First Dawn

Carlisle can provide you with accessories to help maintain the surface finish of your wood floor. Our Dustless Recoat Kit allows you to recoat your floor with no sanding required. You can also find specific maintenance instructions depending on the finish you are using on our Care & Maintenance page.

Prefinished Carlisle floors can be cleaned with LOBA Hardwood Floor Cleaner. Floors site finished with Tung Oil can be cleaned with Waterlox Cleaners. All other finishes should be cleaned at the direction of the finish manufacturer. Avoid excessive water sitting on the surface of the floor. We do not endorse the use of steam mops/vacuums.

Your wood floors will absorb and release moisture depending on the environment in which they are installed. In some cases, it may be necessary to acclimate the wood prior to installation. This should be done within the structure, where the floors will be installed, and after the space has been conditioned to the in-service or expected “live in” conditions. Acclimation is not an exact science; your builder and/or installer can help you plan for this process.

Unlike other flooring on the market that you are might buy from a third party, such as an installer or a retailer, with Carlisle it's important to remember that you are buying from and dealing directly with the people who make your floor. We are in complete control of every aspect of the floor — from the trees we use to our Slowcraft® manufacturing and final prefinishing process — and our quality assurance is second to none. We create wood floors that will be more stable, easier to care for and maintain than other floors on the market. With proper acclimation and installation, your Carlisle floor will last for generations.

Carlisle wide plank hardwood floors are available in both ¾” solid and ¾” engineered construction, both with a 4 mm wear layer, and our refinishing warranty guarantees at least three sandings over the life of your floor. The same wood will be used to make your floor whether you choose solid or engineered, so they will be virtually indistinguishable from each other once installed. See our industry comparison chart to understand the difference between solid and engineered flooring, and easily compare engineered flooring options.

Some companies offer a 10-, 25- or even a 50-year warranty on their prefinished wood floors. Although this may seem like an advantage, the fine print reveals that the day-to-day wear, which is what you should be most concerned with, is not covered. The factory applied finish is often so hard that it is difficult, if not impossible, to easily maintain and touch up the floor when this wear occurs. At Carlisle, we can’t minimize or prevent the day-to-day wear, but we do provide prefinished wood floors, and site-applied finish systems, that are easy to maintain over the years.