Armstrong debuts locking hardwood

Lancaster, Pa.-'Elegant style in a snap' is now available in locking hardwood from Armstrong Hardwood Flooring with hand-crafted, sleek and exotic or traditional collections to complement any style, noted Patrick Barnds, vice president of hardwood flooring, in species including Kona, Australian Wormy Chestnut, Ash, Bamboo, Birch and others.

'This new residential flooring collection includes 32 different designs,' he explained, 'all featuring the Armstrong exclusive NextGen patent-pending technology, which eliminates the need for glue, staples or nails and reduces installation time. Consumers can live on their new floor immediately-or remove it and replace it later if they choose.'

Similar to click laminate, floors where the panels are joined together without glue, NextGen 'is the result of nearly three years of research and development and offers a substantial reduction in the length of time required for installation,' he said. 'Since installation time is reduced, consumers have less disruption to their household and are able to enjoy their new hardwood floor faster.'

Locking hardwood floors from Armstrong are 100% real wood, noted Barnds, with cross-ply engineered construction for a durable, rigid surface that won't shift of buckle, and that can be installed in any level of the home, including the basement. 'The engineered construction controls the floor's natural tendency to expand and contract, so these floors can be installed over a variety of subfloors, including wood, concrete and even existing vinyl.'

The collections offer 5-inch single planks and 5-inch two-strip planks with 15- and 25-year residential warranties, and, in some cases, an additional three-year commercial warranty finish.

'Armstrong offers attractive styling in domestic wood species such as maple, oak, birch, ash, as well as exotics like Bangkirai, bamboo, Australian wormy chestnut and Kona woods,' Barnds concluded. Trendsetting visuals are available in three distinct collections-Hand-scraped, Global Species and Oak.