Article Number : 4858 |
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| Date | 9/18/2009 9:08:32 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=4858 |
| Abstract | By Matthew Spieler One bright spot during this recession has been the resilient category, which actually gained market share last year following more than a decade of... |
| Article | By Matthew Spieler One bright spot during this recession has been the resilient category, which actually gained market share last year following more than a decade of declines. “Vinyl is still one of the most economical flooring choices consumers can make for their homes,” noted Allen Cubell, Armstrong’s vice president of resilient product management. “The same attributes as always are now more prevalent than ever: Resilient is affordable; offers the widest variety of quality levels and prices; the widest variety of patterns and colors. It can be used in all levels of the house. And, it is quiet and comfortable underfoot.” With that, the following is a small sampling of the wide mix of styles top manufacturers are introducing this fall. Armstrong This fall, Cubell said the mill is introducing SKUs across some of its most popular and best-selling product lines, shoring up its extensive offering as consumers continue to rediscover vinyl as an attractive, durable and economical floor covering. Armstrong’ two biggest introductions this fall are in its popular CushionStep and StrataMax collections. With the continued growing popularity of fiberglass flooring, Armstrong is adding 29 SKUs to CushionStep. The products are broken into three points and design groups—11 Best, eight Better and 10 Good. Featuring the mill’s exclusive MasterWorks Technology with VTx, Cubell said CushionStep offers “unbelievable realism and texture at an affordable price.” Eighteen SKUs are being added to Armstrong’s StrataMax bringing the total to 64 for this “revolutionary installation technology” which allows the product to be laid directly over OSB. Congoleum First, there were the traditional felt-backed flooring products, which were followed by fiberglass-backed flooring and now Congoleum is offering the next generation—Flexible Felt Composite flooring, noted Dennis Jarosz, senior vice president of sales and marketing. AirStep Evolution is the first product in this area and is the latest in the mill’s popular AirStep line. He noted it features Congoleum’s UltraTec Premium product construction which blends the best of both traditional felt and fiberglass product construction into a thick crossover composite backing which guarantees that the floor will lay flat and stay flat. As a result, the product can be installed three ways: loose-laid, perimeter fastened or full spread. “A definite advantage for the retailer and, ultimately, the consumer.” Constructed with the company’s Stain Defense System (SDS), a built-into-the-wearlayer technology that protects the floor from spills and other annoying “sticky stuff that wipes off quickly with just a damp mop and water.” Available in four designs and 18 colorations, he said AirStep Evolution also features silver, a natural antibacterial that guards against mold, mildew and alkali, and aluminum oxide for a tough finish. Mannington This fall the company will be introducing six sheet vinyl patterns to its offering. In addition, Paul Mixon, product manager of resilient business, said a new graphic for the display will communicate the fact that Mannington is the only resilient mill incorporating recycled content in its entire residential sheet offering. Content varies with each product, but he noted it consists of both pre- and post-consumer material. Currently products consist of recycled content anywhere between 6.5% and 8.75%. As builders and property managers look for products that are durable yet stylish and affordable, Mannington is introducing Duration. Mixon said it consists of 13 patterns in 20 SKUs to offer a variety of looks in addition to performance and durability benefits. The six sheet patterns being added this fall include: Bogota, a 9-inch tile with thin rectified grout lines and hand painted insets; Mediter-ranea, a large-scale modular design; Rushmore, an allover pattern that mimics the fine, sanded and strong façade of Mount Rushmore; Torino Ridge, a small-scale modular pattern with rectified grout lines; Stanford Slate, which combines a sand worn surface texture with an authentic shale structure, and American hickory, featuring variable-width planks, heavy graining, rustic knotholes and classic coloring. Metroflor Having already taken the category by storm with its revolutionary Konecto, the industry’s first floating luxury vinyl tile (LVT), Metroflor has once again raised the bar with the introduction of Solidity featuring the exclusive Grab-Tak technology. Michael Raskin, president, said Solidity Ceramic with Grab-Tak is a “resilient ceramic tile” with a professional-grade adhesive pre-attached to its back. At 3mm thick it is 50% greater than traditional self-stick vinyl tiles, making it far more durable and reliable than what is sold in the home centers. “With Grab-Tak, the adhesive is already pre-applied, so installation teams can complete a job in less than half the time of traditional installations. All you do is remove the release paper and apply the tile to the subfloor.” Aside from the thickness of the tile, Raskin said another thing that separates Solidity Ceramic with Grab-Tak from the lower-quality peel-and-stick tiles is the patent-pending professional-grade adhesive, which has a stronger tack that, once applied, adheres securely to the subfloor. Tarkett Having reintroduced the North American market to the fiberglass backing segment, Tarkett is expanding on its popular line with Funtastic Island and Sylvanova Slate, as well as continuing to add to its LVT collection in the Nafco by Tarkett brand. “FiberFloor is smart, practical and beautiful,” noted Mario Allard, residential director of resilient. “Its expansive array of colors, textures and patterns are specifically designed for North America.” Beyond its looks, he said FiberFloor provides performance factors consumers are seeking: It stands up to moisture, scuffs, indentation, scratches and in a warm, quiet, comfortable way.” Erica Hubbard, Nafco’s director of marketing, added “We’re seeing more consumers combine different patterns and styles of LVT to create their own, personalized look. Another popular design we see staying strong through 2010 are traditional looks, like herringbone.” |