Manufacturers of multilayer flooring (MLF) said they see the category continuing to grow in popularity as products become more dimensionally stable, visually attractive and even better-performing into the future.
David Sheehan, senior vice president of product management for Mohawk Flooring, said that while the market will ultimately determine the direction of the MLF category, this sub-segment of LVT has been enjoying tremendous growth and popularity today and most likely will for the foreseeable future.
“There have been a number of things that have been done on both the chemistry side that impact formulation as well as the manufacturing process,” Sheehan said. “For example, we introduced our product SolidTech with a core material that’s 50 percent denser than other competing products that are out on the market and this obviously produces a product that’s more impact- or dent-resistant. We’ve also developed, from a formulation standpoint, a product that is more dimensionally stable, it won’t expand or contract under high heat or sunlight that comes in and will heat the floor up. So those are some of the things that companies like Mohawk have done to enhance the product and make it a better performing product on the market.”
Jimmy Tuley, vice president of residential resilient for Mannington Mills, said Mannington believes the MLF category will continue to see strong growth. Mannington is focused on several initiatives to stay ahead of the curve in both manufacturing and styling, he said.
“There are improvements in the core manufacturing technology coming that will give even greater dimensional stability,” Tuley said. “We are also seeing improvements in the visuals, for example Mannington’s Adura Max just launched a new line of rectangles that have traditional tile and marble visuals, and the feedback from the market has been fantastic.”
Phenix Flooring recently moved into hard surface with the launch of four new hard surface products, including two MLF offerings, Impulse and Momentum, in addition to its Stainmaster Pet Protect Luxury Vinyl product and Niagara, its water- resistant laminate.
While this section of the flooring business seems to be changing daily, Jason Hair, vice president of hard surfaces at Phenix Flooring, said he believes rigid core products will be the future of MLF, since they are very tolerant to the issues most flooring contractors find themselves dealing with.
“The merging of soft and hard surface seems to be growing as well,” Hair explained. “We are working on bringing carpet and MLF together to the consumer.”
Mannington Mills’ Adura Max MLF product is durable and dimensionally stable.
Both the performance and visuals have improved recently within the entire category and continue evolving at a rapid pace, said Clark Hodgkins, resilient category manager for Shaw Floors.
“Speaking for Shaw Floors specifically, we are investing heavily in the resilient category as a whole,” Hodgkins said. “We strive to be the go-to supplier for all things resilient, whether that’s sheet vinyl, LVT or rigid core products. As the year progresses, we will continue rolling out new innovations that we’re excited to share with our retail partners.”
One important aspect of ensuring MLF’s future success is making sure its great selling story is clearly communicated, said David Cheslock, product marketing manager for Armstrong Flooring.
“As the category evolves, we want to ensure consumers are seeing the value of these new products, from the realistic visuals to the performance benefits and installation flexibility,” Cheslock said.