Is floor sanding and sealing really necessary? The answer is yes. If you want to know why there is a need to do routine floor sanding and sealing, here are some of the reasons:

The primary reason why it is a necessity is because it provides protection to your floor. Homes are considered to be a valuable investment that is why a lot of effort and money are put into it. You will only want the best quality in every aspect. If you want the wooden floors to retain its good and scratch-free condition then sanding and sealing are essential. By putting a protective layer, it prevents water from soaking to the floors. It saves the hassle of having to deal with molds and mildew later on.

In case you failed to do a routine maintenance, floor sanding and sealing is the way to regain the floor’s old shine and luster. In case the woods start to look dull and lose its shine due to constant scrubbing and cleaning, it is advisable to perform sanding and re-staining in order to restore its appearance or give it a new look.

Lastly, sanding could save you money in the long run. Wooden floors are subjected to regular wear and tear. It is only vital to check it on a regular basis and examine if repairs are needed. Among the common problems that you might encounter are loose planks and nails. Proper sanding could help prevent the situation from getting worse.

Just a piece of advice to homeowners, floor sanding is not recommended as a do-it-yourself task. It is recommended to seek the services of professionals that are trained and equipped with the right tools for this job.

Mia is a freelance content writer is also fond of traveling and outdoor adventures.

She is currently working on a gulvafslibning project and sees this as an opportunity to share information to readers about floor sanding.

There are many factors to consider when you’re in the market for new floors.  One of the most important things to remember is that finding the right flooring material to meet your needs is vital if you want to be happy with the finished product.  While there are many different types of floors available to you, not all materials are going to provide you with what you’re looking for.

Here are a few things to consider when you are shopping around for the perfect flooring product.

Tip Number One: If you have kids, look for kid friendly floors

If you have young children in your home, it is important to remember that, although they are adorable, they are going to make messes.  And lots of them.

But just because you know your little angels are going to wreak havoc on your home doesn’t mean you can’t have the floors you really want.  There are many kid safe flooring materials out there that you can choose from.

If carpet is at the top of your list (which is a great flooring choice to have in kids’ rooms since the majority of their play time is spent on the floor) look for a durable carpet that cleans easily.  Stainmaster carpets have always done well and are great for small children.

If you would rather have wood floors but are afraid of the maintenance and possible damage from your kids spilling liquids, wood laminate floors may be the perfect alternative.  Laminate is available in many different colors and wood looks.  It is easy to maintain and a breeze to clean.

If carpet and wood or wood laminate don’t seem like the right choice for your home, there are other materials available that work well with kids, including tile, vinyl and eco-friendly options like concrete and cork.  Tile is great for clean-ups and is fairly durable.  Although concrete can definitely jazz up a space and is extremely durable, it is obviously very hard and may not be a great choice if you have small children who tend to play a lot in the house.

Tip Number Two: Do your homework

Before you head out to the store to look for your new floors, spend a little time online doing your research.  Make a list of what you want in flooring materials and look for the best match.  New flooring options are emerging everyday and unconventional flooring products are becoming more and more popular in homes and businesses.

Find out what your options are before you make a blind choice.  If you are well informed before you head out to make a purchase, you will be much happier with your overall finished product.

Tip Number Three: Beware of maintenance

If you aren’t the kind of person who likes to clean or who likes to maintain things, there are certain flooring products you just aren’t going to like.  Keep in mind that all floors require some type of maintenance, whether it is regular cleaning or sealing, but some floors require more treatment than others.  When you are researching flooring choices, be sure to look up what is required to maintain the floors once they are installed.  You can always talk to a sales associate at a local home improvement or flooring store for additional advice.

Now that you are armed with facts and information, head out to the stores and find the right product for your home.  Remember, it’s not important what the sales associate, your neighbor or your mother-in-law wants you to get.  Choosing the right floors for you is what’s most important throughout the process.

KENNESAW, Ga.—December 21, 2007—On Saturday, December 22, the Stanford and Texas Tech men’s basketball teams will compete in the annual O’Reilly Christmas Classic basketball game taking place in the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. This year, however, the game is sponsored in part by local retailer Peek’s Carpet and Tile, a Wear-Dated retailer with six locations in Dallas.

A creative opportunity for a Wear-Dated retailer to reach consumers, the O’Reilly Christmas Classic not only offers a way for the Dallas/Fort Worth community to come together, but it reaches out to a good cause – the game will honor the men and women serving in the U.S. military. Military personnel are eligible for free tickets to the game, available at Dallas radio station and event sponsor KLIF’s offices. “We are thrilled to be participating with Wear-Dated in the O’Reilly Christmas Classic,” says Murphy Dykes, vice president/general manager of Peek’s Carpet and Tile. “We can’t imagine a better way to thank our service people.”

Peek’s Wear-Dated marketing and advertising co-op funds are being used to offset the cost of tickets for the military.

Through this sponsorship, Peek’s Carpet and Tile and the Christmas Classic event will receive 150 promotional advertisements on KLIF, as well as 240 ads on four other Dallas/Fort Worth stations. The Wear-Dated logo is displayed on the KLIF website and will also be prominently displayed on the message boards at the American Airlines Center where the O’Reilly Christmas Classic takes place.

For more information about the event, visit www.klif.com. Doors open at 2:30 p.m. and the tip off is at 3:30. Ticket prices range from $10-$225 and can be purchased at any Ticketmaster location.

# # #
Notes to Editor:
• Wear-Dated is a registered trademark of Solutia Inc.

Wear-Dated® Carpet Fiber
Carpets made with Wear-Dated carpet fiber are tough tested and certified for unsurpassed durability, assuring carpet that looks better longer and is backed by full five-year normal wear and full seven-year stain and soil warranties. For more information, visit http://www.weardated.com.

Corporate Profile
Solutia (http://www.Solutia.com) uses world-class skills in applied chemistry to create value-added solutions for customers, whose products improve the lives of consumers every day. Solutia is a world leader in performance films for laminated safety glass and after-market applications; chemicals for the rubber industry; specialties such as heat transfer fluids and aviation hydraulic fluid; and an integrated family of nylon products including high-performance polymers and fibers.

Solutia … Solutions for a Better Life.

Solutia Inc.
Kennesaw, Ga.
T/W

Combining article / news publications with links in the Flooring News directory will positively impact any flooring company’s traffic.

AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–3M introduces the 3M Digital Media System 700 and 800 Series Projectors, featuring innovative Vikuiti Super Close Projection technology. 3M Digital Media Systems 700 and 800 Series Projectors combine projection and sound into a single tabletop or wall-mounted solution supplying core tools needed to get an audience watching and participating at the same time. The projectors are a simple and cost-effective solution designed to deliver the best possible presentation for business purposes.

Vikuiti Super Close Projection is an innovative technology that allows projectors to sit close to a screen or display area, projecting larger images from a shorter distance. The technology helps to reduce shadows and glare from direct projection light. The 800 series projectors are wall-mounted and deliver a 60-inch image from only 2.5 feet from the screen. The 700 series projectors sit on a tabletop and deliver an 80-inch diagonal image from only 3.5 feet from the screen.

Perfect for business, 3M Digital Media System 800 and 815 Projectors are wall-mounted with telescoping/variable-position arms that can be adjusted to provide 50-inch to 85-inch diagonal images. On the wall, they make the most of small or architecturally challenging spaces such as conference rooms or offices. The 815 projector’s interactive whiteboard features allow for the use of existing equipment, minimizing costs and reducing more extensive installations. The 3M Digital Media System 800 Series Projectors allow for flexibility in room layout and open up space, eliminating the need for carts or tables to hold the equipment. These projectors include an integrated 40-watt stereo surround sound TruSurround XT sound system.

To get the same large image sizes as 3M’s super close projectors, traditional projectors would need to be placed anywhere from 6 feet to 15 feet away from the screen. “This requires presenters to use space in the center of the room, creating heat, noise and cable clutter,” said John Griffiths, product marketing manager, 3M Precision Optics. “With the new Vikuiti Super Close Projectors, you get a crisp and clear image every time with the projector at the very front of the room, making it easier to effectively get your message across to the audience.”

3M Meeting Products

3M is a leading supplier of meeting and presentation solutions for the meeting room, training room and the classroom. Products include transparency films, overhead projectors, and an extensive selection of digital projection and annotation products.

Vikuiti brand products do amazing things with light to change the way we see the world. 3M Vikuiti Super Close Projection can be integrated into many different platforms and used in a wide range of products that provide superior display performance. Vikuiti Super Close Projection currently is available in 3M’s Digital Wall Display and Digital Media System 700 Series tabletop platforms, as well as the 800 series wall-mounted platforms.

About 3M

3M is a $23 billion global diversified technology company and one of 30 companies that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average. With locations in more than 60 countries, 3M serves customers through six business segments: electronics and telecommunications; consumer and office; display and graphics; safety, security and protection services; health care; industrial and transportation. For more information, including the latest product and technology news, visit www.3M.com.

3M and Vikuiti are trademarks of 3M.

Contacts

LaBreche
Molly Ryan, 612-392-7604
mryan@labrechereputations.com

Tiledepot.US will sell and provide customer support services and tech support for Fin Pan’s complete line of Preformed Shower Pans, Preformed Niches, Preformed Seats, Preformed Curbs, Preformed Slopes, EZ Backer Board and Tile Backer Board including Customer support and tech support.

Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Motti Vaknin President of International Flooring Center, Inc. / www.tiledepot.us. Said: “We look forward to being Fin Pan Distributor. They have an excellent preformed product and backer board line with a full range of solutions for the tile industry, that can provide major advantages for our customers.”

Mr. Motti Vaknin, President of International Flooring Center, Inc. / www.tiledepot.us, said: “International Flooring Center, Inc./ www.tiledepot.us is pleased to represent Fin Pan Inc. in California. We are confident that this will be a successful relationship. Selling fin Pan product for over 4 years, we trust the product, and our customers love it, now we will be able to deliver our full line of Preformed product quickly to our customers.

With their Online Store International Flooring Center, Inc. / www.tiledepot.us. expands their local coverage thru out the united states including Canada and other countries.

About Fin Pan

Fin Pan, Inc. and it’s subsidiary, T Clear Corporation’s, innovative thinking have created a family of quality, long-lasting building products starting with concrete backer board and thin concrete extrusion technology combined with energy efficient polystyrene insulation to produce interior and exterior sustainable applications.

For more information abut Fin Pan, please visit www.finpan.net

For information: www.tiledepot.us or Contact: contact@tiledepot.us Phone: 877-880-8453

###

If you’d like more information about our product, or to schedule an interview with Motti Vaknin, please call our office at 877-880-8453 or e-mail at contact@tiledepot.us

“Our exhibitors understand the value of being at SURFACES more than ever and are anticipating another successful show,” says Karen Romano, Sales Manager, SURFACES.

With new companies exhibiting at SURFACES 2008 for the first time and requests from veteran exhibitors for larger space, the commitment is stronger than ever!

“I did extensive research into how my company can get in front of flooring retailers and every flooring professional I spoke with told me that SURFACES is the absolute, must attend event in the industry,” Nick Berg, Founder, Exactmosaics, first-time SURFACES exhibitor.

“SURFACES 2008 will be our third year of exhibiting and our booth will be the biggest yet!” says David Brownlee, President, Edge Flooring LLC.

With the addition of new exhibitors to the show, attendees are guaranteed to see hundreds of new products in every category.

“SURFACES is a great venue to spend quality time with our retailers who attend and, on the flip side of that, allows retailers to see a vast variety of floor covering options for the entire home,” says Tony Prestipino, Executive Vice President, Gulistan Carpet Inc.

Expanding on the new theme, SURFACES 2008 will unveil three new pavilions on the show floor. These new pavilions allow exhibitors to introduce their most innovative and trend-setting products in the industry today, most of which have never been featured before.

The New Product Pavilion will provide exhibiting companies the opportunity to promote their newest products, products introduced to the marketplace since SURFACES 2007, in an exclusive area on the show floor. This pavilion is prominently located at the entrance of Hall G, where their products are guaranteed to be seen by thousands of serious floor covering professionals.

Due to the increasing demand for the latest in specialty floor covering products, SURFACES 2008 will feature two additional pavilions: Decorative Concrete and Hand-Crafted Tile. These pavilions will showcase companies offering a variety of products within these categories; from the very distinct, hand-made custom tiles to the latest rich, bold textures and colors of concrete.

“These new specialty products are the hottest trends in floor covering and we felt it was important to give them a dedicated area on the show floor that differentiates them from the thousands of other products attendees will see at the show,” adds Romano.

“There is not a better way to meet our present customers, get our story out to prospective new ones and feature all our new products and marketing programs than SURFACES,” Brownlee adds.

An impressive 38,246 retailers, manufacturers, distributors, architects, designers, builders and installers were on hand at SURFACES 2007 to see thousands of innovative products introduced by more than 1,065 exhibiting companies.

“I am very excited to participate in this year’s event and I’m looking forward to getting real-time product feedback from the flooring industry,” adds Berg.

For questions regarding space at the show or any of the new product pavilions, please contact the SURFACES Sales Team at 800.547.3477 or 972.536.6400 or visit www.Surfaces.com for more details.

SURFACES 2008 will take place January 30-February 1 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada USA.

The official sponsor of SURFACES is the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA), the floor covering industry’s largest advocacy organization representing floor covering retailers, contractors and allied service providers throughout North America.

The WFCA is a recognized leader in marketing research, industry certification programs, and operates the premier consumer flooring web site, www.wfca.org, providing unbiased information about every type of floor covering and connecting customers to members’ retail stores. The WFCA also influences public policy affecting the floor covering industry and consumers. For more information about the WFCA, visit www.wfca-pro.org.

About Hanley Wood
Hanley Wood, LLC, is the premier media company serving housing and construction. Through four operating divisions, the company produces award-winning magazines and Web sites, marquee trade shows and events, rich data and custom marketing solutions. The company also is North America’s leading publisher of home plans. Hanley Wood Exhibitions (Dallas) conducts 17 trade shows, including World of Concrete, one of the top 20 trade show events in the country.

Founded in 1976, Hanley Wood is a $250 million company owned by JPMorgan Partners, LLC, a private equity affiliate of JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Contact: Kelly Cooper
Hanley Wood Exhibitions
972.536.6411

It’s directory links to more than 15,000 useful Web sites for contractors, engineers, architects, project owners, builders. Information about residential construction & design, building a house, house plans, descriptions of the custom homebuilding process, building codes & permits, construction contracts, schedules, builders, tools, pictures of houses, and a directory of home & garden resources.

As the world leader in standards, development, product certification, education and risk management for public health and safety, NSF reviews products, determines at the time of the review that the product complies with the relevant NSF consensus standard and protocol, and will conduct periodic audits to review whether the product continues to comply with the standard. 3M is one of a very few RV and marine filter manufacturers certified by NSF.

As a certified manufacturer, 3M RV/Marine is authorized by NSF to use the NSF Mark on or in connection with the sale, use or distribution of their filtration products. The NSF Mark conveys that an independent, third-party organization has determined that the product complies with the relevant standard and serves as proof of product performance.

“We are very focused at 3M to ensure that our product development in the filtration category works in tandem with a commitment to public health and safety,” said Tom Holler, Director of Business Development for 3M RV/Marine. “NSF Certification is a critical catalyst to this objective, verifying that the strict quality standards of our products achieve appropriate alignment with NSF expectations.”

The following 3M RV/Marine products are listed on the NSF website, www.nsf.org: USF-A, USF-C, US-A1, WV-B2 and WV-B3.

About NSF International

NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization, helps protect you by certifying products and writing standards for food, water and consumer goods (www.nsf.org). Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting public health and safety worldwide.NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment. Additional services include safety audits for the food and water industries, management systems registrations delivered through NSF International Strategic Registrations, organic certification provided by Quality Assurance International and education through the NSF Center for Public Health Education.

About 3M – A Global, Diversified Technology Company

Every day, 3M people find new ways to make amazing things happen. Wherever they are, whatever they do, the company’s customers know they can rely on 3M to help make their lives better. 3M’s brands include Scotch, Post-it, Scotchgard, Thinsulate, Scotch-Brite, Filtrete, Command and Vikuiti. Serving customers around the world, the people of 3M use their expertise, technologies and global strength to lead in major markets including consumer and office; display and graphics; electronics and telecommunications; safety, security and protection services; health care; industrial and transportation. For more information, including the latest product and technology news, visit www.3M.com.

Scotch, Post-it, Scotchgard, Thinsulate, Scotch-Brite, Filtrete, Command and Vikuiti are trademarks of 3M.

Contacts

Co-Communications
Jessica Lyon, 860-658-5700
jessica@cocommunications.com
or
3M
Glenn Carter, 651-737-0687
Corporate Communications

ST. PAUL, Minn. & INDIANAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–3M and Aearo Technologies Inc. announced today that they have entered into a definitive agreement for 3M’s acquisition of Aearo for a total purchase price of $1.2 billion, to be financed through a combination of cash and other borrowings. Aearo is a global leader in the personal protection industry and manufactures and markets personal protection and energy absorbing products. Aearo is owned by funds advised by Permira, a leading global private equity firm, and company management.

Aearo will significantly expand 3M’s occupational health and environmental safety platform by adding hearing protection as well as eyewear and fall protection product lines to 3M’s existing full-line of respiratory products. It provides a broad platform for accelerated growth. This acquisition enables 3M to provide industrial, military and construction customers as well as consumers with a more complete personal protection solution.

“Aearo complements and significantly broadens our core safety and personal protection business, a space which is growing fast and of strategic importance to the company,” said George W. Buckley, 3M chairman, president and CEO. “The combination of 3M’s technology, our global reach and well-known safety brand with Aearo’s strong product portfolio and brands positions 3M as the global leader in personal protective equipment products. Our powerful international distribution network will enable us to enhance and leverage this asset going forward.”

Aearo has achieved the leading global market positions in hearing and eye protection through the strength of its brand names such as E-A-R, Peltor, AOSafety and SafeWaze, and its reputation for developing high-quality, innovative products and strong market competitiveness. The company has demonstrated a strong track record of consistent market beating growth and profitability, with sales increasing at a compound annual growth rate of more than 12 percent over the past five years to $508 million.

The complete Aearo product line includes passive hearing, communication headsets, eye protection, head and face protection and fall protection. The company also markets systems solutions and proprietary energy absorbing materials, which are incorporated into other manufacturers’ products to control noise, vibration, shock and temperature.

3M is a recognized leader in personal protective equipment, providing customers with innovative technologies and solutions that help increase personal safety and productivity in markets such as first responder, industrial manufacturing, automotive, shipbuilding, military, home improvement contractors and consumer.

“Aearo’s knowledgeable and experienced employees, along with its market-leading products and brands, will broaden our presence in the large and growing safety market and enable us to increase sales of 3M products,” said Julie L. Bushman, vice president and general manager, 3M Occupational Health & Environmental Safety Division. “Aearo will benefit from our well established global infrastructure and our network of professionals within the safety industry.”

“We believe 3M’s solid R&D technology platform and global distribution capabilities will take Aearo’s successful brand to the next level and grow this business to its full potential,” said Michael McLain, president and CEO, Aearo Technologies Inc. “Our two companies share a similar culture of innovation and operational excellence, and the Aearo team is excited about working with 3M colleagues around the world.” Aearo employs approximately 1700 people worldwide.

The acquisition does not change the company’s 2007 earnings per share guidance as the transaction is not expected to close until the first quarter of 2008, subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. 3M’s financial advisor for the transaction was Lehman Brothers.

Buckley; Jean Lobey, executive vice president, Safety, Security and Protection Services; and Patrick D. Campbell, senior vice president and chief financial officer will conduct an investor teleconference at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time (8:00 a.m. Central) today. Investors can access a Web cast of this conference, along with related charts, at http://investor.3M.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information (within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) about 3M’s financial results and estimates and business prospects that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. You can identify these statements by the use of words such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “will,” and other words and terms of similar meaning in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance.

Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: (1) worldwide economic conditions; (2) competitive conditions and customer preferences; (3) foreign currency exchange rates and fluctuations in those rates; (4) the timing and acceptance of new product offerings; (5) the availability and cost of purchased components, compounds, raw materials and energy (including oil and natural gas and their derivatives) due to shortages, increased demand or supply interruptions (including those caused by natural and other disasters and other events); (6) the impact of acquisitions, strategic alliances, divestitures, and other unusual events resulting from portfolio management actions and other evolving business strategies, and possible organizational restructuring; (7) generating less productivity improvements than estimated; and (8) legal proceedings, including significant developments that could occur in the legal and regulatory proceedings described in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2006 and its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q (the “Reports”). Changes in such assumptions or factors could produce significantly different results. A further description of these factors is located in the Reports under “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A (Annual Report) and in Part II, Item 1A (Quarterly Report). The information contained in this news release is as of the date indicated. The company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this news release as a result of new information or future events or developments.

The information contained in this news release is as of the date indicated. Neither 3M nor Aearo assumes any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information or future events or developments.

About Aearo Technologies Inc.

Headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind., Aearo Technologies Inc. is a global leader in the personal protection equipment industry. The company manufactures and sells technologically advanced hearing protection devices, communication headsets, non-prescription and prescription safety eyewear, face shields, reusable and disposable respirators, fall protection equipment and hard hats. Through its Specialty Composites business, the company provides engineered system solutions using a wide array of proprietary materials to control excess noise, vibration, shock, and thermal energy. Aearo’s products are sold in more than 70 countries.

About 3M – A Global, Diversified Technology Company

Every day, 3M people find new ways to make amazing things happen. Wherever they are, whatever they do, the company’s customers know they can rely on 3M to help make their lives better. 3M’s brands include Scotch, Post-it, Scotchgard, Thinsulate, Scotch-Brite, Filtrete, Command and Vikuiti. Serving customers around the world, the people of 3M use their expertise, technologies and global strength to lead in major markets including consumer and office; display and graphics; electronics and telecommunications; safety, security and protection services; health care; industrial and transportation.

Scotch, Post-it, Scotchgard, Thinsulate, Scotch-Brite, Filtrete, Command and Vikuiti are trademarks of 3M.

E-A-R, Peltor, AOSafety, and SafeWaze are trademarks of Aearo.

Contacts

3M
Media Contact:
Donna Fleming Runyon, 651-736-7646
or
Investor Contacts:
Matt Ginter, 651-733-8206
or
Bruce Jermeland, 651-733-1807