Kitchens are new trend in hardwood flooring sales

r-UILDERS in theU.S. are discovElring what Europeans have known for years-a wood floor gives a kitchen a warm, inviting look that today's families want in the room that is the hub of the home. With hardwood floors in vogue for new home kitchens, you can be sure that Ms. D-I-Y and the remodeling contractors will be using them, too.

"New synthetic, water resistant finishes have made it practical to use wood floors in kitchens," says George Kelly, National Oak Flooring Manufacturers Association director.

Hardwood floors for all rooms and areas are becoming more popular. Over 103.4 million feet have sold during the past 12 months. The association reports that hardwood flooring manufacturers shipped 54.2 million board feet of prefinished and unfinished flooring during the first six months of 1984, a 990 increase over the previous period.

After nearly 20 years of declining sales, hardwood is once more popular. Strip flooring is still the standard in most homes, although designer floors, primarily plank and parquet, have become popular in medium to upper income homes, according to Kelly. "Hardwood flooring is an investment which will last a lifetime and adds significantly to the resale value," he said.

How can a dealer capitalize on this renewed interest in hardwood floors, especially in kitchens where a man-

Story at a Glance

Water.resistant finishes make hardwood more suitable for kitchen... interesl in hardwood flooring growing... ways you can establish your store as a hardwood flooring specialist.

made surface has always been considered more practical?

First, he can make certain that he has one or more trained hardwood specialists on his sales staff. This person should be familiar with the different wood patterns, parquets and planks. There are many choices. One manufacturer, for example, lists over 70 different types. There's a wood floor to suit any taste and situation, but the consumer is often confused about solid or laminated products, smooth or textured surfaces and the variety of color available in oak, walnut or teak. The expert will be able to recommend the right wood and assure the purchaser of its suitability.

The hardwood expert also is the guide in interpreting specifications, selecting application materials and tools along with the prefinished or unfinished moulding, trim and stain necessary for completing the job. A final duty of the hardwood expert is to outline the easy upkeep tactics needed to guarantee the wood looking good for many years.

As a dealer, you probably wonder where you will find this hardwood wizard. It does not just happen. This miraculous salesperson is carefully trained, usually in part by attending classes offered by hardwood distributors. If there are no classes available, he can educate himself using materials provided by the flooring association and the manufacturers. Experts working with the distributor also can answer many questions for him.

To give the salesperson as well as his sales a boost, a dealer must maintain current hardwood displays. Ideally, they should be in highly visible areas and reflect the latest trends in wood patterns and textures. At present, a kitchen vignette with a hardwood floor would be ideal. Experts recommend a 12 sq. ft. area for showing a pattern, but less will do. Some dealers beat the space problem by displayrng samples on the walls of the

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Special lssue: Hardwood

FETAILERS and consumers

Falike can count on the integrity of hardwood plywood because of the work of the Hardwood Plywood Manufacturers Association.

As guardians of the industry, they make sure that every panel, square of flooring, panel door and kitchen cabinet utilizing hardwood plywood that you stock in your store meets high standards.

To assure quality and performance, they maintain the most complete testing laboratory for hardwood plywood in the United States at their Reston, Va., headquarters.

Testing programs undertaken there are recognized by HUD, BOCA, ICBO, SBCC, NVLAP and other government and industry agencies. The lab contains equipment for conducting fire and smoke tests as well as structural properties tests.

In addition, the chemistry lab is able to test for formaldehyde emission, moisture content, linear variation, specific gravity, finish and glue bond in addition to conducting a number of other tests designed to insure the reliability and safety of the product. Inspectors located in Oregon, California, South Carolina and Virginia keep a close watch on the product in the field.

Using these resources, HPMA develops and publishes standards for the industry as well as reviewing federal and military specifications and foreign standards affecting hardwood plywood and laminated hardwood flooring. They are responsible for the existing standards for the structural design of hardwood plywood, laminated hardwood flooring and hardwood and decorative plywood. The laboratory is accredited by NVLAP of the U.S. Department of Commerce as having the competence to perform specified tests in accordance with prescribed test methods and accreditation criteria.

Laboratory testing is not limited to hardwood plywood. The facilities are used by many different building products manufacturers for ftre, smoke,

Story at a Glance

Hardwood Plywood Manufacturers Association maintains product standards... Accredited lab available for tests of many building materials. Programs and literature promote sale, use of hardwood plywood.. . Industry representative in legislation, affiliated organizations.

structural and chemical testing. Testing services are available to both members and non-members.

Association membership is subdivided into product divisions to more readily work with the various types of hardwood plywood products. The five divisions are laminated flooring, cut-to-size, prefinish, stock panel and veneer and affiliate. This type of grouping enables members with similar concerns to meet in small sections.

For example, manufacturers who prefinish, print, paper overlay, emboss or vinyl laminate panels are