The Floor Geek

If you’ve ever looked through the mid-high range carpet racks at any carpet retailer, most likely you’ve come across Mohawk’s Wunda Weve collection. The collection features a large number of carpet styles, predominantly patterned carpets. There’s three different levels of quality within Wunda Weve, including Elite, Premier, and Preferred, and broad price range across the entire line. All the styles feature Stainmaster nylon fiber, so you know they’ll resist stains and spills, and last longer than polyester.

We’d like to get some reviews going on this site, so if you’ve had any experience with Wunda Weve carpet, post your comments here. If it’s another style you’d like to comment on, feel free to do so.

Domotex Asia, the largest floorcovering trade show in Asia, will be held March 24-26, 2009. The show boasts an average of over 40,000 visitors each year, and over 1,000 manufacturers. Since many flooring companies are looking to Asia for cheaper overhead and lower costs overall in the manufacturing process, it only makes sense that the second largest flooring trade show would be located in Asia.

This is a wonderful opportunity for both buyers and sellers to locate international suppliers and/or clients. If you’re interested in attending this year’s show, discounted tickets are availabe for pre-registering.

Click here for the Domotex Asia/Chinafloor website.

Armstrong recently introduced five new colors to the already magnificent line, Grand Illusions. This premium laminate comes 12 mils thick, which is thicker than your average laminate piece. It also features Armstrong’s patented Lock & Fold system, allowing for a very simple installation. It’s great for those Do-It-Yourselfers.

If you’re looking for a high-class laminate flooring, Grand Illusions is still the way to go. Just be sure you shop around, particularly for in-stock specials. This can often save you up to 50 cents per square foot. Most retailers, however, will pick and choose from the color line, allowing them to offer the most popular colors at an even lower price. If color isn’t that important, call around for the best deal, and then find out which colors are offered.

If you don’t like what a retailer has to offer color wise, there is still a way to get around this. If you are buying 620 square feet, you will qualify for pallet pricing. This should save quite a bit, also. If you’re buying in increments of 620, you will stay at pallet pricing. If you need an odd amount, though, such as 700 square feet, you would be able to purchase 620 sf at the pallet price, but the remaining 80 sf would be regular price. Keep this in mind as you decide on how much of your floor you would like to cover.

Here’s the color line:

Grand Illusions Color Line

• Some floor installation systems are more labor or material intensive than others, and will cost a bit more. Your retailer should explain the method of floor installation and whether or not you will be incurring additional cost.
• The condition of the existing flooring may also mean additional expense. If the subfloor needs to be prepared with patch or leveling products, or removal of an existing floor covering is required, or your floor installation professional recommends putting down new wood underlayment, you will incur added expense. However, you will also dramatically increase the life and performance of your new flooring. As with painting and other projects, preparation of the surface is key to a successful outcome.
• Be sure to discuss appliance and fixture removal and replacement arrangements with your floor installation professional. If you can remove the stove, refrigerator, dishwasher, toilet and/or pedestal sink yourself, you will save some money. The installer may be able to do it, or he’ll subcontract someone who can. If that’s the case, you will spend a little more money, but you’ll also have the peace of mind that comes with having professionals handling the labor. If you do remove and replace your own appliances and fixtures, be sure to slide them over plywood panels, so as not to damage your new flooring.
• There are some incidentals involved with new flooring installation. As long as you keep these things in mind, you won’t be caught off guard:
• Moldings, wall base and toe kick guards will need to be removed and then replaced after installation. You can do this yourself, or your floor installation professional can do it. It will add a bit of expense to the labor bill if your installer does it. This may be a good time to replace your molding or wall base and update it by coordinating with your new flooring. Armstrong sells self-stick vinyl wall base for residential use, and offers a complete line of moldings and transition strips for use with our laminate and hardwood flooring.
• New flooring may add some height to your existing floor. Be prepared to shave the bottoms of doors, so they’ll swing freely over your new flooring. Take into consideration pocket and French doors as well. You may do these adjustments yourself or ask your floor installation professional to handle it or subcontract it out.

Our industry’s annual convention, Surfaces, will be held February 3 thru February 5, 2009 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is a terrific show for anyone in the floor covering industry. Surfaces brings together manufacturers, distributors, and dealers from around the United States and from around the world. Even through Shaw and Mohawk don’t treat this as a major convention showcase for their carpet, many of their hard surface divisions will be showing.

Armstrong and Mannington will be showing just outside the convention center in large private rooms just off the hallway between the Venetian hotel and the convention center. Mannington has always been a strong supporter of Surfaces, and Armstrong is making their largest presence in several years. The last couple of years Armstrong has shown in other hotels around town, and only seen invited guests. This year they will be open to the public for most of the show. Armstrong has been one of the real bright spots in the floor covering industry since emerging from chapter 11 bankruptcy a while back. Their imported piano finished laminate, Grand Illusions, and their loose lay vinyl, Stratamax, continue to grow in popularity.

The Chinese and, to a lesser extent, the Indian contingents will have a large presence at this year’s show. The Chinese showed up in force last year, so I’m sure there will be even more this year. More and more of all types of carpet and flooring are being imported from China, but, from my perspective,  laminate seems to be having the most impact. Everything from $.60 laminate that a wet paper towel will swell, to 12 mil laminate that retails at $4.99 a foot is available. I wonder where it will stop.

These are tough times, and being proactive is the best solution. So don’t stay home. Surfaces is always exciting, and always gives me creative ideas of how to make a buck. you should definitely consider going to the first ever General Session, Tuesday, Feb. 3, from 8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m., in the Palazza Ballroom, located in the Venetian Hotel. Keith Campbell, Chairman of Mannington Mills, Frank Ready, Executive VP of Armstrong, Randy Merritt, President of Shaw Industries, Tom Lape, President of Mohawk Residential, Tom Davis, President and CEO of Mannington Mills, Ralph Boe, CEO of Beaulieu of America, and Rainer Blair, CEO of MAPEI of Americas, will all speak on “Prevailing Through the Current Crisis – An Industry Wake-Up Call.”

I hope to see you there!

Unlike solid wood flooring, which is fairly self-explanatory as to what it is, engineered wood floors aren’t quite as simple. Rather than being just a single solid piece of hardwood, layers of hardwood veneer (usually 3 to 7 layers) are used to create engineered hardwood.

To make the product, the veneer layers, which are comprised of a thicker hardwood layer on top and an inner core (usually a hardwood and/or a soft plywood material) are stacked, with the grain of adjacent layers arranged perpendicular to one another. Crossing the grains helps to protect engineered hardwood from much of the effects of moisture and temperature change due to the fact that wood expands and contracts in the direction of the grain. This gives engineered hardwood “dimensional stability. The layers are glued together, cut to a specific width, and they are manufactured to have grooves or a tongue on the edges for installation. A stain and finish is then added to the product if necessary.

Unlike solid hardwood, the dimensional stability allows engineered hardwood to be glued directly to concrete above or below grade. These floors generally have a lifespan of 30-40 years and are not too difficult to install yourself. Manufacturers such as Bruce, Timberland, Mannington, Mohawk and many others produce great engineered floors that can be yours at a tremendous value.

It’s almost time for the next Domotex trade show.

This huge international trade show is where the industry’s largest manufacturers from across the globe come together and show off their latest and greatest. Many, many products have made their debut at Domotex shows, where over 1400 exhibitors display a vast array of carpet and flooring materials. Last year’s show attracted nearly 40,000 visitors. While it may not be feasible for most people in the industry to attend, the products and services offered at the show will be available in the market soon after.

If you would like to learn more about the Domotex Hannover shows, check out their website, www.domotex.de.

PET carpet is a tremendous value. Whether your carpet is manufactured by Shaw Industries, Mohawk, or Beaulieu of America, it is the most economically priced and ecologically friendly carpet on the market.

PET carpet is manufactured from recycled plastic bottles, which is a huge deal in our effort to recycle and to protect our environment. The fiber is naturally softer and more stain resistant than nylon, which makes it a great carpet fiber. But best of all is the price. PET offers more bang fot the buck than any other carpet fiber.

We recently searched the internet for carpet calculators, in an attempt to offer one that could correctly determine how much carpet you would need to cover your floor. While searching, we came across many calculators with fancy looks and wonderful claims. Some said they figured amounts for both 12′ and 15′ widths, yet repeatedly returned wrong answers. We determined it would be best to recommend not using these so called “carpet calculators.”

If you need to know how much carpet you need to order, ask your salesperson to help you out. It will always be best to have an installer come measure for you. Not having enough carpet, or even having too much, can be a costly mistake.

With some of the most original, creative, and breathtaking patterns in the world, it is hard to not fall in love with something from Kane Carpet. With a motto that says “Kane Innovates, Never Imitates,” their originality immediately comes to the forefront. Their designs are inspired from all over the world, and many are woven in their European and Asian facilities. Kane Carpet uses their own extraordinary weaving and yarn systems, which creates superb styles and even allows them to produce small yardage at great prices.

Kane Carpet is based in the heart of the floor covering world, with its customer service and sales office centrally located in Kennesaw, GA, and their central distribution facilities in New York and Dalton, GA, the “Carpet Capital of the World”. Kane’s carpet designs have become revered and a great choice for mid to high end clients the world over. Their product has been used in such luxurious places as the Plaza Hotel in New York City, and the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas. If you’re in the market for a new carpet for your home, make sure to check out the beautiful style and quality of Kane Carpet.