Laminate Flooring. Is one brand better?

At ACWG, we offer laminate flooring from all the most recognizable names. Quick Step Laminate Floors, Pergo Laminate Floors, Mohawk Laminate Floors, Shaw Laminate Floors, and Mannington Laminate Floors are our best sellers and most widely known. But recently we have seen strong sales of Berry Floor Laminate, Alloc Laminate Floors, and Tarkett Laminate Floors with their new product line.

For me to make a determination as to which brand is better or identify a single product that is better will take quite a bit of thought. The obvious answer I would want to give as a retailer would be the brand that I sell the most of, which is Quick Step Laminate. But our sales are strong for Berry Floor, Mohawk Laminate Floors, and Alloc Laminates in that order. I am sure that our sales for Shaw Laminates would be as strong as the others, but we are not allowed to show our best price on our site.

Depending on what you're looking for in a new floor also determines which is better. For the realistic look of a real wood floor, I think that Quick Step, Berry Floor, and Tarkett have that market cornered. For commercial use, most brands have an answer but I would choose Alloc. After all, commercial laminate has been in their offerings from day one and some of their residential lines have commercial warranties. For cost conscious residential applications all brands have one in their line. We align ourselves in this area to Quick Step's "Steps 700" and "Classic 800" because the variety of colors and species look in those lines.

Scratch resistance, cleanabilty, and wear resistance are characteristics of just about all brands of laminate floors because of the nature of construction. We have sold millions of square feet of laminate flooring and the rate of product failure for those reasons have been miniscule. Failure from moisture is a different situation. Most laminates are susceptible, while some brands tout moisture resistant on some products but limit warranty on moisture. Laminate flooring in bathrooms is not a good idea.

These are strictly my opinions based on our sales and claims experience. I am sure there will wide and varied opinons depending on who you ask. Laminate floors in general is one of the best floors on the market and will give you years of service.

......the best carpet...Part 2

Now that you know that I believe there is not a best carpet, only a best carpet for a particular application, let's explore the manufacturers. Is one better than the other? That depends on who you ask. Not too long ago we had hundreds of different manufacturers, but with industry consolidation over the last decade and a half, we now have only 3 or 4 major manufacturers owning 20-30 different brands collectively. Plus there are 15-20 independent reputable manufacturers in the U.S. and Canada. There are only a handful of companies that make the manufacturing equipment all these carpet mills use to produce their carpets. As well as just a handful of producers of the fibers used to make these carpets with some of the major manufacturers buying up these producers to better their market position.

So it really boils down to which carpet mills have the best quality control, is the most innovative in product development, and can keep the manufacturing cost down to produce a great value for the ever cost conscious consumer. Using my 35 years experience in the carpet and floor covering industry, Shaw Industries year after year has been the leader in producing cutting edge carpet styles while maintaining quality and cost controls that are second to no other carpet manufacturer. Shaw Carpet brands include such long established names as Cabin Crafts Carpet, Philadelphia Carpet, Queen Carpet, Sutton Carpet, Tuftex Carpet, and many commercial carpet mills.

My second favorite is Beaulieu of America. While green is in, Beaulieu has been producing enviro-friendly carpet for years. Just in the last 5 years I have seen their quality improve at a much faster pace than any other carpet manufacturer. Innovative styles and fibers have established Beaulieu Carpets as some of the finest in the world. In February of this year, Beaulieu intoduced their newest brand "Bliss by Beaulieu". This brand is not simply an acquisition, but a new launch geared to appeal to the female consumer. It will truly compliment their long existing brands such as Beaulieu Carpet, Coronet Carpet, Hollytex Carpet, and their many commercial carpet mills.

Dixie Home Carpets is coming of age with carpet lines geared to the core consumer as well as some upper end lines geared more toward designers. Of some of the major idependents, Kraus Carpet (a Canadian mill) is one of our favored suppliers. One of the California mills that has had great success is Royalty Carpet Mills and for specialty prints and florals, Milliken Carpet Mills cannot be beat. For carpet designed with kids in mind, it's Joy Carpets. There are several lesser known mills we deal with for value priced carpets Supreme Carpet, Cherokee Carpet, Southwind Carpet along with others.

There is my list of the best. If I have left any mill out, it was intentional. Next I will give my opinion on laminate floors and laminate brands.