Orlando, Fla. — Armstrong Flooring Inc.'s newest luxury vinyl tile (LVT) has diamond particles infused into the planks, making it the toughest product in the LVT lineup, according to the Lancaster, Pa.-based company.
Called Vivero, the tile is manufactured a couple miles from the Armstrong headquarters. Ebeth Pitman, director of brand marketing, said the company added a production line and some employees to make Vivero, which mimics the look of wood or stone and features Armstrong's patent-pending “Diamond 10 technology.”
“Cultured diamond particles are infused into the construction of the product. It's not a coating. It penetrates the surface,” Pitman told booth visitors at the International Builders' Show. “This is just the beginning for us with this technology. LVT is the first product to feature it. Nature's hardest substance means it is stain resistant, scratch resistant and easy to clean.”
Armstrong's marketing team gave booth visitors black Sharpie markers to write their names on Vivero as well as a new polymer composite plank called Pryzm. The marker wiped off with an alcohol pad from both new flooring products.
Both kinds of flooring also are waterproof. Water, wine and other liquids bead up on the surface of Vivero rather than soak into the LVT, Pitman said, while some Pryzm planks were on display in an aquarium.
Pryzm won't curl, it resists mold and mildew, and it has a commercial-grade wear layer that won't scratch or dent, product manager Morgan Hafer said as she used a clamp to put pressure on a hex nut placed on a plank. Most furniture and high heels put 1,500 pounds per square inch on a floor, she said, but Pryzm can withstand 2,500 psi.
“Przym has a thermoplastic core. It's ultra-dense, which gives us the dent resistance,” Hafer said. “And, it resists temperature and humidity changes, too. It's an extremely stable floor.”
Some home builders said Pryzm could open the door for them to offer the look of wood in high-moisture areas, such as bathrooms, basements and mudrooms.
Both products are aimed at active households with children, pets and heavy foot traffic.