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trend in home décor that shows no sign of slowing down is homeowners’ growing preference for flooring made from wood, vinyl, tile or similar hard surfaces instead of carpet.
Michael Wilson, president of Michael & Co. Interiors, Inc. and Greenville Carpet One, says there are several reasons behind consumers’ changing taste in flooring: “In the past five to seven years, we’ve gone from 80 percent carpet sales to 80 percent hard surfaces,” he says. “Now, we’re selling 80 percent hard surfaces to 20 percent carpet. It’s really reversed.“
Among the reasons are cost, durability, and cleanliness. Wilson explains that carpet holds dust, whereas with modern hard surfaces, cleanup often involves only a quick damp mop: “they’re very easy to maintain.”
There is also a host of new surfaces and materials, such as luxury vinyl tile and wide- or long-plank wood flooring, which give shoppers more hard-surface options in more rooms of the house. In the kitchen, says Chip Pringle, operations manager for Greenville Carpet One, “a lot of homeowners are putting in tile, but with a wood look. They make them so realistic now, you really can’t tell it’s not wood by just looking at it.”
In addition to luxury vinyl tile that can imitate a wide range of wood-like surfaces and finishes, as wood-flooring options are becoming more durable, real wood is becoming more welcomed in spaces where it was once eschewed, such as the kitchen or the laundry room. “Many kitchens will use hardwood throughout the main floor of the house,” Pringle says. “In the hardwood category, we’re seeing a lot of wide-plank wood as well as long-plank wood being used.”
Manufacturers are producing planks up to 72 inches long, giving consumers a range of new options. “A lot of consumers are looking to be unique,” according to Pringle. “They’re looking for hardwoods that aren’t the norm. Other people are liking exotic woods, like Brazilian cherry, teak, and acacia.”
Popular wood-flooring textures include hand-scraped, rustic, and wire-brushed looks, each of which will hide the rigors of high-traffic areas, Pringle says.
Beneath the Surface
There’s also a lot of innovation going on beneath the surface, which has helped make possible the use of flooring that was once banned from spaces such as bathrooms and kitchens, according to both Wilson and Pringle. They point to the use of new backings made with synthetic materials, or with natural materials such as cork that make wood and ceramic flooring waterproof: “It has basically replaced the laminate flooring because it’s waterproof, and the laminate was not,” Pringle says.
While laminates have fallen out of favor, vinyl flooring, in the form of luxury vinyl tile, is winning fans who might have been turned off by the older, sheet-style vinyl flooring. Wilson says part of LVT’s popularity is because the new vinyl tiles can be easily installed – either glued to the floor or assembled in a snap-and-lock fashion – and then grouted for an attractive and waterproof finish.
Carpet, too, has benefitted from new technologies. The newest carpets have water-resistant backing that, according to Pringle, prevents liquids from penetrating to the pad, which can stain the pad and lead to long-term appearance problems: “It’s never going to come out of the pad,” Pringle explains. “You can have a professional cleaner come, and (the carpet) will look good for two or three weeks, and then you’ll see the stain starting to bleed back up through the carpet.”
Clean and Green
“Green” is everywhere these days, and the flooring industry hasn’t been immune as shoppers are seeking green flooring, which Wilson says can mean many things, from carpets made in part with recycled fibers, to hard surfaces made of cork or bamboo.
“Cork, bamboo, carpets that can be recycled – those are good for people with allergies” who can’t risk being exposed to excessive amounts of chemicals, according to Wilson.
In addition, newer padding with built-in spill guard can help prevent allergens from becoming trapped beneath carpets, making the home more comfortable for its occupants, especially those with allergies. “A lot of people who come in with allergies, they’re looking for hard surfaces or green products,” Wilson says. “And more and more people seem to have allergies these days,” Pringle chimes in.
by John C. Stevenson
