March Madness (#5) 2017 from Brazilian Direct Ltd. by Dan Cosgrove.  

Growing up in Philadelphia, I loved to compete.  As a kid we played four sports per year.  In the 80’s my high school, Cardinal O’Hara, had 1000 per class. We were raised with core values which included honesty, loyalty, integrity and respect. I continue to live my business and personal life with this solid foundation.  Cheating was never an option.

My favorite saying, I adopted while playing college football, was and continues to be  “it’s not that I love to win, it’s that I hate to lose”.

I always love this time of the year (Spring) & the NCAA tournament and all it stands for.  March Madness is the norm and I look forward to the best tournament in College sports.

This madness, however, is not unique to college basketball; such madness is also present in the hardwood flooring industry.

Since my 1st March Madness blog 4 year ago, we find the hardwood flooring industry in a far worse situation. Competitors have resorted to cheating for corporate profits and greed.  It has shocked everyone and left thousands of homeowner and their families in harm’s way. CBS Anderson Cooper reported (2 x) on these dangerous, cost-cutting, manufacturing practices.   Economic change is inevitable in any market and the last five years have been difficult for the USA economy.  Although our economy is starting to recover.

We live in a marketing age full of Lumber Liquidators and Empire Today ads. Liquidators have misled many into believing Select Grade* (a low grade) is the best grade and is comparable to Clear. Empire Today promotes next day installation while, in reality, 95% of all quality ¾” hardwood flooring should acclimate in the house for 1 or 2 weeks prior to installation – Really!

Moreover, imports from China (dried to 10-12% not 7-8%) with random lengths from 1-4 feet have become commonplace and increasingly popular. Such short board lengths often results in a choppy, overly systematic, and jigsaw puzzle-esque floor that belies the natural and beautiful appearance that used to be the very quintessence of hardwood flooring. Indeed, solid Clear Grade 3/4” flooring with long random lengths 1-7 feet has been compromised replaced with 5/16” – 3/8” or even 1/2” or Formica floors with lengths 1-4 feet.

I stress that not all homes can be treated equal when it comes to hardwood installation.

A house in Florida must be treated very different from a house in Massachusetts; while FL has year-round warm weather, MA floors are exposed to a six month, hot forced air heating season from HVAC systems.

Yet these factors – and many others such as application, geographic region, and grade – are often neglected and flooring is installed on the sole criterion of price. While this may be cost-efficient and convenient in the short-run,

it is much less certain whether this flooring format will last or IF such floors should be installed in the first place.

Finally, Floating & Click floors with paltry .06 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.6mm up to 3.0mm face (thickness of wood on the top) that are designed for below grade or over concrete, are being installed 1^st & 2^nd floor and could literally fail in less than 3-5 years.

Lower prices and uniform-across-the-country installation methodology is appealing but did anyone ever ask the consumer IF he/she actually wanted the flooring to work?

Can someone please provide sound advice and stop the madness?

Brazilian Direct Ltd. Exceeding customer expectation since 2002, we are here to help with 30 years experience!

Mill Direct Premium Exotic Hardwood Flooring, Lumber and Decking

www.brazilianhardwood.com

danc@brazilianhardwood.com

https://www.houzz.com/browseReviews/braziliandirect/brazilian-direct-ltd

55 ^ 5 Star Reviems on Houzz ( Great Photos )

Cosgrove’s Profile-Bio

1983-1987 Minwax Dura Seal Division East Coast Sales Manager

1987-1994 Duron Paints

1994-1999 Basic Coatings Regional Sales Manager

2000-2002 WFI Wood Flooring International WFI National Sales Manager

2002 Present / President Owner Brazilian Direct Ltd.

Dan Cosgrove, President 
Brazilian Direct Ltd. 
Direct line 888-452-8622 x 107
888-246-1964 (FAX) 


danc@brazilianhardwood.com
www.brazilianhardwood.com 

Top Reasons to buy from BD LTD.

We have Integrity, Honesty  and a passion for hardwood flooring.

• Quality matters: We offer the highest grade of lumber and flooring.
• A+ rating with BBB for over 11 years.
• Honest and knowledgeable salesmen.
• Integrity: We will not offer flooring that will fail in your area.
• 30+ years of experience and testing.
• Lowest-price for best quality – direct.
• Outstanding personal service.
• Lowest-price, highest-quality accessories in the industry.

• Quick Ship Program Delivered in 5-7 days to local warehouse.

Best BBB in the Industry after 10 years!  (QUALITY Matters)

Brazilian Direct Ltd. Accredited Better Business Bureau (A+ rating after 10 years) since registering our business with BBB 10 years ago (since 8/19/2004) we have an A+ rating with BBB.  We have had 0 complaints in the past 12 months and 1 complaint with BBB In the last 3 years. A total of 6 resolved complaints in 10 years!

http://www.bbb.org/washington-dc-eastern-pa/business-reviews/manufacturers-and-producers/brazilian-direct-ltd-in-quakertown-pa-75001117

For an industry comparison, as of February 2015 (Lumber Liquidators BBB accredited since (10/04/2004) Lumber Liquidators also an A+ (not sure how). They have 273 complaints in the past 12 months and 612 complaints with BBB over the last 3 years.

http://www.bbb.org/norfolk/business-reviews/floors-hardwood/lumber-liquidators-in-toano-va-51001693/complaints

Who are the BBBs?

• Internationally-recognized organizations that “aim to promote and foster the highest ethical relationship between business and the public through voluntary self-regulation, consumer and business education, and service excellence”

What do the BBBs do?

• “BBBs are committed to the belief that the majority of marketplace problems can be corrected through voluntary self-regulation. We champion the cause of consumers and hold businesses accountable to the highest standards of honesty in their advertising and selling”

http://dc-easternpa.bbb.org/about-us/

Brazilian Direct is a recognized BBB Accredited Business:

• “BBB Accredited Businesses are businesses and firms which meet tough accreditation standards, agree to follow the highest principles of business ethics and voluntary self-regulation, and have accepted an invitation from us to join.”
• “BBB Accredited Businesses are subject to the same scrutiny we give all businesses. Staunchly neutral, we provide reports on a business’ general background and consumer complaint history, if any. These reports cover accredited and non-accredited businesses alike.”

We believe our fulfillment of strict BBB standards and regulations overtly displays our time-tested business ethics and, further, how strongly we value customer satisfaction. 

WE HAVE – Integrity, Honesty Loyality & Respect

Grading in the hardwood flooring industry Exotics/Tropical’s

Select Grade is NOT the new Clear Grade – Never will!

Wherever you decide to purchase your flooring, it is vital for you to know how the grade of lumber will affect your overall flooring project. Clear grade offers the highest quality, the longest lengths and the most consistent color in exotic/tropical hardwood.  Lower grades of hardwood flooring will create wild variations in color, and actually cost you money & time due to longer installation cost.  The clarity or quality of the lumber (Clear Grade) is key to highest quality hardwood floor.

We offer Premium/A (Clear) Grade flooring 97% of the time. This means that your floor will:

• Have longer length boards, random 1-7 ft
• Demonstrate greater color consistency, without sacrificing character or grain
• Not require more than 7-8% waste to finish your project

I added the definitions of the grades below, too. Let me know if you have any questions!

There are essentially four grades of exotic flooring:

- Straight-grain (quarter-sawn)
- Premium/A grade (Clear)
- Select and Better (S & B)
- Select-grade

All of our flooring at Brazilian Direct Ltd. is Premium/A grade flooring. Advantages of using Premium/A grade flooring over select grade include longer average lengths, less color variation from board to board, and less waste requirement.

Brazilian Direct does carry straight-grain flooring as well. Straight-grain or quarter-sawn flooring is only available in unfinished Brazilian Cherry and Santos Mahogany. We recommend this floor specifically for radiant heat application.

Brazilian Direct does not offer select-grade flooring. Brazilian Direct discourages the sale of select-grade flooring due to quality issues.

Quarter-sawn or straight-grain flooring is a slightly different cut of hardwood flooring than clear grade. It has the same features as clear grade; however, it is cut so all grain runs vertically. This minimizes the risk of horizontal board expansion, making Quartersawn the only choice for radiant heat applications. This premium cut will carry a higher price.

Premium/A Grade (Clear) is the highest grade of hardwood flooring available for that species. It offers the minimum number of character marks and discoloration, providing a uniform appearance while allowing for natural color variations. Premium/A grade flooring has the longest average board lengths as well as the highest quality milling. Our average clear grade board length is 38.5″.

Select & Better grade flooring (S & B) is a ranking assigned by some mills in Brazil indicating the highest grade of flooring they offer. S & B offers the minimum number of character marks and discoloration, providing a uniform appearance while allowing for natural color variations. S & B grade flooring is synonymous with longer average board lengths as well as exceptional quality milling. Our average S & B grade board length is 35-37″.

Select-grade flooring (not offered) is a lower grade of flooring than clear grade. It has more character marks and possible discoloration, creating a less uniform appearance. Small knots and some imperfections in face work are acceptable. A typical average length for select grade flooring is 28″.

After 30 years of hardwood industry experience, I must say I have never been so disappointed with the market to which I have dedicated half my life.  

It is not hard to see that the market has shifted. While economic change is inevitable in any market, ours has taken a turn for the worse. We now live in a marketing age full of Lumber Liquidators and Empire Today ads. Liquidators have misled many into believing Select Grade* (a low grade) is the best grade and is comparable to Clear. Empire Today promotes next day installation while, in reality, 95% of all quality ¾” hardwood flooring should acclimate in the house for 1 or 2 weeks prior to installation.

Moreover, lots of imports from China (dried to 10-11% not 7-8%) with random lengths from 1-4 feet have become commonplace and increasingly popular. Such short board lengths often results in a choppy, overly systematic, and jigsaw puzzle-esque final floor that belies the natural, organic, and exotic appearance that used to be the very quintessence of hardwood flooring. Indeed, solid Clear Grade 3/4” flooring with long random lengths 1-7 feet has been replaced with 5/16” – 3/8” or even 1/2” or Formica floors with lengths 1-4 feet.

I stress that not all homes can be treated equal when it comes to hardwood installation. A house in Florida must be treated very different from a house in Massachusetts; while FL has year-round warm weather, MA floors are exposed to a six month, hot forced air heating season from HVAC systems. Yet these factors – and many others such as application, geographic region, and grade – are often neglected and flooring is installed on the sole criterion of price. While this may be cost-efficient and convenient in the short-run, it is much less certain whether this flooring format will last or IF such floors should be installed in the first place.

Finally, Floating & Click floors with paltry .06 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.6mm up to 3.0mm face (thickness of wood on the top) that are designed for below grade or over concrete, are being installed 1^st & 2^nd floor and could literally fail in less than 5 years. 

Lower prices and uniform-across-the-country installation methodology is appealing but did anyone ever ask the costumer IF he/she actually wanted the flooring to work?

Dan Cosgrove

danc@brazilianhardwood.com

www.brazilianhardwood.com