Features

Revolutionary Change for Rigid Core

Monday, August 22, 2022

Realistic looking planks with increased pattern variety, like this option from CALI, allows rigid core to work in any space and with any décor.

There is no question that rigid core has transformed as a category in recent years. With its ease of installation and unique durability, rigid core flooring serves the needs of many in-market consumers. In addition, it’s a DIY-friendly product that offers beautiful textured designs and realistic visuals. And its low cost and low worry is extremely enticing for consumers who can choose a style of their liking that meets their performance needs.

“If a customer wants a barnwood look in her living room and marble in her bathroom, she can have it,” offered Doug Jackson, CALI president. The realistic look, versatility of design options and durability of rigid core are a big hit for consumers.

“Dealers love selling rigid products because the products look like the real thing, are waterproof, and they don’t get call backs,” said David Sheehan, vice president, residential hard surface at Mannington. “For Mannington, our latest innovation has been an instant success.” That innovation is the company’s CraftedEdge bevel technology, which provides the consumer with a realistic hand chiseled edge that enhances the realism of the product, allowing the consumer to have a rigid core floor that more authentically resembles real hardwood.

Creating a more realistic bevel in rigid core has also been a goal for Shaw Floors. The company’s Natural Bevel products, which are available in WPC and SPC formats, have been a hit in the market for the company as they offer realistic visuals, shared Matt Rosato, Shaw Floors’ director of hard surface product design.

Realism is a must for today’s rigid core products, particularly as their appeal reaches higher end markets, pointed out Jerry Guo, general manager of Lions Floor.

“As manufacturing keeps advancing, we now see the rigid core as not only a favored category for budget-friendly jobs, it also raised interest for mid to high-end homes with the aesthetic and realistic embossing texture,” said Guo. Realism serves as an important factor in today’s innovations, as it enhances the design aesthetic of one’s home.

“With all these great technologies and innovations, it is no wonder rigid core flooring is leading the flooring category in consumer demand.” — John Mcelroy, MSI

Digital Design Variety

Improvements in digital printing have also elevated rigid core offerings.

Rigid core visuals produced by digital printing technology “can integrate the most realistic designs that are usually attributed to real wood or stone,” offered Floris Koopmans, sales director IP at Unilin.

In fact, Jerome Nurenberg, marketing director of CFL, believes digital printing technology “will play a crucial role in the future of new material flooring as it enables unlimited design and embossing-in-register flexibility and can be applied to a wide range of materials.” The company just announced digital printing will be available in its U.S. factory.

CALI’s Jackson agreed that printing technologies have improved, giving customers more realistic-looking planks with increased pattern variety and a huge range of visuals from wood to stone and beyond. “This means rigid core can work in any space and with any décor,” he said.

Regarding trending designs, there has been evolution like no other. Blonde tones are the new gray and clean is the new rustic, according to Kimberly Hill, director of marketing and creative design at Novalis Innovative Flooring.

Karndean Designflooring is staying on top of ongoing trends, bringing them to the company’s multiple rigid core lines, reported Jenne Ross, director of marketing Karndean. “[Karndean] currently offers several Korlok Select products in a herringbone format and soon we’ll be adding 48˝× 9˝ rigid core chevron planks to our Knight Tile rigid core selection to allow homeowners access to this grand style on a budget,” she shared.

The company has also evolved most of its rigid core stone-look SKUs to include grouted looks, Ross added. “Korlok Select Stones feature color coordinated and nonporous InteGrout™ and our upcoming Knight Tile rigid core stones will have a painted bevel for added definition between tiles,” she explained.

Style and designs change so rapidly, that retailers must stay on the ball to appeal to their audiences. “Continued innovation, trend-forecasting and moving swiftly are imperative to keep up with this rapidly evolving customer,” offered Novalis’ Hill.

New Shaw Floors rigid core introductions Titan Platinum and Ascent Natural Bevel feature ScufResist Platinum finish technology. This gives homeowners additional protection on a WPC construction while offering comfort, warmth and quiet.

Built to Last

Because durability is a key selling point for rigid core, the floors need to be able to withstand wear and tear.

“When the customer receives a product that can grace their home for the next three decades, they need to be sure it can withstand the tests of time while keeping the same look,” said Aviel Kogan, marketing manager Republic Floor. “With our vast SPC selections and extended warranties, they can have peace of mind when it comes to their flooring.”

In addition to maintaining their looks, today’s consumers want their floors to stay clean, particularly given today’s post-pandemic environment.

“Attributes such as antimicrobial technologies are gaining traction in residential and commercial environments alike,” shared Brian Parker, vice president of product management, AHF Products. The company has a focus right now on Cleantivity Antimicrobial Technology, a new coating system infused with an integrated technology to not just provide resistance to scratches and stains, but also offer easy cleanability, while preventing the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew.

Mannington, meanwhile, has added Microban protection to several of its resilient offerings, including its Adura collection that includes Adura Apex, Adura Max and Adura Rigid.

And customers don’t just want their floors to look good — they want them to feel good too. Koopmans explained that Unilin’s “comfort core” technology allows for a feel like walking on carpet while improving sound characteristics. Comfort Core integrates a soft ‘cushion’ layer underneath the toplayer(s) of resilient products, making it “the most pleasant and silent floor to walk on,” Koopmans said.

Changes in Construction

Perhaps one of the most notable developments in rigid core is the innovation in construction.

“The majority of the rigid core product composition has changed from WPC to SPC due to higher dimensional stability performance and lower cost,” pointed out Ana Torrence, hard surface category manager Engineered Floors.

In the early days of WPC, the ability to hide minor imperfections was very important to consumers, “but the feature that resonated the most [with consumers] was its waterproof feature,” noted Gary Keeble, vice president of marketing, Metroflor Corp.
While WPC has a softer, lighter feel, SPC makes for a denser and more dimensionally stable floor that is less prone to dents from things like heavy furniture or appliances.

Because weight is another issue when it comes to ocean freight and LTL shipment, offered Jamann Stepp, vice president of hard surfaces The Dixie Group, “the ability to take some of the weight out of the core has allowed for more square footage to be loaded on a container.” The raw materials that go into SPC have been tweaked to be lighter and less rigid.

Other manufacturers have made advancements in developing new core technologies. PVC-free mineral cores, sometimes referred to as MGO, are gaining traction while WPC and SPC remain in high demand, according to Shaw’s Rosato. “New innovations and technological advancements are making it easier to satisfy the consumers’ desire for aesthetics while also giving them ultimate durability, cleanability and performance.”

For example, Unilin’s new XPC core technology serves as an upgraded and PVC-free alternative to the typical SPC products. “Because of its dimensional stability, the core will not expand when heated up nor shrink when cooled down — a common problem seen in SPC flooring,” said Koopmans. “XPC is a real game-changer for the industry and has the potential to be the next big thing in resilient flooring.”

Kevin Rausch, chief digital transformation officer, HMTX Industries, agreed with this change in construction. “Our upcoming polyurethane-based SRP rigid core product will not have any PVC,” he said.

Meanwhile, CFL launched its Novocore Q product last year, which is up to three times quieter than traditional WPC and six times quieter than standard SPC. Its sound absorbing properties are achieved by the product’s construction, which consists of a patented engineered structure along with a stable and enhanced GridTech SPC core layer and compressible engineered layer situated between the core layers.

Karndean’s Korlok Select rigid core range has a 5G® fold-down locking mechanism that helps to facilitate an even easier and faster installation when compared with other rigid core mechanisms in the market.