Article Number : 4844 |
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| Date | 9/14/2009 8:40:54 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=4844 |
| Abstract | By Brian Greenwell VP, sales and marketing, Mullican Flooring With the flooring markets constantly changing and evolving, sales personnel face a difficult challenge in keeping abreast of new products. Initially matching the right flooring product with the right customer and situation is... |
| Article | By Brian Greenwell VP, sales and marketing, Mullican Flooring With the flooring markets constantly changing and evolving, sales personnel face a difficult challenge in keeping abreast of new products. Initially matching the right flooring product with the right customer and situation is one of the best ways to prevent troubleshooting issues from arising down the road. Mullican Flooring provides manufacturing instruction sheets with each new product so salespeople can be adequately informed to tell consumers the “how, when and where” of any wood product—that is, how to install the flooring, when to install it and where or in what location a particular flooring can be used to achieve the best result. Having informed salespeople is particularly critical in today’s markets where exotic species are popular, and the widths of wood flooring are increasing. Unfortunately, we estimate that only 10% of hardwood flooring sales personnel ever actually read instruction sheets related to products. But it’s important that specific types of information be communicated to end users, such as the amount of moisture content that should be present in both the wood floor and subfloor at the time of installation. The habits of the residents should also be considered. For example, owners of a beachfront home in Charleston, S.C., should avoid installation of wide-width planks if doors and windows will routinely be left open because the high moisture levels will create unwanted or accelerated wood movement. Employees in flooring sales, sanding, finishing, installation and inspection should seek out education and certification opportunities whenever possible. While these types of certification programs are already available through many manufacturers and organizations, such as Mullican and the National Wood Flooring Association, they aren’t currently mandatory. However, the long-term goal is that these certifications will ultimately be required. |