Source: BUILDING PRODUCTS Magazine
Publication date: March 1, 2005
By Debra Gordon
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Vinyl manufacturers have a message for builders and remodelers: This is not your mother's vinyl flooring.
Gone are the wimpy white floors that tore or dented at the slightest insult; floors that eventually turned yellow, were difficult to install, and failed miserably whenever they tried to imitate their higher-priced ceramic, wood, or slate cousins.
These days, vinyl floors are so durable that even the lowest price points come with at least 10-year warranties. They're also so realistic that consumers sometimes have to get down on their hands and knees to tell it's a vinyl floor.
“If vinyl were introduced today as a brand-new category, it would be the hottest thing ever because it's so good,” says Mark Brown, director of marketing for Tarkett Residential. “It has an economical price point and a high value.”
Nonetheless, Brown notes, “vinyl is still the polyester of its genre. It's not generally viewed as the hot aspirational product.” That poses a challenge for the industry, he and others contend.
To meet that challenge, manufacturers are scrambling to appeal to a broad spectrum of customers—from first-time home buyers looking for value, to hip urbanites in search of a unique look, to baby boomers who need something soft to cushion aging joints and backs.
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