Article Number : 660 |
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| Date | 11/7/2005 10:02:32 PM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=660 |
| Abstract | Hicksville, N.Y.—“The foundation of any solid flooring job is what lies beneath the surface.” Ask any knowledgeable mechanic what the key to a successful flooring installation is, and you’ll probably receive this kind of answer... |
| Article | Hicksville, N.Y.—“The foundation of any solid flooring job is what lies beneath the surface.” Ask any knowledgeable mechanic what the key to a successful flooring installation is, and you’ll probably receive this kind of answer. Sometimes, however, so much emphasis is put on the sale of the floor, the underlayment is treated as an afterthought, if at all. According to many, a lot of money is being left on the table when it comes to the sale of underlayments. “One of the things that can be done is to sell added features,” said Jeremy Verstraete, segment marketing manager of flooring, United States Gypsum Co. (USG). “First, the durability of a product should be emphasized, along with its ease of use, and resistance to mold and moisture. How it’s actually applied should be discussed, whether it be some sort of mortar or adhesive or whether you are screwing or stapling, how it is applied to the actual subfloor.” “One way dealers can make more money is to educate installers about the benefits of using a cement board,” said Stacey Otto, interior product manager for James Hardie, producer of underlayments for ceramic, vinyl and ceramic tile floors.” Bob Cummings, marketing manager for PacLite, believes the first thing sales professionals have to realize is that there are profits to be made in underlayments. “Salespeople are leaving a lot of money on the table because every laminate floor that is put down in the U.S. [needs underlayments]. “Most of the time,” he explained, “they are not thinking about the underlayment, they just want to sell their brand, speaking of the OEM level selling to a distributor. But what they don’t realize is, there is a whole lot of money being lost because there is no way you can lay down a laminate without putting in the underlayment first.” According to Verstraete, education for both the contractor and installer is key to making more profits from underlayments. “If you hire a contractor to put a floor in, typically the he would control the underlayment being used and the more we can educate him or the installer on how that can become a profit center for them, the better. This can be done by selling value added products that demand a higher price but also gives peace of mind to the end user. “By pushing value added benefits, whether it be sound-deadening, crack isolation membranes or waterproof membranes, sales professionals can make underlayment a profit center,” he added. “There are also different types of products that are laid down that can help save the contractor money, whether it be concrete board versus a gypsum-based board versus a regular piece of wood.” “Many people selling flooring don’t think about the quality of the sound,” said Cummings. “Right now, we are the only company in the industry that does the type of acoustic testing we do. Our ultimate goal is to make laminate floors sound like hardwood. Obviously, we aren’t there yet, but many don’t realize if they don’t put a good underlayment in there, they are potentially losing business down the road because of complaints. If they take underlayment more seriously, it actually enhances future sales.” Otto, like Verstraete and Cummings, believes the more that is known about underlayments and what they can do can only be beneficial to the industry as a whole. “Many contractors are buying 1/2-in. boards for the floor. You don’t need to buy those if you use Hardibacker 1/4-in., for example, because the strength of the 1/4-in. is actually more than the 1/2-in. boards. It’s easier to work with and would take them half the time to install the product, but many consumers aren’t educated. “Intuitively,” she added, “you’d think the thicker the product, the stronger it is and, since it’s under the floor, I better use the 1/2-in. There are times when a 1/2-in. is going to work better, but other times, the 1/4-in. boards will do.” Much about underlayments is perceived, noted Verstraete. “So much of it is peace of mind because the only time a person really cares about the underlayment is when she has a complaint. Peace of mind is on top of the priority list because of the topics people are hearing about, whether it be problems with mold, moisture, waterproofing, or they’ve got that baby grand on the first floor and are putting in a floor above it, they want to make sure it’s properly installed. “Typically,” he explained, “many contractors are comfortable using one product, and it’s never thought of as a profit center. They’re just comfortable with it as opposed to a high performance, value added product.” Cummings concluded, the two biggest issues salespeople need to address when selling underlayments are moisture and sound deadening. “These ultimately enhance the product, but they don’t see it. When it comes to making money, people ignore the fact underlayment is another product that everyone has to buy, and the margins are pretty darn good. We’ve got companies making higher margins on the underlayment than on the product they manufacture.” —Louis Iannaco |