Hicksville, N.Y.—The growth of hard surface flooring, punctuated in recent years by the success of hardwood, ceramic tile and laminate, seems to have spawned yet another energetic sibling: rubber. And while there are still many in the industry who can fondly recall the heights of rubber’s heyday in the 1970’s, a surge in state-of-the-art technology has a renewed interest in the segment and increased applications. And, the resurgence of this category has the potential to become even bigger. “Basically, we are just starting again,” said Mark Tickle, marketing manager for Estrie Products International. “Rubber flooring has been around for years, but what’s happened the last couple years is, it has moved up the ladder and is evolving into a designer look. It’s becoming the look of the next decade. “We’ve only just started to grow the product for the last three or four years. It’s only just started to grow again. It’s not only us; every rubber manufacturer is addressing the need.

“Commercially, rubber flooring has really taken off,” he added. “One reason for this is, manufacturers such as ourselves have addressed the colors as well as the customized compounds to meet the standards that are required in the industry. “We’ve introduced more visuals, colors and more profiles,” he explained. “Due to the advent of new technology, we are now capable of bringing in a natural looking slate product made out of rubber for both residential and commercial applications.” Tickle noted, rubber flooring is now being used for some residential applications as well. “It is being used increasingly in all avenues within the residential sector. The rubber is treated with a high, shiny wax. The rubber itself doesn’t need that, but it gives a certain look people want; in the rubber there are some very high-tech, geometric patterns and companies like to use it for decoration purposes.”

“People are using rubber for its benefits,” said Ivan Stoler, president of Allstate Rubber Corp., “the environmental aspect, insurance, long lasting, lower maintenance, and now, a lot more people are offering it than did 20 years ago. Retailers are selling it a little bit too. What the contractors want is something other people don’t offer. If one manufacturer has a certain style, the contractor wants something a little different, not a me-too item. “Many designers weren’t around when rubber flooring was enjoying its first heyday in the 1970s,” he continued. “Even some of the older ones who have seen it want it back because they believe, ‘What’s old is new and I forgot it has these benefits.’ No one has really talked them up. The newer designers are saying it’s something new and different. They may have seen the old ’70s-style looks and they like that somewhat, but the majority think it’s the new styles they need and they want the benefits of rubber floors—the quietness, the cost effectiveness, the low maintenance.”

“Flooring has to be practical, it has to be clean and safe; both slip resistant and from a fire standpoint,” said Tickle. “But that’s a given, you’ve got to meet those standards. What’s happening now is, rubber flooring sells through its fashion. Does the color, texture and profile appeal to her? That is what the rubber flooring manufacturers are addressing at the moment. “With the new technology,” he explained, “that is the direction we are headed. We’ve gone from the institutional type rubber that we’ve seen over the last 20 to 30 years and now we’ve evolved over the last couple years into bringing all these textures and colors to the market. People are beginning to specify it on a growing basis. “The healthcare field has really embraced it,” said Tickle. “They’ve really seen its benefits from a maintenance perspective and it is becoming more of a fashion statement. They can do more with it. It helps in the healing process because it doesn’t jar the joints, it’s more comfortable to walk on and provides sound reduction as well. These are the some of the characteristics it brings to the market.

“Institutions like schools—kindergarten and daycare all the way up to universities—are using it in their hallways and facilities,” he added. “Sports facilities are using it, as well as retail stores and there is some work going into residential. Commercially, you’ll see it in office buildings now. Rubber has moved from the back door into the more focused areas of the building. We’re starting to see it in lobbies. It really is an exciting product. People think they are going to be walking on a slate product and it’s not. For all intent and purposes, it looks like natural slate, but it’s not—it’s rubber.” According to Stoler, custom work is a large part of Allstate’s growing business. “Not a day goes by that we don’t do some custom work whether it’s a custom tile or a custom color on a wall base or even a custom shape, we are doing it everyday. Minimums are small and we are finding the A&D people are calling us saying, ‘I want to do job X but I don’t have a 100,000-sq.-ft. of building here, I’ve got a small area of 5,000 square feet. We are willing to do that. Customization is very big right now. It’s catching up to where the carpet mills are where they can do a custom pattern or color relatively quickly. We are catching up to that now.”

“The areas it’s going in are a lot more corporate,” Stoler said. “We are seeing a lot more corporate use where before it used to be a lot more retail-type use in stores. We’re are doing a lot more in the healthcare arena too. I see the segment continuing to grow for real rubber, and that is the crucial thing: people are asking for the vulcanized rubber.” New Products, Upgrades Roppe Corp. is one of several rubber flooring companies to develop new products recently. Highlights is a collection featuring six new colors designed to breathe life into any environment. Roppe has also launched a new pricing program for customers designed to simplify the purchasing process. All colors for major product lines including rubber tile and rubber tread lines, as well as its newly reintroduced Pinnacle rubber base line, are now sold at a single price point. “After listening to our customers, designers and specifiers’ needs, we are anxious to show off our bright new line of colors available under our new single price point system,” said Dee Dee Trumpler, Roppe’s advertising and promotions manager.

Johnsonite has launched a series of new and upgraded products including CityScape, a 2mm gauge tile which comes in 53 designs; three new profiles have been added to Millwork wall base, which is now available in more than 100 colors, and seven new wood-grain patterns have been added to the decorative wall base Wall Art, available in various patterns reminiscent of wood, stone or metal. Flexco has added EnviroFlex, a nature-friendly product line that demonstrates responsible manufacturing of flooring and accessories, and Base Sculptures, offered in two heights, which has the look of finely crafted woodwork in a rubber wall base. “With its easy installation, durable composition and low maintenance requirements, Base Sculptures is the perfect solution for anyone who wants the appearance of wood at a fraction of the cost,” said John Truitt, Flexco’s director of sales and marketing. —Louis Iannaco