Choosing flooring has become much more interesting as consumers now have a wide array of options with various benefits. Vinyly and Wood flooring still hold most of the market share, but there are some wonderful options in the hybrid categories. Since the recession of 08-10, the housing market has rebounded, but has done so with a careful eye on value. We're putting together a comprehensive guide on flooring ideas to help people see what are some of the new options to choose from when remodeling their home or building. If you'd like to see the end result of some flooring choices, join us for our virtual or in-person remodeling tours and events, or join us at the spring or fall Parade of Homes Remodelers Showcase.
Pryzm, Armstrong’s latest luxury vinyl product, mimics the detail of hardwoods so closely it’s nearly impossible to tell it apart from hardwood. The Pryzm plank flooring comes in a variety of colors and embossed textures that can suit many different types of applications. These floors resist pocking and denting, scratches and stains. The applications are mostly indoors, with a wide plank format, which is so popular today. They are 100% waterproof, with no physical reaction, at all to moisture. This is especially good news for those in the colder climates, like Minnesota who wanted the look of wood without the effects of seasonal climate changes.
The features of Pryzm offer new installation process. The planks lock to one another, offering a very strong fit to each other. There is a cork backing, which goes down smooth and helps level out the imperfections of subflooring.
For a wider plank, Rigid Core Vantage also snap together with ease and offer a bolder look and feel than other, similar flooring types.
Alterna Engineered Tile has all the qualities of great tile, with the extra added features of being warmer, easy on the body and to take care of. A true multifunctional material, it is nearly indistinguishable from the original, wood, tile, slate, travertine, and even metal, concrete and linen, it can be used on the floor, the wall (accent wall) or even as a beautiful backsplash.
Daltile’s latest addition to its porcelain product lines are replicating stone, wood and marble to such a degree, it is truly eye-catching. The flooring manufacturer with a high-level product line, Daltile announced these new lines to be added to the already note-worthy products they offer.
Utilizing Reveal Imaging Technology, the surfaces of the tiles emulate real hardwood and stone to the point of perfect imitation. Trellis Oak is durable and can withstand more abuse than Oak flooring. D_Segmi has a more flexible application and can add that special individual style to a home or business.
The Dekton Industrial Collection is an upscale, urban look and feel alternative application of glasses, porcelain, and quartz products, that has just been pushed up to a new level with the release of several new colors, Laos, Soke, and Lunar. This grouping holds onto the Dekton quality and precision in a more contemporary style. These add a new dimension to the already stellar collection of features and options that make up the Dekton line. This brings the total number of choices to seven, allowing for more variety and design aesthetics that can used in the consumer and contractor option packages.
With an upgraded manufacturing process, the company can now produce almost exact copies of original surfaces, such as cement and stone. The latest collection Dekton Stonika, captures a look that is mostly industrial hues and texture, giving a rough-hewn and industrial feeling to the tile.
This product is a very durable, with a longevity that rivals any stone product. Gaining popularity here in the USA, as it already has in Europe, Dekton is a high-quality product, made to last years.
EgeSeramik is bringing porcelain products up to be a real contender in the alternative flooring market, each line mirroring wood, stone and marble, brick, and vintage materials. Their new line embraces almost any location, indoors and outdoors. Offering more products, Ege Seramik has been hard at work on three major applications for their porcelain floor and wall tiles.
Emser Tile has four very strong product lines, porcelain, ceramic, stone and glass. They also offer mosaic tile, but this would also fall under ceramic. Emser has captured a solid part of the alternative flooring market, as well as walls and counter surfaces, with their imitation of other materials, like wood, and stone, but also with their own looks and embossed textures. The applications are many and varied, in both home and business spaces. The latest introductions of new tiles from Emser Tile, have been to their constantly growing and continually adaptive large format sizes. The application types are more typical wood and concrete in a textured surface look. The graphic patterns they have been utilizing have been in a style reminiscent of Terrazzo patterns.
Using the latest LEED v4 certification techniques Emser Tile can produce the zero off-gassing infusion, to reduce emissions during and after installation that creates a greater indoor air quality.
It helps that Emser Tile makes the ordering simple and easy and does its best in promoting stock programs, wherever they can at the local level. This is seen more as a partnering effort with the contractors who are purchasing their products, than the usual supplier aloofness. Included in their desire to partner with the contractors and retailers purchasing their products the manufacturer has developed Emser University, where all types of customers can learn about the different application’s, manufacturing processes, and myriad uses of this diverse porcelain product.
There is an almost limitless number of tile patterns you can create from these styles and color mixes. There are a number of matte and polished finishes for both the contemporary and traditional installations.
Lumber Liquidators has always utilized the latest flooring materials, and alternative materials is no exception, the new vinyl and porcelain offering are worth the time to look into. With a small line, each type is focused on quality and ease of installation. The lasts products go well in the home or business locations. Usually thought of as the king of hardwood and engineered flooring, Lumber Liquidators is also branching out into alternative materials and applications. The Avella Quick Click Tile is revving up to be a powerhouse, with all the benefits of tile and the look and design capabilities of wood. Manufacturer insiders say this tile is faster and easier to install, not requiring grout, thin set or backer-board. It is waterproof and extremely durable.
In high traffic and water-laden areas such as bathrooms and kitchens, are obvious choices for this product, but many contractors and do-it-yourselfers are utilizing its many and varied patterns and colors in almost all areas of homes and businesses.
Avella Quick Click can even be installed over old flooring, due to the fact that it doesn’t need any type of adhesive to keep it down, the installation is so tight it holds the floor in place.
While choices vary by region and overall season lengths, the tendency is for browns and autumn hues in the southern regions, while lighter colors are seen more along coastal areas.
Neolith sintered stone is a wide format material, that is thin and sturdy, that can go indoors or outdoors, in residential or commercial applications. An award-winning material, it comes in a variety of styles and colors. As a leader in the large format tile industry, Neolith by TheSize is one the best solutions in those areas that have a great deal of traffic both residential and commercial. The large format of this sintered stone is extremely thin, 3mm to 6mm and comes in large formats. They tile themselves are lightweight, which makes transporting to job sites easier than ever before. The tiles themselves come in a 30in X 30in size and a 60in X 30in size.
All the tiles are naturally produced, with a lengthy and strict quality control regimen, enabling the manufacturer to produce large slabs that are thin in profile and very durable – along with a major benefit of being far less by weight than an equivalent size tile. There is no need for those cost producing tear-outs and all that extra material going to the land fill, Neolith is a green product.
This past year Neolith has introduced four new colors, Retrostone, Mirage, Krater and Calatorao, while the most popular color still remains the marble white.
For more than 60 years Walker Zanger has produced outstanding flooring products. Their latest porcelain product has come right at the time when look-alike and easy installation products, with qualities like water protection and heavy traffic sturdiness are in high demand. These products are for both residential and commercial applications. This manufacturer has seen an increase in the purchase of their Bera and Beren Collection of porcelain tile in all of their interior and exterior applications. Their tile fits in floors and walls, giving homeowners a full line of tile, that mimic all different types of materials. There are textured looks and structured finishes for running a theme from the inside of the house to the patio, working in a seamless run that appeals to many consumers and contractors.
The alternative materials market is growing, as pricing, options and features grows along with the manufacturing processes. To say the market is expanding, is an understatement. The applications outlined here are seeing changing features and options almost yearly. And that growth and diversity is making prices very easy on the wallet.
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