National Floor Trends November 2011

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L VE November 11

p. 10 WFCA Consumer Study: Social Media Not a Part of Purchases p. 20 New LVT, Loose-Lay Products Point to Resilient Flooring Growth p. 28 Thinset and Economics

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Vol. 13, No. 11 November 11

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National Floor Trends

NATIONAL FLOOR TRENDS Volume 13, Issue 11 (ISSN 1521-8031) is published 12 times annually, monthly, by BNP Media II, L.L.C., 2401 W. Big Beaver Rd., Suite 700, Troy, MI 48084-3333. Telephone: (248) 362-3700, Fax: (248) 362-0317. No charge for subscriptions to qualified individuals. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in the U.S.A.: $115.00 USD. Annual rate for subscriptions to nonqualified individuals in Canada: $149.00 USD (includes GST & postage); all other countries: $165.00 (int’l mail) payable in U.S. funds. Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright 2011, by BNP Media II, L.L.C. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations. Periodicals Postage Paid at Troy, MI and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: NATIONAL FLOOR TRENDS, P.O. Box 2145, Skokie, IL 60076. Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40612608. GST account: 131263923. Send returns (Canada) to Pitney Bowes, P.O. Box 25542, London, ON, N6C 6B2. Change of address: Send old address label along with new address to NATIONAL FLOOR TRENDS, P.O. Box 2145, Skokie, IL 60076. For single copies or back issues: contact Ann Kalb at (248) 244-6499 or [email protected].

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WFCA Consumer Study: Social Media Not Part of Flooring Purchases A majority of consumers do not find it important for a specialty flooring retailer to be involved with social media, according to the results of a new consumer study commissioned by the World Floor Covering Association and conducted by Clear Seas Research.

On The Cover: An installation of Caesar’s More large-format porcelain tile at Brocade Communications’ 560,000 sq. ft. campus in San Jose, Calif. Architect/designer: Robbin McDonald, Mindi Weichman, Karen Letteney and Darryl Jackson (RMW architecture & interiors). Contractor: DeAnza Tile and Reputable Tile. Distributor: Helena Jausas, SpecCeramics Inc. of San Francisco. Photo by Bernard Andre, courtesy of Ceramics of Italy.

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New LVT, Loose-Lay Products Point to Resilient Flooring Growth The latest lvt styles including loose-lay products are bringing new looks to both residential and commercial settings. Fiberglass-backed resilient floors are also continuing to increase in popularity.

28

4 ● November 2011 I www.ntlfloortrends.com

Thinset and Economics Columnist Dave Gobis looks at the connection between thinset and economics in an era of fast-track construction. However, he cautions that thinset should not be used in every situation, and that doing so can cause problems and headaches.

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National Floor Trends

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36 8

Editorial Comment

14 Commercial Possibilities – Where Carpet Tile and Ceramic Made the Difference 18 Upcoming Industry Events 24 Savvy Hardwood Business – 10 Critical Questions (and Answers) Before the Next Hardwood Boom 33 Green Matters 34 Art of Retail Management – Choose to Be a Good Corporate Citizen

Publisher Diana Brown • [email protected] Editor and Associate Publisher Jeff Golden • [email protected] Associate Editor Michael Chmielecki • [email protected] Tile & Stone Editor Arpi Nalbandian • [email protected] Products Editor John Moore • [email protected] Digital Content Consultant Dave Foster • [email protected] Sr. Art Director Rick Arvidson • [email protected] Production Manager Jennifer Allen • [email protected] Columnists: Sam Allman, Rick Brian, Annette Callari, Christopher Capobianco, Dave Gobis, Reggie Hill, Dave Stafford, Ray Thompson Jr. In Memoriam: Howard Olansky 1928-2006

Publishing and Sales Office: 22801 Ventura Blvd. Woodland Hills, CA 91364 Phone: (818) 224-8035, Fax: (818) 224-8042 Western Regional Manager Dan Lipman • (818) 224-8035 x 2206 Southern Regional Manager Scott Daniell • (770) 788-6377 Northern Regional Manager Keith Parry • (973) 248-6097 Classified Sales Manager Sharon Ward • (847) 405-4017 Turkey Hilmi Zafer Erdem • 90-0212-257-76-66 • e-mail: [email protected] Brazil Lazzaro Menasce • +55 (11) 3822-4422 • Fax: +55 (11) 3663-5436

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40 Retailer Spotlight: San Jose Hardwood Floors, Carpet & Vinyl 42 Focus on Resilient – The Price of Non-Conformance When Using Incorrect Products 44 The Healing Power of Flooring 46 Reader Action Card 47 Ad Index/Classified Ads 48 Products

On the Web: Centiva launches “The People Make Centiva” video Centiva unveils “The People Make Centiva,” a YouTube video outlining some of the people at the company and what makes Centiva unique.

NAW presents “Innovations in Distribution Selling” white paper series The National Association of Wholesalers-Distributors (NAW) has published a series of white papers on the business of wholesale distribution.

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Corporate Directors John R. Schrei Publishing Lisa L. Paulus Finance Rita M. Foumia Corporate Strategy Director Marlene J. Witthoft Human Resources Director Nikki Smith Directories Michael T. Powell Creative Scott Krywko Information Technology Vincent M. Miconi Production Ariane Claire Marketing Beth A. Surowiec Clear Seas Research Audience Development Christina Gietzen Audience Development Coordinator Kelly Carlson Multimedia Specialist Carolyn M. Alexander Audience Audit Coordinator Christopher Wilson BNP Custom Media Group Phone: (248) 244-8264 • [email protected] List Rental Contacts Kevin Collopy Sr. Account Manager (845) 731-2684 Toll Free: (800) 223-2194 x684 • [email protected] Michael Costantino Sr. Account Manager (845) 731-2748 Toll Free: (800) 223-2194 x748 • [email protected] For subscription information or service, please contact Customer Service at: Tel. (847) 763-9534 or Fax (847) 763-9538 or e-mail: [email protected]

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E ditorial Comment I

by Jeff Golden, editor

Final Ruling Near on Chinese Engineered Wood Imports Investigation Last month’s release of findings by the Department of Commerce (DOC), with affirmative final determinations in the antidumping duty (AD) and countervailing duty (CVD) of multilayered (engineered) wood flooring from China marks a turning point as the investigation nears its end. The release of the DOC determinations coincided with hearings by the International Trade Commission (ITC) on Oct. 12.

Jeff welcomes your comments. He can be reached via e-mail at GoldenJ@ bnpmedia.com, or you can write him in care of NFT.

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he DOC determined that Chinese producers/ exporters have sold multilayered wood flooring in the U.S. at dumping margins, with 74 qualifying for a separate rate of 3.31%. Mandatory respondents Zhejiang Yuhua (Yuhua) Timber Co. received a dumping rate of zero percent; Zhejiang Layo Wood Industry (Layo), 3.98%; and Samling Group, 2.63%. Non-responding Chinese producers received a dumping rate of 58.84%. In the countervailing duty investigation, mandatory respondent Fine Furniture (Shanghai) Ltd. and its affiliate Great Wood (Tonghua) Ltd. and Fine Furniture Plantation (Shishou) Ltd. received a net subsidy rate of 1.5% Other mandatory respondents Layo and its affiliate Jiaxing Brilliant Import & Export Co., 0.33% (de minimis); and Yuhua, 0.47% (de minimis). Nonresponding Chinese producers/exporters totaling 124 were assigned an adverse facts available rate of 26.73% ad valorem. All other Chinese producers/exporters received a net subsidy rate of 1.5% ad valorem. The dumping and subsidy rates announced by the DOC represent deposit requirements for estimated penalty duties, which are subject to retroactive revision. The investigation follows a petition filed in late October 2010 by the Coalition for American Hardwood Parity (CAHP), an association of U.S. engineered wood manufacturers. Jeff Levin, CAHP lead counsel stated: “We are pleased that the Commerce Department has agreed with what the U.S. industry stated from the beginning of this process. The vast majority of Chinese imports are unfairly traded. This industry presented a very compelling case to the ITC.” Jonathan Train, president of the Alliance for Free Choice and Jobs in Flooring (AFCJF), representing

8 ● November 2011 I www.ntlfloortrends.com

American flooring importers, distributors, retailers and hardwood timber exporters said, “We applaud the DOC for finding even lower rates in this final phase of their investigation.” The final ITC determination will be released on Nov. 22 and the issuance of order on Nov. 29. Five to Receive NAFCD 2011 Lifetime Achievement Awards For the first time since the North American Association of the Floor Covering Distributors (NAFCD) began presenting its Lifetime Achievement Awards in 2008, multiple winners have been selected: Roger Hunt, Flex Credit; L.A., Kenny, and Jeff Train, Swiff-Train Co.; and Donald Wohlfarth, Sr., Bayard Sales Corp. The Lifetime Achievement Award honors exceptional leadership or contributions that have led to expanding the vision of the floor covering distribution industry. “Together, Roger, L.A., Kenny, Jeff, and Donald have given more than 26 decades to the floor covering industry. As we navigate through this tough economy, we will be turning to the wisdom of these pioneers to help us get back to the basics of what made us successful,” said NAFCD president Bob Wagner. Roger Hunt started in wholesale flooring in 1952 in customer service and worked his way up to svp/gm of Carson Pirie Scott’s wholesale flooring division. He went on to become the Flex Credit (floor covering consumer credit association) exec. dir. Hunt currently serves on the Floor Covering Industry Foundation board of directors. For the last 49 years L.A., Kenny, and Jeff Train have grown Swiff-Train from a small family Texas business to an international wholesale flooring company with eight branch locations, as well as a strong import/export business. Don Wohlfarth, Sr. started working in the warehouse of Bayard Sales Corp. in 1950 and rose through the ranks. He purchased the company in the early 1990s. Each recipient will receive his Lifetime Achievement Award at the Nov. 9 NAFCD annual business meeting nft in Nashville. ●

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WFCA Consumer Study: Consumers Not Using Social Media For Flooring Purchases By Jeff Golden, editor

I

n another segment of research commissioned by the World Floor Covering Association and conducted in August 2011 by Clear Seas Research, 494 consumers who remodeled/updated one or more rooms in the past six months and installed new flooring presented their views on green flooring; online information resources; specialty flooring retailer websites; social media; and popular flooring types and installation. Data on specialty flooring retailer websites, popular flooring types and installation are available through the World Floor Covering Association.

Green Flooring While four-in-10 consumers did not consider purchasing green flooring, more than half probably or definitely would consider purchasing green flooring in the future. The main barrier for green flooring is price, as most consumers believe it is more expensive than traditional flooring. Additionally, most consumers are not willing to go out of their way to purchase green flooring. See Chart 1. Interest in green flooring is significantly higher in the West than in other parts of the country. Appearance is still key to closing the sale. When asked about what comes to mind when they think about green flooring options today, the primary response is bamboo, followed by recycling. The two prominent hurdles that may need to be overcome to expand green flooring purchases focus on educating consumers on the quality of green flooring alternatives compared to traditional flooring products; and increasing consumer awareness of the availability of green flooring alternatives. Information Resources Seventy-five percent of consumers surveyed used online resources when shopping for their most recent flooring purchase. The big box websites were the most often used online resources, followed by flooring manufacturer websites and search engines. Just over one-in-three consumers accessed the website of a specialty flooring dealer. Looking deeper

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Seventy-five percent of consumers surveyed used online resources when shopping for their recent flooring purchase. Photo courtesy CCA Global Partners.

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at the data, only one-in-three actually researched and selected a specific brand online to purchase before visiting a store. For search engine users, only a few recalled clicking on a sponsored link. And for those clicking on a link, they did so because of the advertised specials, recognizable brand or store name. Search engine reviews of specialty flooring stores are more influential than the Yellow Pages website and Angie’s List, as more than two-in-five are influenced by search engine reviews. Consumers are most likely to decide to visit a store to purchase flooring products based on previous experiences with a store, information they’ve found online or based on a referral from someone they know. According to the study, consumers in the Northeast are the least likely to have used online resources in helping them decide what flooring products to purchase, compared to all other regions. Social Media and Flooring Retailers Even though 80 percent of survey participants use social media, they are unlikely to use it to find a specialty flooring retailer and do not find it important that specialty flooring retailers are involved in social media. Social media does appear to positively influence consumers’ perceptions of specialty floor retailers. Consumers indicate that retailers involved in social media are focused on growing their customer base and feel that those retailers are more up-to-date on current product trends, are doing well and are investing in new nft ways to better serve their customers. ● Editor’s Note: The above findings are based on research conducted on behalf of the World Floor Covering Association, which commissioned Clear Seas Research (a sister company to National Floor Trends) to conduct the 2011 WFCA Consumer Study. The study group consisted of 494 consumers who have remodeled/updated one or more rooms in the past six months and installed new flooring. The research study was conducted from Aug. 3-4, 2011. For a complete report, contact [email protected].

1

Opinions of “Green” Flooring 2% 3%

I would consider purchasing “green” flooring

21% 56% 17% 1% 6%

“Green” flooring is more expensive than traditional flooring

36% 44% 13% 3% 18%

“Green” flooring is difficult to find in stores

45% 30% 4% 8% 10%

I am more willing to purchase from a brand which offers “green” flooring products

46% 31% 4% 5% 14%

“Green” flooring is higher quality than traditonal flooring

69% 11% 1% 12% 30%

I would go out of my way to purchase “green” flooring

45% 12% 2% 0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

Completely Disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Completely Agree

Base = 494

About the Survey Participants 91% .................................................................................live in a house 9% .............................................................................. condo/townhome 39% ........................participated equally in the final purchase decision 45% ......................hired someone to complete the flooring installation 44% ....................................................installed the flooring themselves

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C ommercial Possibilities I

by Dave Stafford

Where Carpet Tile and Ceramic Made the Difference Take a fresh look at how carpet tile and ceramic, separately or together, can make you a hero with your client and solve significant problems. Following are some examples of situations you could face on the job.

Dave Stafford is a flooring industry veteran who retired as executive vice president of Commercial Carpets of America (“CCA”), a major independent flooring dealer in northern Virginia. Dave has served as vice chairman of Floor Covering Installation Contractor’s Association (FCICA), and is currently a member of their Industry Relations Committee. He was honored in 2007 with Honorary Lifetime Membership for his contributions to the flooring industry. Dave provides consulting services in government contracts and business operations. He may be reached at [email protected] or (703) 926-1288.

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ob #1: The marble lobby of the upscale office building was absolutely beautiful but contributed to five “slip and fall” accidents. Likewise, using sealed brick pavers on the ground floor did not take into account moisture from outside. Both facility managers were told they must solve the insurance liability issue. They had tried commercial carpet runners in various widths, but in spite of their ability to absorb moisture and debris, they shifted, walked, wrinkled and also contributed to more than one fall. Besides, they looked temporary and certainly didn’t contribute to the class of the building. The answer for both managers was carpet tile. First, a frame to hold the carpet tile was custom built for each facility in the necessary width and length. The weight of the frame and the customassembled design kept the frame in place without attachment to the subfloor. Next, the border frame color was selected to complement the existing décor and the carpet tile color. The carpet tile selected was designed to maximize the brushing action on shoe soles to remove debris and moisture. Daily vacuuming and weekly hot water extraction did a nice job of maintaining the carpet tile. Both facilities also bought an extra stock of carpet tile so as to permit large area replacement as needed, using the same dye lot. This stopped the slip and fall accidents. Make sure to look carefully at the combination of products specified when you have an extremely heavily trafficked area with high soil and moisture. Job #2: The last time the condo committee replaced the wool axminister carpet in their

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high-rise condominium hallways there were numerous complaints about the obstruction while work was being completed. While in the design phase of this new project, a committee member asked the designer about using carpet tile rather than broadloom, wondering if installation might be more easily accomplished. He’d had recent experience with carpet tile in a commercial project. The designer found out that while the design choices might be more limited, and an axminster carpet might not be readily available in carpet tile, new hospitality designs were being introduced all the time from several large manufacturers. After meeting with several mill reps, the designer

Carpet tile and ceramic can be a powerful combination for solving a lot of headaches in commercial installations.

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by Dave Stafford

reported back that carpet tile could be incorporated into their upcoming project. Carpet tile would be easier to transport to each floor using pallet jacks rather than handling 6’, 12’, or 13.6” broadloom. Additionally, installation could be more localized with less restriction of traffic, as well as being less costly and faster. The design pro also mentioned the ease of spot replacement of carpet tile in case of significant damage to an area; this had happened previously when a pipe had broken and flooded an area. Replacement could be more easily done from extra stock from the same carpet dye lot. And so the committee accepted the designer’s carpet tile specification. The higher unit cost of the carpet tile was offset by lower installation cost. The project was completed quickly, with fewer complaints by the owners. Everyone liked the new design and most didn’t even realize that carpet tile (rather

The higher cost of carpet tile is usually offset by its lower installation cost, as well as easier replacement.

than broadloom) had been installed. New designs and manufacturing expertise provided an excellent choice for this upscale community. Job #3: Acres of modular systems furniture sat on old, worn-out broadloom carpet. Typical office

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furniture including desks, credenzas, chairs, file cabinets and computers sat in the office area. When the subject of carpet replacement came up, everyone rolled their eyes and talked about days of disruption and where to move everyone while the work was being done. Dismantling modular system units would have ranged from $300 to $500 per workstation, and they would have had to be moved out of the area. Computers would have had to be unplugged, personnel relocated. In short, for the several weeks while work was being done, chaos would have reigned. More than one facility manager has said: “I have the money to replace the carpet, but cannot afford the disruption and loss of our personnel’s work productivity.” Having seen this scenario many times, one talented installation contractor with imagination and a talent for designing tools found an answer. He developed

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When: For times and dates please visit: www.moisturewebinar.com or email [email protected] or call 541.582.0541. Registration: This webinar is available by invitation only and online seating is limited. Please contact Wagner Meters today to reserve your seat for this ground-breaking presentation.

by Dave Stafford

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(and patented) a series of lift jacks with attachments so as to permit the safe and stable lift of modular systems units in place rather than partial or complete disassembly. Lifting was done in small increments, and usually totaled less than 1” in height; just enough to remove the old carpet, prep the floor and slide in the new replacement carpet. For this new method of installation to be successful, carpet tile had to be used in lieu of broadloom. While there were initial complaints about the price of carpet tile (frequently double in price as compared with broadloom), this was offset by the less disruptive nature of installation and lower cost of ancillary services. Job #4: The new billeting manager at a U.S. Army base was about to tear his hair out. Five buildings (about 200 two-person units), and he had a maintenance nightmare in

While there were initial complaints about the price of carpet tile (frequently double in price as compared with broadloom), this was offset by the less disruptive nature of installation and lower cost of ancillary services.

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dealing with the broadloom carpet. Every time an inspection was done he was written up on its below-average condition. The only good news was that he was due to replace the carpet in the next calendar year. He discussed his frustration with an interior designer. She suggested they walk some random areas in the five buildings. Upon their inspection, it was apparent that most of the problem with the carpet’s appearance was immediately adjacent to the exterior doorway, not throughout the units. The designer recommended a two-fold approach using carpet and ceramic tile. A tightly tufted commercial loop broadloom with an attached cushion backing was specified with a 12” ceramic tile for the 4’ by 4’ space just inside the door. The carpet should be a premium grade of solutiondyed nylon. The attached cushion would provide more comfort underfoot and increase the carpet’s appearance life by preventing fiber crushing for an extended period. By selecting a ceramic tile with a lightly embossed finish, slip resistance was retained and could be easily cleaned by the occupants.

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by Dave Stafford

With the selection of carpet and ceramic, maintenance became easier, more productive, and allowed each person in the unit to be a part of the solution in keeping up the appearance level. Job #5: One challenge with any Event Center is noise control, with different groups frequently conducting events in adjacent area at the same time. Sound absorption is important. So is cleaning and maintenance since downtime may be limited. One client came up with a novel way to carry through an “old world look” for their new restaurant/hospitality center • Made of recycled PVC plastic • Brushes off sand, dirt, and slush from shoes and cart wheels • Open grid drains away water and debris For more information and samples, contact

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Upcoming Industry Events

With the selection of carpet and ceramic, maintenance became easier, more productive, and allowed each person in the unit to be a part of the solution in keeping up the appearance level.

Total Solutions Plus – Chandler, Ariz. Nov. 7-11. (630) 545-9415. NAFCD/NBMDA Distributor Marketplace – Nashville. Nov. 8-10. (312) 321-6836 or (888) 747-7862. 2011 Realtors Conference & Expo – Anaheim, Calif. Nov. 11-14. (800) 874-6500. Atlanta Rug Market – Atlanta. Jan. 12-15. (800) 285-6278. Domotex 2012 – Hannover, Germany. Jan. 14-17. +49 511 89-32346. Surfaces 2012 – Las Vegas. Jan. 24-26. (866) 860-1971 or (972) 819-7603.

Stay up-to-date with all of our news online Visit our websites www.ntlfloortrends.com and www.talkfloor.com for all the latest breaking news and information that you need to stay on top of the floor covering industry. Also be sure to subscribe to our daily TalkFloor e-newsletter for breaking news as well as the newest audio and video interviews featuring Dave Foster of FloorRadio.

18 ● November 2011 I www.ntlfloortrends.com

and still use highly functional products. The main entrance way featured 18” ceramic tile set in a diagonal while connecting areas were done with a carpet tile in a 1” swirled ceramic pattern. From a distance, it looked as though the entire area was done in ceramic and the swirl design also provided superb camouflage. It was easy to maintain the ceramic entrance and food delivery areas, and the carpeted area greatly reduced the noise level and could also be spot cleaned as needed. This is a good example of design and function coming together for excellent results. When you’re specifying your next project, consider the powerful combination nft of carpet tile and ceramic. ●

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He added that the company’s Ambiente collection of non-traditional designs has also hit it big with consumers and designers. “That’s one of the beautiful things about fiber. People are more apt to pick something a little less traditional because they know it will be easy to change, and stay on top of the current styles and trends.” Finseth believes the market for fiberglass-backed resilient will grow relative to felt-backed products, until the products share a 50-50 mix in the loose lay category in 2013-2014. “We see fiber continuing to grow at a very substantial rate,” Finseth noted. Jim Chepalis, IVC US distribution sales dir., also sees fiberglass-backed flooring poised for long-term growth. “I do feel that fiberglass will overtake felt as the dominant player in [the] residential replacement [segment].” IVC recently unveiled Flexitec V, its newest generation of fiberglass-backed resilient flooring. Chris Walters, IVC US retail sales dir., said people are looking for thick products with designs inspired by natural materials like wood and stone. Kaye Gosline, IVC

New LVT, Loose-Lay Products Point to Resilient Flooring Growth by Michael Chmielecki, associate editor

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oose-lay resilient flooring is evolving at a rapid pace, with fiberglass-backed products growing quickly on the residential side and more commercial manufacturers looking at floating lvt products. Manufacturers say consumers and commercial customers are drawn to the category for its ease of installation, versatility and aesthetics.

Fiberglass- and felt-backed flooring Gary Finseth, Tarkett marketing dir., is seeing a range of designs striking a chord with consumers in the company’s FiberFloor line. “We’re seeing a strong push toward more wood tones and modular looks. Relative to construction, we’ve noticed a great acceptance of our Magnitude product, a 150 mil thick product.”

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US creative dir., added these looks evoke feelings of a simpler time for consumers. “Natural, handmade and imperfect are qualities we seek in these stressful, techno-driven times.” According to Allen Cubell, Armstrong’s vp residential product mgmt., fiberglassbacked flooring, such as the company’s Duality collection, can offer several advantages. “Glass-backed floors offer installation flexibility. It’s easy in, easy out … Also, these floors enable consumers to

Metroflor’s Engage Select Plank, part of its new Engage line of locking lvt.

Centiva’s Victory Series (Coral Reef in Champagne and Sandcastle, along with Magics in Florentine Brass) installed near an ER check-in desk at a healthcare facility. Left: Mannington Sobella, in Avignon Café.

express their style with no long-term commitment.” However, not all manufacturers are convinced that fiberglass-backed products need to part of their lineup yet. Pat Buckley, Congoleum’s vp product mgmt., said his company is very pleased with its AirStep felt-backed resilient business and Dura line of floating floor products. He agreed that fiberglass-backed flooring is gaining in popularity, but is comfortable with the long-term prospects of higherend felt products. “Right now fiberglass is maybe 30 to 40 percent of the sheet category. That leaves 60 to 70 percent that is still felt. That’s a huge volume of felt, and we are happy to service that market.” Terry Fitzpatrick, Mannington’s installation services mgr., noted the layout for a fiberglass-backed flooring project should be kept relatively simple and not include more than one seam. He also acknowledged that some retailers are recommending to their customers that the fiberglass-backed flooring should be glued down for additional stability. However, he said that loose-lay flooring, including Mannington’s Sobella line, will continue to grow in popularity. “One of the absolute biggest advantages of loose-

lay flooring is the ease of removing it at the end of its lifecycle.” LVT floors Amy Sadler, EarthWerks national sales mgr., said that tile formats in floating lvt are coming. One of the challenges is getting the product to strongly lock on each side in a square tile format. The company is developing a 12” by 24” AccuClic tile format, which can be bricklaid to achieve a 12” by 12” tile look. “Using a Unilin click system is a lot easier in a plank format, and it’s taking a lot of research and development to get a successful tile format,” she said. The company offers LinkWerks floating lvt. According to Sadler, floating lvt will continue to grow in both commercial and residential applications. However, she doubts that floating lvt will ever fully eclipse entry-level glue-down flooring, because of the price point. “I think similar to laminate, over time the price points are going to become more and more competitive. However, I don’t think floating lvt will ever achieve that glue-down price point at the entry level for residential. I think a lot of the growth will be from commercial.”

Jeremy Whipple, Roppe marketing mgr., is very proud of Roppe’s new Northern Timbers floating lvt line. He said the company, primarily known for high-end rubber flooring, decided it was time to enter the floating lvt category when Roppe saw the huge number of exhibitors showing off the product at the recent Domotex show in Germany. “Out of 100 lvt people at the show, I would say about 75 of them were showing some sort of glueless application. When you start looking internationally, you see that loose lay and click and lock products have been in the commercial market for five to 10 years overseas,” Whipple said. This realization came at the perfect time, as Roppe was redeveloping its entire vinyl program. “It was too good of an opportunity because the market [for floating lvt] is young on the commercial side. We worked with designers and felt we had some winners as far as the looks go, and wanted to marry that with loose lay.” He noted that aside from aesthetics, architects and designers have really responded to the versatility of the product, which can be floated over old adhesive, existing floors “and even concrete that’s a little immature. We feel that because

www.ntlfloortrends.com I November 2011 ● 21

Top Left: EarthWerk’s LinkWerks AccuClic lvt tile look Lower Left: Halo Beaten Metal Tile in Pewter color. Top Right: Wonderwood Highland, from IVC US’ Flexitec V collection Lower Right: An Aged Walnut pattern from FreeFit’s Intaglio collection

of its problem-solving nature, it’s a great opportunity for healthcare and retail applications,” Whipple noted. Keith Lacognata, vp sales and marketing for GTP International, which makes the FreeFit brand of floating lvt, said his company’s product offers great dimensional stability, making it suitable for commercial use. “You can install heavy fixtures, kitchen cabinets and pool tables directly on top of the floor. We’ve seen churches that have screwed their pews right down into the floor, and the floor will remain stationary,

with no buckling.” Precise milling of the microbevel creates a joint that makes the floor waterresistant and allows for multidirectional installations, according to Lacognata. “Since the products are milled the same way, you can incorporate adjacent tiles, planks, borders, diamonds, accents and inlays. It gives people a lot of different design options.” FreeFit recently unveiled its Intaglio line featuring textures created from laserengraved press plates. “It adds an extremely realistic sculpted face to the flooring, so

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it resembles a sculpted wood.” He said these types of strides in printing and press technologies are creating a product category offering extreme realism and threedimensionality in texturing and depth. Technology is also continuing to expand in other areas. Valinge introduced ZipLoc, a new locking system for thin lvt floors, at its Valinge Expo in September. Valinge said the system will allow installation of lvt of about 3 mil. With these types of advances, lvt is sure to remain a strong, innovative category in nft the months and years ahead. ●

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S avvy Hardwood Business I

by Rick Brian

10 Critical Questions (and Answers) to Align Your Hardwood Business Before the Next Boom

No one really knows exactly when the next economic boom will hit. It may be a year or two from now or perhaps a bit longer. But by the time you realize the boom is in full swing there’s a good chance the economic recovery will have already been underway for some time. Rick Brian is President of R. B. Brian and Associates, Inc., a Management and Marketing Consulting company which he founded in 1997. His clients are primarily Manufacturers and Distributors in the Hardwood Flooring and Building Products Industries. Mr. Brian is the former President of Robbins Hardwood Flooring, and past board member of the NWFA, MFMA, and NOFMA. He is currently a member of the NAFCD and NWFA. RBBA is headquartered in Southern Pines, NC. www.RBBAinc.com.

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fter several years of consumers and customers enduring such a weak economy, a pent up demand for hardwood and other flooring products has developed. This ultimately will produce a much stronger business climate for your products and services, and you need to align your business for the economic recovery. So what are you going to do to align your business for success? Here are 10 critical questions you need to consider, and savvy answers that make good business sense. 1. Do you have the necessary working capital to grow your business? Your business can’t grow and run smoothly without sufficient working capital. Paying your bills on time is more important now than ever, given such a tight credit environment. So if you are running a little behind, it’s vital that you communicate regularly with your lender and key vendors to know how they evaluate your credit and how they view you as a credit risk. If you have need for more capital, perhaps it’s time to consider taking on an equity partner or looking for a buyer. On the other hand, if you are financially strong and have solid credit, it’s also a great time to go after a strategic acquisition for growth. 2. Do you have the right people in place to get the job done? If you are dealing with the same old personnel issues year after year, you probably have key people holding you back from accomplishing your business goals. Business owners are often “too slow to fire and too slow to hire.” Making the tough personnel decisions now will get you to where you need to be when the next boom hits. 3. Are you doing enough sales and field training? Buyers come into a retail store to get answers and

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become educated on what flooring products are right for them. Salespeople must ask the consumer the right questions to recommend the right type of hardwood flooring for their specific need. Everything starts with management and then flows on down. Product training should be ongoing. Your suppliers should be called upon regularly to hold off-hour training sessions. For installers and flooring contractors, the NWFA has invested in regional training schools staffed with the industries’ best professionals. There are schools for beginner installers and continuing on to the advanced installer.

Make sure you have the right people in place to sell your products and your brand. Do not be afraid to hire (or fire) as needed to get the perfect team. Photo courtesy CCA Global Partners.

by Rick Brian

Consumer preferences constantly change with new products being introduced every year. Make sure you are selling the right products for your market. Photo courtesy CCA Global Partners.

4. Are you selling the right products for your market? Consumer preferences constantly change, new products are introduced every year, and technology rapidly improves. Now is the time to tune-up your product offering. Study what’s hot in your area and what’s not. Re-align yourself with the best suppliers to market the right products for today’s fashion-conscious consumer. 5. Does your storefront and merchandising area make the right impression to attract new customers? Your signage must be clean, neat, eye-catching, and attractive. Curb appeal should get buyers in the door, not make them drive on by. Make sure you have the latest floor displays and merchandising materials in place. Outdated samples and brochures have no place in your showroom. Your retail area should make for a comfortable and pleasant shopping experience. Your showroom should have an uncluttered, open feel. 6. Is your installation equipment up-to-date and in good mechanical

condition? If you perform flooring installation you know the investment you’ve made for power tools, sanding equipment, machinery, trucks, etc. Don’t overlook your sales floor productivity tools (i.e. computers, smart phones, iPads or tablets, and software).

Curb appeal should get buyers in the door, not make them drive on by. Make sure you have the latest floor displays and merchandising materials in place. Outdated samples and brochures have no place in your showroom.

Take an audit of the age and mechanical condition of all of your equipment. Make necessary changes, repairs and upgrades so you’ll be more efficient and

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productive now and when business starts booming again. 7. How has your market changed since the last business boom? Style and color continually change. For example, 30 years ago 12” by 12” parquet floors were very popular in the U. S., and 20 years ago, the linear strip-look took over the hardwood flooring market. Consumer preferences today are leaning more and more toward wider width hardwood plank floors and finishes with lower gloss levels. You also need to be current on changes in demographics, average building size, room sizes, and product upgrades that sell. 8. What are you doing to keep your labor costs competitive? Now that consumers like the look of wider plank floors, take advantage of the labor- saving factor this offers. Wider widths (3”, 3 -1/4”, 4”, 5”, and greater) install more efficiently as there are fewer courses to either nail or glue-down. To get a better return on your labor dollar, I recommend you try to upsell the end user on a 5” plank floor, or a combo plank consisting of 3”, 4” and 5“ wide planks. Simply beautiful…and your material dollar margins can also be higher! 9. Is your retail and warehousing space sufficient to display and carry additional inventory to service your customers, or do you have more space than you need? Cost containment is a critical component for profitability. Change what you need to right-size your facilities. If you are short of space for growth, adding space now will never be cheaper to do. Conversely, if you are overburdened with an expensive warehouse, bite the bullet and downsize your space requirements. 10. How have your personal goals changed over the past four years? If you are planning on retiring in 10 years, you need to be working on a succession plan or exit strategy. If you are relatively young and want to grow your business, you have a completely different set of issues. In either case, now is a great time to re-evaluate your personal goals to determine what is best for you as well as nft the business. ●

www.ntlfloortrends.com I November 2011 ● 25

Clockwise from top right: Ram C/V (Cargo Van), Ram 1500 Tradesman, Ram 5500 SLT Chassis Cab, Ram 2500 ST with Appearance Package and RamBox,® Ram 3500 ST Dually 1) Maximum tax expense eligibility is $500,000; consult your tax advisor for more details. 2) Based on eligibility for particular programs. All programs not available to all participants. 3) For more information about the ON THE JOB savings, call 877-ONTHEJOB or go to ramtrucks.com. Must take delivery by December 31, 2011. 4) See ramtrucks.com for details on individual capabilities for models shown. 5) See a dealer for a copy of the Powertrain Limited Warranty. Properly secure all cargo. Ram and RamBox are registered trademarks of Chrysler Group LLC.

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T ile & Stone I

by Dave Gobis

Thinset and Economics

According to Commerce Department statistics, this year has been relatively flat for the tile industry, with sales down 40% from peak levels achieved in 2006. Many companies have gone through all their financial reserves and are desperately looking to generate some cash flow. David M. Gobis, a third-generation tile setter, is an independent technical consultant. He has been in the trade for over 35 years and owned a successful contracting business for many years prior to his current position. Gobis is an author of over 150 trade related articles and a frequent speaker at industry events. He is member of the Construction Specification Institute, International Code Council, American Concrete Institute, National Tile Contractors Technical Committee, voting member of The American National Standards for Ceramic Tile Installation and Setting Materials (ANSI A108/118), American Society for Testing of Materials (ASTM) C-21 Ceramic Whitewares, and Tile Council of America Installation Handbook committees. You can reach him via email at [email protected].

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he continued lack of opportunities has created intense competitive pressures when a job comes up for bid. This is forcing many within the industry to consider expanding into uncharted territories to create additional opportunities. While floor covering dealers long ago integrated ceramic tile into their product mix they stayed mainly in the residential sector. Now with a vast inventory of unsold new homes, an additional one million homes in foreclosure and a similar amount headed that way or underwater, residential work is at a trickle compared to the 65 to 70% market share it typically represents. This has forced many tile and floor covering stores to look at the only construction market still showing some signs of life – the commercial segment. With little work available, competitive pressures have bidders looking to save every penny possible in hope of submitting the winning bid. Nearly all commercial projects have specifications in one form or another. For a number of new entrants in this segment, it is the first time they have been made aware of such terms as TCNA (Tile Council of North America) methods, ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standards and ASTM (American Society for Testing of Materials) test methods. When projects are loosely specified with such basic terms as “thinset mortar must meet ANSI A 118.4,” things can quickly degrade to a point that even the famous “value engineering” would not allow. Those understanding there are different

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performance levels within that specification find themselves at a competitive disadvantage unless they follow the herd. For this reason, though they shouldn’t be closely related, the words thinset and economics have become increasingly intertwined. In looking at places to save and submit the lowest possible bid, some mistakenly think thinset is one of those areas where it won’t make that much difference. Thus they use the lowest priced material available meeting the referenced standard. It is easy to understand why. For many years cement-based thinset mortar was either modified (118.4) or unmodified (118.1). The only change since those

Getting the coverage to provide full support on larger tile can be difficult to achieve using conventional thinsets without backbuttering. Some of the newer thinsets on the market are thixotropic. During installation, a thixotropic mortar decreases in viscosity while being set. Once the tile is placed, the viscosity increases making coverage easier to obtain. Photo courtesy MAPEI.

by Dave Gobis issue in today’s marketplace is base grade performance products (commonly used in residential projects) being vastly overused in the commercial market. Here are more of their concerns in no particular order. Floor prep has always been hated and feared by floor covering installers, in particular ceramic tile and stone installers. While carpet, vinyl, and to some extent

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laminates and wood are applied with adhesives sticking to nearly anything over undulating surfaces, the same cannot be said for tile and stone products. Cement-based thinset mortars require a clean, abraded, absorbent surface to be successfully applied with any longevity. Nothing sticks to shiny slabs and if it does, it won’t be for long. Slabs

Regardless of the type of mortar used, directional troweling should be used. When tile is placed perpendicular to the ridges and rubbed across them, the air under the tile has a means of escape and thus allows for better coverage. Photo courtesy Laticrete.

original standards were created was the addition of a thinset for direct bond to plywood (ANSI A118.11). Thinset mortars have continued to grow in both numbers and complexity. In checking various manufacturer product lines you will typically find two or three ANSI 118.1 mortars, 15 to 20 ANSI 118.4 mortars, and about half of them meeting ANSI A118.11 standards. Even the most studious tile person often has trouble distinguishing one mortar from the next, but there is a specific product performance criteria for each and every product made. Unless you are very technical and uncommonly learned, it is likely you would have to ask the reason why you should use one product over the other as they all meet ANSI A118.4. According to thinset manufacturers I spoke with for this column, the biggest Circle 7 on Information Card

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by Dave Gobis

should have a steel trowel and broom finish, void of curing compounds or any other substance that would interfere with cementious bonding such as paint overspray. If not, they need to be cleaned and abraded to remove any contaminates and open the pores. The easiest way to see if a bonding problem is on the horizon is a water drop test. Water allows the cement to develop its structure. If the water does not go into the slab, the bond will be

either weak or nonexistent, depending on the severity. To test, sprinkle a few drops of water on the slab. Watch to see if the drops are absorbed. This will give you some indication if the slab is ready to receive cementious bonding materials. My own personal and unscientific rule: Zero to five minutes for absorption I am happy; more than 5 minutes and I am concerned and going to use a better thinset. If it is more than 10 minutes

nft

National Floor Trends

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NATIONAL FLOOR TRENDS 678-260 1521-8031 09/28/2011 MONTHLY 12 115.00 2401 W BIG BEAVER RD STE 700 TROY, OAKLAND, MI 48084-3333 CATHERINE RONAN (248) 244-8259 2401 W BIG BEAVER RD STE 700 TROY, MI 48084-3333 DIANE BROWN "2401 W BIG BEAVER RD, STE 700" TROY, MI 48084-3333 JEFF GOLDEN 22801 VENTURA BLVD. STE 115 WOODLAND HILLS, CA 91364-1230

Line

Non-sag mortars use several different technologies. It is quite possible to install an 18” tile with no slipping. It has become one of my favorite demonstrations. There are no tricks; just follow the instructions on the bag. Photo courtesy Laticrete.

Full Name BNP MEDIA II, LLC TAGGART E HENDERSON HARPER T HENDERSON MITCHELL L HENDERSON

Complete Mailing Address 2401 W BIG BEAVER RD, STE 700, TROY, MI 48084-3333 2401 W BIG BEAVER RD, STE 700, TROY, MI 48084-3333 2401 W BIG BEAVER RD, STE 700, TROY, MI 48084-3333 2401 W BIG BEAVER RD, STE 700, TROY, MI 48084-3333

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In-County Nonrequested Copies stated on PS Form 3541 (include Sample copies, Requests Over 3 years old, Requests induced by a Premium, Bulk Sales and Requests including Association Requests, Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, and other sources) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the USPS by Other Classes of Mail (e.g. First-Class Mail, Nonrequestor Copies mailed in excess of 10% Limit mailed at Standard Mail or Package Services Rates) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail (include Pickup Stands, Trade Shows, Showrooms and Other Sources) Total Nonrequested Distribution Total Distribution Copies not Distributed Total Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation

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somebody is grinding that slab or I am going home. By the way, acid will not solve this problem and quite likely create new ones. I have plenty of pictures to prove it. Under the best of circumstances, once the floor is clean you are ready to go. Unfortunately with the size of tile in use today that is rarely the case. Standard tolerances for slabs to receive ceramic tile are 1/4” in 10’ with variation not to exceed 1/16” in the desired plane. Notice the word is plane, not level. Recent changes in tile industry standards note that the 1/4” in 10’ tolerance only applies to tile where the longest edge is 15” or less. Newly published standards require a slab tolerance of 1/8” in 10’, with no greater variation than 1/16” in 24” for tile with

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by Dave Gobis

an edge greater than 15”. Rather than correct the floors with a suitable product, we often see the tile installer trying to correct out of plane conditions with thinset mortar. Thinset mortars are not designed to level or flatten floors nor are standard thinset mortars rated for use in a thickness greater than 1/4” after embedding the tile. Medium bed mortars are designed to minimize slump and facilitate thicker bond coats, as compared with nonmedium bed or standard mortars. These characteristics make them useful for setting heavy tiles and/or tiles with ungauged thickness and for setting tiles with at least one side greater than 15” where the final thickness of the thinset mortar will exceed 3/16” under the tile. They are intended to be used as bond coats 3/16” to 3/4” thick after the tile is embedded. Being designed as direct bond adhesives, they are also

not intended to be used in truing or leveling substrates. Currently medium-bed mortars are defined as such by their manufacturers. These mortars do not have unique ANSI or ISO standard designations to characterize them. That is an issue currently being addressed by the standards committees and will hopefully soon be resolved. Limitations of space will not allow me to delve into all the other specification ills of our current standards system using only ANSI A118.4, so it is time to pick one performance area and for me that would be deformation. Tile installed in slab on-grade applications is subject to minimal needs when it comes to deformation. Tile installed over slab on deck (suspended slabs) and in wood structures have a great need for deformation abilities. By design all abovegrade slabs and wood structures move. The thinset you use for above-grade appli-

Meet Your Industry’s Buzz in today’s ation to thrive rm fo in ay u yo es ovid ot each weekd eNewsletter pr ed up piping-h rv se is r The TalkFloor oo Fl lk vironment. Ta sionals. fast-paced en flooring profes of s nd sa ou th to ng ni or m TalkFloor to receive the up g in gn si by dustry leader om Become an in .talkfloor.c w w w at y da to r te et sl ew eN

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io

by BNP MEDIA

For a number of years now an ISO standard for thinset mortars has been available. In my opinion it still has some category shortcomings however it does offer a substantial means in controlling the quality of the products being used. Reference to the ISO 13007 thinset designations are listed in the current TCNA handbook.

cations certainly should exceed the values of minimal base grade material. There is no guidance under ANSI standards for deformable thinset mortars. Manufacturers refer to these as flexible mortars. There is some guidance provided under ISO (International Standards Organization) on thinset mortars for certain performance attributes, but not in the medium bed category as mentioned earlier. Tile, grout, and bonding materials have grown increasingly complex. Claims are increasing due to poorly skilled installation and loose written specifications. My recent personal experience is many of those who have bid too low using minimalist products improperly applied are no longer with us. Is it really worth taking a chance with prodnft uct performance? ●

11.11>Green Matters

sponsored by:

Latest Breaking News at www.ntlfloortrends.com

UL Environment unveils white paper on EDPs

Shaw publishes third sustainability report

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haw Industries Group has released its third annual corporate sustainability report at www. shawgreenedge.com. The report covers Shaw’s investment in sustainability initiatives during the 2010 calendar year, with metrics and data for more than 40 performance indicators. “Even though 2010 represented a continuation of the most difficult economic conditions our industry – and our world – has ever faced, we have consistently looked for innovations that are environmentally, socially and economically sustainable,” said Vance Bell, Shaw ceo. “The report represents an increased

level of disclosure from 2009 in areas that we recognize as critical to our various stakeholder groups, including product stewardship, product reclamation and recycling and social responsibility,” added Paul Murray, Shaw’s vp sustainability. Shaw’s 2010 report uses the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) G3 guidelines for sustainability reporting at the B level. The company formally adopted the GRI framework for its 2009 report in order to offer stakeholders further assurance that the disclosures and metrics met globally recognized standards for corporate sustainability reporting.

GO Home in Belfast, Maine named LEED for Homes Project of the Year

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he U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has named The GO Home, located in Belfast, Maine as the Project of the Year in the 2011 LEED for Homes Awards. Built by GO Logic with a small footprint of 1,500 sq. ft., the threebedroom LEED Platinum residence uses minimal energy and was built at construction costs comparable to a standard home. As a net zero and passive house, The GO Home was created to bring design and energy performance in line with affordability while slashing energy usage by 90 percent. The project will be replicated across a 36-home community in Maine. “Healthy, high-performing residen-

tial projects don’t have to cost more, and that is evidenced in many of this year’s winning projects,” said Nate Kredich, vp residential market development, USGBC. Other 2011 winners included: Power Haus, based in Sarasota, Fla., and built by Josh Wynne Construction; KB Home’s Primera Terra residential community in Playa Vista, Calif.; ActiveWest Builders’ Meadow Ranch development in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho; the Juneberry Lane project developed by Clackamas Community Land Trust in Oregon City, Ore.; New Hope Housing of Houston; and Habitat for Humanity of Kent County, based in Grand Rapids, Mich.

L Environment has published a new white paper, “Transparency and the Role of Environmental Product Declarations,” designed to educate stakeholders on Environmental Product Declarations (EDPs) and help clarify the role of the EDP program operator. The report covers topics including market demand for EPDs, the ISO 14025 compliant EPD creation process, importance of lifecycle analysis in EDP creation, why Product Category Rules (PCRs) are needed, what’s next for EDPs and more. The report can be downloaded at www.uluniversity.us/home.aspx by clicking on Thought Leadership, then scrolling to the Environment category. CRI joins new organization: Product Management Alliance

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he Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI) is taking a key role in the recently formed Product Management Alliance (PMA), an inter-industry partnership designed to promote market-based solutions for extended producer responsibility. The alliance’s mission is to support voluntary market-based extended producer responsibility efforts and voluntary incentives for increased recovery and sustainable product and package design. PMA will work with experts in the industry and government to ensure a consistent policy for recovery, take-back programs and other models. The PMA’s founding members represent the carpet, electronics, toy, paper, packaging and transportation materials, mattress, plastics, personal goods and pharmaceutical industries. “Bringing together a coalition of varied industry associations and manufacturers under the Product Management Alliance is a critical first step in the development of a sound environmental policy for the lifecycle of products,” said Daniel Connelly, PMA exec. dir.

www.ntlfloortrends.com I November 2011 ● 33

A rt of Retail Management I

by Sam Allman

Be a Good Corporate Citizen; Make Your Brand Generous

Several months ago in this column, I encouraged you to make a decision to become a lover, to become generous. Generosity not only makes us feel like we have made a difference, buy it can pay as well.

Sam Allman is president of Allman Consulting and Training. He is an internationally recognized motivational speaker, consultant, trainer and author who delivers inspiring programs in areas such as leadership, customer service, management development, team building, retail sales and personal quality management. He has developed many audio and video programs and has created hundreds of training and educational learning systems. He can be reached at (770) 4252142 or at sam@ allmanconsulting.com.

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inston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” Those words have never rung more true. There’s a wonderful compelling duality in make a living/make a life. In this economy, getting the most for your money as a consumer is more important than ever. Consumers are looking to do business with brands that will give more value for the money they pay. Ironically, they do not necessarily want that value for themselves. They may want that value given to the communities in which they live and for the causes they support. Consumers are looking for businesses, for brands that are good corporate citizens. “Brands have evolved past the baseline of trust and awareness; now they must learn how to give,” says John King, director of brand innovation for Fallon, a Minnesota ad agency. “We believe the future belongs to generous brands. By ‘generous’ we mean brands that are prepared to make gestures that are not just commercially motivated but empathize with consumers. These brands show their heartbeat. They show their humanity through their understanding of consumers.” Investing in your community is a great way to give back and add value to those who have helped support your business. Generous brands do things for people. Here are some examples of corporate brands doing good for the community. Lowe’s and The Home Depot have been generous in their support of Habitat for Humanity for women and military veterans. These days Tide employees don’t just sell laundry detergent -- they even do laundry. As part of the company’s innovative Loads of Hope

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program, workers bring mobile laundromats to areas devastated by natural disasters and clean residents’ clothes at no charge. TOMS Shoes promises customers that for every pair of shoes they buy, another pair would go to children in need. Buyers feel good about their purchase and want to tell their friends. CCA Global Partners, through their Carpet One Floor & Home stores, supports breast cancer research by donating 25% of the purchase price of their exclusive pink ribbon welcome mats. They have also supported the Save the Tiger Fund. I could go on. I know how hard it is to give back. Those of you who run flooring businesses know how much of a commitment it is just to make your business succeed. You may say that the brands and

An event organized by Matt Ketterman, owner of Got You Floored, drew about 125 runners and resulted in more than 25,000 cans of food being donated to the local food bank.

by Sam Allman corporations I have listed are big, and how are you to compete with them? It’s easy…you just have to get involved. Here are a few stories of people in this industry who have inspired me and are making a difference. There are many others of you. I wish I knew your stories and could share them as well. To create a generous brand, you may start by building upon personal practices you already have in place. If you regularly donate gently used clothing to a particular organization, perhaps you can expand your efforts by organizing a clothing drive for the organization. If you give blood regularly, perhaps you can organize a blood drive in your neighborhood. Shawn Bayat, president of Quality Carpet One of Woodbridge, Va., with all his employees gathered bags of gently used winter coats to be distributed to the poor and homeless in the Washington, D.C., area. Sometimes in order to give back, all you have to do is what you’re passionate about, like Matt Ketterman, owner of Got You Floored. To celebrate his 20 years of running, he organized an event to Fight Against Hunger. One hundred and twenty runners showed up and he was able to donate 25,000plus cans of food to the local food bank via Got You Floored. Just being there in a difficult time is a way for you to give back. When tornados devastated Tuscaloosa, Ala., Mark Wheat of Wheat’s Carpet One got in his truck, loaded it full of bottled water and supplies, then delivered and served those who had lost their homes. Mark describes what it was like: “For three weeks things were crazy. Every hotel in town was full. I had three families living in my home. We did use company vehicles some of the time, but we tried to de-emphasize the company. For the most part that was not important. In many places, there was nothing left to salvage. I have close friends that lost everything.” Mark continues, “We don’t give back enough. Since times are tough we don’t have the funds to help the way we really want. However, so many people were so generous. Mike Blanton, owner of Dalton Carpet One Floor and Home, with the help of other coop members sent a 24’ truck loaded with diapers, medical supplies and water. I had others who helped us as well.” Living in the small community of Corning, Iowa, the owners of the Carpet Store, Denise and Matt Riley, give back by being involved in the community. Matt is a volunteer fireman and Denise has served as president of the Corning Chamber of Commerce. With their love of dogs, they are also involved in Vizsla Rescue; finding homes for abused and abandoned dogs. They are involved so much more than words permit, I wonder how they are able to be successful in their business. Finally, let me tell you about Julie Kerkochian of United Carpet One of Fresno, Calif. United Carpet One was started in 1959 by Julie’s father and grandfather. She began managing it in 1997 after completing her MBA at Fresno State. She comments, “We try really hard to give back and especially to stay local. We donate to Fresno State and to the local high schools. We work

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United Carpet One employees, during work hours, set up and took down chairs and tables for this event at the Fresno Museum.

also with the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts. We have a big lot that they use to do much of their fund raising.” What got my attention was when Julie said she was adopted by her parents through the Infant of Prague Adoption Service of Fresno. Obviously, Julie has a passionate connection to the service. She serves on its board of directors. During a recent Infant of Prague “Toast to the Children,” event, she and many of her United Carpet One employees, during work hours, set up and took down chairs and tables for the affair at the Fresno Museum. In these tough economic times, there’s more than enough problems staring us in the face – but that’s ample opportunity for you and for other companies to find causes to which they can align their brands. Every brand has a choice: Be stingy or be generous. A stingy brand chooses to focus entirely on product information, asking the consumer to walk up and knock on its door. A generous brand chooses to take a bigger role in the consumer’s life, opening the doors and windows and providing help to causes they care about. Generous brands are built by individuals like you, doing what they can in the communities they serve. nft Which one are you? ●

www.ntlfloortrends.com I November 2011 ● 35

F

or many years, one of the biggest drawbacks to ceramic tile for consumers in colder climates was the discomfort of walking on it during fall and winter months. Radiant floor warming systems finally solved the problem so consumers could finally heat their floors to a comfortable temperature, with the added benefit of reduced energy costs. The early generation radiant systems were challenging to specify and install correctly, causing some consumers to avoid them. Thankfully, these issues have been rectified by technological advancements and the latest systems are much easier to specify/install, and be used

Latest Radiant Heating Products Offer More Flexibility, Performance by John Moore, products editor over other types of flooring, including wood, laminate and resilient. “Early radiant heating systems were a bit more difficult to install, because the HVAC contractors had to figure out how much pex tube or electric radiant lines to run,” said Jon Namba, former CFI president. “Nowadays the computer programs and system manufacturers are much more knowledgable. They have gotten to the point that they now have exterior thermostats to slowly start up the system rather than trying to heat the house by cranking up the interior thermostat.” “When floor warming and heating systems were first introduced in home some decades ago, problems stemmed from electromagnetic fields (EMF),” said Isabelle

Top Right: Tile installation over a radiant mat system. Photo courtesy of Jon Namba. Right: Pre-wired systems have simplified installation of radiant heating systems considerably. Photo courtesy of Laticrete.

Marcil, Flextherm Inc. communications coordinator. New systems offer products (paired heating elements) that are sound and health conscious. In addition to these problems, installers also had to contend with different fastening systems and cables, which had to be modified for each installation. With staple-up systems, installers had to use

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extra caution to avoid puncturing the tubes during stapling. These problems have also been rectified through the introduction of simpler installation systems. “For the installation of surface cables, most companies still offer metal gauges with hooks that are glued or nailed to the floor or subfloor and around where the cable is passed,” said Marcil.

Left: MP Global Products’ QuietWarmth radiant heat underlayment can be used with floating laminate, engineered hardwood, floating tile, glue-down hardwood and traditional tile installs. Photo courtesy of MP Global Products. Below: This diagram illustrates the energy savings that homeowners can achieve by installing radiant heating systems. Diagram courtesy of Flextherm.

“Radiant heating manufacturers are always going to be looking at ways to make the installation as easy as possible because I think ease of installation is one of the biggest selling points with radiant heating systems,” said Jay DeLuca, Laticrete product manager-adhesives. “We have gotten to the point as an industry where the majority of manufacturers have a modern looking thermostat with all the bells and whistles that customers had been demanding for years. So I think that leaves practicality of installation as the biggest challenge left in the industry. We have seen a lot of innovation in both the design of radiant heating layouts and in the installation tool category.” “After a thorough improvement in cable systems over the past 10 years, one of the re-emerging technologies is the carbon panel,” said Sandrine Regina, Warmup Inc. North American marketing manager. Carbon panels, previously used for ceiling heat, have now been adapted for use under carpet, laminate and vinyl floors, Regina added. Insulation was the next major improvement directly affecting the efficiency of electric floor heating systems. An insulating version of the classic cement backer board was introduced to provide the lowest operating cost even in the coldest conditions.” “Advancements have come in two forms,” said Kolyn Marshall, Watts Radiant director of strategic marketing.

“The first advancement is simple physical improvements. Materials used to make product have become more durable, tougher, and easier to work with. The other advancement, according to Marshall, deals with the thermostats. Today’s thermostats are smart and have the ability to learn the room’s environment and to cycle more efficiently. DeLuca added: “The biggest effect on the performance of our radiant heating product offering hasn’t come from any new feature or product development, but from a recent commitment to improve our employee knowledge and service capabilities. “We have made this commitment through a program that is aimed at improving our design capabilities, re-training our sales and customer service staff, and meeting the overall needs of the

radiant heating customer. Unlike some building materials, radiant heating won’t just sell and install itself and we realize that the best feature we can offer to our customers is unmatched product support.” Another important area of innovation has been the development of smart controls that allow the user greater flexibility in using the systems, as well optimizing energy use, which can save the consumer considerably in their heating bills. Despite current economic conditions, demand for radiant heating systems has been increasing by an average of 46.9 percent per year since 1998, according to the Radiant Panel Association. With this in mind, radiant heating manufacturers continue to introduce new technological advancements that make radiant heating systems easier to install and use. “The popularity of electric floor warming systems may very well be explained by the strong renovation market, for which radiant heating systems are ideal, as opposed to the decline in the number of new constructions,” said nft Marcil. ●

www.ntlfloortrends.com I November 2011 ● 37

2011>LEED Flooring Products Source Guide

Company Name: AcryliCon Flooring Solutions Address: 22 Hanford Way, Fairport, NY 14450 Phone: (888) 736-7550 Fax: (757) 299-8148 URL: www.acrylicon.com Email: [email protected] Product Names: AcryliCon Décor; AcryliCon Flake/Granito; AcryliCon Variant; AcryliCon Lacquer

Company Name: Globus Cork, Inc. Address: 741 East 136 St., Bronx, NY 10454 Phone: (718) 742-7264 Fax: (718) 742-7265 URL: www.CorkFloor.com Email: [email protected] Product Names: Globus Cork Tiles

Company Name: H.B. Fuller Construction Products, Inc. Address: 1105 S. Frontenac St., Aurora, IL 60504 Phone: (800) 552-6225 Fax: (800) 952-2368 URL: www.chapco-adhesive.com Product Names: CHAPCO

Company Name: Junckers Hardwood, Inc. Address: 270 Lafayette St., #1200, New York, NY 10012 Phone: (212) 334-8060 Fax: (212) 334-8062 URL: www.junckershardwood.com Email: [email protected] Product Names: Junckers Solid Hardwood Flooring

Company Name: LATICRETE Address: 1 LATICRETE Park North, Bethany, CT 06524-3423 Phone: (800) 243-4788, (203) 393-0010 Fax: (203) 393-1296 URL: www.laticrete.com Email: [email protected] Product Names: LATICRETE® Crack Suppression Kit; LATICRETE Blue 92 AntiFracture Membrane; LATAPOXY® 312 Vapor Reduction Membrane; LATICRETE Hydro Ban™; LATICRETE 9235 Waterproofing Membrane; LATICRETE 86 LatiLevel™; LATICRETE 3701 Fortified Mortar Bed; LATICRETE 3701 Mortar Admix mixed with LATICRETE 226 Thick Bed Mortar; LATAPOXY 300 Adhesive; LATICRETE 125 Sound & Crack Adhesive; LATICRETE 255 MultiMax™; LATICRETE Sure Set™; LATICRETE 254 Platinum; LATICRETE 4237 Latex Additive mixed with LATICRETE 211 Powder; LATICRETE 253 Gold; LATICRETE 252 Silver; LATICRETE 272 Mortar; LATICRETE 317; LATICRETE 220 Marble & Granite Mortar; LATICRETE Glass Tile Adhesive; LATICRETE 1776 Grout Enhancer; LATICRETE PermaColor™ Grout; LATICRETE 1500 Sanded Grout; LATICRETE 1600 Unsanded Grout; LATICRETE SpectraLOCK® 2000 IG; LATICRETE SpectraLOCK PRO Premium Grout; LATICRETE SpectraLOCK PRO Grout

Company Name: H.B. Fuller Construction Products, Inc. Address: 1105 S. Frontenac St., Aurora, IL 60504 Phone: (800) 552-6225 Fax: (800) 952-2368 URL: www.tecspecialty.com Product Names: TEC

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Company Name: MAPEI Corp. Address: 1144 E. Newport Center Dr., Deerfield Beach, FL 33442 Phone: (954) 246-8799 Fax: (954) 246-8841 URL: www.mapei.com Email: [email protected] Product Names: Ultrabond Eco® 2085; Ultrabond Eco® 2285; Ultrabond Eco® 3185; Ultrabond® 2185; Ultrabond® 3085; Ultrabond® 4085; Ultrabond ECO® 120; Ultrabond ECO® 185; Ultrabond ECO® 20; Ultrabond ECO® 220; Ultrabond ECO® 285; Ultrabond ECO® 420; Ultrabond ECO® 810; Ultrabond ECO® 85; Ultrabond ECO® 885; Ultrabond® 385; Planiseal™ Easy; Planiseal™ EMB; Mapecem®; Quickpatch; Patch Enhancer; Planipatch Plus™; Planipatch®; Planiprep™ FF; Planitex ™ UNS; Ultra SkimCoat™; Ultrabond ECO® 190; Ultrabond ECO® 290; Ultrabond ECO® 300; Ultrabond ECO® 360; Ultrabond ECO® 390; Ultrabond ECO® 560; Ultrabond ECO® 611; Ultrabond ECO® 711; Ultrabond ECO™ 350; Ultrabond ECO™ 575; Ultrabond® G19; Ultrabond® G21; Mapeflex™ P1 SL; Mapelath™; Novoplan® Easy; Novoplan® 2; Planitex™ SL; Planitex™ SL 35; Primer E™; Primer L™; Primer T™; Primer WE™; Ultraplan® Easy; Ultraplan® 1 Plus; Mapecem® Premix; Topcem™ Premix; Ultrabond ECO® 570; Ultrabond ECO® 580; Ultrabond ECO® 560; Ultrabond® G19; Ultrabond® G21; Ultrabond® Turf 590; Mapelastic ™ Smart; Mapelastic™315; Ultrabond ECO® 970; Ultrabond ECO® 975; Ultrabond ECO® 990; Ultrabond ECO® 995; Ultrabond ECO® 960; Ultrabond ECO® 985; Ultrabond ECO® 980; Mapeguard 2; MAPEI SM Primer™; Ultrabond® Urethane Cleaner; Ultrabond® 905; Ultrabond® 915; Planicrete® AC; Keracolor™ S; Keracolor™ U; Ultracolor® Plus; Mapeguard 2; MAPEI SM Primer™; Keralastic™; Keraply™; Kerabond™; Keraflor™; Keraset ®; Kerapoxy®IEG; Kerapoxy®; Opticolor™; Granirapid® System; Kerabond/Keralastic™ System; Ultracontact™; Ultracontact™ RS; Keracrete™; Ultralite Mortar™; Ker® 909; Type 1™; Ultramastic ECO™; Grout Maximizer; Grout Refresh™; Keracaulk™ S; Keracaulk™ U; Planiseal™ Easy; Planiseal™ EMB; 4 to 1™; Mapecem®; Mapecem® Premix; Mapelath™; Topcem™ Premix; Mapecem® Quickpatch; Planipatch Plus™; Planipatch®; Planiprep™ FF; Planiprep™ RS; Adesilex™ P10; Ker® 111; Ker® 121; Ultraflex™ 1; Ultraflex™ 2; Ultraflex™ 3; Ultraflex™ Marble; Ultraflex™ RS; Ultraflex™ LFT; Ultraflor™; Adhesive

& Grout; Mortar for Tile; Natural-Stone & Marble Adhesive; Premium Mortar; Premixed Grout; Premixed Premium Grout; Primer CE™; Primer E™; Primer L™; Primer T™; Novoplan® Easy; Novoplan® 2; Planitex™ SL; Ultraplan ® Easy; Ultraplan® 1 Plus; GlassBlock Mortar™; Kerapoxy® 410; Planicrete® W; Fiberglass Mesh; Mapeband™; MAPEI’s Reinforcing Fabric; Mapelastic™ 400; Mapelastic™ AquaDefense; Mapelastic™ HPG; Mapelastic™315

Editor’s Note: The participating companies in this paid/sponsored guide, offer products that can earn points under the USGBC LEED rating systems. These products must have documentation to be able to contribute to points in a LEED project. Contact Jeff Golden at (818) 224-8035 ext 2218 to be a part of this special section online.

Company Name: Stauf Adhesives Address: 6055 Primacy Pkwy., #428, Memphis, TN 38119 Phone: (901) 820-0007 Fax: (901) 820-0101 URL: www.staufusa.com Email: [email protected] Product Names: PUM-950 Power-Mastic; M2A-900 Eco-Mastic; SMP-940 Superior; SMP-960 One-Step

Company Name: W.F. Taylor Co., Inc. Address: 11545 Pacific Ave., Fontana, CA 92337 Phone: 951-360-6677 Fax: 951-360-1177 URL: www.wftaylor.com Product Names: Taylor Meta-tec® MS Plus Advance™ Wood Flooring Adhesive; Wood Master 2020 Wood Flooring Adhesive; Taylor Encap 500 Adhesive Encapsulator; Taylor 900 Workhorse General Purpose Adhesive; Taylor 1410 Platinum MAC System; Taylor 2025 Universal Primer; Taylor 2033; Taylor 2037 Fiberglass Backed Sheet Vinyl Pressure Sensitive Adhesive; 2055 Performance Plus Fast Tack Carpet Adhesive; 2060 Multi-Purpose Adhesive; Taylor 2062 Premium Seam Sealer; Taylor 2071 Tuff-Lok X-Link Wood Flooring Adhesive; 2075 Seam Sealer; 2080 The Legend Dual Purpose Commercial Grade Adhesive; 2084 Tuff Lok X-Link Linoleum Adhesive; 2090 Meta-Tec Vinyl Back Floor Covering Adhesive; 2100 Delta Force Fast Grab Premium Carpet Adhesive; 2902 Double Stick Adhesive for Patterned Carpet; 2903 Pressure Sensitive Spray Grade Adhesive.

www.ntlfloortrends.com I November 2011 ● 39

Retailer Spotlight

San Jose Hardwood Floors, Carpet & Vinyl Refocuses Its Business on Core Clients by Michael Chmielecki, associate editor

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utch Kirk, owner of San Jose Hardwood Floors, Carpet & Vinyl in San Jose, Calif., faced a difficult decision in 2007. He was operating three locations: the flagship San Jose store opened in 1993, as well as newer stores in Irvine and Monterey that had been around for about seven years. As the housing market crash hit, Kirk realized he needed to consolidate in order to survive. “It was a major wakeup call,” Kirk remembers. “It was horrible getting rid of people, but it ultimately gave me

the opportunity to once again become completely hands-on with our biggest clients in the Bay Area.” While sales volume is not as high as it was before the market slumped, Kirk says profitability is higher than it has ever been, and it made him come to the realization that he had been spreading himself to thin. “Everything is gravy now.” San Jose Hardwood Floors’ service area includes high-income cities like San Francisco and Palo Alto, home to some of the largest venture capitalists and electronics/computing giants in

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the country. “These are some of our biggest clients, and when I downsized our operations south of us, I was able to be completely available for them again. These upper-end clients expect that level of personal service,” Kirk explains. He sent out letters to clients letting them know about his decision to downsize, and took designers and architects out to

Above: Butch Kirk mans the San Jose Hardwood Floors showroom.

Above: The storefront for San Jose Hardwood Floors. Inset: San Jose Hardwood Floors created this logo to show off their custom capabilities.

lunches to talk about the new business strategy. “Our clients breathed a sigh of relief. They were happy that we were now again completely focused on them.” Kirk says it was not until the two stores closed that he realized he had not been enjoying the business as much as he had used to. Now that he’s back to one store, “I enjoy this business 100 percent again.” Kirk has been in the industry for around 30 years, first working summers through a friend’s father who owned a flooring company. He also worked for distributor Floor Service Supply Co. in San Jose for about four years, where he learned more about the industry and its products. “At that point I realized there is a lot of money to be made in the flooring

industry if you know what you are doing, and I started my own business.” One piece of advice he has for other

‘You need to put in 12 to 15 hours a day, at least. You need to work on Saturdays. You need to take calls on Sundays. Some people might call me a workaholic, but I call myself a successful businessman.’ — Butch Kirk

retailers: Always put the customer first, even if that means being awakened early by the phone or taking a call on vacation.

“You need to always be available for your customers. You need to put in 12 to 15 hours a day, at least. You need to work on Saturdays. You need to take calls on Sundays. Some people might call me a workaholic, but I call myself a successful businessman.” He says another important consideration is to always listen to your customers and sell them the right product for the setting. “You have to fit the floor to the customer’s need. If what they need is a polished concrete floor, you shouldn’t try to sell them an engineered hardwood floor. You also need to address any problems as they come up. Do not let things sit around.” He also says salespeople and installers need to be up-to-date on their training. “If you are not up on the new finishes, the new wearlayers, and the latest specs, and if you don’t really know the product inside and out, you are not a salesperson. You are simply an order taker.” For more information on San Jose Hardwood Floors, Carpet & Vinyl, visit nft www.sanjosehardwoodfloors.com. ●

www.ntlfloortrends.com I November 2011 ● 41

F ocus on Resilient I

by Ray Thompson Jr.

The Price of Non-Conformance When Using Incorrect Products

In my more than 47 years in the flooring industry, I have been on many jobsites as an installer, trainer or inspector. On each jobsite the constant key component for a successful job is the correct use of installation products.

A veteran of the flooring industry for more than 47 years and author of Focus on Resilient, Ray Thompson, Jr., is a renowned installation expert and president of the Ray Thompson Floorcovering Institute in Easton, Wash. Thompson conducts resilient, hardwood and moisture in concrete training programs for installers, retailers, distributors and industry associations. He also serves as a consultant, operates his own inspection service and is a concrete forum moderator. He most recently served as Armstrong World Industries’ senior field technical specialist. You can reach him at rthompson@ cablespeed.com

This month’s article covers some of the installation non-conformances I have encountered when called to a jobsite to look at a problem/ job failure. On each job, I try to determine what crucial step was omitted or what value-engineered product was substituted. Failure to attend pre-construction conferences. A lot of problems can be resolved at a preconstruction conference. Topics covered at the pre-construction conference are the way the job is to be done; concrete moisture testing; concrete curing; concrete quality; special requirements necessary to complete the job on schedule; and most of all profitability. Installers can learn a lot of information from attending these meetings. Knowing the specifications of the materials to be installed. In the commercial resilient segment, there can be several different materials specified. It is mandatory to be aware of all of the nuisances of each material. Some of these include ESD materials, stair treads, slip resistant materials and installations in special areas. Proper material for the intended usage. Often, I see situations where a material has been specified and the material is just not designed for that type of usage. For instance, a medical facility where there is a lot of heavy rolling loads. Make sure the specified material meets the needs for the usage intended. The time to make the change is before the job begins, not after the end-user is complaining. Substitute adhesives. In an effort to save money or another reason, I often see adhesives substituted for a manufacturer-specified adhesive. This is done for a multitude of reasons without considering the long-term cause/effect. Some adhesive’s long-term

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effects are not as great as one may think – some cause discoloration and loss of bond. The other thing to consider is how the substituted adhesive will perform under the material it was used on. Some adhesives set too hard and create trowel notch show-through and some are too soft and prone to indentations. So, if you are substituting an adhesive for a specified adhesive and there is a problem, I hope you will get a warranty rather than some song ‘n dance. Poor substrate preparation. When there has been something on the substrate that needs to be removed down to bare concrete, that means complete removal, not just scratched up with a sander and hope for the best. Sometimes scratching things like concrete sealer allows the sealer to gradually release when the new adhesive is curing and shrinking, creating a release of the concrete sealer from the concrete. This is a gradual releasing, not immediate.

Be sure to attend any pre-construction conferences so you know exactly what is expected of you and any extra steps that must be taken. Do not wait until construction has begun to ask these vital questions.

by Ray Thompson

Many of the moisture mitigation coatings that I see fail are due to poor substrate preparation, which does not allow the treatment to achieve a good bond to resist the moisture’s effect. These failures can be very costly. Patching compounds. There are many varieties of patching compounds. When you select these products do you look beyond the price? How often do you look at the chemical make-up of the patch? How about compressive strength? Is it cementitious or Portland-based? It all matters!

The majority of the installers tend to overwater their patch. Overwatering will weaken the compressive strength of the patch and its bond to the substrate.

Does your installation staff know how to properly install patch? The majority of the installers tend to overwater their patch. Overwatering will weaken the compressive strength of the patch and its bond to the substrate. A good patch when mixed properly is smooth and easy to trowel. Some patching compounds, when mixed properly, will want to cling to the trowel, so the installer will tend to add more water in an effort to get it to be easier to trowel out. Self-leveling products. Self-leveling underlayments are, like patching compounds, available in many different formulas. Some are considered cementitious, which means they can have gypsum, pozzalons, fly ash and other minerals. These range in compressive strength and coverage. Like patching compounds, overwatering is also a problem. For self-leveling underlay-

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ments to be successful the substrate preparation must be done properly. Many flooring people shy away from self-levelers thinking they are too expensive, but quite the contrary. The product costs are greater, but the labor is much less. Specialty installations. With the downturn in the economy many flooring contractors have ventured into installations of specialty products like gymnasium floors, only to get into a segment of the industry that requires special knowledge and techniques. If you expand into these special areas, make sure to get proper training. Job failures fueled by a lack of knowledge can be costly. Tools are responsible for a lot of flooring failures and labor expense. The trowel is by far the biggest offender. Trowel notch, or lack of notch, has cost the flooring industry millions of dollars. A new trowel on a concrete substrate is good for two to three gallons of adhesive before it is worn out. Yes, we are gradually moving to sprayed-down and loose laid material, but those are not perfected yet. Heat welding tips have been improved to help stop the scorching of sheet materials, but there are still a lot of the old tips being used, leaving miles of scorched seams. Inexperienced installers. With the down economy, I find installers doing installations past their level of experience. I understand their desire to keep working, but many are in way over their head. I just hope they remember to get some education before they attempt another difficult installation. You can only be lucky so many times. Lack of trained installers. There is a huge lull in installer education. I realize installers say they cannot take time, let alone invest the money, to further hone their installation skills, but now is the time to do it. Waiting until they are busy will present another problem. There are only a few things we can purchase that will make us competitive in the marketplace. The only other thing we can do is to omit some of the crucial steps, or have the proper training to ensure the installation is done right the nft first time. ●

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G uest Column I

by Keith Gray

The Healing Power of Flooring

Keith Gray is director of technical marketing for The Mohawk Group and its four brands – Karastan, Lees, Bigelow and Durkan. He also drives the organization’s research and knowledge gathering efforts in the healthcare and education sectors.

This year alone, more than 100,000 people will die from healthcare acquired infections (HAIs) in the United States according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) First State-Specific Healthcare-Associated Infections Summary Data Report, January-June 2009. In fact, each year these types of infections yield greater fatalities amongst Americans than AIDS, breast cancer and auto accidents combined.

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or an environment intended for healing, these numbers are more than shocking. However, they also suggest that hand washing and sanitary cleaning are not enough to promote infection prevention. Hospitals must now weave sanitation within their very design to adhere to the most stringent health standards and assure patient health. Enter the healing power of flooring. The most pervasive surface in healthcare, flooring can no longer be an afterthought when it comes to hospital design. Instead, choosing the right flooring not only adds to the safety, quiet and comfort of a healthcare environment, but also to the reduced potential for HAI transmission.

Selection Process With such powerful design bearings, flooring selection for use in a healthcare environment requires knowledge of technical subjects including acoustics, biomechanics, safety and maintenance. This will help ensure positive patient outcomes and staff performance. Adding to the list of considerations are established and emerging technologies for antimicrobial properties, which are often incorporated into or applied to flooring. While antimicrobial properties are seemingly beneficial to healthcare industries, government agencies and flooring manufacturers are still hesitant to substantiate the additives’ infection prevention advantages because of significant lack of scientific evidence, according to researchers.

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A Healthy Look at Carpet A May 2008 study, Carpet, Asthma and Allergies – Myth or Reality by Mitchell W. Sauerhoff, found carpet can actually decrease the likelihood of transmitting infections because of its ability to sequester biological contaminants until they can be removed by proper cleaning. While the real advantages of antimicrobial additives remain in question, the positive power of carpet within healthcare spaces has substantiated proof. Carpet offers the following benefits: Slip prevention. Carpet reduces the risk of inpatient falls, as well as that of caregiver and visitor falls, by offering a non-slip surface in high-traffic areas. If for some reason a fall occurs despite the nonslip surface, carpet can potentially reduce the severity of injuries by cushioning the impact.

Carpet manufactured with special fiber systems could offer additional benefits within a healthcare environment. Shown is SmartStrand Contract with Dupont Sorona polymer, a bleach-resistant fiber system and will not lose durability or color quality. Photo courtesy The Mohawk Group.

by Keith Gr ay

Lees carpet tile/broadloom style What Moves You? is made with bio-based SmartStrand Contract with DuPont Sorona. Photo courtesy The Mohawk Group.

Hospital acoustics. For those who have visited a healthcare patient room or walked the halls of a hospital featuring hard floors, they are well aware of echoes and background noises. In fact, according to Press Ganey hospital exit surveys, too much noise is the number one complaint amongst patients. These negative survey responses could directly impact a hospital’s reputation and bottom line. To avoid potentially damaging feedback, studies show that improved acoustics lower background noise, increase speech recognition, increase healthcare worker performance, improve patient performance, reduce medical errors and prevent violent behavior due to stress. By facilitating a quieter setting, carpeting enables caregivers to work more efficiently, visitors to hear more clearly and patients to heal more peacefully. Breathing better. High-traffic areas often stir up airborne particulates that patients, caregivers and visitors could

potentially inhale. To avoid this, carpets trap the particulates and keep dust and allergen levels out of reach of an individual’s breathing zone. Comfort head to toe. Perhaps an obvious reason carpet is chosen for healthcare facilities is for maximum caregiver underfoot

Studies show that improved acoustics lower background noise, increase speech recognition, increase healthcare worker performance, improve patient performance, reduce medical errors and prevent violent behavior due to stress.

comfort and/or minimum-rolling resistance to prevent lost-time injuries. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nurses who spend all day on their feet are the

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second largest group at risk for workplacerelated injuries, right behind truck drivers. The appropriate flooring choice is essential for job safety and efficiency. Contrary to popular belief, not all carpet is created equal when it comes to comfort and rolling resistance. Carpet without an attached cushion has been shown to have remarkable anti-fatigue properties without compromising rolling mobility as cushions typically do. An ideal flooring system to achieve both anti-fatigue performance and low-rolling resistance is a modular or broadloom carpet with a dense, noncushioned PVC or thermoplastic performance backing coupled with a dense, low pile face construction to ensure caregiver productivity and comfort. Carpet/Carpet tiles. It is widely believed that carpet in healthcare environments harbors microbes of all types. While this has been proven false based on aforementioned studies, myths that carpet tiles are especially susceptible to leak-through by bio-contaminated spills still remain. The CDC recommends the use of modular carpet in areas where contaminated spills are likely in order to enable ease of removal, replacement and decontamination or disposal. While broadloom and modular carpet each feature aesthetic and healthcare benefits, carpet tile is often quicker to install and has higher anti-fatigue properties than commercial broadloom, especially products with unitary or non-performance-type backing. Performance backings used on carpet tiles act as a moderating layer, which absorbs and disperses the energy of foot impact more efficiently. This construction can also have better acoustic performance in terms of reducing distracting noises. Sweeping the Surface Some areas – including bathrooms, labs, patient rooms and closets – require more maintenance than others due to their spill susceptibility. This is the location hard surfaces such as rubber and vinyl tile sparkle due to ease of clean-up. Hard surfaces and carpet effectively resist microbial growth, given proper cleaning. Additionally, because such maintenance-heavy areas have the lowest amounts of foot traffic, airborne nft particulates are more contained. ●

www.ntlfloortrends.com I November 2011 ● 45

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APC Cork.........................................................................17 (866) 222-3241 www.apccork.com

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Ragno USA ........................................................................5 (888) 297-2466 www.ragnousa.com

Centiva...............................................................................9 (888) 236-8482 www.centiva.com

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Ram Trucks ............................................................... 26-27 www.ramtrucks.com/commerical

Coverings 2012 ...............................................................51 105 (800) 687-7469 www.coverings.com

Stauf USA ........................................................................23 (866) GLUEUSA www.staufusa.com

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Surfaces 2012 .................................................................15 100 (800) 547-3477 www.surfaces.com

Custom Building Products ..............................................7 (800) 272-8786 www.custombuildingproducts.com 1

TEC ..................................................................................52 (800) 832-9002 www.tecspecialty.com

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Earthwerks ........................................................................3 (800) 275-7943 www.earthwerks.net

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W.F. Taylor ......................................................................11 (951) 360-6677 www.wftaylor.com

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Grout Boost.....................................................................13 (866) 614-7688 www.groutboost.com

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Wagner Electronic Products .........................................16 (800) 207-2486 www.RapidRH.com

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MAPEI Corp. .....................................................................2 (954) 246-8888 www.mapei.com MP Global Products .......................................................29 (888) 379-9695 www.quietwalk.com

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Musson Rubber ..............................................................18 (800) 321-2381 www.mussonrubber.com

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www.ntlfloortrends.com I November 2011 ● 47

11.11>Products 1

Crossville’s BlueStone Porcelain Stone contains 20 percent recycled content New from Crossville, Bluestone porcelain stone contains a minimum of 20 percent recycled content. Designed for both residential and commercial applications, the series is available in four colors in 24” x 24”, 12” x 24”, 6” x 24” 12” x 12” and 6” x 6” sizes, as well as 2” x 2” and 3” x 6 mosaics. For details, circle 150 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

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Torlys redesigns entire Hardwood Collection Torlys Smart Floors has revamped its entire hardwood product line, as well as offering a new format and pricing strategy for retailers. The new Hardwood Collection offers three styles: Artisan, Summit and Everest, available in three price points: Good, Better and Best. For details, circle 136 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

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American Biltrite debuts Mirra Wide Planks lvt American Biltrite’s new lvt Mirra Wide Planks are available in two series featuring embossed patterns. The Classic Series offers a modern look available in 7.25” x 48” formats; the Antique Series is a rustic look that comes in a larger 9” x 48” format. For details, circle 146 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

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Provence Pecan from BR-1111 suitable for bath installations BR-111’s new Provence Pecan engineered wood series is designed for bath environments, the company says. The series with a UV finish comes in 6 1/2” wide planks, 1/2” thick, lengths from 12” to 48”. For details, circle 142 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

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Patterson, Flynn & Martin roll out Return to Tradition rug collection Patterson, Flynn & Martin has collaborated with interior designer David Kleinberg on a new collection of made-to-order rugs. The Return to Tradition rug collection is available in mixed texture, hand-tufted or needlepoint construction. Available in custom sizes. For details, circle 132 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

nora’s new mobile apps offer convenience, flexibility Rubber flooring manufacturer nora has introduced nora on the go mobile apps for Apple iPhone and iPad. The apps enable users to search through the entire nora product and accessory lines by name, type, color or recommended markets. For details, circle 138 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

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Johnsonite presents its new Masquerade Contoured Wall Base New from Johnsonite, Masquerade Contoured Wall Base is a unique millwork finishing border with the look of exotic wood and stone. The series is available in 12 wood grain options and 11 stone options, as well as customized choices. For details, circle 130 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

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MAPEI’s Ultrabond ECO 360 designed for rolling loads MAPEI’s Ultrabond ECO 360 hard-setting, latex adhesive is specifically designed for homogenous sheet vinyl applications that are subject to heavy-duty rolling loads. Watercleanable Ultrabond ECO 360 offers an exceptional open time and superior, moistureresistant bond. For details, circle 144 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

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Loctite debuts PL 400 SubFloor & Deck Adhesive New from Loctite, PL 400 SubFloor & Deck Adhesive allows for installation of squeakfree subfloors, the company says. PL 400 bonds within just 48 hours, and remains elastic to automatically compensate for wood shrinkage. For details, circle 134 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

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Hibernia takes wraps off Garden Trellis carpets Hibernia’s new Garden Trellis wool carpet collection is crafted from New Zealand yarn. Garden Trellis is available in 11 colors with a palette ranging from “sassy greens” and “soulful blues” to bayberry (a shade of berry with a touch of pink), according to the company. For details, circle 128 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

6 Florida Tile simplifies product documentation Florida Tile has launched its latest web-based tool, ecoScorecard, to help architects and designers measure the environmental impact of products and materials against the major environmental ratings systems. The system is designed for easy navigation. For details, circle 140 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

Milliken unveils luxury recycled leather tiles

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Milliken’s new Rinascita collection features recycled leather tiles with reclaimed and recycled carpet backing. Composed of 95 percent recycled content, the series is available in two textures, Bufalo and Castoro, both with a hand-rubbed finish. For details, circle 208 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

www.ntlfloortrends.com I November 2011 ● 49

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Lees Carpet takes wraps off What Moves You collection What Moves You is The Mohawk Group’s latest commercial carpet collection, including seven cut and loop patterns in carpet tile and broadloom. The new Lees offering in 11 colorways features DuPont Sorona renewably sourced polymer. For details, circle 124 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

10 Armstrong Commercial debuts Rejuvenations resilient line

Armstrong Commercial Flooring’s Rejuvenations, is part of the company’s Continuum design system. The three Rejuvenations styles include: Ambigu, Tweed and end-cut wood grain visuals; StoneRun, a look of travertine and concrete; and TimberLine, realistic wood looks. For details, circle 126 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

11 Bentley Prince Street adds

Piper Hill to Easy Street Collection

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Bentley Prince Street has expanded its Easy Street Collection with the addition of the Piper Hill series. The new style utilizes leftover yarn from previous product runs. Piper Hill is made from Aquafil solution dyed nylon and branded space dyed nylon, and is available in five colors. For details, circle 118 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

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Shivhon rolls out Koi Pond rugs New from Shivhon Fine Tibetan Carpets, Koi Pond rugs recreate the tranquility of a koi pond, complete with sunlit lily pads floating on the water. Hand knotted from Himalayan wool and silk, the rugs are available in various sizes and custom colors. For details, circle 116 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

Apavisa Arch Concept ceramic tile line features unusual shapes Apavisa has rolled out the Arch Concept collection, a ceramic tile line featuring a variety of unusual shapes, including hexagonal, bumps, curved, bends and wave shapes. All Arch Concept designs are made through a hand-made process, for maximum finish variation. For details, circle 122 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

Parterre Flooring Systems Unveils Compete Sports Floor New from Parterre Flooring Systems, Compete Sports Floor offers compact construction and a cushioned backing for superior shock absorption and safety, the company says. Compete comes in three thicknesses: 2.8 mm, 3.5 mm, and 6 mm; it is available in two standard colors, Natural Maple and American Oak, and can be custom ordered in more than 15 colors and designs. For details, circle 120 on the Reader Inquiry Card.

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