Carpet Express' Flooring Blog

This is market season at Carpet Express, and we’ve been traveling the globe. We have had great responses at The International Builder’s Show, Domotex, and now Surfaces. The general attitude has been: times are still tough but there is an optimism and a hunger for new business out there that is truly exciting. Floor Covering Weekly quoted our international sales rep in reporting on Domotex 2013:

“Traffic is down but I’ve gotten quality leads,” said Greg Smith, national sales rep for Dalton, Ga.-based Carpet Express. “We’ve actually written more business this year. It’s been very positive.”

We have continued to see a great response to running line carpet, vinyl, and hardwood. We are excited to hear from our team returning from Las Vegas at the Surfaces tradeshow in Las Vegas. 2013 is starting out with a bang, and we are excited to strengthen old relationships and begin new ones. From our wholesale customers to our daily retail customers, we can’t wait to hear from you this year!

Citing a continued escalation of lumber prices, Armstrong World Industries (Lancaster, Pa.) on Tuesday announced it will initiate a 10 percent price increase on solid wood flooring for U.S. and Canadian shipments on March 1.

“Lumber prices are rising more rapidly than our previous expectations,” said Kevin Biedermann, senior vice president, Armstrong Residential Floor Products. “As the housing market continues to improve, we anticipate these higher costs to continue as fewer sawmills try to keep up with the increased demand. Armstrong continues to work at manufacturing productivity improvements and cost reduction programs to offset higher costs but cannot keep pace with the sustained increases.”

The latest price hike marks the second time since October Armstrong has raised prices on solid wood flooring. And in November it announced a price hike for engineered wood flooring.

Armstrong is not alone in responding to the upswing of lumber prices, which has been brought on by the ongoing housing upturn. In November Mohawk Industries (Calhoun, Ga.) announced a 6 percent price hike on select engineered flooring and then later broadened the scope of products affected to include all its Unilin products.

Near the end of December lumber purchasing contracts for March delivery reached nearly $400 per 1,000 board feet on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The latest readings on random length lumber purchasing contracts for March stand at about $375.

Reposted from Hardwood Floors Magazine

Len Daubler, manager—product support for hard surfaces at Shaw Industries, explains the various Janka numbers for the same species of wood:

A Janka Hardness test is part of ASTM D 1037 “Standard Test Methods for Evaluating Properties of Wood-Base Fiber and Particle Panel Materials.” Hardness is defined as “resistance to indentation using a modified Janka hardness test.” The test is a measurement of the load (force) required to embed a modified Janka ball, 0.444 inch in diameter, to one half its diameter into the wood specimen. Two areas on the face of a specimen that is 1 inch thick, 6 inches long and 3 inches wide are tested, and the information is recorded and then averaged.

So what does this mean, and why do these numbers vary? In simple terms, let’s refer to the Janka number for red oak, which according to the Wood Handbook is 1290. Let’s remember the number generated is an average of two test sites taken from one specimen, so in essence these numbers are a reference point to use and are not an absolute. Each time a specimen is tested, the numbers and average may be different.

Additionally, when looking at an engineered product’s Janka number, you have a number of variables that can affect that particular product’s hardness rating or psi, which involves the number of plies making up the overall thickness of the product and the construction of the material. Even the species of the underlying plies can contribute to a higher or lower Janka number. For example, say a three-ply red oak product’s top ply is red oak, the second ply is balsa wood and the bottom ply is red oak. Now consider a three-ply red oak product that is red oak throughout all plies. These two very different assemblies could produce rather starkly different Janka ratings. Long story short: We have to remember that a Janka number can vary, and no matter how high it is, all wood products can dent or scratch.

Reposted From Hardwood Flooring Magazine

Earlier this month, Mohawk Industries  announced a price hike for select engineered wood flooring in its Unilin segment . Recently, the company expanded the price hike to include all Unilin engineered wood flooring products, which includes the Columbia and Century hardwood lines.

The 6 percent price hike is the result of rising lumber, veneer and transportation costs. It will take effect Jan. 1.

Mohawk will also initiate a 6 percent price hike on solid and select engineered Mohawk-branded hardwood products on Dec. 21.
Article from http://hardwoodfloorsmag.com

We are excited about the 2013 International Builder’s Show, and we’re not the only ones. Builder’s and manufacturer’s from all over the globe are ready to stir up some business and seek out every opportunity. Carpet Express is excited for this chance to meet with builders and suppliers who are hungry for and actively seeking business.

Click here for you free 3 day pass to the 2013 International Builder’s Show.* Don’t forget to visit us at Booth # N2543.

*NOTE: Manufacturers and Software Provider registrants are not eligible.

If you have not shopped for vinyl in the past 10 years, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. The shiny white squares and triangles of years past have been replaced with all types of absolutely beautiful designs. From wood planks to brick pavers and tile to stones and slate, vinyl flooring products have changed from the old vinyl days.

Versatile Installation
There’s more to it that designs. New vinyl construction gives you several choices to consider including traditional felt back vinyl that needs to be glued down. Now fiber back or cushion backed vinyl can be loose laid. And there are other categories like Armstrong’s Stratamax vinyl that can be loose laid over a subfloor without having to install a luon or plywood cap over the sub floor.

Affordable Prices
At Carpet Express, we specialize in all types of residential vinyl, but if you want a real deal, you need to check out our vinyl specials. Here you can buy vinyl that sells from $15 to $25 a square yard for $5 to $8 a square yard. We also have great values in our running line vinyl products.

Don’t be fooled by square foot prices. For years carpet was sold by the square yard, and many consumers still have square yard prices in mind when they go shopping. When the price difference is between $9 and $11 per square yard, it is much more noticeable than $1 or $1.22 per square foot. Its the exact same price, but 22 cents doesn’t seem like a lot compared to 2 dollars. Whether carpet is priced by the square yard of square foot, always look at the total price. If you bought 1500 sq ft at $1.00 sf that’s $1500 and at $1.22 is $1,839.00. That’s a $330 difference (which is pretty good savings for most of us). Just remember. A few cents can really add up when you’re pricing carpet by the square foot.

In recent months, Carpet Express has experienced a few claims on cabin-grade and value grade solid hardwood from certain manufacturers. We are not the only retailer that has experienced this. A few products have a manufacturing defect that causes certain boards to have a slightly different finish. However, that slight difference becomes very noticeable once the product is installed. The only recourse one has to avoid being stuck with defective wood is to have their installer rack out the boards for inspection prior to installation. This obviously involves extra expense.

At Carpet Express, we know cabin grade is a viable option for the right budget and application. However, we have done the math again and again, and the fact is: 1st quality hardwood actually comes close to the same price as cabin grade once the cost of installation is considered (i.e. up to 10% less waste). When one considers finish problems and other unforeseen issues, cabin grade can become more of a headache than a deal.  Click here to see how the math breaks down. Our Watham Max by Bruce comes with a 25 year warranty, is not much more expensive, and has the consistent beauty that only first quality wood can assure. With wood, quality truly matters.

Our Annual Fall Sale was a huge success. Strong sales continued in all categories, but carpet sales were excellent. Our solution dyed PET styles are just great flooring products at very affordable prices. “Cadillac” is a 45oz casual trackless carpet available in solid and in flec, and has become our #1 carpet style. This is a fantastic value at $1.22sf / $10.99 sy.

Other highlights of the Fall Sale were two of our running line cushion back vinyl collections. Front Runner at $0.89sf/ $7.99 sy and Luxuriant at $1.44sf/ $12.96sy. These two collections have beautiful color and pattern combination to choose from. Another winner was our handscraped  hardwood flooring “Colonial” which will add value and beauty to any home at $2.99 sf. Thanks to our great customers and the entire Carpet Express team for making this a very successful Fall Sale!

Murray Bandy
President

Our Annual Fall Sale kicks into full gear today, with hot dogs, refreshments, and more great prices. Our vinyl deals are undoubtedly the best prices of all time. We’ve also got some of the best carpet and wood deals in the industry! The sale lasts until Saturday, but if you can’t make down to Carpet Express, give us a call. We hope to see you soon!