Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/423872
"Building on our legacy of creating scale and bringing new design pos- sibilities to the f loor, Shaw Contract Group will continue to explore new tile formats, adding to the existing 24 by 24 inch, 18 by 36 inch, and hexagonal sizes with planks between now and the end of the year," says Duncan. Designers at G.E. Shnier Co. know consumers shopping for carpet today are look ing for more tex t ure and colour. "Solid colour cut pile carpet makes up approx imately 60 to 70 per cent of the carpet market," says Carmen Chilelli, director of product development. "Customers are looking for interesting solid patterns both in loop, and cut and loops to create an interesting visual effect in their liv- ing spaces." Colour trends ranging from light beiges and rich taupe to shades of grey continue to be very strong. Creating a visual interest on the f loor is impor- tant, but not so much that will take over the look of the overall living space. Soft carpet is still being requested and with advances being made in fibre technology consumers can get a soft carpet that is durable and will not fray, crush or mat as it may have in the past. "In living areas such as family rooms, basements and bedrooms, people want warmth and comfort underfoot," says Chilelli. "A sof t luxurious carpet is beginning to make a comeback over hard surface." In the commercial market, carpet tile is still a top choice product in both specifications and st yle, and is mak- ing its way into residential applica- tions with interesting pat terns and shapes being developed. Carpet tile planks, rectangles and squares now mimic the look of hardwood planks and ceramic tiles, but in a softer and quieter carpet form. STUCK ON YOU Having the correct adhesive for any f looring option is critical for longev- ity and clean looks, and at Mapei Inc., the research and development team is always working to improve product performance and make more consis- tent finishes. "The carpet industry is still moving heavily towards carpet tile for com- mercial installation, which requires a different adhesive set than what stan- dard broadloom would be," says Jeff Johnson, product development manager. "There are a lot of different designs and styles, and the tiles are getting bigger. I've also seen rectangular carpet tiles so the manufacturers are making a strong effort to create different options." Johnson says the carpet industry seems to be focusing heavily on recy- clability and are using different types of materials to make them more interest- ing from a LEED perspective. "Changing the components of the carpet tile back- ing structure may be a good thing for recyclability, but can create challenges for the adhesive community who are trying to stick to these materials," says Johnson. "The new, totally recyclable backing structures often times have different surface tension characteris- tics making them a challenge to bond. The good news is that carpet mills and adhesive manufacturers are working together to solve these issues, and the result is a recyclable carpet tile that is well bonded." Two Mapei adhesive products that work for c ar pet inst a llat ions are Eco 185 for broadloom and Eco 810, which is recommended for carpet tile. "These have shown very solid perfor- mance in the marketplace," Johnson says. "They are all CR I Green Label Plus materials with low emissions and are LEED compliant." n Richmond Senses – Silken Wonder in Innocence shade from Shnier, Gesco LP. deCember 2014 /41 Carpet Northwest Landscape & Stone Supply.indd 1 14-10-21 2:21