Luxury vinyl tile (LVT) is the hottest new product in flooring, with growth of 22.5% in residential product sales when the resilient category was down by 14.2% (FCNews, June 28). Most recently, it captured the fancy of exhibitors and attendees alike at the recent Domotex asia/ChinaFloor as the product du jour in the exhibit halls (FCNews, April 4/11).
LVT has profit options that can’t be matched by its natural counterparts. It is cheaper to produce for manufacturers, and therefore more affordable to end users who have found its convincing looks provide a greater value proposition to the cleaning and maintenance of stone or wood, not to mention the cost up-front. Add to that improved installation methods and dealers have an easy sell when a customer is committed to the look of marble or Brazilian cherry but has issues with the price tag.
Following are a few of the top LVTs on the market today.
Armstrong
LVT: Alterna and Luxe Plank
Sizes: (respectively) 16-inch tiles, and 4 x 48, 6 x 36, 6 x 48
Certifications: FloorScore, California Section 01350
Features: Alterna features aluminum oxide coating for scratch, stain and wear resistance with a 160-guage thickness, four-sided rounded edge and the option to grout or install a butt-fit on any level of the home over any subfloor.
“Alterna is now generally recognized as the leader in its category for style and design,” said Yon Hinkle, product manager, Armstrong Resilient Tile. “I encourage retailers to ask around and I am confident they will find Alterna provides an outstanding selling opportunity, and a great way to grow profits.”
Another profit maker, Luxe Plank employs Lynx pressure sensitive technology to eliminate standard problems with floating floor installations like memory issues, end- cupping, curling or ledging, Hinkle continued. “Flexibility without compromise means less call backs because the installation is right the first time.”
CBC
LVT: Toli’s Lightwood, Lightwood RE and Lightstone, and Halo’s Wood, Stones and Something Different
Sizes: 4 x 36, 6 x 36, 12 x 12, 17.7 x 17.7, 19.9 x 19.7, 3- and 4-foot plank. Stones in the Halo collection are also available in 12-, 18- and 24-inch squares, 12 x 24 with 1- and 4-inch borders
Certifications: ISO 14001 and 9001. Halo products are also FloorScore certified.
Features: With Toli on the market for more than 20 years and Wood and Stone lines in the Halo collection, CBC covers the bases from established to new. “Toli created the category of commercial LVT and it has been the standard since its introduction in many healthcare facilities,” said Chip Braulick, senior marketing manager. “Halo, created by Mary Docker, has the category covered in Wood and Stones, [as well as] glass patterns, inset keys, borders, metals, colorful terrazzo and custom options.”
Reliable installations help the retailer make money, he continued, knowing when a Toli or Halo floor goes down, it will perform to the customer’s expectations and won’t become a claim. “With a focus on product quality and beautiful visuals, it is an easy sell.”
Congoleum
LVT: DuraCeramic, DuraPlank II, Ovations and Connections
Sizes: (respectively) 15 5⁄8-inch tiles; 4 x 36; 14 x 14 and 6 x 48
Certifications: FloorScore with possibilities for one LEED point (categories vary)
Features: DuraCeramic and DuraPlank II both feature Scotchgard, silver antibacterial and aluminum oxide protection, as well as suspended nylon particles to guard against wear and create realistic texture and natural visuals, said Dennis Jarosz, senior executive vice president, sales and marketing.
The mill has also provided pricing flexibility with its budget-minded Ovations, a slightly smaller tile with less of the “bells and whistles” of the Dura lines.
Finally, Connections has an aluminum oxide, urethane seal that provides durability and flexibility for Congoleum’s SmartLink installation system. “Our unique adhesive film was born from aerospace technology; it is used in the construction of airplanes to hold the parts together prior to final assembly,” Jarosz said. “It has excellent shear strength, meaning it will hold planks together.” All its LVT products can be installed in a floating format, which can save the consumer and the retailers the expense of a new subfloor. “This gives the dealers the opportunity to complete the installation quicker and cleaner,” he finished.
Cryntel
LVT: Advantx Polystone
Sizes: 6 x 6, 12 x 12, 18 x18, 12 x 24, 24 x 24
Certifications: ISO 9001
Features: An aluminum oxide wearlayer seals embossed surface detailing with a 10- year light- to medium-commercial warranty.
“Consumers today are closely monitoring what and how they spend their money and in these tough economic conditions we offer an extremely well priced product to meet the demanding needs of an active household,” said Barron Frith, vice president. “We believe we have the best merchandising system in the industry, showing full sizes pieces of tile replicating an installed floor. More importantly, the retailer has the opportunity to sell a high quality product at a fraction of the coast as compared to other manufacturers and still make an extremely aggressive margin.”
Estrie
LVT: TecCare
Sizes: 6 x 36
Certifications: FloorScore
Features: TecCare’s floating install makes it easy to install over existing subfloors. “A unique, easy-to-lay vinyl plank system raises the bar for ease of installation and ease of replacing,” said Charles Lamoureaux, marketing director. “The fact that it can be laid over most any subfloor is of major interest for end users.”
At 4.5mil thick, its sound absorption is as good as rubber (ATSM E 989/E 492 of 37), he added. “This feature is very critical in healthcare applications where you want a quiet place for patients.
Karndean
LVT: Opus Sizes: 18×18, 18 x 24, 36 x 6, 48 x 9
Certifications: ISO 14001 and 9001, LEED credit 4.3, GreenGuard Children & Schools, Calif. 01350
Features: Karndean’s non-porous surface is extremely hard wearing: The same flooring provided to residential consumers is installed throughout the world in some of the most demanding commercial environments, said Michael Lang, senior marketing manager.
Opus is a confident sell for dealers, too. “The time and ease of glue-down installation a Karndean floor requires, especially when compared to natural options, further cements Karndean as a product of value to the flooring industry at large,” he explained. “Retailers are supported by the diversity within Karndean’s ranges, as they promote consumer activity through differing styles and price points.”
Mannington
LVT: Adura Tile, Adura Elements, Adura Plank and Adura Distinctive Plank
Sizes: (respectively)16 x 16; 12 x 24, 12 x 12, 6 x 6; 4 x 36, and 5 x 48
Certifications: FloorScore
Features: David Sheehan, vice president, Resilient Business, said no other manufacturer has won more design awards for its LVT than Mannington due in part to embossed in-register technology from NatureForm and NatureForm Optix. In addition to lauded visuals, its LVT products are finished with proprietary ScratchResist urethane technology to protect against wear, and feature its patented LockSolid click technology with a “no gap” warranty.
Metroflor
LVT: Metroflor, Konecto, Starloc and Artistek
Sizes: 6 x 36, 6 x 4, 5 x 4, 16 x 32, 16 x 16, 18 x 18 and 12 x 36
Certifications: FloorScore, can contribute to points in the Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) sections of LEED
Features: The company commonly recognized as the pioneer of LVT flooring offers a broad range of products, from 2mil to 5mil gauges, 6mil to 40mil wearlayers, gluedown to floating installations, and lifetime residential to 15-year commercial warranties, depending on the collection.
“Metroflor LVT brands offers performance solutions for any project at any budget level with reliable quality and deliverability,” said Russ Rogg, president and CEO. “Our strength and uniqueness is related to our diversity from a design and format perspective along with multiple price tiers which provides our customers and end users an extremely comprehensive portfolio from which to choose.”
He added that because Metroflor tiles and planks are cost-efficient alternatives to the real thing, the majority of which don’t require waxing or buffing, its LVT can save time, installation and maintenance costs, benefitting both the end user and the retailer.
Tarkett
LVT: PermaStone in GroutFit, GroutFil and GroutLess
Sizes: 16 x16 (with a two-sided 1⁄8- or 1⁄4 -inch for GroutFit)
Certifications: FloorScore
Features: Tarkett’s Tritonite protective coating protects against wear and tear and reduces the need for harsh cleaning chemicals, said Erica Hubbard, director of marketing, Tarkett NAFCO. PermaStone products also feature a lifetime limited residential and five-year light commercial warranty.
“Many of our new designs are very clean looking, yet they combine both classic and contemporary elements,” said Lise LeBreton, creative director, Tarkett Residential. “We feel they are quite consistent with the overall trend we’re seeing of more homeowners choosing patterns that reflect a distinct North American persuasion.”
Wicanders
LVT: Vinylcomfort Planks and Tiles
Sizes: (respectively) 48 x 5 1⁄2, 24 x 17
Certifications: FloorScore
Features: According to Tim Tompkins, national marketing director, Wicanders, the company is the first to offer a floating vinyl/cork combination with a double cork layer for unique performance in thermal insulation, walking comfort, impact and step sound reduction. A four-sided micro bevel and ceramic micro-bead finish contribute to realistic wood visuals, in addition to easy installation and ease of maintenance.
“The real wood looks of our LVT combined with its long term performance characteristics allow a Wicander’s retailer to offer it as value added to the consumer, thus improving their overall margin on the sale,” Tompkins said. “For consumers, cork’s natural resiliency relieves the everyday strain on your feet, joints, legs and back, creating a more comfortable floor as well.”
-Emily Hooper