Part two of our interview with Daniel Boone dives into machine setup, edgers, training on buffers, and practical classroom-to-job techniques he uses to train wood floor professionals. Daniel also shares stories from international schools, the Train‑the‑Trainer initiative, and why mentoring the next generation is essential for the trade’s future.

Read recent articles from Daniel Boone in Wood Floor Business:

A Key to Better Sanding: Know Your Scratch

Wood Floor Sanding 101, Part 1

Sponsored: A Wood Floor Recognized For Beauty & Craftsmanship

In this episode of All Things Wood Floor, host Stephen Diggins welcomes legendary wood floor pro and trainer Daniel Boone. A direct descendant of the iconic frontiersman, Daniel shares his own pioneering journey—from running an edger at age 12 in the family wood floor business to training wood flooring pros across continents. With a life steeped in the wood flooring trade since childhood, Daniel reflects on how a simple piece of two-and-a-quarter flooring became his passport to the world. He discusses his hands-on teaching philosophy, the evolution of flooring education and how he's tried to make a positive impact on the thousands of people he's trained in the industry. This is Part 1 of a two-part episode.

Read recent articles from Daniel Boone in Wood Floor Business:

A Key to Better Sanding: Know Your Scratch

Wood Floor Sanding 101, Part 1

Sponsored: A Wood Floor Recognized For Beauty & Craftsmanship

In this sponsored episode of All Things Wood Floor, host Steve Diggins sits down with Milton Goodwin, VP of product management-hardwood at AHF Products—the powerhouse behind the iconic Bruce brand—to explore how innovation, heritage and craftsmanship are shaping the hardwood flooring industry. From Bruce's roots in 1884 to AHF's modern approach to unfinished solid and engineered flooring and domestic manufacturing, the conversation covers key topics like the evolution of performance-driven flooring products, trends in design and finish, and how AHF is responding to global supply chain challenges with strategic investments in U.S.-based production. Goodwin also shares insights on sustainability initiatives and how the company supports wood floor pros through technology and training. Whether you're a seasoned flooring professional or just passionate about what's underfoot, this episode offers valuable insight into why AHF Products continues to set the standard for performance and style in wood flooring.

Join host Steve Diggins from Specialty Forest Products for this sponsored episode as he delves into the world of wood floor finishes with two experts from Canlak Coatings, the name behind trusted wood floor finish brands like Absco, Poloplaz, Sampson and Wilson Imperial. Laura Posadas and Doug McGrew from Canlak peel back the curtain on the extensive research that goes into wood floor coatings chemistry and innovations at this major manufacturer. Hear their insights on everything from residential to sports flooring, including where the industry has been and where the world of coatings is headed in the future. 

In this episode of All Things Wood Floor, host Steve Diggins of Specialty Forest Products talks with young wood flooring pro Israel Alejandre, the owner of Cedar Oak Flooring based in Middlefield, Ohio. Featured as part of Wood Floor Business’s annual discussion about the Next Generation of emerging talent in the hardwood flooring industry, Israel shares insights into his journey as a young professional navigating the trade. Broadcasting from Ohio’s Amish country, just outside Cleveland, Israel reflects on his early experiences, the founding of his company, and what drives his success as a next-generation flooring pro. 

Read "The Next Generation: Advice For Aspiring Wood Floor Pros," featuring Israel Alejandre, from the February/March 2025 issue of Wood Floor Business. 

Brad Rushing of North Palm Beach, Fla.-based California Designs discusses what it is like being a retailer in one of Florida’s luxury markets, what he learned about business and people from his father, how the company has kept both clients and employees for decades, how Brad modernized the family business, including their marketing, and how educating clients boosts their business.

See California Designs’ profile in the 2024 Wood Floor Business Outstanding Retailer Awards: https://bit.ly/42bFHpv

Read Brad’s article in Wood Floor Business “How We’ve Managed to Retain Employees for Decades” here: https://bit.ly/on24retail

Jack Horton’s father was a doctor, but he encouraged his four sons to go into the trades, and at age 16 Jack was learning to run a sawmill. Today, at age 30, he is a wood flooring contractor who installs, sands and finishes wood flooring he and his brother mill themselves, and they also sell whole-house packages of flooring and millwork to contractors. Jack and host Stephen Diggins discuss Jack’s unique journey into the trade and the insights he has about working with customers, including creating the right expectations for wood flooring and being upfront about the fact that he’s expensive. Jack also shares the biggest challenge in his career.

Read Jack's article "What We’ve Learned by Milling the Flooring We Install" in the April/May 2025 issue of Wood Floor Business here: https://bit.ly/am25fund

Read about a special floor Jack installed in "A Meaningful Wood Flooring Project in Memoriam": https://bit.ly/dj25chevy

In Part 2 of this episode with T.J. Haas of Mad Science Flooring (www.madscienceflooring.com) in Syracuse, N.Y., T.J. and host Stephen Diggins discuss the right ways to use multi-disc and planetary sanding machines to get a floor flat while removing the scratches, how to choose your abrasives wisely in today’s wood flooring market, how T.J. has made a living out of doing things that nobody else wants to do, and how he charges a premium for his work and also finds new revenue streams for his business every year. They also talk about cool old wood floor sanding machines and funny machine maintenance mistakes. 

To read T.J.’s article “My Trigger Phrase: ‘Been Doing It That Way for 35 Years’” about his dad and why he cares so much about electrical safety, click here: https://bit.ly/jj23llearn

Read T.J.'s article “Do You Need a Power Station? Yes, and Here’s Why” from the February/March 2025 issue of WFB here: https://bit.ly/fm25ftf

To read T.J.’s ghost story about working at a bowling alley, click here: https://bit.ly/on24talkback

T.J. Haas of Mad Science Flooring (www.madscienceflooring.com) in Syracuse, N.Y., grew up learning anything and everything about bowling lanes and wood flooring, and today he continues that legacy. In Part 1 of T.J.’s episode, hear T.J. and host Stephen Diggins discuss what it was like growing up in bowling alleys; the story of his dad’s health issues and why he’s so passionate about hooking up electricity safely and correctly; modern advances in dust containment; creepy ghost stories from working on jobs, and funny stories about the first jobs T.J did on his own. Look for Part 2 of T.J.’s talk with Stephen Diggins coming soon.

To read T.J.’s article “My Trigger Phrase: ‘Been Doing It That Way for 35 Years’” about his dad and why he cares so much about electrical safety, click here: https://bit.ly/jj23llearn

Read T.J.'s article “Do You Need a Power Station? Yes, and Here’s Why” from the February/March 2025 issue of WFB here: https://bit.ly/fm25ftf

To read T.J.’s ghost story about working at a bowling alley, click here: https://bit.ly/on24talkback

In this sponsored episode, host Stephen Diggins dives into the world of wood floor experts Mike Hoy and Chris Pester, who have decades of experience in wood flooring and are now representing GameTime. GameTime now offers everything from vinyl graphics to coatings for sports floors and residential floors. Mike, Chris and Stephen discuss how vinyl graphics have transformed the world of sports flooring, the sponsorship opportunities they create, the training available to use these products, how to deal with environmental conditions when dealing with maple sports flooring … and much more, including Cosmo the Peacock.

Learn more about GameTime Wraps at https://gametimewraps.com.