December 24/31, 2018: Volume 34, Issue 15
By Lindsay Baillie
There are many components to purchasing a new floor covering. Beyond finding a product that matches the consumer’s lifestyle, color preferences and décor, a new floor typically requires a padding or underlayment as well as new moldings and/or vents.
Many accessories manufacturers are developing made-to-match products to refine the look of an overall flooring installation. Whether it’s moldings, stair treads or vents, these products are add-on opportunities for the dealer and provide the finishing touches for the consumer.
Following are the latest and greatest moldings/accessories from some of the industry’s top accessories manufacturers.
Artistic FinishesAt TISE 2019, Artistic Finishes will introduce its new engineered stair nose, consisting of multi-layered durable plywood with a 4mm-thick, sawn-face wear layer.
“Our engineered stair nose—designed with a bold, contemporary, square-edge nosing—works with your flooring for the perfect finish every time,” said Jocelyn Pagano, marketing and events coordinator. “Our products are custom blended to the manufacturer’s flooring and have no minimum order requirements.”
Artistic Finishes’ new engineered stair nose will work just about anywhere—above, on or below grade. This engineered stair nose works with ½-, 9⁄16-, 5⁄8- and ¾-inch flooring, both engineered or solid.
Pennwood Products
Pennwood added floor vents to its portfolio approximately two years ago. The jump into developing floor vents was relatively easy for the manufacturer. Pennwood already knew many of the steps involved with staining and applying individual characteristics—such as wire brushing, hand scraping, chatter and various gloss levels—which it does for its stair nose, reducer, threshold, T-molds and quarter-round products. Pennwood Vents are available in both drop-in and flush with frame styles and are made to coordinate with the floor.
“The consumer likes the unique offering of a coordinated vent because it gives them that customized/finished look vs. a standard metal damper,” said Steve Cratch, business development. “The retailers today are looking for ways to separate themselves from the competition, and Pennwood Vents give them that competitive advantage as well as add extra profit to their sale.”
Seneca MillworkSeneca has launched its new SignatureEdge collection of solid hardwood stair tread edge designs. The treads are 1 1/16 inches, 11½ inches deep and are available in various standard and custom tread lengths.
Existing designs include the standard bullnose and square edges. Similar to the square edge, Seneca has created an eased-edge design that features a 3⁄16-inch, rounded-top front edge. What’s more, a unique chamfered edge design showcasing a 45-degree angled top front edge has been added to the product line. Seneca’s new double chamfered edge tread offers a 45-degree angled front and bottom edge.
“While the traditional bullnose and square nose treads will always be available, Seneca believes the stair category needed some new pizazz to meet the ever-changing tastes of the consumer,” said Mark Pacacha, national sales manager. “These new edge designs with a modern and Euro feel to them allow the personality of the homeowner to be expressed in her design selections.”
Stairrods
Stairrods’ premier bendable nosing is available for both straight and curved bullnose/curtail steps. As one of the first bend-on-site nosings, this premier bendable product can be easily and cut to length and fitted, thereby saving time and potential installation costs.
The manufacturer’s bendable nosing can be used with 2.5mm, 3mm, 4mm and 5mm LVT. When used with a 6mm plywood, it can be paired with treads ranging between 22mm and 25mm.
The bendable nosing comes in four standard finishes (antique brass, antique bronze, brass and satin brass) and six specialized finishes—brushed chrome, chrome, pewter, polished nickel, satin nickel and black. Stairrods also offers nosing in the same finishes for the top step where expansion is often required.
ZammaZamma’s Cap A Tread is a patented stair renewal system that slides over existing stair treads and box stairs. When using this product, there is no need to fasten or use existing flooring to build a stair tread. Installers can use the existing stair tread with or without the bullnose and slide the Cap A Tread over the top.
“We use the same decorative films as used with the flooring, creating a match with a 20mil PVC wearlayer,” said Tim Tipton, senior vice president of sales. “Cap A Tread provides the consumer with a matching flooring transition from one level of a home to another as well as an easy solution to upgrade her tired, old stairs.”