Washington—The North American Laminate Flooring Association (NALFA) is advising members and non-members alike to maintain laminate flooring industry standards and embrace the NALFA Seal of Certification as the symbol for quality. With 10 years in the business and expectations of a nearly 100% increase in laminate flooring demands by 2009, NALFA realizes the need for industry-wide quality control.

“There remain manufacturers that are not promoting quality control in the industry, and as the number of products available continues to increase, the need for standards becomes more critical,” said Bill Dearing, president of NALFA. “We are urging members to proudly display the NALFA Seal of Certification on their product packaging and are asking non-members to step up to our standards.”

Consumers are facing inconsistencies among laminate flooring products and concluding the products as cheap, according to a recent study. Bearing the NALFA Seal of Certification automatically gives that product an advantage, Dearing said. This will allow retailers and consumers to know they are purchasing a quality product.

NALFA first created voluntary performance standards and a certification program in 2000. The American National Standards Institute approved these standards in 2001. NALFA’s product performance requirement includes: static load, thickness swell, impact resistance, light resistances, cleanability/stain resistance, wear resistance, dimensional tolerances and castor chair resistance.

For more info, visit www. nalfa.com.