What are the latest flooring trends that housebuilders need to be aware of?

Questions posed to Gail Alcock - Product Director at IDS

The love for grey flooring is still going strong for interiors, the trend is leading more towards warmer brown-greys. These warmer tones are very versatile with the subtle, understated shade combining easily with anything from pastels to monochrome to create a sophisticated, yet relaxed, feel. For a contemporary twist, we are seeing the return of washed decors in the form of white washed over these warm grey-browns.

How important is it for floor coverings to be able to be recycled?

Obviously saving the planet and recycling are very important to us all. Wood can be recycled and is even biodegradable in some cases. It is always better to opt for FSC certification to ensure that extra trees are planted for each tree that is cut down.

Do developers of apartment blocks need to be more careful in terms of floor coverings? For example, are tiles and wooden floors banned due to noise levels?

Developers should check the building regulations in relation to flooring, due to sound transition in apartment blocks etc. There are numerous underlays that help reduce this and we are seeing new innovations with luxury vinyl flooring where the underlay is pre-bonded to the material, saving the consumer time and money on installation. The Malmo Rigid range is an excellent example where the underlay gives a minimum rating of 18db.

Please highlight your latest product which you are currently promoting within the UK housebuilding industry.

An exciting new LVT flooring product that we launched at KBB is Malmo™ Rigid. We have extended the dry back range of Woodgrains, Tile and Herringbone to incorporate the Malmo™ Rigid click system with both narrow and wide plank woodgrain formats and tile designs with natural stone effects. The range’s advanced 5G locking installation method gives additional strength to the end joints and allows fast and easy fitting, plus a built-in 1mm underlay offers time and cost saving benefits, eliminating the need for separate installation.

A huge selection of flooring is available to view (and purchase for registered users) at the IDS Flooring category page.