FOCUS ON LUXURY VINYL TILE (LVT)
Glorious Good Wood
The experts from Harvey Maria discuss the versatility of wood-effect luxury vinyl tile.
It takes a keen eye to spot the difference between a quality wood-effect luxury vinyl tile (LVT) and the real thing nowadays. Authentic decors have come on leaps and bounds, with ‘registered emboss’ techniques creating textured finishes that perfectly match the design underneath. Each gnarl, knot and swirling grain detail comes to life; the end result is pattern, colour and texture working in perfect harmony to create an incredibly realistic finish.
Perfectly Practical
Beyond the aesthetic, the new breeds of wood effects are also extremely versatile. In bathrooms, kitchens and entrance areas, where water can be an issue, they provide a practical alternative to timber. These designs are stable and waterproof, and their textured finish also provides good slip resistance. Others benefits include ease of installation, compatibility with underfloor heating and ultra-low maintenance. Their upkeep is simple and safe, with a neutral cleaning product, and no treatment or restoration is required.
Master the Look
Harvey Maria’s new Master Craftsman Series – or ‘MSeries’ for short – presents all of these benefits across four collections, in wood-effect planks and parquet-style staves. The series’ most rustic effects are included in the ‘Natural Plank’ collection; six designs cluster around popular grey and mid oak tones, with bright, beachy ‘Cove’ and moody dark ‘Cinder’ at either end of the spectrum. The Natural Oak collection creates a more contemporary look, with a discreet grain pattern and texture in shades spanning from palest ‘White Oak’, through mid tones to rich conker-toned ‘Burgundy Oak’.
Miniature Magic Parquet Oak replicates Natural Oak, in miniature scale. The
12 | Tomorrow’s Retail Floors
six ‘mini-plank’ stave decors can be laid to create classic parquet patterns – from traditional Herringbones to more retro Chevrons – and to form borders, thresholds and decorative features. The fourth new collection – Selected Woods – includes an eclectic mix of reclaimed pine and engineered oak decors, in a contemporary grey and mid- toned oak palette. It includes eight individual designs created and positioned for the residential market.
Eco-friendly
But beyond their scope and practicality, how do these surfaces match up in terms of sustainability? The key advantage of premium wood effects, like MSeries, is in their low lifetime environmental impact. Beyond industry standard certifications like ISO14001, and recycling back into production, MSeries is a safe and sustainable product in use. It has the highest possible BREEAM ratings of A and A+ for the appropriate class of building, it complies with the ‘M1 standard’ for buildings designed to BREEAM NOR standard and it exceeds the requirements of both the DIBt French A+ air quality standard and the Eurofins ‘Indoor Air Quality Gold Standard’. MSeries also has REACH and FloorScore IAQ (indoor air quality) certification and all designs are eligible to score points when specified in buildings designed to LEED protocols. These credentials may sound complex but they demonstrate good, sustainable performance on the floor, from a product that lasts a very long time.
Today’s good wood effects provide design breadth, in finishes to suit all kinds of interior styles, as well as a whole package of practical benefits. They have a lot to offer - and they’re just getting better and better.
www.harveymaria.com
www.tomorrowsretailfloors.com
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