Article Number : 1857 |
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| Date | 3/26/2007 9:25:35 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=1857 |
| Abstract | By Louis Iannaco LAS VEGAS—Glueless click-and-lock systems, which swept the laminate segment a few years ago, have caught on in hardwood flooring. Nowhere was this wave better displayed than at Surfaces 2007... |
| Article | By Louis Iannaco LAS VEGAS—Glueless click-and-lock systems, which swept the laminate segment a few years ago, have caught on in hardwood flooring. Nowhere was this wave better displayed than at Surfaces 2007. Followed closely by other trends such as darker, more exotic species; rustic looks and a variety of colors, mills from across the globe strutted their newest and latest stuff at the show. Locking it up Mannington Mills introduced its Caspian Collection with the company’s new glueless Loc n Go system. “Just drop it, lock it and go,” said hardwood product manager Dan Natkin. “It’s the world’s fastest hardwood installation—no glue, no nails, no sweat—and ideal for new construction or remodels.” Mannington’s Loc n Go is a fifth-generation locking system. “The original systems introduced in hardwood in the U.S. were very similar to laminate,” he noted. “They used an angle/angle system where the end joint would be angled in and then the side joints. Most were longstrip products, so they weren’t any easier to install. Loc n Go uses a spring system which tightly secures each board into place. What you get is a much better end lock. It’s more stable. It’s designed to be the fastest and most secure locking system out there.” Featuring five distinctive species for looks from traditional to exotic: oak, hickory, cherry, Brazilian cherry and sapele, the glueless collection is 1/2 inch thick x five inches wide, micro beveled and equipped with a low lustre finish. For Mirage Prefinished Hardwood Floors, the buzz at Surfaces had to do with its new 3-ply lock product. “It has a 2mm top with an HDF core and a solid wood backing,” said Luc Robitaille, vice president of marketing for Boa-Franc, parent company of Mirage. “It also has locking ability, so the floor can be floated. A novelty to this product is, there’s no click to it. It’s strictly a lock, so one individual can install it without wedges on his own.” Robitaille also noted how the technology inherent in Mirage’s locking system “will bring hardwood into areas where it was not previously. We see this as more opportunity being out there, and that is why we have come out with this type of product.” Another wood producer featuring a new locking mechanism was Preverco. The company’s new system, developed by Valinge, “is pretty much the future,” said Jean-Sebastien Roy, marketing manager. “It’s going to save installers so much time. It’s so easy to put together. This is where we are going to add value to the dealers. Mullican Flooring debuted Austin Springs, an engineered product available in a wide array of species and colors, including six hand- sculpted offerings. Austin Springs is the company’s first floor designed specifically to be a floating floor and premieres Mullican’s “loc-to-fit” system. With Austin Springs, the system is engineered so boards “loc” in place, which results in a more stable floor. “Mullican takes great pride in introducing this innovative product to the American hardwood flooring industry,” noted Brian Greenwell, vice president of sales and marketing. Sourcing from more than two dozen mills in 15 countries, Wood Flooring International manufactures, distributes and imports a large variety of products. Unveiled at Surfaces was the Monteverde Collection, a prefinished, engineered line including exotic and other woods such as nicoyan nogal, saddlewood, salinas cherry and orosi, as well as the more familiar teak. Monteverde is certified to the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council by Scientific Certification Systems, an independent certifier. Exotic the topic Not to be outdone in exotics, Preverco debuted its aptly named Exotic Series. The line features hardwood species from South America and Africa, including Brazilian cherry/jatoba, santos/ cabreuva, sapele and tigerwood. “These species of wood are rich in tone and provide a warmer, cozier ambiance to any setting,” Roy said. The series is available in 3-1/4 inch widths in both engineered and solid, and a 3/4 inch thickness for the solid hardwood. Sapele is available in engineered only. Brazilian cherry, or jatoba, features a reddish-brown tone and is offered by Preverco in three colors: natural, bourbon and espresso. Marked with dark streaks, the wood is 119% harder than Northern red oak. Compared with red oak, the santos/cabreuva species is 71% harder (just slightly harder than the tigerwood species) with 28% more dimensional stability. The santos/ cabreuva has a dark reddishbrown tone, while the tigerwood coloring is suggested by its name—striped and ranging from a light tan to dark orange- brown. Sapele is 16% harder than red oak and features a rich red-brown color. Mannington is providing the exotic look for the consumer’s home with its new Atlantis collection. Exotic looks from around the globe are featured in a five-inch-wide plank to showcase the rich grain of each wood. Atlantis is comprised of four species in two distinct visual categories. The first, Hand Sculpted Royal Mahogany, features the dramatic effect of hand-sculpting and accents the grain in the species to create a one-of-a-kind visual. Natkin said the hand-rubbed stain accentuates the grain to create a translucent effect. Hand Sculpted Acacia is rustic in nature. Acacia displays the visual quality of hand-hewn artisan artifacts. This species displays all the characteristics of a timeless hand-scraped floor. The undulating scraping enhances the natural flow of the grain, creating a look that’s exotic and traditional. Antique Finished Imperial Tigerwood’s striping displays a strength and boldness that is both unique and beautiful, noted Natkin. The antique-smooth finish and tiger-striped graining create a visual sure to be the focal point of any room in the home. Antique-Finished Sapele has a distinctive and striated pattern. “Sapele displays a warm character that is elegant and contemporary. The classic antique finish, coupled with the natural glow and luster of the graining, is a perfect complement to any home décor.” Rustic rules Mountain Lumber Co., which specializes in reclaimed flooring, announced at Surfaces it had acquired a limited supply of wood planks originally used in Guinness Brewing vats at the company’s brewery in Dublin, Ireland. Mountain Lumber has arranged to import 25,000 board feet of English Brown Oak, which will be milled into European Cooper’s Oak flooring. Officials said an earlier offering of Cooper’s Oak flooring in 2003 proved very popular for the company, with the entire stock being claimed in pre-sale ordering. Mountain Lumber is currently taking pre-sale orders for this most recent batch of European Cooper’s Oak. The flooring is the ultimate souvenir for Guinness aficionadoes and history buffs. “The first time we offered the Guinness material, much of it sold sight unseen,” said John Williams, vice president and head of sales for Mountain Lumber. “People were so eager to have a piece of Guinness history in their own home they just sent a check and asked us to send them it.” Mullican debuted a prefinished, engineered product called the Elk Ridge Collection, the company’s first offering in both distressed and handsculpted flooring. Comprised of four products—Oak Wilderness, Maple Canyon, Hickory Ravine and Cherry Forest—Elk Ridge is two styles blended together to create an entirely new look. Elk Ridge is available in a variety of colors and species. Also new from the manufacturer at Surfaces was African Legends, Mullican’s first product line using African woods. It comes in both solid and engineered flooring. Buckingham was also launched, available in 3/4-inch prefinished solid flooring and featuring four-sided beveled edges. |