By Emily Hooper
The resilient category has been one of the main categories to experience growth over the last few years, but manufacturers seem to be playing it safe with the introduction of spring products. As such, mills are using the season to expand on current collections and fill the gaps of current offerings, both in sheet and tile products.
Lines with great stone looks are rounding out with proliferated wood visuals, maintaining the integrity of material quality and installation methods. Ultimately, producers in the category are positioning to offer the consumer everything she wants from a price and design standpoint.
ArmstrongComing off its greatest product launch ever, (
FCNews, Dec. 6/13), Armstrong invested $26 million in updating the products in its new resilient display, encompassing felt-backed, fiberglass-backed and Stratamax goods.
New to the builder market is Duality, a fiberglass product with ToughGuard Flex backing with lifetime limited and 15-year light commercial warranties. The collection also features MasterWorks print technology for realistic, 3-D visuals. “Like a high-definition television, MasterWorks Technology 3D with VTx captures the depth, definition and dimension of natural materials, so stones look and feel like stones, and wood looks and feels like wood,” said JoLynne Brew, product manager, Resilient Sheet.
The mill has also refreshed its CushionStep fiberglass and StarStep felt collections with new designs and colors.
“From the unique markings of dramatic slate to modular designs that mimic the look of a ceramic installation, the stones collections captures the beauty of natural material and provides warmth and comfort underfoot,” Brew said. Similarly, the wood collection captures graining and color variation of exotic and reclaimed flooring. “Alternatives is visually exotic, combining floor and fashion from the stylish look of leather to modern designs that add drama and sophistication to any room.”
Armstrong vinyl also comes with CleanSweep, the coating that protects against everyday spills, scratches and scuffs with minimal maintenance. Certain floors are also eligible for an antimicrobial layer to help guard against stain and odor-causing bacteria.
CongoleumDuraPlank II is the season’s highlight from Congoleum. In addition to Dura-product construction, the update contains three new wood looks, a rustic handscraped texture on select patterns and an enhanced wear surface.
Added benefits to DuraPlank II include a patented, low-gloss, stain-resistant surface glaze with Scotchgard protector, silver antibacterial protection, aluminum oxide for scratch resistance, and suspended nylon particles that guard against wear, said Dennis Jarosz, senior vice president, sales and marketing. “Extra thick overall limestone composite construction provides stability and excellent impact resistance, and it can be combined with DuraCeramic or Options for a custom-designed floor.”
He continued that DuraPlank II’s moisture resistance makes installation ideal in rooms where water might cause problems for real wood, especially in kitchens and baths. It also will not splinter, crack, warp, cup, crown, scratch or fade and there is no need to add 7% to 10% overage to a job for waste like wood.
Manufactured in the U.S. and FloorScore certified, the product is available now.
ManningtonBoth sheet and tile goods were updated for the spring. The SobellaOmniHD collection grew from the addition of Colorado, a rectangular modern slate look with rectified grout lines in five earth tones, and Veranda, a weathered and rustic French-style terra cotta in four colors.
“All SobellaOmniHD patterns feature Nature Form HD technology for incredible realism and clarity with images that are 200% sharper, and colors that are richer and deeper than could ever have been achieved before,” said
David Sheehan, vice president, Resilient Business. Both additions also come with a 20mil wearlayer with ScratchResist Guardian and Mannington’s GottaLoveIt guarantee.
SobellaSupreme saw the addition of Alloy, a modern 9 x 18 pattern in four colors with metallic hints, and Cantina, a 12-inch terra cotta in four colors. The collection also features NatureForm Optix, ScratchResist Guardian and the mill’s NeverYellow Warranty.
SobellaClassic gained Encore, a 12-inch slate look with grout lines in four colors, and the features and benefits of Sobella Supreme.
In tile, Adura was grown with the additions of Vibe, Casa and Calypso. Vibe is a textile visual in six colors that can be blended for a customized look; Casa takes a terra cotta look when grouted, a painted concrete without, and Calypso, is a marble look in four colors.
All collection updates are available now.
