Riems from Navarre Timeless Wood Floors

Dalton, GA – USFloors, the leading manufacturer of unique and sustainable floors, delves further into the realm of environmentally responsible flooring with the launch of Navarre Timeless Wood Floors™. Navarre Timeless Wood Floors™ are certified 100% FSC pure, ensuring that not only the top oak wear layer, but the entirety of the wood used to produce these beautiful floors follows a verified and documented chain of custody.

Philippe Erramuzpe, COO of USFloors, notes that, “FSC certification gives consumers and environmentally conscious designers and retailers the assurance that wood that is used to make these beautiful oil-finished hardwood floors was grown and harvested in well-managed forests and that environmentally responsible practices were used to produce them.”

Natural Oil Finishes in Expanded Colorways

Navarre Timeless Wood Floors™ consists of 24 wide plank natural oil finished oak floors in an engineered tongue and groove construction. Three widths and two thicknesses are represented:

• 7 ¼” width in 13/16” and 5/8” thickness

• 10 ¼” width in 13/16” thickness

• 12” wide, 3-strip in 5/8” thickness

According to Erramuzpe, “The 13/16” thickness and its ¼” wear layer is similar to a solid floor but much more stable and offers the option to be glued down over a concrete slab. This impressive floor is an investment that can be passed down to future generations.” Navarre floors are finished at USFloors’ Dalton, GA manufacturing facility using their proprietary Natural-E™ Natural Oil Finish in clear and a variety of oil tints custom developed in USFloors’ on-site color lab. The oils in Natural-E™ penetrate the fibers of the wood providing a natural layer of protection while enhancing the woods natural beauty and grain. Over time, the Navarre floor develops a saturated patina imparting a timeless, heirloom quality to the floor.

“This is one of the only floors that actually gets better looking the longer it is down. That’s a pretty remarkable attribute for a hardwood floor,” noted Erramuzpe.

Easy Maintenance and Selective Repairability

Contrary to conventional wisdom, the Natural-E™ Natural Oil Finish allows for easy maintenance and, if necessary, easy, spot repairability. Erramuzpe elaborates, “Consumers and retail sales people often have the misperception that natural oiled floors are more maintenance intensive than traditional hard coated floors, when in fact the maintenance guidelines for each are similar. Typically, whenever a synthetic finish floor would need a screen and recoat, the natural oiled floor would need a maintenance coat of oil.”

Navarre’s natural oil finish further allows for areas that show signs of wear to be spot repaired without having to disturb the room’s settings. Erramuzpe continued, “This scenario is a great example of the advantage of our Navarre floor. If the floor in this scenario were finished with a synthetic hard coating, the entire floor, not just the affected area, would have to be refinished. With a Navarre floor, simply sand the affected area, apply a coat of maintenance oil and the floor looks good as new. It’s really very simple, much cheaper, and so much healthier since the operation is dustless and the oil is VOC-free.”

Industry’s Thickest Wear Layer

Select Navarre offerings feature 13/16” thick planks with a 6 mm wear layer of solid oak, making it the thickest wear layer available on an engineered oak floor. Erramuzpe further states, “The wear layer is nearly ¼ inch of solid oak. When a consumer compares a Navarre floor to a competitor’s floor, the thickness of the wear layer will be very apparent and will represent greater value and quality in their minds. In these economic times, consumers want to feel that they are getting exceptional value for every dollar they spend. This will be a great selling tool for retailers that want to differentiate themselves in the marketplace.”

Masterworks Merchandising

Navarre Timeless Wood Floors™ are merchandised in an upscale, low profile twin stair-step display. According to Gary Keeble Jr., Marketing Manager for USFloors, “This display focuses on the product. We have 24 products in a footprint approximately 48” x 48”. Keep in mind that these are wide plank floors that require a large sample to show the product properly. I think we’ve managed to provide the best of both worlds by showcasing a lot of product in a relatively compact space without compromising the upscale image of the Navarre line.”

Each sample features a full coverage back label that includes photography of each product. “This illustrates the amount of shade variation that can be expected throughout the floor in the product, so that the homeowner has a very accurate representation of how the Navarre floor will look when it’s installed in their home. No one likes surprises when it comes to their home,” explained Keeble.

About USFloors

Based in Dalton, Georgia, USFloors (which is the brand moniker for Unique and Sustainable Floors) is a leading manufacturer of cork, bamboo, hardwood and other unique and sustainable hard surface flooring products for both residential and contract environments.

For more information, please visit usfloorsllc.com