RANGE REVIEW: FLOORING & FLOORCARE: RANGE RE RANGE EVIEW FLOORING RE EVIEW:


G & FLOORCARE E


FLOORING TRENDS H


Helping you to get ahead of the consumer trends, we take a look at what is expected to be big underfoot this year.


omeowners are said to be steering away from the sleek and shiny and trending towards warm, inviting looks with plenty of character . The 2018 woodflooring trends ar e said to be cosier and less glam. There is also a push for using r ecycled materials, as consumers ar e starting to note the kinds of materials they’re using and choosing their flooring accordingly


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“2018 is set to be an exciting year for tile trends, with lots of unusual textur es and patterns designed to make bold featur e walls or floors,” says CTD Group national sales director Mike Dent.


Bamboo


Another environmentally-friendly material, Bamboo is known for its str ength. Its fast gr owth, which can be up to 15m in 12 months, makes Bamboo an extremely sustainabl e material. “The product is actually a grass, not wood,” explains Nicoline’s Nicola Smith,


not wood,” explains Nicoline’s Nicola Smith, adding that there ar e many dif fer ent species that grow in China. The fact that it is a grass, means that bamboo is mor e r esistant to water than wood, meaning bamboo flooring is suitable for any r oom, including bathr ooms, kitchens and laundry room. Nicola continues: “This product is our second highest-selling flooring product and continues to be in demand for the foreseeable future.”


Cork W ith


this noticeable move towards


mor e sustainable materials in the home, environmentally-friendly and af fordable, cork is predicted to be a firm favourite for flooring in 2018. The outer bark of the Cork Oak Tr ee (Quer cus Suber) is stripped but re-gr ows every nine to 10 years. Generally known for its use as stoppers for wine, the by-pr oduct is made into blocks then cut into tiles for use on the wall or as flooring.


Tr trend could offer ff


Family-r un supplier Nicoline believes the fer an opportunity to r etailers


who don’t traditionally stock or have space to carry flooring ranges. “Cork floor tiles ar e 300mm square and ther efore take up much less shelf space for r etailers,” explains director Nicola Harris. “W


We pr oduce a ‘peel and stick’ We


version of cork floor tiles, which is an easier method for the end user and also has the advantage that the r etailer does not need to hold separate adhesive stocks.”


hold separate adhesive stocks.”


And, what ar e the benefits or cork flooring? “Cork tiles ar e supplied r eady sealed and, with


ideal for kitchens, bathr ooms and children’s rooms. Also, being natural in colouring natural in colour will blend with any décor


their no n-slip properties, they r,,


r they r,,” Nicola explains.


“There is incr easing demand and awar eness of environmentally-preferr ed products, which we are sure is one of the primary reasons for increased sales of these pr oducts.”


12 14 DIY WEEK 19 JANUARY 2018 ar e


Reclaimed and distressed wooden flooring Reclaimed wood


offers r,, it has beco homeowners ome so popular a


flooring that is completely original that’s also envir onmentally r esponsible. Reclaimed wood is often fr om decking, timbers, barns and old houses, however


r,, you


can find r eclaimed wood fr om unusual sources like wine barr els and old church pew seats. “Industrial tr ends have evolved to encourage inspiration to be taken from ar chitectur e whilst environmental concerns have led to a demand for reclaimed wood and new finishes inspir ed by this,” says Mike Dent.


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eclectic ‘Wabi-Sabi’ – a mix of Scandi and Japanese simplicity and style”. In keeping with this trend ar e wood ef fect tiles, which “offer the multi-toned, timeless appearance of natural matured wood, but with the practicalities of ceramic tiles”.


Accor ding to Tile Trader Wa


Wood-effect tiles abi-S


T Tr


CTD Group’s Mike Dent explains why consumers ar e leaning towar ds this trend:“Woodandstone ef fect tiles pr ove to be particularly popular with the latest designs perfecting the look of the original material, whilst experimenting with a mor e decorative approach. Wo


Wo ffec Wood-effect tiles ar e incr edibly


versatile and provide the desirable practicality benefits that come with using ceramic or por celain tiles to ensur e the surface is easy to maintain in any setting.”


Wide plank Longer


r,, wider plan


make a look larger open and less busy.y.


, wider planks help e


er, morr, Wooden


Wo


flooring remains very popular with consumers but tr ends ar e pushing toward wider plank floors, with boards often a foot wide or even broader .


DS


r,, 2018’s br eaking trend is “the


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