Article Number : 717 |
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| Date | 11/18/2005 10:14:20 AM |
| Written By | LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services |
| View this article at: | //floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=717 |
| Abstract | St. Louis—The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has formed an Appearance Standards Taskforce that is working to develop a consumer-focused set of appearance standards that are understandable and portray the finished appearance of the floor... |
| Article | St. Louis—The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) has formed an Appearance Standards Taskforce that is working to develop a consumer-focused set of appearance standards that are understandable and portray the finished appearance of the floor. Said NWFA board member and Anderson Hardwood Floors president, Don Finkell, “Consumers buy a floor based on the look and appearance of the floor, not on the number of character marks it has, so we want to help them more clearly understand what the floor they are purchasing will look like.” To accomplish this, noted Ed Korczak, NWFA’s executive director, the Task Force has identified five appearance standards: • Clear facial appearance free of blemishes and color variation; • Consistent facial appearance with minimal character marks and color variation; • Natural facial appearance with visible character marks, color variation and mineral streaks; • Standard facial appearance with significant character marks and color variation, and • Rustic distressed facial appearance resulting from international hand scraping, recovered wood, etc. Within these categories, the Task Force will determine equivalent industry manufacturing grades from several prominent grading organizations, including NOFMA, MFMA and CLA. Said Korczak, “NWFA recognizes that NOFMA, MFMA, CLA and the Southern Pine Association have long-established grading rules for the products their manufacturing members represent, and we respect their hard work in this area. “Our intention is not to develop another set of grading rules,” he explained, “but rather to establish categories for facial appearance that the consumer can understand, regardless of the product chosen or the organization providing the product grade.” Korczak concluded that educating consumers, and simplifying the appearance process from their perspective, helps advance and promote wood flooring for the entire industry. For additional information on NWFA and its programs, call 800/422/4556. —Louis Iannaco |