Now in its fourth year, our Installation Awards program continues to honor the most creative installers and most interesting installations in a range of flooring categories, in both residential and commercial settings. Ranging from impressive ballrooms to artistic flooring designs that serve as the focal point of the room, this year’s entries did not disappoint. The industry voted and here are the winners:
- Commercial Carpet:
H.J. Martin and Son - Commercial Resilient:
Master Craft Flooring - Commercial Tile and Stone:
Certified Floorcovering Services, Inc. - Residential Carpet:
Far Out Floors - Residential Hardwood/Laminate:
Legacy Floors - Residential Tile and Stone:
LMK Contracting
In this article, we will take a closer look at our commercial winners. Click here for a spotlight on our residential winners.
Green Bay, Wis.-based Camera Corner Connecting Point has grown from a two-employee camera shop to a full-fledged technology company.The 2016 winner of the Installation Awards commercial carpet category, H.J. Martin and Son held the title for this year’s edition of the awards.
“To win the FCI Installer Award in multiple years affirms the quality level across our installation team,” said David Martin of H.J. Martin in Green Bay, Wis. “The award has been won by several of our installers, working on a variety of projects. We are pleased that in each case FCI readers saw the quality of their work.
When it was time to update the flooring in its store and office, Green Bay, Wis.-based Camera Corner Connecting Point reached out to H.J. Martin and Son for the job. Operating in its current location since 1989, the technology company had been through many years of re-carpeting, resulting in up to four layers of adhesive that had to be removed in some places before installation could begin.
“The biggest challenge was in getting all of the glue off of the floor,” said Rob Pomeroy, lead installer on the project. “We coated the floor with flour and used a broom to evenly spread it out. Then we used a ride on machine and buffers with a scrape away head attachment.”
Another challenge Pomeroy and the H.J. Martin installation team ran into were several areas of the subfloor that were cracked or had sizable dips.
“The number of dips were another issue, but we know how important it is to level for not just the aesthetics (when base board is added, for example) but the safety of the end user as well, Pomeroy said.
To install J+J Flooring, Tandus Centiva and Mohawk carpet tile throughout the retail operation, the installation team used UFloor Systems’ Uzin brand for the patch and leveling work, and HENRY adhesives for the new carpet tile.
“For me, it’s important for it to be as perfect as possible, because what I do early on affects many others throughout the process,” Pomeroy said. “In the end, it comes down to making the customer 100 percent happy.”
Making the customer happy and taking pride in the end result are what drive Pomeroy. He started at H.J Martin at the age of 15 as a summer helper, and has since enjoyed 14 years with the company. “I was able to train under a senior team and was fortunate to learn from some of the best in the industry. They taught me right from wrong and how important it is to pay attention to detail. I’ve now been here 14 years and feel fortunate to have such a great job. Working hard has never bothered me. I like being busy and being hands on and I am always proud of the end result.”
The updated flooring aids with wayfinding and navigation throughout the clinic.In addition to the complexities that come with installing flooring in a commercial setting, installations in healthcare environments face additional challenges. Installers and designers alike must adhere to stringent material and design stipulations due to infection control and maintenance regulations. The installation team at Plymouth, Mich.-based Master Craft Flooring took these and other challenges head-on when renovating the rehabilitation clinic at the Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System.
A government-run agency, the installation team worked with the VA’s designers to assist with the execution of installing 31,000 square feet of flooring, spanning two floors, that was not only designed to be create a calm atmosphere of healing for patients, but to aid with wayfinding and navigation as well.
To achieve the floors’ intricate, yet subtle patterns and designs, 11 Armstrong resilient sheet vinyl products, 12,600 feet of Tandus Centiva vinyl plank and 4,100 feet of Johnsonite rubber tile were installed to transform the VA’s flooring from a dated look to something modern yet timeless.
“It’s a beautiful project and it’s for the VA,” said Steve Bracey, the Master Craft project manager who oversaw the renovation. “Everyone there focuses on the veterans, and [the flooring] is definitely making the rehab area much better for those guys. I’m proud to be a part of making that happen.”
Under the direction of Bracey and lead installer Matt Cooke, the Master Craft team worked both during and after business hours to renovate the flooring in the occupied space. Taking place in several phases, partly due to mandated government scheduling, the renovation took more than a year to complete.
Communication, collaboration and all hands on deck are what made this large project run smoothly, Bracey said. “A lot of hard work went in to the project. It took over a year and we were on again and off again. It’s nice to be recognized by your peers because they all understand what goes into projects this size.”
The installation team hand-cut many tiles to fit around the existing structures in the church.Known for their beauty, Greek Orthodox churches create an atmosphere for worship through colorful art and stunning architecture. Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Carmel, Ind., made renovations to its interior to further enhance its traditional beauty.
With iconography synonymous to the Greek Orthodox Church dawning the walls and ceiling of the church’s narthex, nave, sanctuary and ambulatory, a decision was made to update Holy Trinity’s floors and some vertical spaces with tile and stone. For that, Indianapolis-based Certified Floorcovering Services was brought on board, and under the direction of project manager Brian Estes, and lead installer Keith Norman, the installation team installed a floor that echoed the beauty of the church’s interior.
“It was a unique installation,” Estes said. “Working in an occupied space and with all the iconography, we couldn’t make dust. We had to do everything to have a dust-free installation.”
With that in mind, Certified Floorcovering Services installers had to find an alternative way to prep the existing floor for the new install. “One of the new products that we used was a floor prep system that allowed us to not have to shot blast the floor and create dust,” said Estes. “So, we were able to use a self-leveling skim coat system from MAPEI that allowed us to use this system as a skim and then continue as we needed.”
The installation team hand-cut many tiles to fit around the existing structures in the church. Glass tile was installed along the inner walls of the baptistery and interspersed the tile between fabricated marble pillar facades on its exterior, and epoxy mortars were spread over the traditional thin set in order to accommodate porous natural stone. In the narthex and nave, the team set four mosaic medallions that continued the iconography from the walls to the floor.
With the end user and installation team pleased with the finished result, Estes gives credit to the craftsmanship, quality of materials and the new systems that were used to complete the installation. As Certified Floorcovering Services begins a new chapter with the recent acquisition of the company by Mr. David’s Flooring International, Estes looks forward to enhancing Certified Floorcovering Services’ services to continue to exceed its customers’ expectations.
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