Waterlox congratulates Universal Floors
 on NWFA floor of the year honors

Universal Floors President, Sprigg Lynn

Each year at the National Wood Flooring Association’s convention, The "Wood Floor of the Year" awards recognize innovative craftsmanship and design in wood flooring installations. Awards are given in several different categories (it's sort of the wood floor industry’s equivalent of the Academy Awards, only shorter speeches, and red oak instead of a red carpet).

This year, Universal Floors Inc. (Washington, D.C.) took the gold in two categories and also won the prestigious "Member’s Choice Award"  for floors finished with Waterlox. Both floors are part of the same project, a 25,000 sq ft private residence in Virginia. Each floor presented unique challenges. 


Note: "CNC" means cut using a  computer controlled device,and "NON-CNC" means a computer controlled device was not used.

 

Universal Floors NWFA Floor of the Year Members’ Choice Award  & Best Engineered Floor (non-CNC)

Members’ Choice Award 
& Best Engineered Floor 
(non-CNC)
Universal Floors Inc
Mfgr/Designer: Yarema Marquetry
Finish: Waterlox  

In this, the dining room floor, the owner got her inspiration after seeing a photo of an antique captain’s sea chest created with American folk art marquetry.   The design was perfect for the turn of the century American design planned throughout the home. On this floor, Universal’s team had to overcome some significant challenges.   The installation was both nail-down and glue-down. Not only is the floor over radiant heat, it also has a stone perimeter, and the wood floors had to be scribed to the stone. This floor features more than 12,000 pieces of engineered rift and quarter sawn white oak in a custom Americana parquet pattern. The floor was job-site finished, using 2 coats of Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish and 2 coats of Waterlox Original Satin Finish.

 

Universal Floors NWFA Floor of the Year Members’ Choice Award  & Best Engineered Floor (CNC)

Best Entry/Foyer (CNC)
Universal Floors Inc
Mfgr/Designer: Yarema Marquetry 
Finish: Waterlox

 For the entry to her library, the client’s recent trip to the Vatican, inspired a recreation of the hands from Michelangelo’s famous “The Creation of Adam” on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

The floor features solid and engineered American walnut, maple, holly, pear, Peruvian walnut, aniegre, olive, European birch, movingue, avadier and coyote wood. The installation was both nail-down and glue-down. The floor was site finished using 2 coats of Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish and 2 coats of Waterlox Original Satin Finish

Universal president Sprigg Lynn: “On both floors, we were going for a traditional “hand rubbed” look, but we needed the durability of a modern finish. Add to that the easy repair and re-coat ability, Waterlox was the natural choice.” We are especially proud to have won the "Member’s Choice Award" which is viewed as the "best of show" out of 238 entries.

Of course, accolades and high profile jobs are nothing new to Universal. For over 50 years, they have used Waterlox on many high profile projects including The White House, The Capitol Building, The Supreme Court Building, and many other historic buildings, homes and embassies.  Sprigg Lynn: “My father started using Waterlox when he started the company in 1953.  He taught me that what is in the wood is just as important as what goes on the wood. Waterlox not only provides a beautiful deep rich sheen, but its penetrating properties seal and protect the wood like nothing we have ever used.  I call it “patina in a can”.

Universal Floors Vice President of Operations, Shawn Gorman Accepts the Members’ Choice Award

Waterlox Original Sealer/Finish is applied to the foyer

Universal's Paul Merson: "2008 marks my 50th year in the flooring business, and my 50th year using Waterlox."  Here, Paul puts the finishing touches on the hand  scraped foyer.