Articles
Commercial Disruption
Due to a decrease in non-residential spending, some commercial markets experienced a considerable dip during the pandemic (corporate, for example, as many more people worked from home). But activity is returning, and several markets are doing quite well — particularly, healthcare and education — resulting in new innovations around high-performing hard and soft surface products, or hybrid alternatives, to meet the need for mixed-use spaces and added flexibility. Read More
Ceramic Tile Imports Declined 7% in Meters in First 4 Months of 2022
In the months January to April 2022, U.S. ceramic tile imports were down 7.0% in square meters year over year, from 66.5 million square meter to 61.9 million square meter, according to Grosser Consulting. While imports in quantity were down in this period, values were up. Read More
The Last 5 Years in Laminate
The laminate category has been a bit of a roller coaster ride. A mature category, it saw encroaching competition from the explosive popularity of LVT and rigid core flooring, particularly as the waterproof marketing story came to the forefront of the conversation. Although laminate boasted plenty of performance capabilities, particularly its scratch-resistance, moisture was its Achilles heel. Read More