Expert: Bruce E. Johnson - 2/3/2009

Question
Hello,
Our parish is starting a renovation project and one major item is replacing the carpet in the church.  We'd love to have a solid surface to not only beautify, but also help bring out the wonderful acoustics in the 125 year old building.  We've seen some examples of hardwood floors in parishes, but we're a little concerned about the upkeep-- we live in a northern state with a lot of snow and a long winter.  What would you say are the major considerations and would we be taking on a major maintenance hassle if we went with hardwoods?  Do you have any opinion on other hard surfaces?

Answer
Hi Jason, obviously ceramic or porcelein tile, marble, slate or other stones come to mind.  I recently completed a small church that we used a porcelein tile that was made to look like slate.  It provided a more uniform surface than real slate and was half the price.  We considered wood for this particular project but because it was a chapel in the woods the same concerns arose about wearability and upkeep.  Another product on the market which we have been using in high traffic areas is a form of vinyl made to look like wood.  It comes in planks, similar to wood flooring but requires little or no maintenance. It is a fantastic product and you would swear that it was wood.  Some churches are going to stained concrete under the pews and only using carpet in the aisles, another good alternative when budgets are tight. I hope this information helps feel free to write again regarding this or other matters, sincerely bruce e johnson..bejohnsonconsulting.com