarding maintenance? How long does the client expect the floors to last? All these questions and more enter into the decisions. Reach out and let’s discuss how Ohio Valley Flooring can add value to your next project.

Until next time....