Product Round-up: Luxury Vinyl Tile and Planks

The resilient category continues to dominate the flooring market, especially in its higher-end section where products are known by an alphabet soup of abbreviations—LVT/LVP/WPC/SPC.

According to consumer research by Flooring Clarity, here are 10 trends in vinyl flooring:

• Authentic wood flooring looks
• Exotic wood species looks, in addition to domestic wood species like oak, maple, and hickory
• Waterproof tiles & planks
• SPC vinyl flooring for tough traffic
• Stone look flooring, like travertine, marble, and slate
• Metal look LVT
• Patterns—laying planks in patterns like herringbone
• Bigger planks and tiles, plus mixing plank widths
• Honey and whitewashed hues
• Re-emergence of vinyl sheet flooring that is more durable and offered in decorative patterns and rich colors

Reflecting these trends, here are some of the newest product offerings in the higher end section of the vinyl market, listed by manufacturer.

MSI

Known for its innovative colors, MSI recently debuted eight new colors in its Everlife LVT Portfolio. The new players are Billington, Boswell, Bracken Hill, Cranton, Draven, Jenta, Woburn Abbey, and Wolfeboro, and colors range from shades of light blonde to cool grays and warm mocha.

The design team dug in to develop these rich tones with a worn and washed look to meet current design trends. “The new colors will be loved by those on top of current design movements looking to renovate or design on-trend spaces,” says Emily Holle, MSI’s Design and Trend Director.

All colors are available in the company’s three rigid core LVT product lines: Cyrus, XL Cyrus, and Prescott. Cyrus and Prescott collections offer planks in a 7x48 inch format, while XL Cyrus comes in a large 9x60 inch plank.
Everlife LVT is 100% waterproof, kid-proof, pet-proof, and low-maintenance. Planks are enhanced with MSI’s proprietary CrystaLux, a unique wear layer that protects against scratches, dents, stains, and UV light, and it has top-rated vinyl plank flooring certifications including FloorScore, GreenGuard Gold, and USGBC LEED.

Beaulieu

The Fresque Collection from Beaulieu offers some stunning marble and wood look SPC tiles.

Named after artists, the eight different tile patterns range from the dramatic white marble look of Matisse, to the warm, moody brown wood look shades of Munch.

Along with their good looks, the tiles are 100% waterproof, and foam-backed for greater temperature and sound insulation. With their high-density rigid core, Fresque tiles are great for use in extreme temperatures (-4 to 122 °F ). Fresque hides subfloor imperfections, even when installed over hard surface flooring. The tiles have an antimicrobial finish, and are tough enough to withstand the weight of heavy furniture. Matching moldings are available.

LG Hausys Floors

The Artistry Collection of six planks and six tiles is a new addition to the company’s PRESTG line. 

PRESTG SPC products are 100% waterproof, durable, and easy to install. They also contain industry-leading sound absorption qualities.

The collection, created for the commercial sector, offers incredibly realistic visuals and textures. Using a proprietary technology that utilizes an engraving process to create varying gloss effects, the company says it is able to recreate stone and wood looks that surpass anything seen in current LVT products. “As its name implies, each visual in the collection is pure artistry,” says Carol Lee, LG Hausys Floors marketing communication manager.

The tiles can be mixed and matched to create unique designs. The Artistry Collection offers wood looks, like Modern Oak, and Modern Conifer, to stone looks, like Volcanic Granite and Surrey Stone. Planks are offered in a 9x60 inch size; tiles are available in a 12x24 inch size with a click option, or a 24x24 inch glue-down option.

Armstrong

Armstrong has added new colors and designs to the luxury vinyl tiles in its Mystix and ArborArt collections, both part of the company's Natural Creations Luxury Flooring with Diamond 10 Technology. They are designed for the commercial market.

Mystix features a variety of textures, and colors that range from calming neutrals to highly pigmented colors like dark turquoise, and a lipstick red that would have done Helena Rubenstein proud, while ArborArt offers wood-inspired designs with classic grain patterns and rustic finishes. Mystix tiles are available in three sizes: 6x36 inches, 18x18 inches, and 18x36 inches. ArborArt tiles come in four sizes: 4x36 inches, 6x36 inches, 6x48 inches, and 9x48 inches.

The company’s Diamond 10 Technology provides scratch, stain, and scuff resistance to keep floors looking newer, longer.