By Matthew Spieler
Sales of exotic wood species may be growing faster than the overall category but, when it comes to wood, oak is still king among American consumers as a number of manufacturers report some products which have been on the market for as much as 10 years now remain among their best sellers.

While this holds true in both solid and engineered constructions, technological advancements have allowed mills to create a great deal of variety in how a product is offered, giving consumers plenty from which to choose.

Dick Quinlan, general manager, Armstrong’s Bruce Hardwood Floors, said the brand’s solid Dundee strip and plank continues to lead in sales. “The product has been in the market for over 10 years and is still going strong. Oak continues to lead the market as the preferred specie with approximately 65% of all wood sales, and Dundee continues to lead with significant sales in both new home construction and residential repair remodel. This product continues to sell well because it offers consistent, superior quality, a wide choice of colors in the most popular widths, 2-1/4- and 3-1/4-inches, all at competitive prices.”

On the engineered side, he noted Bruce’s Turlington in oak and American Exotics is the hot item even after being on the market for five years. “This collection has grown in size and variety to meet the growing consumer demand for this blockbuster product and now includes a variety of colors and species along with a ‘piano smooth’ filled aluminum oxide and micro-bevel edges.”

Even at Natural Cork, whose primary business is cork and bamboo, “our Navarre collection [a European oak floor] is becoming quite popular,” said Philippe Erramuzpe, COO. These very rustic boards with a natural oil finish are long and wide engineered planks. The very upscale look is made to resemble old floors found in historic European dwellings. This line was introduced at the end of last year and we plan to have four new styles this fall.”

Jason Webb, product manager at Tarkett, said, “As has been the case for our business and the industry for many years, classic red oak natural is the king of products.”

When it comes to the company’s best sellers, he said whether it is engineered, solid or longstrip, red oak natural is the No. 1 specie selected. As for styles, “within our engineered hardwood, it is our mid-priced Amherst collection; in longstrip, our best seller is Foundations Gold, and within our solids, it is a Red Oak Natural in ¾-inch, [though] we are seeing movement toward 3- inch and greater planks from 2-1/4 inch strip.

Finally, Luc Robitaille, vice president of marketing at Boa- Franc G.P., said Mirage Lock, one of the company’s newest offerings this year, “is already among the top selling styles. Forecasts for product have already been exceeded after just seven months following the launch at Surfaces.”

Featuring an exclusive pivot and hook installation system so no glue is needed, “Mirage Lock maintains all the time-honored traditions of the brand—a wearlayer of genuine dry sawn hardwood, precision engineering, and state of the art finish,” he explained. It is available in 4-5/16 inch planks in red oak and maple and comes in a variety of colors.