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The global flooring market share was led by soft coverings accounting for approximately 35 per cent in the last two years. Broadloom, carpet tiles, and rugs typically constitute soft covering flooring, which have dust-binding characteristics.
Carpet tiles constitute a very important area of soft flooring. The carpet tiles market is driven by a recovering real estate industry and is dominated by the corporate segment which has the largest share amongst all the segments. Rising investments in real estate along with increasing occupancy in the office spaces has fuelled the growth of the market. There is tremendous scope for growth in the global carpet tiles market, according to industry watchers and experts. It is estimated that the growth in market size has till now not risen beyond 6 per cent CAGR in most regions and segments. Further, between 2016-21, the global market for carpet tiles is expected to be driven by Asia-Pacific and Middle East region.

A growing category in the commercial market for decades, carpet tile has found favor with the architecture and design community due to its willingness to evolve, its style-forward character and its ease of installation and replacement. While the category was invented by the Dutch firm Heuga, U.S. companies are responsible for growing carpet tile into what it is today in terms of style, construction and application.
Today, both in the U.S. and abroad, the carpet tile category has reached an interesting crossroads. Technology-wise, it is poised for even greater style and design breakthroughs, but share-wise, it finds itself cornered by both its own overwhelming growth in the corporate market and LVT’s rapid rise.
So, while there is no doubt that the category will continue to see expansion, BMCW Associates, a UK based analyst of the global carpet tile market, believes that growth here and abroad will be restrained over the next year, with the U.S., Asia and Australia/New Zealand each at 4 per cent to 5 per cent and Europe flat to marginal, as the category capitalizes on its ability to substantially tap into additional sectors.
The global carpet tile market can be segmented on the basis of its end users; into residential and non-residential. Non-residential comprises of offices, educational institutes, retail, healthcare, and hospitability.
Meawhile, as per the research report “Global Carpet Tiles Market: Trends, Opportunities and Forecasts (2016-2021) – (By Value, By Region-North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East, ROW; By Segment – Corporate, Hospitality, Institutional; By Country-USA, UK, Germany, Japan, India, China, UAE; Key Players, Recommendations)” by Azoth Analytics, the market is dominated by key global players like Interface, Shaw Contract Group, Dixie Group, Milliken and Tarkett, etc. The presence of large number of regional manufacturers keeps the global industry share fragmented, while product innovations, portfolio expansion, joint ventures and acquisitions are the major strategies adopted.
Carpet tiles are especially suitable for use in contemporary office environments. They are a particularly flexible carpet solution which makes for very easy access to the floor underneath. This means that technicians can easily gain access to underfloor cables, which is especially important in rooms that are constantly subject to change. Further, carpet tiles are easy to use and easy to fit and replace as the tiles weigh less than conventional carpet tiles. The lightweight tiles make life easier for the fitter, whose working conditions are better for not having to lift heavy rolls of carpet. Despite their low weight, carpet tiles are easy to work with as they have a stable textile backing.

There’s no question that luxury vinyl products make a beautiful floor, but there are some things people need to know about them to ensure that no problems arise.

Fortunately, homeowners no longer have to choose between form and function. Luxury vinyl tile and plank floor coverings (LVT) are among the hottest flooring products in the market today, and their use is growing exponentially in the commercial, hospitality and residential markets. These products are cannibalizing market share from within the vinyl category, making gains at the expense of sheet vinyl and VCT, and they’re also taking share from other hard surface floor coverings, like hardwood and ceramic, as well as from broadloom and carpet tile.

LVTs market in India is concentrated among 5-6 brands and these are entirely dependent on imports. LVT will witness CAGR over 6 per cent up to 2024, According to a new research report by Global Market Insights. Improved comfort, resilience, environmental safety and ease of installation are the key properties fueling the product penetration. Additionally, wide range product portfolio due to ease in designing will open lucrative opportunities for business growth.
The product is used in niche segments and is dependent on the influence of leading architects and consultants. There’s no question that luxury vinyl products make a beautiful floor, but awareness is must in order to enjoy flooring made from these. Several factors make LVT products unique. For one, they are very realistic looking, with embossed or textured surfaces generating looks that are almost indistinguishable from the real thing. Also, LVT is typically thicker than traditional vinyl flooring materials, like sheet vinyl, and it comes in various shapes and sizes, with the plank format being the most popular.

A lot of the LVT on the market incorporates installation systems that hook, snap or lock together, or they have self-adhesive systems—or they are glued directly to the subfloor. Some have stabilizers and some don’t, and some feature special backing materials for various performance attributes.

Substrate preparation is eminently important for a successful flooring installation of any kind, but it’s even more critical for a vinyl flooring installation that includes luxury vinyl tile and plank. Of primary concern is how level and flat the substrate is. Since vinyl flooring materials have “drape,” they will conform to the surface they are applied to and irregularities will telegraph through. If the floor is not level and smooth, any unevenness can cause the material to “run off” when installed.

Having said that, LVT most often has a pattern, such as wood, stone, metal, etc., and because of the pattern the flooring may better hide irregularities from beneath. But it’s not just about the appearance.
When not installed on a level surface, a luxury vinyl plank floor can shorten in length when it rides over high and low areas, and it can also lift on edges or ends where a substrate irregularity exists. Substrate issues can also cause gaps on edges and potentially in the width. These small effects can impact fitting issues overall and even compromise click or lock systems.

The next consideration is moisture in the substrate. When installing vinyl flooring materials, it’s important to remember that all concrete substrates, especially those on or below grade, contain moisture, despite readings from moisture testing. The older the slab, the greater the chance of moisture, and moisture can and will affect vinyl flooring materials.

The substrate must also be clean and free of any old adhesives, bond breakers, contaminants, chemicals, paint, oil, grease, markings on the floor from anything other than pencil, abatement chemicals, and any other residual agents or chemicals that could compromise the installation and vinyl flooring material itself. Luxury vinyl is particularly sensitive to the influence of abatement chemicals, which will wreak havoc on all vinyl flooring materials, not to mention creating numerous other issues.

For luxury vinyl plank there are also a variety of click or lock systems to install them. These floors are more susceptible to lifting edges when the material has planar stability issues. Gluing the flooring down should help keep the material flat, but if there are any stability issues with a product, it will eventually manifest on the floor.
Appearance issues are vitally important for vinyl and one has to be keenly aware of the use and traffic the vinyl flooring is going to receive. To make sure the flooring performs up to expectations, it’s essential to increase its high performance characteristics for environments with higher traffic and heavier loads. Just because you think something will work, or someone sold it to you and said it would, doesn’t mean it actually will. Remember, words don’t change the laws of physics. So if you think that the argument of “you said this flooring wouldn’t do this” actually has merit relative to what the floor can or cannot do, you are mistaken, because the floor wins every time. Also remember that the flooring color, pattern, maintenance, contaminating foot traffic and finish will have a great deal of influence on how the floor looks and performs.

It is possible for moisture to affect vinyl flooring, especially over concrete that is emitting moisture, as moisture and alkalinity can affect plasticizers in vinyl, creating changes in the material. There can also be stress on the luxury vinyl that can cause curling, cupping, lifted edges and dimensional instabilities, especially if the material is not properly annealed, has recycled content or has no stabilizing material. These problems are extremely common and generate large numbers of claims.

Another very important factor is the space where the flooring is installed. Vinyl flooring can be greatly influenced by heat and cold, and it will expand and contract, so the environment where the flooring is installed must be controlled constantly.

Also, putting soft underlayments beneath vinyl flooring material is typically not a good idea. In principle it may sound like something that will solve one concern, but in reality soft underlayments can cause problems. To deaden sound beneath vinyl flooring, a good way is to incorporate a sleeper-type system that won’t compromise the integrity of the flooring material. This system is essentially a thin substrate under the flooring, with sound deadening material installed underneath. Sleeper systems have been used over concrete for sports flooring and wood flooring for years, and they can be an ideal system for use for sound deadening and insulation with vinyl flooring as well. The drawback is that they add height to the flooring that you’ll have to deal with.

It’s important to know the products, who makes them and how strong the warranties are. It is important to sell and install luxury vinyl from seasoned flooring manufacturers that have long track records of success, stellar reputations and technical back up.
Previously, LVT was at a disadvantage in the commercial market previously because its ingredient list contained phthalates, which are viewed with a degree of skepticism by some in the A&D community due to health concerns. In the last few years, LVT producers have engineered new forms of phthalate-free LVT, substituting teraphthalates or bio-based plasticizers, and that has made it much more appealing to the commercial market. However, concern about PVC itself remains a major factor. LVT’s advancements in style play an important role as well. Wood, stone and tile lookalikes are becoming more realistic. What’s more, the category is evolving beyond simply copying other materials to create visuals that are style-forward, offering colors and looks that celebrate the material itself.

Eleven area rug companies have exited the AmericasMart in advance of the Atlanta International Area Rug Market, which will take place Jan. 9-15, but will show at Las Vegas Market from Jan. 27-31.

According to The Mart, this list includes: Bashian Rugs, Central Oriental (Natco Home), Couristan, Dalyn Rugs, Dynamic Rugs, Karastan/Mohawk Home, Momeni, NOA Living, Rizzy and United Weavers.
For Karastan/Mohawk Home, the move was part of a change in focus going forward, explained senior vice president product and operations Bart Hill.
“For our go-to-market strategy as well as better alignment of timing on the calendar, we have chosen to focus and build upon an East Coast specialty market at High Point and a West Coast specialty market with Las Vegas. Our national market in New York is unchanged.”
The AmericasMart noted there will be nearly 100 rug suppliers, including 78 hand-knotted suppliers exhibiting at January market.
Area rug companies that will be showing next month include: Amer Rugs, Capel Rugs, Harounian Rugs International, Jaipur Living, Jaunty, Kalaty, Kaleen, Kas Rugs, Loloi Rugs, LR Resources, Nourison, Orian Rugs/Palmetto Living, Oriental Weavers, Radici, Safavieh and Surya.
Among these, Loloi Rugs – which exhibits at AmericasMart as well as Las Vegas and High markets – recently renewed its lease with the AmericasMart.
In May, International Market Centers (IMC), parent of High Point and Las Vegas markets, acquired AmericasMart. IMC currently owns and operates nearly 20 million square feet of permanent showroom space across the three venues, making it the world’s largest permanent mart operator for furniture, home decor, rug, gift and apparel.
“Floor coverings is an important category for IMC overall, and many of the industry’s leading rug manufacturers exhibit in all three of our markets in order to maximize their geographic reach, distribution opportunities across all retail channels and access to interior designers,” said Julie Messner, IMC senior vice president of furniture and home décor leasing. “As we continue the integration of our businesses, IMC is examining how best to ensure the maximum benefit for our customers in Atlanta, High Point and Las Vegas.”