Major non-exhibitors take the wraps off hot intros for 2016
March 14/21, 2016; Volume 30, Number 19
By Jenna Lippin
While not all flooring companies exhibit at Surfaces, seemingly every manufacturer has refreshed offerings for spring. A new selling season gives all companies the opportunity to revitalize tried-and-true offerings in addition to launching products unlike anything they’ve done before. Following is a taste of what some major suppliers have unveiled in recent months.
Anderson
For the spring selling season Anderson has unveiled three collections from its namesake brand: Bernina Hickory, Bernina Maple and Valiente. Bernina Hickory and Bernina Maple are 5-inch-wide handscraped engineered hardwood selections with exceptional depth and character. The staining techniques used to create their visuals accentuate the wood’s natural knots and graining. They are each available in four colors and are made in the USA.
Valiente is made from the Kupay species harvested from managed forests in South America. Offered in five rich, saturated colors, the natural variations in the hardwood grain are still evident in each 5-inch, smooth-surfaced, engineered plank.
From Anderson’s Virginia Vintage brand launches include Vintage Rustique Maple and Vintage Rustique Hickory. They both update classic looks with wider and longer planks highlighting the wood’s natural character but in a refreshed color palette that helps these engineered o
ptions appeal to both traditional and fashion-forward tastes. Both collections include planks that are 63⁄8 inches wide with heavy scraped surfaces. They are also made in the USA.
Florida Tile
Kerala is the latest High Definition Porcelain (HDP) wood-inspired design from Florida Tile. It is notable for its dynamic graining and satin finish that highlights the planks’ texture and colorations. Kerala is available in 6 x 24 and 8 x 36 formats in three warm, rich tones that are accompanied by a basket woven mosaic. The collection is made in the USA of 40% pre-consumer recycled content and is Greenguard and Porcelain Tile certified.
Metroflor
New from Metroflor is Engage Genesis, the company’s first product line featuring its Isocore technology. An extruded, closed-cell PVC structural core, Isocore brings strength and rigidity to Engage Genesis while making larger formats easier to install. As a composite structural LVT, Engage Genesis is a floating floor that is 100% waterproof and provides sound insulation thanks to pre-attached acoustical underlayment.
Engage Genesis 800 is the entry level selection in 7.48 x 47.64 planks with an 8 mil wear layer and Uniclic locking system available in two designs in eight colors and embossing throughout. Engage Genesis 1200 MW also features Uniclic installation on planks at 4.25- 5.59- and 9.84-inches wide and 47.64-inches long with 12 mil wear layers and ceramic bead finish across the seven colors of Tonal Oak designs. At the top of the range is Engage Genesis 2000MW with a 20 mil wear layer on planks the same size as 1200MW with a micro bevel edge, 8.5mm overall gauge and the Valinge 5G locking system. Engage Genesis 2000XL is an extra-long plank design measuring 8.66 x 59.45. Designs span across 12 colors with micro beveled edges, 8.5mm overall gauge, 20 mil wear layer, ceramic bead finish and Valinge 5G installation.
The revitalized Konecto LVT brand from Metroflor is built upon a good/better/best platform designed to meet the needs of residential, multi-family and Main Street applications. With the company’s patented Grip Strip technology, Konecto can be installed without additional adhesive over almost any existing hard surface with virtually no post-installation cleanup.
At the good level is Konecto Project for the builder and multi-family market. The line features a 6 mil wear layer on 6 x 36 planks and two tile formats: 12 x 36 and 12 x 24; all have a 4.5-mm gauge. Two new plank additions—Vibrant Oak and Perfect Hickory—and one new tile—Versatile Stone—round out the Project assortment.
Konecto Sierra is the better option in the line. The new, longer length Sierra Plank measures 6 x 48 to complement an existing 6 x 36 option. Sierra Tile is offered in a 13 x 32 format. New designs include Revealed Oak and Brilliant Teak wood grains and Horizon Stone rich, soft marble.
Konecto Prestige is at the best level with a 12 mil wear layer and ceramic bead finish. The new selection adds a wider-width plank to the popular collection. Prestige is built on 6 x 48 and 7 x 48 plank sizes, both with a 4.5mm gauge. This particular option from the brand offers a unique combination of print and in-register embossing on both Refined Oak and Transitional Oak designs.
Mirage
Mirage has launched a series of 7¾-inch-wide planks in its Imagine, Flair and Sweet Memories collections in maple, red oak and white oak species. With the 7¾-inch-wide planks available in lengths of up to 82 inches, Mirage satisfies even the most demanding design and originality criteria. These planks highlight an array of natural wood characteristics including character and milling marks, open and closed knots, mineral streaks, cracks, surface holes and hairline cracks.
One new design option showcased by Mirage is the White Mist color added to the Flair collection—an off-white shade that subtly allows the natural color of the wood species to shine. The company’s DuraMatt finish gives a matte look to the planks. The new color is available on white oak in classic or engineered and maple engineered.
Tuftex
For 2016 Tuftex is broadening its widely popular Pet Protect collection with five new introductions. These intros include two 40-ounce LCLs, a 30-ounce lip and two cut piles. The company now has 16 products in the Pet Protect line, each with 14 to 30 color options depending on the product. Tuftex is focusing on expanding the possibilities with a basic solution-dyed product in terms of color ways, which it says is unseen in competitors’ pet-friendly carpet.
The mill’s Signature line reflects casual elegance with Californian flair—a lifestyle that appeals to the senses. 2016 brings 15 introductions to this assortment with mid- to high-end products ranging from $30 to $70 a yard at retail. The collection features new Colorpoint patterns, all Stainmaster, with an abundance of striated, textured cut piles and heathered looks from 30 to 60 ounces.
In addition, Tuftex is widening the Tuftex Classics brand with new distribution and closer communication with untapped markets. Tuftex Classics is an entry-level offering with a value proposition for “to-the-trade” and builder businesses; it includes products for mass distribution and new home construction. Classics is a collection of simple and traditional styles with a sophisticated color palette featuring timeless neutrals and accent shades. It includes small-scale cut and loops, casual loops and cut-pile textures.
Urban Floor
Hardwood manufacturer Urban Floor has developed nine new products for the spring selling season. The first group of intros includes three matte-finish, engineered, 5-inch-wide, smooth, birch products. They include Birch Cedar, Birch Mulberry and Birch Betula, all part of the Urban Lifetstyle Exotic collection.
Two new exotics products are also part of the mix from the Santos Mahogany Natal offering. Planks are 5-inches wide and 7-feet long. Santos Mahogany is from the Urban Lifestyle Downtown line and features a micro edge and smooth finish.
The exceedingly popular Chêne collection has two new oak additions with gray undertones. Moscato and Cabernet are European Oak selections with 7.5-inch-wide planks offered in random, long lengths. They also feature a wire-brushed, lacquered finish.
Another acclaimed line, Villa Caprisi, has received an update for spring. Valentina is a gray-brown coloration offered in 9-inch-wide planks with lengths up to just over 7 feet. This selection has a kissed edge and a wire-brushed, lacquered finish. Valentina can also withstand high foot traffic.
Lastly, Urban Floors’ Mountain Country collection now features two new fashion-forward colors: Birch Denali and Birch Bronco. Both are 6-inches wide and feature random lengths up to 4 feet. The finish on Denali and Bronco is heavily scraped with a semi gloss.