Article Number : 2111 |
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| Date | 7/3/2007 9:13:30 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=2111 |
| Abstract | By Louis Iannaco For several years now, the growth of exotic species in hardwood flooring and the increased awareness of environmental issues have gone hand in hand... |
| Article | By Louis Iannaco For several years now, the growth of exotic species in hardwood flooring and the increased awareness of environmental issues have gone hand in hand. As consumers shop for more than just oak in order to make their homes more attractive, green factors have played a growing role in their choices. Whether it is the trend toward environmentally friendly bamboo or the desire for darker, more exotic species such as merbau, people want to know they are leaving behind a responsible green footprint on the world as well as adding to the value of their homes. What role is all this playing in the growth of engineered wood flooring? A major one it seems. “Exotic woods are often more affordable and available in engineered construction, making this type of construction popular with foreign exotic species,” said Mohawk’s Brian Carson, president of hard surfaces. Bob Leahy, Mohawk’s senior vice president, and Lindsey Waldrep, brand manager for the company’s wood/laminate business, added, “Domestic exotics—such as walnut, birch and hickory—are often available in both solid and engineered constructions.” Luc Robitaille, vice president of marketing for Boa-Franc, the parent company of Mirage, doesn’t believe environmental concerns have had a large impact on the growth of engineered product as of yet, but it will in the near future. “It seems that we are really just starting to see a real surge of the environmental interest as it relates to wood flooring, and the real impact will be felt in the next two to three years. Green: Practice makes perfect He added at Mirage, “we’ve always been extremely green in our everyday work, from the burning of wood chips in producing heat for our kilns and the sale of reject wood to fiberboard companies to the support of urban tree plantations around North America. For us this isn’t a new trend, as with many others, it’s who we have always been.” Robitaille believes the increase in exotics is tied directly to the growth of engineered wood. “With regard to exotic species, that is another story. Their growth has certainly fueled part of the growth in engineered. This is mainly due to the fact that low-priced imports of engineered exotics have been extremely popular as of late.” Jack Eyal, president of Accord Flooring, said the flooring market is very sensitive to environmental concerns and the renewal of natural resources. “Exotic species are supplied by vendors who have the license to trade in exotics with the condition that they replant those trees. “Actually,” he explained, “reforestation is efficient in these tropical climates, as there is faster growth in that environment than in more temperate climates. Any responsible manufacturer, including Accord, follows the strict governmental principles mandated for sustaining forest management in order to support the continuous cycle in reforestation.” Wider the better David Wilkerson, Shaw industries’ vice president of marketing, believes, over time, “consumers will become increasingly receptive to engineered floors as they learn more about their environmental advantages. In reference to exotic species, these products are continuing to gain market acceptance, especially in wider width constructions—over 3-1/2 inches. Since the wider widths are primarily produced in engineered formats for stability reasons, this will drive overall engineered sales demand.” Eyal noted, in past years, traditional flooring essentially used oak in different varieties, either patterned or non-patterned. “Recently, this wood began to seem overused, and people started looking for something different. Here’s where the exotics came in. They are aesthetically pleasing—a very beautiful look with a warm feeling, available in a wide range of colors and textures. Although exotic woods are substantially more expensive than traditional woods, it seems the public feels these higher-end products are worth the investment because of their color and aesthetics.” Mike Beavers, senior vice president of marketing and merchandising for Anderson Hardwood Floors, said there is no denying exotics are a big part of the industry. “We continue to be very cautious about exotics and selectively choose which products we put in our line based on whether those species are obtained from sustainable forests. “We have always been concerned about environmental issues,” he added. “Even before it became cool to be green, we were conservative. Interestingly enough, just the fact that we rotary peel our veneers for most of our engineered floors—we use almost all the log—what is not used for making flooring gets turned into fuel for our boilers or it is sold as bark.” Dick Quinlan, Armstrong’s general manager of wood products, said sales of exotics continue to grow. “We are experiencing growth in both domestic grown exotics and foreign species. Engineered products in all species provide the ability to increase the square footage of finished flooring produced from a log of the face material. The face veneer is pressed onto a panel of other real wood veneers to produce an engineered flooring product. “The fact that the face veneer is thinner than traditional solid wood flooring provides greater use of the raw materials when manufactured into flooring,” he explained. “Better use of raw material: 3/4-inch solid generally requires 1.9 board feet of lumber to produce one square foot of finished floor while a 3/8-inch engineered with a 2mm thick face requires .2 board feet of face material to produce the same amount, combined with other layers of veneer.” According to Dan Natkin, hardwood product manager for Mannington Mills, the popularity of engineered hardwoods has been increasing over the past few years, “which we attribute to several factors, including styling and design, installation flexibility and environmental issues. “The environmental issue is really becoming hot among consumers,” he added, “and it’s a good point for retailers to talk about, since the topic is becoming more important to the public.” |