Go For It - July 2011 - Rancho Cordova

July 2011 GO FOR IT 1

2 GO FOR IT July 20112 GO FOR IT July 2011 July 2011 GO FOR IT 3

With more distracted and frustrated drivers on crowded roads and freeways, auto accidents continue to pile up at a staggering rate. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2008, there were over 10.2 million auto accidents in the United States with over 2.3 million people injured and over 39,000 people killed. The financial cost of these crashes was more than $230 billion. At Sherm’s Gold River Auto Repair, we strongly urge everyone to buckle up, obey all traffic laws and drive safe, sober, serene and free of distractions.

The best way to handle an auto accident in the future is to be completely prepared today. Here are a few simple tips to help you be prepared in the event that you are involved in an auto accident.

#1 Be Prepared Beforehand: Make sure you have the following items with you while driving: Your drivers license, your insurance ID card, your vehicle registration, emergency contacts, medical cards, flashlight, flares, first-aid kit, cell phone, tape recorder and a disposable camera, just to name a few. Better yet, stop by at Sherm’s today for a free auto accident survival kit, which lists everything you need to be prepared for an auto accident. This handy kit is always in your car and it fits neatly in your glove box!

#2 Stay Calm: The scene of an accident can quickly unravel and turn into a very dangerous situation if one or more of the parties involved loses their temper. Whatever happens, stay calm so you can think clearly and create a peaceful and cooperative environment. Do not panic, do not admit fault and cooperate with everyone involved, including the police.

#3 Take Safety Measures: Stop your vehicle and move it and everyone involved to a safe nearby location. Check to see if anyone has been injured, call the police and call 911 if you think anyone needs medical assistance. Do not move people who are seriously injured and never leave the scene of the accident.

#4 Collect Information: Exchange contact information with everyone involved (including witnesses). Obtain their full name, street address, email address and all phone numbers. Get the year, make and model of the other car involved in the accident along with the license plate number, insurance carrier and insurance policy number. If a police officer is present, get their name, phone number and police report number.

#5 Document the Accident: Take photos of the damage to your vehicle, the other vehicles involved and the accident scene.

What Should I do if I Get Involved in an Auto Accident?By Sherm

Use a tape recorder to describe the scene and get statements from everyone involved.

Q: Why should I contact Sherm’s Gold River Auto Body before I get into an auto accident?

A: Because Sherm’s Gold River Auto Body is a staunch consumer advocate, which means they want you to know all your rights as a consumer. The average person gets into an auto accident once every seven years, so it’s safe to say that most people are not aware of all their rights. After you’ve been in an accident, it can be a horrific moment and you may not be thinking clearly. The professionals at Sherm’s handle these situations on a daily basis and they want all their customers to have access to every piece of information that’s available so they can make the best choices. Stop by today for your free auto accident survival kit and tell them Sherm sent you!

Editor’s notes: Alan Sherman is the owner of Sherm’s Gold River Auto Body in Rancho Cordova and their phone number is (916) 631-1444.

ASK SHERM

July 2011 GO FOR IT 3July 2011 GO FOR IT 3

With more distracted and frustrated drivers on crowded roads and freeways, auto accidents continue to pile up at a staggering rate. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2008, there were over 10.2 million auto accidents in the United States with over 2.3 million people injured and over 39,000 people killed. The financial cost of these crashes was more than $230 billion. At Sherm’s Gold River Auto Repair, we strongly urge everyone to buckle up, obey all traffic laws and drive safe, sober, serene and free of distractions.

The best way to handle an auto accident in the future is to be completely prepared today. Here are a few simple tips to help you be prepared in the event that you are involved in an auto accident.

#1 Be Prepared Beforehand: Make sure you have the following items with you while driving: Your drivers license, your insurance ID card, your vehicle registration, emergency contacts, medical cards, flashlight, flares, first-aid kit, cell phone, tape recorder and a disposable camera, just to name a few. Better yet, stop by at Sherm’s today for a free auto accident survival kit, which lists everything you need to be prepared for an auto accident. This handy kit is always in your car and it fits neatly in your glove box!

#2 Stay Calm: The scene of an accident can quickly unravel and turn into a very dangerous situation if one or more of the parties involved loses their temper. Whatever happens, stay calm so you can think clearly and create a peaceful and cooperative environment. Do not panic, do not admit fault and cooperate with everyone involved, including the police.

#3 Take Safety Measures: Stop your vehicle and move it and everyone involved to a safe nearby location. Check to see if anyone has been injured, call the police and call 911 if you think anyone needs medical assistance. Do not move people who are seriously injured and never leave the scene of the accident.

#4 Collect Information: Exchange contact information with everyone involved (including witnesses). Obtain their full name, street address, email address and all phone numbers. Get the year, make and model of the other car involved in the accident along with the license plate number, insurance carrier and insurance policy number. If a police officer is present, get their name, phone number and police report number.

#5 Document the Accident: Take photos of the damage to your vehicle, the other vehicles involved and the accident scene.

What Should I do if I Get Involved in an Auto Accident?By Sherm

Use a tape recorder to describe the scene and get statements from everyone involved.

Q: Why should I contact Sherm’s Gold River Auto Body before I get into an auto accident?

A: Because Sherm’s Gold River Auto Body is a staunch consumer advocate, which means they want you to know all your rights as a consumer. The average person gets into an auto accident once every seven years, so it’s safe to say that most people are not aware of all their rights. After you’ve been in an accident, it can be a horrific moment and you may not be thinking clearly. The professionals at Sherm’s handle these situations on a daily basis and they want all their customers to have access to every piece of information that’s available so they can make the best choices. Stop by today for your free auto accident survival kit and tell them Sherm sent you!

Editor’s notes: Alan Sherman is the owner of Sherm’s Gold River Auto Body in Rancho Cordova and their phone number is (916) 631-1444.

ASK SHERM

4 GO FOR IT July 2011

From the birth of our great nation, American’s have been willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for the opportunity to enjoy a simple but fundamental expression of one basic individual human right: freedom. Freedom is at the core of everything we stand for, commencing with the famous line in The United States Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776), We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Nearly a century later, a message was delivered by our 16th president in a small town on a crisp autumn day in Pennsylvania: Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. On November 19, 1863 Abraham Lincoln would finish his famous speech on the battleground of Gettysburg by stating: It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Celebrate Our Freedom!By Bob Cox


Enter for your chance to win a

Monica & Eddie Ortiz

2801 Zinfandel Dr., Rancho Cordova, CA

(916) 858-2801 www.groceryoutlet.com Mon–Sat: 8am–9pm • Sun: 8am–7pm

Join Us On Facebook

In July we’re going to be declaring our Independence from Hunger with a food drive. We want to invite you to join us to fight hunger right here in our community. We’ve partnered with The Cordova Community Food Locker to be the recipient of our food collections.

We’ll be collecting cash and food donations all throughout the month of July; and every time you donate you’ll be given an entry form for a chance to win a $100 Grocery Outlet Gift Card. Stop by the store for more details. Join us July 16th for a food drive event with food, activities for the kids and prizes from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.


Enter for a chance to win a $100 Grocery Outlet Gift Card

Enter at this Grocery Outlet now through July 31, 2011. No cash value. Not valid with any other offer. Winner will be an-nounced August 1, 2011. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Winner must claim prize within 3 days or another winner will be drawn.

Name _________________________________

Address _______________________________

City ___________________ Zip ____________

Phone _________________________________

eMail _________________________________

$100 Grocery Outlet Gift Card!

Winner will be annouced August 1, 2011

The advancement of freedom continued on when a young African American pastor from Atlanta, Georgia lead The Great March on Washington while addressing a crowd of over 200,000 freedom starved people upon the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. On August 28, 1963 Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream, which he shared in hopes of uniting a divided nation: I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

As we’re about to celebrate America’s 235th birthday and I soak in those inspiring words of wisdom, tears of gratitude pour from my eyes as I realize the depth of my gratitude for all our nation’s liberating leaders as well as the millions of other anonymous Americans who had the courage to uphold and preserve our democracy. Without their deeds and personal sacrifices, I might not have the freedom to express these feelings with you this morning. Like Dr. King, I too have a dream, which is to motivate and inspire everyone I can to embrace our freedom, to realize our limitless potential, discover and pursue our passions and live life to the fullest. Life is too short to settle for less, so live your dream and not someone else’s. Happy birthday America!

Bob Cox is the founder and publisher of Go For It Magazine. He can be reached by phone at (916) 266-3115. His email address is [email protected]. Go For It Magazine is owned and operated in Rancho Cordova, CA. Copyright © 2011.


Celebrate Our Freedom!

Enter for your chance to win a

Monica & Eddie Ortiz

2801 Zinfandel Dr., Rancho Cordova, CA

(916) 858-2801 www.groceryoutlet.com Mon–Sat: 8am–9pm • Sun: 8am–7pm

Join Us On Facebook

In July we’re going to be declaring our Independence from Hunger with a food drive. We want to invite you to join us to fight hunger right here in our community. We’ve partnered with The Cordova Community Food Locker to be the recipient of our food collections.

We’ll be collecting cash and food donations all throughout the month of July; and every time you donate you’ll be given an entry form for a chance to win a $100 Grocery Outlet Gift Card. Stop by the store for more details. Join us July 16th for a food drive event with food, activities for the kids and prizes from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.


Enter for a chance to win a $100 Grocery Outlet Gift Card

Enter at this Grocery Outlet now through July 31, 2011. No cash value. Not valid with any other offer. Winner will be an-nounced August 1, 2011. Must be 18 years or older to enter. Winner must claim prize within 3 days or another winner will be drawn.

Name _________________________________

Address _______________________________

City ___________________ Zip ____________

Phone _________________________________

eMail _________________________________

$100 Grocery Outlet Gift Card!

Winner will be annouced August 1, 2011


Q: You recently purchased a new piece of equipment that’s helping your patients have a better experience. Can you tell us about it?

A: Yes, it’s called the STA, which stands for Single Tooth Anesthesia. It is a computer controlled anesthetic delivery system. It looks like a little machine with a small tube and tip (Figure 1). Dr. Montalvo and I have been using it for the last 6 months and can’t believe how positive the response has been. Our patients are no longer anxious about getting a shot.

Q: What are some of the biggest benefits of this new anesthetic procedure for your patients?

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A: A lot of our patients hated getting a shot because it was uncomfortable, the affects lasted for hours and the entire face or jaw was numb. The STA solves these issues. The anesthetic is delivered so slowly that you can barely feel it. We only numb the tooth or area we are working on, so you no longer have your face or jaw feel numb like before. In fact, we only use about a half cartridge, which will only last from 30 minutes to an hour at most.

I know the STA works because we’ve used it on our most fearful patients, like small children. They are the ones that have really benefited, because for the first time they are having comfortable and stress free dental treatments. For our office, this has been such a rewarding thing because we are helping our patients attain better health.

Q: So, with all of those benefits, shouldn’t patients feel less anxious?

A: Yes. I’ve had so many patients tell me that it was the most comfortable shot they have ever received. In fact, many of my patients tell me they had no idea they were even getting a shot. I know many people have anxiety about dental work and now they can be free from fear and stress.

Figure 1.


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Bonnie!


When I was a fat little dough ball of a kid, my dad and I where born again junk food junkies as we bonded under the golden arches and dined like royalty with the king of burgers. When it came to the subject of eating nutritious food, dad and I laughed at the people we described as health nuts that were leading the organic diet movement during the 1960’s and 1970’s. Our favorite target was Euell Gibbons, who appeared on a television commercial for Post Grape-Nuts cereal in the 1970’s. Euell delivered this memorable quote “Ever eat a pine tree? Many parts are edible.” Dad and I weren’t the only ones laughing at poor Euell’s expense as Johnny Carson performed a skit by dressing up like Euell, only to have a long string of blooper moments while attempting to deliver that famous line with his trademark stoic expression. Time after time, Carson would burst out with laughter along with his trusty sidekick, Ed McMahon.

As I’ve gotten older and a little bit wiser, I’ve realized that the people who were eating organic food back in the day should’ve been laughing at the rest of us junk food junkies. Why? Because their food was not only nutritious and healthy, it was packed with great flavor! I had lived the bulk of my life under the misguided illusion that organic and healthy food had to either taste terrible or be bland and flavorless. When I had my first bite of something organic, which happened to be a carrot, I was shocked to discover

how amazingly delicious it was. As I tried more and more organic food, that same experience repeated itself again and again. Not only was organic food more delicious, I discovered another wonderful benefit; I could eat the same amount of food and feel more full, satisfied and energized.

I got the chance to meet one of the leaders in the local health food industry Cynthia Elliott, who is the co-owner of Elliott’s Natural Foods on El Camino Ave. in Sacramento. Cynthia has some very exciting news as she is now rolling out a brand new line of healthy foods, snacks and treats that are as the headline says, “Healthy, Organic

& Delicious!” After trying one of her tasty organic strawberry muffins that was hot out of the oven, my taste buds had an out of body experience! Here’s how our conversation went.

Q: How did Elliott’s Natural Foods get started?A: Walker and Georgana Elliott started the first store in

1952. They had already been practicing eating healthy and they both wanted to start something unique and worthwhile for the Sacramento community. We have been here ever since, creating long and helpful relationships with loyal customers and making stories of our own. Our corporate name is Forerunners which I feel is fitting because Walker and Georgana helped lead the way in a completely new culture of being healthy.

Q: Can you give us an update on the Elliott family? A: Walker passed away about 13 years ago at the age of

89, but Georgana is still with us and she is 92. We’ve started the kitchen here, and my husband is becoming more relaxed with our children slowly managing the store. Our daughter, Amber, has been improving the front of the store with creative marketing and bringing in fun new products while our son, Grayson, works in the office and mainly focuses on bookkeeping and paperwork.

Q: Did you marry into the family? A: Yes, I married Granger 29 years ago when I swept him off

his feet!

Q: My wife Diana has met Granger and she said he was a very knowledgeable and super great guy.

A: He really is. He has a great understanding of our products and nutritional value with a fun sense of humor.

Healthy, Organic & DeliciousBy Bob Cox

Meet the Elliott family: From left to right: Grayson, Cynthia, Granger and Amber.

Cynthia Elliott Introduces Cynthia Cooks Products to Sacramento


Q: What’s your role with Elliott’s right now?

A: I have always loved cooking, so I had always planned on doing some kind of a business with my cooking. I started here because we already have customers who are interested in eating healthy. It made more sense to work on a lot of the recipes that we’re used to eating and being creative with local seasonal food.

Q: And hopefully tasty too!A: I’m not an advocate of cooking

strange brews together just because it’s good for you; my recipes are fun and creative while still holding a great nutritional value and taste. It always has to be tasty!

Q: And how are you accomplishing this right now?

A: I am the Chef in our new commercial kitchen in the back of the store. We have been cooking since January, so we are in our sixth month now and this is a big step that we are really excited about. We work with local, organic and seasonal food to go.

Q: Are you’re packaging and selling Cynthia Cooks products exclusively here at Elliott’s Natural Foods at the El Camino Avenue location?

A: Yes, this is beginning of our project at our original store.

Q: Do you have a large variety of packaged goods that are currently available to the public?

A: We carry many different types of sandwiches and salads each day and our Seasonal Quiche, which is asparagus right now. Each morning we juice and make a delicious Orange Carrot drink that my son loves. We’re also fermenting Kim Chi and Sauerkraut, which is pretty exciting; they help keep good bacteria inside of us. There are many baked goods available, including our delicious Gluten-Free Brownies.

Q: Are you planning to distribute Cynthia Cooks products beyond your store?

A: Possibly, but right now we are focusing on perfecting what we have. There are many different diets, such as gluten free, dairy free, and vegan, and I want to make sure we have options available for everyone before expanding outside of the store.

Q: Has this enterprise met your expectations so far? A: It has. We are getting a lot of great feedback! Customers

place large orders for our Carrot Raisin Pumpkin Muffins that we’ve

been making for years. We get a lot of comments on our specific products and if something is off one day, they’ll tell us about it, which I appreciate. We are keeping communication with our customers and that’s positive.

Q: Is there anything else that you’d like to say about Cynthia Cooks products?

A: It tastes really good!

Q: Well, that’s important!A: I’m all about the flavor. We

kind of missed our spring, but we still have great Meyer lemons, asparagus, artichokes and great spring produce. We’re coming into summer and I can’t wait to get some tomatoes and bring in a bigger variety of cultural flavors.

Q: Organic and healthy food is often falsely perceived as bland and flavorless, which is completely false.

Have you met a lot of people who have that misconception? A: Yes, I have. Fortunately, it’s not true and we’re finding more

and more organic food in restaurants and farmers markets. When someone takes a bite out of one of our products they need to feel they made the right decision and we can give that to them with great tasting fresh and organic ingredients.

Q: It’s great that you are there spearheading the movement to make organic foods more available.

A: Thank you. Organic food is still a bit pricier because of

Cynthia Cooks organic treats are prepared fresh daily and are only available at Elliott’s on El Camino Ave.

Continued on page 10


L u n c h i s r e a d yorganic • local • seasonal • to go

Available only at elliott’s sacramento3347 el camino ave. • 916-481-3173

“Thank you for supporting organic food.” — Chef Cynthia Elliott

The CynthiaCooks Kitchen bakes Monday–Friday. The kitchen makes efforts to reduce negative impact on the environment by purchasing ingredients that are organic and seasonal from local farms and sustainable producers who nurture the soil. This kitchen does not support GMO produced food. All prod-ucts are cooked with filtered water. Menu items are packaged in sustainable, bio-based products manufactured from renewable resources.

Egg Salad Sandwich 5.25Tuna Sandwich 5.25Club Sandwich 5.95Brown Rice & Asparagus Salad 4.95Grilled Beets 5.00Asparagus Quiche 4.75Housemade Kimchi 6.00Black Bean Chipotle Garden Burger 5.50Broccoli Salad 5.00Indian Spiced Sauerkraut 5.00

Date Bars 3.00Straberries w/Rose Petals 3.50Fresh Pressed Carrot–Orange Juice 8 oz: 2.50 16 oz: 4.95123 Gluten Free Chocolate Brownies 2.50Butterscotch Bars 2.00Pumpkin Carrot Muffins 2.50Strawberry Muffins 3.50Cardamon Angel Food Slice 3.00Springerle Cookies (large) 3.75

the farming process and it deters people from buying good ingredients. My goal is to create a place in our store where people can come in and buy great tasting ingredients and recipes made from sustainable farming while not breaking the bank.

Q: And the health benefits of eating organic are obvious.A: Who needs pesticides on their food? No one does!

Q: Those pesticides don’t very taste good either, do they? A: No, and a lot of people that shop in here have health issues.

Some people have great problems with pesticides and some people who are trying to heal need proper food.

Q: Are there any specific products that people can find here that they can’t find anywhere else?

A: My daughter and our manager do an excellent job in bringing to the store new and hard to find products. We always have a selection of Swedish Bitters and Aloe Vera Juice available, Dr. Oz suggested items are on our shelves, and we’ve always had Kombucha on our shelves since its popularity struck.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to add? A: Come visit us and bring your appetite!

Editor’s notes: For more information about Cynthia Cooks products or Elliott’s Natural Foods, feel free to stop by their store. They are open seven days a week. Elliott’s Natural Foods is located at 3347 El Camino Avenue in Sacramento and their phone number is (916) 481-3173. www.elliottsnaturalfoods.com

Cynthia Elliott Interview Continued from page 9


We are now halfway through the year. Some of us are well into achieving our 2011 resolutions. Others have misplaced that slip of paper and that train of thought and won’t be thinking about them again until January 2012.

It’s not too late! Here’s a jumpstart checklist to get back on track:1) DECIDE what “IT” is... Getting fit? Getting a handle on your

personal or business finances? Getting more involved in the community? Spending more time with family and friends? If the list is long, prioritize the list based on What’s in “IT” for me?

2) Be SPECIFIC. Define what fitness, finances, involvement, family time are. How much? How often? By when?

3) Create a PLAN. What steps can you take to achieve your goals? NOTE: Check out the calendar** at www.GoRanchoGuide.com for local resources and events for ALL of the above.

4) Take ACTION. DO something every day. Allocate at least 15 minutes a day. Doesn’t have to be a lot. Doesn’t have to be for everything. Make a phone call, ask for advice, read a book, search the internet.

5) Check off your RESULTS. Once a month check off your accomplishments. It works even better if you use the “buddy system” for accountability, encouragement, and ideas.

Now, just do IT! **Calendar brought to you by:

Getting “IT” in Gear!

*Visit www.BobsPocket.com for links, resources and Bob’s bio.

12 GO FOR IT July 201112 GO FOR IT July 2011


RC

14 GO FOR IT July 2011 July 2011 GO FOR IT 15

With all the flooring stores in the greater Sacramento area (73 on Yellowpages.com) how does a buyer make a sensible decision on which store to visit? Do you shop online, go to the store nearest you or ask around for a referral?

The traditional way to shop for flooring is to either go to a retail store and view a multitude of options or allow a sales rep to bring the multitudes to you. Both these methods are fine, but they can be quite time consuming and a bit overwhelming. Studies have shown that if the average consumer has more than three options, they often have great difficulty in making a decision. What if there was a better option that could potentially help you avoid hours of frustration hunting for the perfect floor while also potentially saving you hundreds of dollars off your total bill? How sweet would that be?

Meet Lynn Lawson, the owner of Ralph Opfer Floors and The Bargain Floor Hunter Extraordinaire. What Lynn does is very simple but extremely invaluable to her clients. She takes her time to really get to know her clients needs, and then she invests her time (not her clients) by searching through her vast arsenal of resources to track down and capture the perfect floor that fits her client’s budget. I spoke to Lynn the other day about the wide variety of flooring that’s available, with one of the most popular options being in the hardwood flooring category. Here’s how our conversation went.

Q: Lynn, can you tell us a little about the different types of hardwood that’s available?

A: Sure. You have solid wood, which is ¾ of an inch of solid wood. Most people tend to be drawn to the solid wood. Unfortunately, in California we have a lot of concrete slabs and you can’t put the solid ¾ inch wood on a slab because you can’t glue it down. There are some glues that say they will glue the solids to the concrete, but it’s something I don’t advise because concrete is porous and it can expand and contract but the wood can’t expand and contract with it. So, because of this, a lot of the manufacturers have come up with engineered flooring.

Q: What exactly is engineered flooring?

A: It’s a piece of real wood on top of several plywood boards. When you glue the floor down on the slab, the plywood is going to take the abuse from that concrete and not affect the top of the floor.

Q: What questions do you typically ask your clients who are shopping for hardwood floors?

A: Well one of the first things that I ask is what kind of appearance they want? Do they want a hand scraped or smooth look? Do they prefer wide planks or narrow planks? What area of the house are they doing? What color do they want? What are their family dynamics? There are lots of ways to narrow down what someone wants and needs, and knowing that ahead of time helps the process go smoothly. I’ve got samples of just about everything, but I like to ask people questions and try and narrow down the field because it’s really overwhelming to the consumer. It’s easy for people to really get overwhelmed with the amount of samples, but I can narrow down the field and prevent my clients from feeling that way.

Editor’s notes: Lynn Lawson is the owner of Ralph Opfer Floors in Sacramento. Their showroom is located at 10265 Old Placerville Road, #14 and their phone number is (916) 366-1672. You can also visit them on the web at ralphopferfloors.com for more information.

Q: Can engineered flooring be sanded and refinished?

A: With most of your prefinished floors, the finishes are baked on and are a lot harder than they used to be. They’re also harder to get off, so most of the time you are not going to sand and refinish your floor anyways. If somebody has an engineered wood and they want it refinished, the premise is if you have a top on it that’s as thick as where you come down to nail it, then there is no difference between that and solid piece of wood. On prefinished piece of wood like that, the finish is baked on. Most of the time it’s hand scraped, and in that instance you’re not going to want to sand it. What they can do is etch it and recoat it.

Q: Are there other flooring options that look like wood?

A: Yes, there is laminate, which is wood that has plastic on top. It has been the rage for the past 10 years because it looks like wood but it doesn’t scratch as easily as wood. It won’t fade or change color, and if you have a large family or an active family, it holds up way better than wood does.

Q: Since laminate has a plastic coating on top, can it get wet without being damaged?

A: Yes, it can get wet but with any type of flooring you have, you don’t want a large amount of water sitting on it. If you spill water on laminate, it’s not going to hurt it because it’s plastic. If you spill water on real wood, eventually the finish is going to be affected. The boards can warp too, creating even more problems.

The Smarter Way to Shop for FlooringMeet Lynn Lawson, the Bargain Floor Hunter

By Bob Cox

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July 2011 GO FOR IT 15July 2011 GO FOR IT 15

With all the flooring stores in the greater Sacramento area (73 on Yellowpages.com) how does a buyer make a sensible decision on which store to visit? Do you shop online, go to the store nearest you or ask around for a referral?

The traditional way to shop for flooring is to either go to a retail store and view a multitude of options or allow a sales rep to bring the multitudes to you. Both these methods are fine, but they can be quite time consuming and a bit overwhelming. Studies have shown that if the average consumer has more than three options, they often have great difficulty in making a decision. What if there was a better option that could potentially help you avoid hours of frustration hunting for the perfect floor while also potentially saving you hundreds of dollars off your total bill? How sweet would that be?

Meet Lynn Lawson, the owner of Ralph Opfer Floors and The Bargain Floor Hunter Extraordinaire. What Lynn does is very simple but extremely invaluable to her clients. She takes her time to really get to know her clients needs, and then she invests her time (not her clients) by searching through her vast arsenal of resources to track down and capture the perfect floor that fits her client’s budget. I spoke to Lynn the other day about the wide variety of flooring that’s available, with one of the most popular options being in the hardwood flooring category. Here’s how our conversation went.

Q: Lynn, can you tell us a little about the different types of hardwood that’s available?

A: Basically you have solid wood and engineered wood. Solid is usually 3/4” thick and is a solid piece of wood. Engineered wood is a layer of real wood on top of several layers of plywood and comes in many thicknesses. They both look the same after they are installed. The difference really is the fact that the engineered can be nailed down, glued down or floated on a concrete or wood sub floor. Solid wood should be installed by being nailed down to a wood subfloor, it is not really recommended to glue solid to concrete. Both kinds of floors can be refinished if need be.

Q: What is the difference between engineered wood and laminate wood?

A: Engineered wood is real wood on top of several pieces of plywood. It usually comes prefinished with an aluminum oxide finish which makes it much harder to scratch. Laminate is actually a piece of wood made with a solid core and a picture of wood with a plastic aluminum oxide coating on the top. They are much like the Formica countertops that are used in the kitchen, except they make it look like wood.

on the surface. Wipe any spills up as soon as you can to prevent issues with the floors.

Q: What questions do you typically ask your clients who are shopping for hardwood floors?

A: Well one of the first things that I ask is what kind of décor they have in their home. Do they want a hand scraped or smooth look? Do they prefer wide planks or narrow planks? What area of the house are they doing? What color do they want? What are their family dynamics? There are lots of ways to narrow down what someone wants and needs, and knowing a few things ahead of time helps the process go smoothly. I’ve got samples of just about everything, but I like to ask people questions and try and narrow down the field because it’s really overwhelming to the consumer. It’s easy for people to really get overwhelmed with the amount of samples, but I can narrow down the field and prevent my clients from feeling that way by just asking a few questions.

Editor’s notes: Lynn Lawson is the owner of Ralph Opfer Floors in Sacramento. Their showroom is located at 10265 Old Placerville Road, #14 and their phone number is (916) 366-1672. You can also visit them on the web at ralphopferfloors.com for more information.

They can add more dimension and texture to the top to make it look like real wood.

Q: Can engineered flooring be sanded and refinished?

A: With most of your prefinished floors, the finishes are baked on and are a lot harder than they used to be. They’re also harder to get off. Most of the styles of engineered wood have a lot of texture to them. There are a lot of hand-scraped floors and a lot of floors with bevels. Sanding them would totally change the look of the wood. They can be re-sanded if the surface of wood on the top layer is thick enough to do so, but with the textured styles, we would probably screen them and recoat them to keep the floor looking the same as it was when it was installed.

Q: Are there other flooring options that look like wood?

A: Yes, there is laminate, which is wood that has plastic on the top and is installed over a pad and is considered floating floor. There are also several kinds of vinyl planks that can be installed over existing floors without pads or anything else underneath them. You also have the choice of several sheet vinyls’ that look just like wood floors when they are installed.

Q: Since laminate has a plastic coating on top, can it get wet without being damaged?

A: Yes, it can get wet but with any type of flooring you have, you don’t want a large amount of water sitting on it. If you spill water on laminate, it’s not going to hurt it because it’s plastic. If you spill water on real wood, eventually the finish is going to be affected. The boards can warp too, creating even more problems. On any floor whether it is laminate or wood, you should never leave large amounts of water just sitting

The Smarter Way to Shop for FlooringMeet Lynn Lawson, the Bargain Floor Hunter

By Bob Cox

FREEBottle of BonaFloor CleanerWhen you bring this ad

40% OFF7/16 Red Oak

Engineered Floor Self Locking Like Laminate

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Reg $2.99 — Now $1.79

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with purchase of 500 Sq. Ft. or more of hardwood

or Laminate.

(Limited to stock on hand)Plus Tax. No Purchase Necessary

We’re off the beaten path but worth the search!

Hwy 50

Old Placerville Rd.

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We’ll go the extra mile to find the perfect flooring at the best price!

License # 757522

10265 Old Placerville Rd., #14Sacramento, CA 95827 (916) 366-1672(916) 870-0270

RalphOpferFloors.com

Go For It - July 2011 - Rancho Cordova

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