Month: January 2016

If you’re looking for an affordable DIY approach to flooring while maintaining high quality and beauty throughout your interior, floating floors offer this and more. These happen to be a specialty of Mississauga-based flooring company TORLYS, this month’s featured supplier!

The Freedom of Floating

If your home or commercial space is in need of gorgeous flooring to complement the rest of your interior without the use of adhesives or nails, their Uniclic-jointed planks are a top-of-the-line choice. Not only are they simple to install on a wide range of subfloor types, you will also save time and money in maintenance. Do-it-yourself repairs, replacements, or floor relocations are as easy as it gets. Through their selection, you’ll have access to only the highest quality prefinished engineered planks in hardwood, laminate, cork, and leather.

Diverse Applications

TORLYS pride themselves in offering flooring solutions for many applications. If you are a homeowner feeling limited by your particular subfloor, don’t worry! Whether it’s wood framing, concrete, or gypcrete, installation of TORLYS’ floating floors is no problem. They’ll even provide you with a radiant heat warranty and sound transference and restriction rates. The same philosophy of flexibility and quality applies to business owners wanting to create a truly beautiful floor for their commercial space. TORLYS is also one of the most trusted supplies for esteemed builders across Canada and were voted BILD Supplier of the Year in 2011.

Staying Eco-Smart

Of course, a flooring supplier without the deepest regard for our planet is hardly one to be trusted. That’s why TORLYS strives to complement their industry experience and skill with only the most responsible practices. Not only do their Uniclic floors require zero harmful chemicals or dusty processes to install, they also meet some of the highest indoor air quality standards in the world. This, along with the use of recycled materials, wood sourced from responsibly managed forests, and LEED certification add up to a flooring supplier with skill, an eye for quality, and a commitment to the environment. Check out their website for more on what they have to offer

Thanks to our many excellent suppliers, Smith Bros. is proud to provide you with a diverse range of beautiful and eco-conscious flooring solutions for your interior. To find out which products will best meet your needs, give us a call at (403) 917-0847 today!

This year, Smith Bros. is very happy to be celebrating our 98th year in business. The world of hardwood flooring has gone through many incredible changes, so here are just a few of the developments to our craft that stand out for us as we look back.

A Changing World

Many global factors have contributed to ups and downs in the industry throughout the past 98 years. For centuries, hardwood was a luxury item available to only the wealthiest households, but industrialization and the economic boom following the First World War saw more widespread installation. The Great Depression, however, would bring the industry to a standstill until World War Two. Wartime brought an increase in hardwood manufacturing that would accelerate with a postwar housing boom. Difficult competition with widespread cheap carpeting installation and the early 1980s recession saw difficult times for hardwood in the mid-late 20th century. The economic recovery that followed, as well as improvements in materials and approaches to the craft, helped to make hardwood the accessible, versatile, and flourishing industry that it is today.

Tools and Materials

By the beginning of the ‘20s, new industrial milling techniques had diversified the manufacturing process to produce some of the plank types familiar to us now. Levelling and sanding, however, was still carefully and painstakingly done by hand using scraper blades. This made for a highly time-consuming process until the invention of the electric sander in the mid ‘20s. During this period, floors were coated with shellac and then waxed, quite different from polyurethane and the variety of eco-friendly coatings we see today. Since the mid ‘40s, and especially following the ‘80s, the evolution of engineered hardwood, prefinished planks, new adhesives, and other innovations have made for an overwhelming variety and flexibility available to homeowners.

Steadfast Values

Even as technology, materials, and standard practices have changed in countless ways, some things have stayed the same. From its humble beginnings to its 98th year in business, Smith Bros. has never wavered in its philosophy of honesty and hard work. A long legacy of quality craftsmanship and integrity has made our family-run company stand the tests of time, and we’re eager to continue serving our community for years to come!

For almost a century, the Smith name has been one of the most trusted in Calgary. Get in touch with us today at (403) 917-0847 to find out how we can provide you with the beautiful flooring you need!