Products

Commercial carpet plank

The 22 x 22 cm format is complemented by a subtle geometrical pattern for dressing up surfaces in decorative style or combining with the field tiles. www.harmonyinspire.com

Acid resistant tile grout

Designed by Jason F. McLennan in collaboration with Mohawk Group, Owls commercial carpet planks are inspired by the North American birds of prey’s mottled shades of black, brown, tan and grey plumage. Two 12 x 36 in. patterns, Feather and Flight, are available. The biophilia-inspired collection is manufactured using Red List-free Duracolor Tricor solution-dyed nylon fibre and EcoFlex NXT tile backing. Duracolor Tricor uses a modified triangular-shaped core to deliver unsurpassed stain resistance, colourfastness, durability, colour clarity and enhanced soil performance, the company says. www.mohawkgroup.com

Cement- and stone-inspired tiles

Sonar from Harmony is a porcelain tile collection with a cement and stone-inspired matte appearance and shiny speckles that are said to lend dynamism to surfaces. Available formats have been extended with the addition of a new 11 x 22 cm format, combinable with the 22 x 22 cm version on walls and floors. The collection comes in a unique Soft finish, whose technical properties are suitable for all kinds of settings, the company says.

24 March/April 2020 Two-component acid-resistant epoxy grout from Likotol is suitable for the laying and grouting of ceramic tiles and mosaics with 1 to 15 mm wide joints, on indoor and outdoor floors and walls. The product has ultra-low VOC emission characteristics. Composition includes a thick paste Part A and liquid Part B. Floor installation with standard setting adhesive is 24 hours, while floor installation with quick setting adhesive is 4 hours. Cladding installation with the standard setting adhesive is 6 to 8 hours, while cladding installation with the quick setting adhesive is 4 hours. www.likotol.it

Hardwood and luxury vinyl tile

Luxury carpet brand Karastan has expanded into hard surface lines with the introduction of BelleLuxe hardwood flooring and LuxeCraft luxury vinyl flooring. BelleLuxe engineered hardwood flooring features wide planks with a thick wear layer that can be refinished up to three times and includes an application of KaraFinish, a low gloss finish that emulates a traditional oil finished floor. Collections include: Chevreaux and Ashmore Oak; Worthington Oak and Worthington Herringbone; and, Villa Pointe Maple. LuxeCraft features a wood décor in rigid luxury vinyl composed of a multilayer construction that resists water, scratches and dents. Three collections include Refined Forest, Treasured Grove and Curated Grain, with designs gleaned from hardwood salvaged from a historic Alabama home, oldgrowth white oak with an open grain and century barnwood. www.karastan.com

Unfinished engineered hardwood

Using a five-step manufacturing process, Howell Hardwood Flooring has announced Hapwood, an unfinished engineered flooring line that is said to remain stable and flat during seasonal humidity changes, and that results in no cupping or gapping. Over the last 10,000,000 square feet of installed product, the company says it has had an average of less than one claim per million square feet. The line is also said to use less trees per square foot than all other site finished hardwood options, and less trees per square foot than most prefinished hardwood options. The five step manufacturing process includes two-step moisture acclimation, bal anced face and back construction, one-step hot pressing, pre-sanding and diamond tooling. www.howellflooring.com

Hand knotted wool rugs Capel Rugs has introduced Charise, hand knotted traditional collection from India that features updated, classic motifs. The 100 percent wool rugs are available in

eight patterns and colour ways: Isfahan in sand, Kazak in blue multi, Keshan in champagne, Mahal in dark chocolate, Peshawar in slate ruby, Tabriz in fog blue, Ushak in scarlet and Ziegler in terra cotta. The collection comes in 3 x 5, 5 x 8, 8 x 10 and 9 x 12 ft. sizes. www.capelrugs.com

Preparation system for concrete

CustomTech, a division of Custom Building Products, has introduced what it calls the industry’s most advanced flooring preparation system to CSI Division 3 construction professionals. TechPatch TW, which is a rapid-curing, calcium aluminate cement based compound that is said to make finishing vertical interior and exterior concrete and masonry surfaces fast and easy. Ideal for hiding chips, holes and irregularities on tilt-up concrete as well as preparing cast concrete and masonry surfaces for painting or sealing, the compound dries in 15-60 minutes. Available in 10-pound boxes, it can be applied from 1/16 to 3 in. thick. www.customtechflooring.com Surface warning system

matter, interpreting the divergence between modernity and the classical. The obsidian shades of the natural stone collection balance one another in an intergalactic unification that is divine imagery for any room, the company says. www.antolini.com

The RediMat Detectable Warning Systems safety product from Mar-Bel is constructed of durable, UV protected, glass-filled polyurethane and is surface applied on both asphalt and concrete. The ADA-compliant tactile warning line is intended for visually impaired or handicapped pedestrians. A proprietary pre-applied adhesive system, it can be installed in less than 10 minutes and is said to drastically reduce labour time and expense — but not at the expense of durability. The flexible polyurethane material conforms to uneven surfaces, and will not chip, crack or splinter. Engineered construction also features a beveled edge for easy pedestrian access. Radius tile is available in a “wedge” shape suitable for rounded intersections requiring a radius system. Available colours include safety yellow, brick red, black and gray. https://detectable-warning.com/

Dark granite collection

The Magma Black granite collection from Antolini is characterized by its black background with touches of intense yellow highlights. Onyx tones and radiant golden beams are said to simulate astral Cordless oscillator Festool Canada has introduced the Vecturo OSC 18 cordless oscillator, featuring multi-tool functionality, control and durability. The 18 V cordless oscillating

tool is built with the company’s EC-TEC brushless motor and 4° oscillation, combined with variable speed settings and StarlockMax tool holder, which is said to make it possible to change tools quickly without the need for additional equipment. The oscillator is designed to be used with the company’s Plunge Base and Depth Stop for guidance and control. The Plunge Base also is designed for optional dust extraction. In addition, the ergonomic housing of the oscillator complements the shock-absorption achieved by isolating the tool’s motor and the drive mechanism for comfort on the jobsite, the company says. www.festoolcanada.com

Scratch-resistant resilient floor planks Stone resilient floor planks from COREtec Floors provide an embossed thermo-resin layer said to offer stunning realism and integrated grout lines that match perfectly, without making a mess. The protective layer on top ensures the surface doesn’t scratch, while the rigid mineral core and cork underlayment

Refined Details and Polished Details lines, will also feature ColorMax. www.mohawkflooring.com

Software provides ‘view in room’

dampen footsteps. The product can be installed and walked on in a single day. Plank dimensions are 11.93 x 23.86 in. x 8 mm. Specifications include an accent bevel edge profile, mineral core and attached cork underlayment. The installation method can be floating or direct glue, and the installation level can be above, on or below. Environmental certification is GreenGuard (Certification, Gold, Private Label). www.coretecfloors.com

High definition carpet collection

Mohawk has expanded its high definition colour technology with 14 ColorMax introductions in 2020 across its SmartStrand polyester and nylon carpet collection. ColorMax combines multiple dye technologies to achieve a balanced, blended coloration with intense colour saturation. SmartStrand Silk will include five new premium soft ColorMax styles comprised of four cut-pile textures and one fashionable pattern. Two SmartStrand Silk introductions from Karastan,

26 March/April 2020 Karndean Designflooring has introduced a ‘view in room’ digital tool with the functionality to view alternative laying patterns and designs when selecting a floor. Available to use on mobile, tablet or desktop, the Floorstyle tool enables home designers to try out a range of vinyl flooring designs in typical room settings, by uploading their own room photos and visualizing what a new floor might look like in their own home. The updated tool is said to not only provide room inspiration, but also realistic imagery of different flooring designs in actual rooms. www.karndeancanada.ca

Rubber stair treads

Roppe has introduced rubber stair treads with DuPont Kevlar fibres, said to be a long-lasting, high-performing tread backed by a 25-year warranty. The rubber stair treads are engineered to resist damage from wear and abuse and are said to perform far longer than other rubber treads. Available in eight profiles and 134 colour options, the stair treads are 100 percent recyclable. The treads meet ASTM F2169, Type TS performance specifications, as well as the FloorScore indoor air quality certification standard. They have also achieved NSF 332 Platinum resilient flooring sustainability certification and meet CHPS Criteria for environmentally sustainable schools. www.roppe.com/kevlar

Hardwood with dent-resistant core

AHF Products has announced that its engineered hardwood now has the new Densitek core, said to be a high-performance composite material which provides improved dent resistance and faster installation when compared to traditional plywood core. Specifically engineered with hydrophobic technology to resist moisture absorption, the core is engineered to give consumers their most desired flooring — real hardwood — with the durability, resistance to moisture and ease-of installation they need, the company says. Made up of layers, engineered hardwood with the core is constructed with a 100 percent natural wood veneer top. The enhanced construction is being incorporated in both the company’s new and existing engineered hardwood flooring collections. Since no acclimation is needed, the floors can be installed anywhere in the home, above or below grade. www.ahfproducts.com

Spray adhesives for carpet and resilient Ultrabond Spray RFA and Ultrabond Spray CTA, two new spray adhesives

from Mapei, have been created for carpet and resilient flooring installations. Designed to replace trowel-applied adhesives, these aerosolized, water-based, high-performance, acrylic adhesives allow installers to stand upright during the application process. RFA is intended for use with resilient flooring, while CTA is designed for use with carpet tiles. Both sprays are said to feature high moisture resistance for bond durability, superior tack for secure floor placement, and extended coverage when compared to trowel-applied adhesives — one can of either spray is the equivalent of one gallon of traditional adhesive. www.mapei.com

Non-woven composite collection

Patcraft has launched its first non-woven composite flooring collection, Dichroic. Designed to create an innovative platform for commercial flooring featuring a new material option, the collection is said to incorporate the warmth of soft surface and the durability and cleanability of hard surface. With rich colorways that encourage optical depth and aid in the design of warmer, optimistic spaces, the collection’s sweeping color gradation creates a compelling ombre effect, the company says. The collection is available in both facet and 24 x 24 in. tiles to offer a variety of installation options. By using recycled plastic bottles that have been converted into PET fibre, the collection has approximately 70 percent recycled content (both post-consumer and post-industrial), which is equivalent to 18 (0.5 L) bottles in each 24 x 24 in. tile. www.patcraft.com

Pre-cast customizable shower bases standards, with ample surrounding flat edges to allow for installation of standard shower enclosures. The shower bases are available in neutral shades of white, grey, and black, with supplied drain covers matched in texture and colour that seamlessly blend for a unified look. www.wetstyle.com

New floor locking technology

Wetstyle has introduced its FEEL collection of pre-cast shower bases. With its single slab construction and customizable availability, the collection is said to leverage refined moulding techniques that enable textures to be replicated on shower base surfaces. The result is the clean, sleek, natural stone appearance, the company says. Developed from an innovative, high-density stone and resin composite, the collection realistically replicates textures of concrete and slate. Complementing the collection’s textured look and feel, single slab composition is said to significantly reduce laborious installation time and costs associated with traditional acrylic or tile-based shower floors. Additionally, the shower bases are plumbing-code compliant and are fitted to North American market

Unilin division Technologies has announced a new fold-down locking profile. Called Unidrop, the fold-down locking technology makes installing a floor even more convenient by being the first one-piece fold-down system that can be disassembled by angling-out, the company says. The technology is said to create tight seams, and the active locking incorporated in the flooring produces a best-in-class joint with an excellent vertical load bearing capacity and horizontal tensile strength, no matter the material: SPC, WPC and laminate flooring. The technology is said to easily be integrated into existing milling machines and is designed to be machined with generous milling tolerances. The short profile geometry minimizes material waste, leading to an efficient use of the top surface of the boards. During installation, there is no need for any type of inserts, nor for small diameter tools, the company adds. www.unilin.com