Real wood floors strike back
As luxury vinyl plank flooring has emerged as a breakout hit in the aisles of major retailers, a trade association is standing up for real wood floors.
The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) is launching a new effort to help homeowners learn more about the characteristics and benefits of real wood floors. The “Real Wood. Real Life.” campaign provides information on choosing the right wood floor, selecting a professional for the job, and conducting maintenance properly.
“Homeowners love the look of wood floors in their homes,” said Michael Martin, president and CEO of NWFA. “But, the flood of wood-lookalike products such as laminate, tile, plastic composite, and vinyl plank flooring has created a lot of confusion about what is and what is not a real wood floor. We want to increase the understanding of what comprises a wood floor and all the reasons for choosing real wood – it’s durable, beautiful, easy to clean, and increases home value.”
To help homeowners identify the real thing, the NWFA recently developed a formal definition of wood flooring. The definition states wood flooring is any flooring product that contains real wood as the top-most, wearable surface of the floor. This includes solid and engineered wood flooring, as well as composite engineered wood flooring.
According to a survey of United States homeowners commissioned by the NWFA, two-thirds of homeowners say they would choose wood floors for their dream home. Nearly 80 percent of homeowners believe wood floors add the most value to a home. And, the life span of a wood floor can exceed 100 years, making it a tremendous value. Wood floors offer endless design options and are easy to transform with a sand and refinish process. Caring for wood floors is as simple as regularly sweeping, dust mopping, or vacuuming on the bare floor setting.
The promotional campaign comes as vinyl plank flooring has shown momentum as home improvement trend. In its third quarter earnings report, The Home Depot said vinyl plank flooring was one of the key drivers of a 9.1% increase in big-ticket sales.
Also, LifeProof Slip Resistant Tile was awarded first runner-up in the retailer’s innovation awards ceremony late last year.
The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) is launching a new effort to help homeowners learn more about the characteristics and benefits of real wood floors. The “Real Wood. Real Life.” campaign provides information on choosing the right wood floor, selecting a professional for the job, and conducting maintenance properly.
“Homeowners love the look of wood floors in their homes,” said Michael Martin, president and CEO of NWFA. “But, the flood of wood-lookalike products such as laminate, tile, plastic composite, and vinyl plank flooring has created a lot of confusion about what is and what is not a real wood floor. We want to increase the understanding of what comprises a wood floor and all the reasons for choosing real wood – it’s durable, beautiful, easy to clean, and increases home value.”
To help homeowners identify the real thing, the NWFA recently developed a formal definition of wood flooring. The definition states wood flooring is any flooring product that contains real wood as the top-most, wearable surface of the floor. This includes solid and engineered wood flooring, as well as composite engineered wood flooring.
According to a survey of United States homeowners commissioned by the NWFA, two-thirds of homeowners say they would choose wood floors for their dream home. Nearly 80 percent of homeowners believe wood floors add the most value to a home. And, the life span of a wood floor can exceed 100 years, making it a tremendous value. Wood floors offer endless design options and are easy to transform with a sand and refinish process. Caring for wood floors is as simple as regularly sweeping, dust mopping, or vacuuming on the bare floor setting.
The promotional campaign comes as vinyl plank flooring has shown momentum as home improvement trend. In its third quarter earnings report, The Home Depot said vinyl plank flooring was one of the key drivers of a 9.1% increase in big-ticket sales.
Also, LifeProof Slip Resistant Tile was awarded first runner-up in the retailer’s innovation awards ceremony late last year.