Las Vegas—The ubiquitous presence of laminate products at Surfaces 2024 was reminiscent of the level of participation and excitement that the category experienced back in the late 1990s—laminate’s heyday in the U.S. The sheer number of brands, the depth of product offerings and the high level of innovation all but reaffirms the ongoing resurgence the category has experienced these past few years.
Even category newcomers like Ultimate Flooring, based in California, attested to the strong interest. “We started in Los Angeles, where SPC really started to take off and totally flooded the rest of the country,” said Ron Dardashti, co-managing partner who runs the company with his brother, Tal. “Now people are starting to move back toward laminates.”
Following is a sampling of some of the standout laminate flooring products showcased at Surfaces.
BHW
Looking to build on the success of its Kingston Collection, BHW Floors takes the wraps off its new Waterfront laminate line. The product is constructed on a 10mm + 2mm format with an attached IXPE pad. The planks measure a whopping 9 3/8 inches wide x 87 inches long. What’s more, it’s AC4 rated for wear and boasts state-of-the-art EIR technology. The initial line consists of clean, European white oak looks. “It’s different from Kingston—which is also a big seller—in that it’s wider/longer with a more modern visual,” said Jason Grant, vice president.
Cali
The West Coast lifestyle themed booth at the Cali space turned quite a few heads with its California-inspired vibe, but it was not just about style here. The company showcased its growing array of trendy hard surface products, including a pair of laminate flooring collections that hit the mark on virtually all style points: Shorebreak and Mavericks.
The former is an extremely realistic looking laminate in a 12 x 24 format featuring a 10mm core + 2mm construction with attached pad, while Mavericks is a super-long, 86-inch x 9-inch-wide board.
Eternity
For Eternity, a provider of a range of trendy hard surface floors and a longtime proponent of laminate, the compelling aspect of SPC flooring was its waterproof attributes. And while it still offers customers an array of good/better/best rigid core flooring, laminate is where its heart lies.
“At one time SPC was the only rigid core product available that was waterproof,” said Isaac Lee, marketing director, Eternity. “But now laminate—which was known primarily for its scratch resistance and durability—has demonstrated its waterproof performance. Now we see more customers going over to the laminate side.”
To that end, Eternity is “tripling down” with an array of high-performance laminate offerings across three platforms: Sequoia, Hyperion XXL and AquaFi. According to Lee, the assortment gives Eternity the product depth to satisfy virtually any design or performance needs.
HF Design
Primarily known for its high-end hardwood offerings, HF Design has continued to expand into adjacent hard surface offerings, including resilient and laminate. But it’s the latter category that’s really beginning to take off.
The company’s latest foray into the laminate flooring sector is Aquaproof XL, a step-up collection to its original Aquaproof line, which was based on a 7.7-inch-wide format in 60-inch lengths. Alex Shaoulpour, president, described Aquaproof XL, which is wider and longer, as a “big brother” version of the original. “We just launched this on the West Coast and we’re looking to roll it out in the Midwest and East Coast in the next few months,” he said.
Available in 12 trendy colors, Aquaproof XL features EIR technology, a high-density resin core and a special sealed edge treatment for added waterproof protection.
Inhaus
Inhaus, a perennial player in the laminate flooring sector and one of the category’s biggest proponents, continues to invest heavily in the product segment. Following on the heels of the launch of its premium Lamdura collection at Surfaces last year, the company now offers the line across several different tiers to give retailers more options to offer the consumer. New this year is a technology that allows seamless installation of herringbone planks—an increasingly popular visual in today’s market.
Mannington
The Restoration collection—Mannington’s top-selling laminate line—got a shot in the arm this year with the addition of Bespoke, an extremely natural looking offering that mimics the visual characteristics and texture of genuine hardwood.
“The physical texture and aesthetic of this product convey a more raw kind of feel,” said John Hammel, senior product director, wood and laminate. “We’ve also changed the type of bevel we use on this product—it’s much more subtle. It’s really hard to tell from a bevel standpoint what’s wood vs. what’s laminate.”
Mohawk
The RevWood collection from Mohawk, one of the brand’s best-selling lines, is getting a big promotional boost via Mohawk’s new “American Originals” campaign. Much like American pastimes—barbecues, rock and roll, blue jeans and U.S. manufacturing—RevWood aims to tap into American ingenuity and all the things that make the country what it is today.
“RevWood is entirely made in the USA—something that has risen in importance both to our customers and consumers,” said Seth Arnold, vice president of residential marketing, Mohawk. “A lot of it had to do with product availability, but also there’s just an awareness that made in USA is an important thing.”
Tarkett
New to the Tarkett hard surface lineup this year is ShoreFlor, a laminate offering featuring Searenity Waterproof Technology. The product features a painted bevel edge, EIR technology and comes in a 10mm + 2mm pad for a total thickness of 12mm. The collection features clean, warm visuals as well as some rustic visuals such as hickory.
“We had a lot of requests and customers wanting something beyond just SPC,” said Jason Surratt, president. “With all the technology improvements that have occurred over the last 10-15 years in laminate, it’s definitely a category that we see opportunity in.”
Ultimate Flooring
Ultimate Flooring, a laminate flooring producer headquartered in Los Angeles, might not be a household name (not yet, anyway), but it’s surely making some noise. At Surfaces this year the company, founded in 2012, seemed to come of age with the Aqua Armor Tech line under the Ultimate Flooring brand of waterproof laminate.
Aqua Armor Tech is billed as a next-generation waterproof laminate featuring added epoxy resin and the latest super-high-density HDF core board and quadruple-moisture-waxed edge protection. According to the company, this ensures the product is waterproof for up to 300 hours. All Aqua Armor Tech collections feature real wood-look colors and styles that are sure to brighten and liven any room.
“We started with one collection and it was a 12mm with no pad attached,” said Ron Dardashti, co-managing partner. “We now have six collections in about 75 different colors and a range of different specs. And we have plans to add a couple more lines.”
(Look for more laminate Surfaces coverage in upcoming editions of FCNews.)
