NWFA Wood Talk

Brett Miller chats with Toby Merrill, Contractor Specialist at DuraSeal, about his transition from running his own business to working for a major manufacturer, and advice on those starting out in the hardwood flooring industry.

Brett Miller and guest Emily Morrow of Emily Morrow Home discuss her perspective on hardwood flooring, including the value that real wood brings to a home, benefits and misconceptions about engineered hardwood flooring, and more.

Steve Brattin of SVB Wood Floors in Kansas City talks about differences between hardwood flooring markets, his experience with the NWFA Board of Directors, and the NWFA Certified Professionals Board of Directors, the importance of getting involved with the NWFA, and the value of being NWFA certified.

Brett Miller and Kelsey Quigg, Technical/Product Manager for Pallmann, a division of Uzin-Utz North America, discuss finish trends in the hardwood flooring industry, and how new equipment has changed the physically demanding health risks we have historically exposed ourselves to when sanding a floor.

Brett Miller chats with Wayne Lee from Middle Tennessee Lumber Co. about his beginnings in the industry and his unique perspective on sanding, finishing and industry trends.

Brett Miller and and Karl Salzmann discuss the importance and use of data loggers in the wood flooring trade. They also explore the rise of the "smart floor," and how data loggers are a game-changer for helping the end-user reduce environmentally-caused failures in their real wood floors.

Brett Miller and Kjell Nymark, NWFA Certification Manager, discuss NWFA's Certified Wood Floor Inspector program's evolution. They analyze the Inspector school and prerequisites to get there, and they explain why the industry continues to uphold NWFA Certified Wood Floor Inspectors as the best-of-the-best.

Brett Miller, NWFA Vice President of Education & Certification and NWFA Regional Instructor, Ben Totta, discuss how he grew his hardwood flooring company, how to build a successful company culture and his experiences with the  NWFA Wood Flooring Specialist Apprenticeship Program.

Jeremy Farmer discusses his background as a wood floor craftsman, business owner, his transition from contractor to Technical Sales Rep for Glitsa, and one of his favorite hobbies, BBQ.    

Brett Miller and Doug Muscanell, Muscanell Millworks founder, discuss the milling processes, acclimation, and several critical components of using wood in the desert climate. Doug shares some of his history in the wood industry, what motivated him to open a wood flooring mill in the high desert region of southwestern Colorado, and how he has carved out a niche business in one of the most challengi...

NWFA Wood Talk Podcast - Brett Miller, NWFA Vice President of Education & Certification  and longtime NWFA Regional Instructor, Michael Dittmer, discuss Michael's experiences in the hardwood flooring industry, the importance of always improving, and best practices for working with customers.

Brett Miller interviews Charles Peterson about the importance of educating clients, the true meaning of acclimation, and why it is important to sell wood floors that fit the home.

Brett Miller interviews Charles Peterson of Charles Peterson Signature Flooring about his history and experience in the hardwood flooring information, his journey as an author, and his quest to be the best professional possible. Look for Part Two of this interview next week. About Charles Peterson: https://cpwoodfloors.com/about-2/credentials/

Brett Miller and Peter Connor discuss the history of his mill, how he got started in the wood flooring industry, the impact of COVID-19, and some of his side projects. 

Brett and Dave Marzalek of DM Hardwood Designs discuss his accomplishments, the art of hardwood flooring, sources of inspiration, the importance of mentors, giving back to the industry, and more.

Brett Miller interviews Randy Harris of High Desert Hardwood.  Randy discusses meeting the expectations of demanding customers, his business philosophy, inventions he's created over the years, advice for those new to the industry, and much more.

Brett Miller discusses some of the benefits of using and specifying end-grain wood flooring, such as hardness and durability for use in commercial spaces, as well as providing tips for installing, sanding and finishing end-grain flooring with David Old and Mika Old from Old Wood LLC, out of northern New Mexico. Learn more about NWFA and Old Wood LLC .

Brett Miller chats with multiple NWFA Wood Floor of the Year winner, Avedis Duvenjian of Archetypal Imagery, about what it takes to win the coveted WFOY award, the latest finishing trends, and his tips for working with designers and specifiers to implement modern colors and textures into a timeless flooring design.

Brett Miller gives a detailed overview of the new NWFA Installation Guidelines, which are an indispensable tool offering industry-accepted standards for hardwood flooring installations. 

Brett Miller and Dee Lenston, Professional Sales Training Manager of Bona, discuss changes they’ve seen in the hardwood flooring industry, how technology is changing the profession, the importance of ongoing education. For more information on the NWFA and its educational programs go to  https://www.nwfa.org/ .

Brett Miller speaks with Johannes Boonstra, territory manager with Rubio Monocoat USA. Johannes and Brett discuss some of the current trends in advanced wood floor finish systems, evolving color trends, floor maintenance misconceptions, and much more. 

Brett Miller speaks with Chris Kacik, an NWFA Certified Installer, Sand & Finisher, and Inspector from Green Oak Hardwood Floors in Ireland.  Chris and Brett discuss how skills he gained by working with the National Wood Flooring Association have helped him grow his business and become a trusted authority in his country. 

Brett Miller speaks with Rusty Swindoll, NWFA Technical Advisor.  They discuss Rusty’s unique perspective on the hard wood flooring industry, NWFA/NOFMA Certified Manufacturers, common issues Rusty assists members with on the NWFA Technical Hotline, and details on the NWFA's new Installation Guidelines Manual.  

Brett Miller is joined by NWFA Regional Instructor Jason Elquest. Jason is the Owner of Blackhawk Floors in Scottsdale, Arizona. He currently serves on the NWFACP Board of Directors, and is a NWFACP Certified Installer, Sand & Finisher, and Inspector. Brett and Jason discuss lessons learned in the hardwood flooring industry, advice for their younger selves, and the importance of customer servi...

Brett Miller is joined by NWFA Regional Instructor Jon Namba.  Brett and Jon discuss a wide variety of topics, including changes and trends in the flooring industry, advice for training young employees, the impact of the skills gap, marketability versus sustainability, and the messaging on hardwood flooring we should be sharing with consumers.