Article Number : 3182 |
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| Date | 4/16/2008 9:09:32 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=3182 |
| Abstract | By Sarah Zimmerman Amid the high prices, low foot traffic and sea of product offerings, vinyl stands out as a practical, fashionable and affordable option according to manufacturers. And, with advancing technology, the category continues to be innovative... |
| Article | By Sarah Zimmerman Amid the high prices, low foot traffic and sea of product offerings, vinyl stands out as a practical, fashionable and affordable option according to manufacturers. And, with advancing technology, the category continues to be innovative. David Sheehan, director of resilient and laminate business for Mannington Mills, said if you look at the entire industry, luxury vinyl is the fastest growing category both residentially and commercially. “Vinyl is so viable first and foremost because it’s a great value to the consumer—it looks and performs better than ever.” Armstrong’s Allen Cubell, vice president of residential, resilient and tile, agreed, saying, “When describing vinyl’s attributes, we’ve simplified the message to three key items: style, care and durability. All the buzzwords and features—affordable; variety of quality and price levels; widest variety of styles, patterns and colors; quiet; comfortable; water-resistant, and easy to clean and maintain—fit into one of these categories.” Pointing out a different attribute of vinyl was Harry Brownett, vice president of sales and marketing for LG Floors. “Vinyl is viable because it is polymer based and easily recycled. Bio-based materials may be rapidly renewable, but they are not truly sustainable and cannot avoid the waste stream as long as vinyl.” He also noted price and variety as two main contributions of technology, making vinyl stand out. “In the current U.S. economy, consumers appear to be searching for alternatives to expensive organic flooring. Hi-res imaging and the realistic look and feel of LVT offers consumers a sophisticated look of organic products at a fraction of the cost.” On the same train of thought, Diane Martel, commercial vice president of marketing for Tarkett, listed economical price points, low life cycle cost, resilience and interesting design options as the main qualities making vinyl practical. Gary Finseth, Tarkett’s residential director of marketing, added the slow economy has created an increased awareness for affordability and function. “Obviously, vinyl is a cost-effective alternative for remodeling, and one that is far more attractive now considering its features, benefits and advantages compared to other flooring.” Michael Freedman, president and CEO of FloorFolio, added, “I truly believe vinyl flooring is the most viable product in the industry today.” His reasons? It can be used in many applications, fits all price categories and is available in unlimited colors and patterns. Products StrataMax is Armstrong’s “new-to-the-world” layered sheet product. Offering durability, performance and ease of installation, Cubell said one of its biggest selling features is that the product can be installed loose lay or OSB. It also offers maximum stain and scratch resistance with Armstrong’s Clean-Sweep and ToughGuard II. Mannington recently introduced several resilient products that are not only viable, but vital, Sheehan noted, pointing to the company’s new Adura Luxury Flooring patterns as well as its traditional sheet vinyl offerings, which use recycled material in their felt backings. “All these products appeal to the consumer on the levels that mean the most to her: beauty, durability and affordability.” Brownett pointed to LG’s Nature Life sheet vinyl as the company’s latest-and-greatest. The high-performance, heterogeneous, print-film sheet was designed for healthcare applications and features a sturdy polyurethane wear layer for easy, low cost maintenance. Nature Life also features LG’s “Clean Room” technology and is made from over 20% post-consumer recycled content. Also on the commercial side, Tarkett is experiencing a high demand for customizable flooring, Martel noted. Azrock by Tarkett commercial tile line allows designers a custom look through the use of color, and its Achieve line offers texture. Focused on the future and the environment, FloorFolio’s newest addition is its LVT, launched at Surfaces. It has a urethane finish for reduced maintenance and is made from recycled content adding to LEED points. And, Freedman noted, “We are the first company to offer all 70 colors in three different wear layers, giving end users many choices on whatever budget they have without sacrificing the aesthetics.” Future “The future of vinyl is bright,” Sheehan concluded. He noted the variety of products and emerging technology as two reasons for this. “Consumers can choose from a plethora of options to suit their needs, and with new technologies we will be able to produce floors that not only look and perform great but that have added green attributes.” The rule of the future in this category will be “no more, no less. New or alternate products must cost ‘no more’ and perform ‘no less’ to succeed in the mainstream consumer product matrix.” And, FloorFolio’s Freedman said new patterns and a greater emphasis on a true green story will be the future of vinyl. “As a company we work hard to not just offer a good green story with recycled content and low maintenance, but to offer future products that will lead the industry.” In agreement, Finseth focused on two major trends Tarkett sees taking shape in the future—sustainability and continued improvements in product performance and design— noting eco-friendly options and fiber-backed vinyl as the vinyl of the future. |