March 31, 2004

By: Kaur Dillan
Website: http://www.1st-in-home-decor.com

FLOORING WITH AN EDGE: ARMSTRONG LAMINATE COLLECTION REDEFINES STLYE AND REALISM

The vast selection of Armstrong floor laminates combines dramatic stone and wood visuals with trend-setting realism. The new offerings – which include randomized tile looks and wide and narrow format planks with beveled edges for greater definition – look and feel convincingly like the real thing. The designs, which span two popular collections − NATURE’S GALLERYTM and CLASSICS & ORIGINS – not only bring exceptional design originality to laminate flooring, but use Armstrong’s forward-looking manufacturing techniques to intensify depth and realism.

NATURE’S GALLERY adds three new styles: A random slate, Porto Alegre; a fresh selection in limestone, Natural Limestone; and multi-width wood planks, American Duet. All the floors feature an enhanced Armstrong ArmaLockTM installation system, with angle/angle joints, combining easier installation with an engaging appearance. First Laminate Floor To Combine Modular Tiles With 100% EIR Porto Alegre looks incredibly like genuine slate, and takes embossing-in-register to the next stage. The process precisely applies surface texture and depth to match the visual pattern. Armstrong’s advanced EIR process makes minute details stand in bas-relief. The technology now makes possible micro-grout lines in laminate floors as floor fashion races toward narrower grout lines as a signature of high style.

Further adding to the realism, the micro-grout lines and a staggered layout of planks hide end-to-end seams. The result is a stimulating pattern of three colors and shapes of beautiful tiles.

Porto Alegre is an upper-end visual – oversized modular tiles and stones – translated into affordable laminate, says Kevin Bierdermann, general manager, Armstrong Laminate Floors. The floor is well suited for many rooms in the home, including kitchens, entryways and dining rooms, because of its high-end look.

A Laminate Surface With Design Opportunities American Duet creates the look of old-world, traditional hardwoods and capitalizes on the new trend of multiple width products, mixing 5-inch and 7-inch width planks. American Duet is available in maple and two oak colors. The laminate floors combine the appeal of time-honored, North American hardwood species with the charm of four-sided beveled edges that distinguish each plank and focus on the natural grain and texture of the wood. American Duet also features the enhanced Armstrong ArmaLock installation system, with angle/angle joints, for both easier installation and a beautiful appearance. Armstrong is not only the first manufacturer to offer multiple widths, four-sided beveled edges and additional surface texture – but it is also the first to skillfully combine all three attributes into one product for finely tuned realism.

American Duet exemplifies customer choice, because it is actually three products in one and can be combined to provide multiple design options. Homeowners can combine two 5-inch planks with a 7-inch plank, or use only 5-inch widths, says Beidermann. The different widths are even packaged separately to prompt customization. The warm, smooth tones of Natural Limestone are another hot addition to NATURE’S GALLERY stone visuals. A product as beautiful as real limestone, Natural Limestone is not designed to be a cheap alternative.

Real limestone is dramatic but has several properties that make it practically unlivable for homes. It has to be sealed and resealed every few years, it stains easily, and is porous so it takes in water. Natural Limestone is for those who want the look of limestone, but not the problems, says Armstrong senior designer, Paul Pearce.

Featuring 15.5-inch tiles in a three-tile plank, Natural Limestone selections achieve high realism through embossed in-register surface details and greater attention to grout joints, which also are embossed in-register. That gives micro grout lines obvious visual and textural contrast to set off the beauty of the stone. Two colors of limestone make up the Natural Limestone offering – Sand, a creamy ivory, and Biscuit, a warm-hued beige.

Olive and Black Walnut are distinctive, exotic wood visuals that are truly different from the look of traditional strip and plank laminates. Northern Birch offers abundant natural wood characteristics and rich color variations that suggest rustic hardwoods of the past. CLASSICS & ORIGINS designs also feature the Armstrong ArmaLock installation system with the new angle/angle joints.

High Performance hese multiple advances respond to burgeoning interest from consumers who recognize the value of high-performance laminate floors, says Beidermann.

The current generation of Armstrong laminate floors can add a rich, clean look well beyond kitchens − to living and dining areas, family rooms, bedrooms, laundry rooms and playrooms. Attractive and practical, all Armstrong laminate flooring offers an easy living surface that stands up well to everyday wear, spills and accidents, and are backed by exceptional wear warranties that can extend 15 to 25 years. Selection, innovation and design leadership are attracting a wider following for Armstrong laminate floors, and the company is steadily gaining ground in a global arena of laminate flooring, with the market now exceeding $750 million. Armstrong offers one of the widest selections of styles, patterns and colors available.

Multi-faceted Appeal More consumers than ever installed laminate flooring last year. The category meets the changing needs of families, pet lovers and others with busy lifestyles that want a stylish upgrade in a low-maintenance floor. The floors typically need only an occasional vacuuming or damp mopping with a well-wrung mop. Also, dry-mop products such as Swiffer Max may be used to pick up loose dirt, dust and pet hair. As appearance dictates, laminate floors may be damp-mopped using Armstrong’s Laminate Floor Cleaner, available at specialty flooring retail locations nationwide.

Laminate flooring offers the best of fashion, form and function. Stylish, fuss-free flooring gives a space greater flexibility in serving multiple purposes – from home office, to entertaining, to kid’s play. They can instantly transform a décor and lay a foundation for style and lasting comfort. As floating-floor systems, they easily install over other surfaces, and new, larger-scale patterns can visually open up a room. Beyond the warm beauty of laminate floors, the physical warmth they offer underfoot is also welcome over concrete slabs and in colder areas of a home.

About The Author:

Kaur Dillan is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-home-decor.com.  Home decorating tips and ideas to showcase any room with style.