Month: April 2019

Equilibrium moisture content percentage in the recommended temperature/humidity range
Wood flooring will perform best when the interior environment is controlled to stay within a relative humidity range of 30 to 50 percent and a temperature range of 60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Fortunately, that’s about the same comfort range most humans enjoy.

The chart above indicates the moisture content wood will likely have at any given combination of temperature and humidity.

If you think about a tree, you’ll imagine the roots Leading into the trunk, the trunk branching out into branches, and the branches covered in green Leaves. Those Leaves need a lot of water. So the tree pulls the moisture from the ground and sends it up through the trunk to the Leaves.

That trunk is the very same thing that you will be walking on. It stands to reason, then, that the wood that you will be putting down on as your new floor is exceptionally good at transferring moisture through it. This is good for a tree in the forest, but bad for a floor.

A wood floor will continue to absorb and release moisture from the air. As it does, the plank will bend and flex to accommodate the space needed for the moisture. What this means is that a new floor will need a certain amount of time to get used to the moisture in the air of your home. It is a very bad idea to simply bring the flooring in and install it that day. Instead, the flooring will need to sit in the room for a few days for sometimes weeks) in order to ensure that bowing and bending will be minimal. once it is installed.

Moulding accessories are the finishing touch to your flooring remodel. The ones shown here are the most common types of mouldings used in the industry and what they are generally used for.

BABY THRESHOLD

• Join two flooring surfaces of different heights with a small change in floor level

MOULD

• Join two flooring surfaces of the same height

QUARTER ROUND

• Finishing trim along baseboards – Conceal expansion gaps

REDUCER

• Join two flooring surfaces of different heights with a large change in floor level

STAIR NOSE

• A clean strip to stair edgings and stair landings

So your customer has made a flooring selection. You’ve measured the area of installation, determined any special preparation and repairs to be done and you’ve made a list of all associated trim and labor costs to complete the job. Now what? It’s time to put your quote together!

Do you figure everything at a 20% margin? 30%? 40%? Or do you just add $1.00 per foot to the material and hope to make a profit? No one but you can determine the best method on how to price your work. After all, only you know the profit you need to make. However, it never hurts to take a moment to make sure your method is profitable but also competitive. Below are a couple of factors to consider with each quote you put together.

For the actual selling price and/or quote, a retail salesperson should consider:

• Their reputation and/or experience.
• The value of the home and the immediate area cost of living.
• The market value of professional, quality installation services
• The size of the job Any extras or oddities that will add time and expenses.
• Any competitors that may also be submitting quotes to the customer.
• “How much do I have in supplies?” (i.e. underlayment, fasteners, finish, etc.)