Välinge announced that Changzhou Chenglu New Materials CO., Ltd. became a 5G Dry licensee and launched a collection of laminate products with increased waterproofness using the technology.

Jufeng selected i4F’s drop-lock technologies for faster and easier installation as well as AquaProtect, i4F’s highly advanced water-resistant process technology for laminate as part of its strategy to launch its laminate flooring as a mass market offering.

AHF Products, a manufacturer of hard surface flooring in the U.S., announced the launch of new product lines by Bruce, Armstrong Flooring, Hartco and Crossville, the company's brands.

Karastan's updates include its BelleLuxe Waterproof and LuxeCraft hard surface lines, as well as new soft surface options across the brand’s wool, SmartStrand and XTRA collections.

Named after the legendary Northern California surf spot, known for its massive waves, this new NALFA-certified collection spans 86-5/8” long and 9-7/16” wide.

For the third year, the Mohawk Design Summit brought together retailers and designers to curate the 2025 and 2026 products for the Mohawk, Karastan and Godfrey Hirst brands. 

The latest white paper by the North American Laminate Flooring Association clarifies the distinctions between flooring products labeled as "waterproof" and/or "water-resistant." Additionally, it outlines four key design methods employed in the manufacture of laminate flooring to safeguard against household spills and water challenges. 

Certainly there are exceptions to the rule and we had an opportunity to visit one of those when we were in Philadelphia recently to attend the Greenbuild expo and conference.

Many called 2013 “the Year of LVT.” And with good reason: Resilient has been the fastest growing flooring category, and within this rapidly growing segment, luxury vinyl tile (LVT) is thriving (Editor’s note: For the purposes of this article, LVT refers to both luxury vinyl tile and luxury vinyl plank).

Since bamboo’s initial introduction to the U.S. flooring market in the early 1990s, it has continued to evolve into different flooring formats, which has served to increase the product’s use and demand, especially in today’s eco-conscious flooring market.

In conjunction with the 2014 InterCork II campaign being launched by APCOR, the international trade body representing cork producers from Portugal, I would like to elaborate further on their efforts while extolling the many virtues cork flooring has to offer the independent retailer.

Since its opening in 1960, Detroit’s Cobo Center has become one of the country’s most famous venues, drawing visitors to the banks of the Detroit River for the nation’s premier auto shows, concerts, political conventions and an endless variety of other events.

The World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) announced the winners of the Howard Olansky Affiliate of the Year Awards. 

Unlike the residential market, which is essentially single family housing and most often dealing with remodels, the commercial sector is a vast sea of segments, ranging anywhere from corporate offices to healthcare to education to hospitality to retail to government/military and technically anything else not handled by the typical neighborhood retailer.

In today’s digital age, the Yellow Pages have long since yellowed, permanently replaced by the Internet as the primary source to find a contractor.

When you speak with David Martin, you cannot help but recognize his sense of history, place and responsibility. He is the fourth generation of Martins to work at one of the country’s largest flooring retailers. 

Ted Gregerson found true love as a young man. Working for a Carpet One store in his hometown right out of high school he discovered flooring was in his blood. His love for people, integrity and helping customers create beautiful homes inspired him to his core.

According to a 2014 study by the Harvard University Joint Center for Housing, the home improvement industry is expected to see double-digit growth through the end of the year.

While wood floors are built to withstand the abuse of foot traffic and furniture, humidity is an invisible enemy that can quickly wreak havoc on even the best surfaces.

Almost 30 years ago, Janice Clifton was working as a public accountant and helping a local cash-and-carry flooring retailer exit the business. 

Long gone are the days of cheap, plastic looking vinyl flooring.

Distribution remains a vital part of the floor covering trade, but distributors are facing increased competition from e-commerce sites and retailers who go direct to manufacturers to buy their flooring products.

Choosing and installing the correct commercial floor covering can be a detailed and complicated process that necessarily looks beyond aesthetic preference and examines every aspect of the installation, beginning with the substrate and its condition and ending with the required maintenance regimen once the flooring is installed.

Dreams are what homes are made of.

A Google search for “laminate retailers” will retrieve over a million results in about 30 seconds.

From the beginning, laminate products have had a reputation of having a “hollow” sound when walked upon.

These introductory case studies illustrate how EnviroQuiet LVT has been able to enhance the living and working conditions for a variety of populations.  

Interface introduces project-specific embodied carbon metrics on all floor plans created by its Design Studio. This industry-first initiative allows customers to easily understand the carbon impact of their flooring choices, comparing Interface products to industry averages.

In a move to reshape flooring distribution, Transom Capital Group has announced the formation of Artivo Surfaces, a new parent company that brings together distributors Virginia Tile and Galleher. This strategic consolidation creates a multi-regional powerhouse with 48 locations across 18 states, offering an extensive range of flooring solutions from coast to coast. 

Victoria CEO Phillipe Harners reported that while the flooring sector is experiencing the most severe and longest decline in demand in the last 30 years, the company is optimizing productivity and reducing operational costs while maintaining production capacity to prepare for future demand. 

Nineteen flooring manufacturers, including AHF Products, showcased a curated selection of products and met with architects and designers from the greater New York City area. 

Toronto-based Metropolitan Floors is challenging misleading acoustic rating requirements in condominiums, warning that increasingly demanding Impact Insulation Class (IIC) standards are often unattainable in real-world conditions. The company aims to educate industry stakeholders about the gap between laboratory test results and actual building performance.

Leading commercial interiors event NeoCon announces its call for programming submissions, opening October 30. Industry experts can propose CEUs, workshops, and talks for the 56th edition, scheduled for June 9-11, 2025, at The Mart in Chicago. 

From the Starnet Worldwide Commercial Flooring fall meeting, commercial flooring contractors report that diversified services and building and durable business models are helping them sustain growth into 2025.

Sherwin-Williams will highlight its industrial flooring systems at Pack Expo International, November 3-6, 2024, in Chicago. The company's Protective & Marine division will showcase chemical and sterilant-resistant flooring solutions designed for manufacturing and processing facilities.

The National Floorcovering Alliance (NFA) members demonstrated classic American entrepreneurial resilience at their fall meeting in Washington, D.C., October 27-30, reporting flat to positive business performance in 2024 despite broader market softness.

Mohawk's Performance Accessories showcased its commitment to the installation community as a platinum sponsor of the 2024 CFI and FCICA Convention and Trade Show. Held October 1-3 at the Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Florida.

The SmartLoad FramePro 751XP clipped head framing nailer, SmartLoad FramePro 752XP full round head framing nailer, and SmartLoad SCN65XP coil nailer mount easily to most popular bridge systems, providing dependable fastening performance for machine- driven, high-volume assembly of walls, floors, roofs and other wood construction.

The Floor Covering Education Foundation (FCEF), in partnership with the Alabama Community College System (ACCS) Innovation Center, Drake State Community College, and the Industry Task Force, announced the completion of its first pilot cohort for the Flooring Installation Technicians course.

Infinity Drain identifies emerging bathroom trends of 2025.

CalFlor’s new BlueZone Perimeter Sealant Tape removes the pain of messy, outdated methods for sealing the perimeter of a floor after installation.

Oatey Perfect Slope installs a perfect tile shower pre-slope that ensures half the mortar and half the time required.

Sika will showcase its comprehensive grout solutions at Total Solutions Plus 2024. Visitors to Booth 518 will be able to see firsthand how the SikaTile solutions are designed to eliminate unwanted jobsite callbacks.  

The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) is constantly working with industry leaders to maintain information and training about safety practices and updates on safety equipment on construction sites. Here, they share more about their practices to keep you safe on the jobsite. 

Versatrim employees, including CEO Keith Medick and founder Thilo Hessler, delivered three truckloads of essential supplies to Western North Carolina communities affected by Hurricane Helene. 

WFCA’s Steve Abernathy and FCICA’s Pat Kelly discuss the growth each association has experienced in terms of education and membership as well as what business looks like for the commercial and residential segments over the course of the next year.

Reuben Potter, owner of Floors By Southern Boys, reveals the marketing efforts that are helping him grow his business in 2024.

Glenn Wayne Wholesale Bakery manufacturers donuts, muffins, Danish pastries, cookies, brownies and other baked goods from its full-line manufacturing facility in Bohemia, N.Y.

Wheat processor Crespel & Deiters commissioned the construction of a €18.5 million ($20.7 million) silo building at its main site in Ibbenbüren, Germany at the beginning of the year – the largest single investment in infrastructure in the company’s history. 

Ardent Mills is expected to break ground on the expansion project this summer and is targeting a project completion date by the end of 2026.