Builder confidence softens as mortgage rates rise

Washington, D.C.—Rising mortgage rates, energy and material costs, and worsening labor and lot conditions pushed builder sentiment to a 14-year low in October, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes fell three points to 29. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index reported the decline Oct. 19. The reading was the lowest since June 2012.

“Mortgage rates have climbed well above 7% in recent weeks and higher gas prices and inflation have further weakened buyer traffic across much of the country,” said Bill Owens, chairman of the NAHB and a home builder and remodeler from Worthington, Ohio. “Though builders are also contending with higher costs for construction loans, building materials and diesel, the Trump administration’s efforts to advance regulatory reform are helping to ease some of the cost pressures they face. Nationwide, more than one-third of builders reported immigration enforcement activity in their market areas during the past month, causing construction delays and discouraging legal workers from reporting to work.”

Robert Dietz, NAHB chief economist, added, “Housing remains squeezed by supply-side constraints and significant affordability challenges. Demand persists, but higher mortgage rates, elevated construction costs and weaker consumer confidence are keeping more buyers on the sidelines. As a result, buyer traffic has fallen to its lowest level since April 2012, excluding the pandemic’s onset in April 2020.”

Builders turn to price cuts, incentives

The latest HMI survey found that 43% of builders cut prices in October. That marked the highest share recorded during the 2020-2026 period.

The average price cut remained at 6% for the seventh consecutive month. Meanwhile, 65% of builders reported using sales incentives in October.

October marked the 19th consecutive month in which at least 60% of builders reported using incentives.

NAHB has conducted the monthly HMI survey for more than 40 years. The index measures builder perceptions of current single-family home sales and sales expectations for the next six months.

Builders rate conditions as “good,” “fair” or “poor.” The survey also asks builders to rate prospective buyer traffic as “high to very high,” “average” or “low to very low.”

NAHB uses the scores for each component to calculate a seasonally adjusted index. A reading above 50 indicates that more builders view conditions as good than poor.

All three major HMI indexes declined in October.

The index measuring current sales conditions fell two points to 33. The index measuring sales expectations for the next six months dropped five points to 32.

The index measuring prospective buyer traffic also fell five points to 18.

Regional three-month moving averages also declined. The Northeast fell one point to 38 while the Midwest dropped three points to 40.

The South declined one point to 30 and the West fell two points to 26.

The Midwest remained a relative bright spot for single-family home building, with permits up 2.9%.

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Armstrong Flooring Roadshow makes stop in Dallas

The Armstrong Flooring mobile showroom trailer was parked in front of Adleta’s warehouse on the third stop of AHF’s 2026 Roadshow tour.

Dallas—Floor Covering News is here for the third leg of the 2026 Armstrong Flooring Roadshow, a series of events held in conjunction with Armstrong Flooring/AHF Products distribution partners. Adleta served as the host site for this week’s event, which welcomed scores of retailer/designer customers.

“The reaction from retailers and distributors to having the Armstrong Flooring brand back in residential has been phenomenal,” said Jennifer Zimmerman, chief commercial officer, AHF Products. “We haven’t done anything like this in a really long time.”

The road show format, according to Zimmerman, gives AHF Products a platform to create a high-impact experience that celebrates the return of the Armstrong Flooring brand to retail and gives customers the confidence and tools to sell the brand. Make no mistake: this isn’t simply a return of a historic brand. Rather, according to the company, it’s an opportunity to help write the next chapter in a storied history. Generations of families have trusted Armstrong Flooring. For decades they have associated the Armstrong brand with quality, style and lasting value.

“This is an exciting moment for the Armstrong Flooring brand and, more importantly, for our retail partners,” said Chris King, senior vice president of residential sales, AHF Products. “We are coming back with products designed for today’s consumer, the recognition of a name people already know and trust, and the marketing and merchandising support retailers need to turn that into sales. We want retailers to see the opportunity, experience the products and get excited about what we can build together.”

Expanded product portfolio

Armstrong Flooring is returning to retail with a wide assortment that includes DLuxe Plank HDPC luxury vinyl plank, which is produced at its Cartersville, Ga., facility. In support of the expanded Armstrong Flooring portfolio, AHF has rolled out a flexible merchandising system that allows retailers to configure for standalone displays or larger branded presentations.

“Customers that already display Armstrong-branded products will receive a retro-fit kit so they can turn their existing display into an Armstrong Flooring merchandiser,” Zimmerman explained. “We also offer a spinner display that can hold a full-size plank showcasing the heft of the product.”

Another road sow highlight is the Sacred Grove Select collection of engineered hardwood, produced at AHF’s facility in Turney, Tenn. The new line boasts a billet plywood core for strength and dimensional stability, and utilizes select-grade hardwood and trendy colorways.

AHF Products’ Milton Goodwin, left, walks All About Floors’ Steve Watson through the new Armstrong Flooring engineered portfolio.

Rounding out the new offerings are three porcelain tile collections—Heritage Tailoring, Subtle Chic and Indie Edge—that span a range of styles, price points and project needs. All are made domestically at its plant in Crossville, Tenn.

But it wasn’t just about new collections. Attendees also got their first look at a completely revamped Armstrong Flooring website, which touts improved functionality, visualization tools, lifestyle content and lead-generation capabilities, among other key enhancements. The site also allows visitors to peruse other flagship AHF Products brands.

All these upgrades, according to the company, give retailers a powerful one-two punch: a brand consumers already recognize, combined with a portfolio that gives them more ways to sell it. As King explained: “We are backing it with the products, displays, marketing and supply reliability to help our partners turn that opportunity into growth.”

Adleta retailer customers in attendance here expressed excitement about the expanded offerings as well as the focus on the Armstrong Flooring brand in general.

“We’re excited to see the Armstrong Flooring-labeled vinyl plank products that are coming out,” said Trey McGee, Henson Carpet One, Shreveport, La. “The Diamond 10 finish has been popular on the commercial side, and we’re excited about Armstrong Flooring bringing that back on the residential side. We also like what we’re seeing in terms of the premium hardwood looks being offered as well as the new tile products.”

AHF Products’ Jarrett Stewart, left, with Henson Carpet One’s Trey McGee in the Armstrong Flooring mobile showroom.

Steve Watson of All About Floors, Forney, Texas, was similarly impressed with the new offerings, particularly the Sacred Grove Select Engineered Hardwood collection. “We sell a lot of hardwood in our store,” he told FCNews. “We like the fact that the consumer will be able to refinish the product. The Made in America aspect is also a huge deal.”

For more on this story, look for the November 2 issue of FCNews.

 

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New home sales rise despite persistent affordability challenges

Washington, D.C.—New home sales improved in August, but the monthly gain masks continued weakness in the broader new-home market, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Elevated mortgage rates and ongoing affordability challenges continue to constrain demand. Sales remain below last year’s pace and year-to-date sales trail 2025 levels.

Sales of newly built single-family homes increased 6.4% in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 684,000. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and U.S. Census Bureau reported the latest figures following an upwardly revised July estimate.

The pace of new home sales was 2% lower than a year earlier. “The gain in new home sales is encouraging, but affordability remains a challenge,” said Bill Owens, chairman of the NAHB and a home builder and remodeler from Worthington, Ohio. “Sales are still down year over year and year to date and builders continue to use incentives and pricing adjustments to support buyers as limited existing-home inventory helps sustain the new-home market.”

A new home sale occurs when a buyer signs a sales contract or submits a deposit. The home can be at any stage of construction, including not yet started, under construction or completed.

“While the monthly increase in sales is a positive development, housing demand remains sensitive to higher mortgage rates and broader macroeconomic conditions,” said Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington, NAHB assistant vice president for forecasting and analysis. “A sustained improvement in affordability, particularly through lower financing costs, would provide a stronger foundation for housing demand going forward.”

The August reading of 684,000 units also accounts for seasonal effects. The figure represents the number of homes that would sell if the August pace continued for 12 months.

New single-family home inventory remained unchanged from July at 483,000 units. Inventory fell 2% from a year ago.

That represents an elevated 8.5 months’ supply at the current sales pace. Completed, ready-to-occupy inventory totaled 112,000 homes in August.

The combined inventory of resale and new homes represented a 5.3-month supply at the current sales pace.

The median new home sales price increased 0.4% from July to $393,700. The median price fell 5.8% from a year ago.

On a year-to-date basis, new home sales fell 0.6% in the Midwest, 1% in the South and 10% in the West. Sales remained unchanged in the Northeast.

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Tuesday Tips: Celebrate progress, not perfection

Dalton—The World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) released a new “Tuesday Tips” this week. In the series, WFCA experts present short video tips for improving customer service and optimizing staff performance. In the end, it’s all about understanding the importance of doing 100 things just 1% better than your competition.

In this week’s Tuesday Tips, Tom Jennings, retail training expert, shares a simple reminder: celebrate progress when you see it. When someone new gets something mostly right, encouragement can help build confidence and reinforce the behavior you want to see.

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TrueTouch celebrates Predator collection launch

New Smyrna Beach, Fla.—TrueTouch Floors celebrated the nationwide launch of its Predator MonoTechnology (MonoTech) collection with a beach cleanup and launch party here.

The event brought together flooring industry leaders, distributors and members of the local community. Attendees included industry veteran Ralph Boe and his wife, Nancy; Kirby Jones, vice president of sales and marketing for Reader’s Wholesale, and Jud Hurt, president of Ohio Valley Flooring; Marty Piore, vice president of business development for Ohio Valley Flooring and Mike Lane, territory sales manager, William M. Bird. New Smyrna Beach Mayor Fred Cleveland and Tess Sailor-Tynes, conservation science coordinator for the Marine Discovery Center, also joined the celebration.

The Predator collection highlights TrueTouch’s partnership with 4ocean and its efforts to combat plastic pollution. The collection’s marketing portrays plastic as the predator while positioning MonoTech as an alternative to plastic-based waterproof flooring.

Like other MonoTech products, Predator is PVC-free, plastic-free and 100% waterproof throughout. TrueTouch manufactures the collection using real wood and natural oils. The company also positions Predator as a competitively priced option in the waterproof flooring category.

Waterproof flooring meets sustainability

Through its partnership with 4ocean, TrueTouch removes 1 pound of plastic and debris from oceans and coastlines for every 100 square feet of flooring sold.

“This was probably the most exciting product launch we’ve done so far,” said Josh McGrane, managing partner at TrueTouch Floors. “Predator is going to be a huge success for TrueTouch and for all of our distributors, because the color line is incredibly beautiful and the marketing surrounding it is very impactful. It really draws you in and gives you a reason to buy.”

The celebration included a beach cleanup, where guests competed for prizes in two categories: Most Trash Collected and Strangest Item Found. TrueTouch also hosted guests in a private beach cabana for barbecue, drinks and cornhole.

Cleveland thanked the company for its involvement in the community. He expressed pride in having TrueTouch, “a company with a global supply chain and a national reach,” based in New Smyrna Beach.

TrueTouch also donated to the Marine Discovery Center, a local nonprofit organization focused on marine education and conservation. The organization works to restore and protect the Indian River Lagoon.

The donation reflected TrueTouch’s appreciation for its hometown, which is known as the Shark Bite Capital of the World. The distinction also connects to the shark imagery featured in Predator’s marketing.

“We’re celebrating the commitment of our distributors and their recognition of our efforts in this collection,” McGrane said. “We are so lucky to have the relationships that we have and to be able to work in a community that cares.”

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Laminate takes visual realism to the next level

Laminate flooring suppliers are not sitting idly by while the red-hot resilient flooring segment continues to gobble more market share—quite the contrary. While WPC/ SPC/LVT products may hold the upper hand in the waterproof department, laminate suppliers are seeking to gain a competitive advantage by focusing on the aesthetic attributes the category has to offer, as laminate designs strive to more closely match real wood, ceramic or other natural materials. (This on top of its well-earned reputation for durability, scratch resistance and performance.)

At the core of these efforts are advancements in digital imaging/ scanning technologies. These innovations, which also include embossing, surface finishing and proprietary manufacturing techniques, have enabled laminate producers to narrow the visual and performance gap between laminate and the natural materials the category seeks to emulate.

One of the most noteworthy developments has been the evolution of high-resolution digital imaging and printing technology. Earlier generations of laminate flooring often relied on relatively repetitive photographic patterns. Today’s manufacturing technology allows producers to create much more sophisticated decorative layers. High-resolution digital photography and improved printing systems capture extremely detailed characteristics of natural wood, including knots, mineral streaks, grain variations, color shifts and subtle imperfections. Manufacturers can then reproduce those characteristics across multiple designs and plank sequences.

This has helped laminate move beyond simply imitating generic oak or maple. Modern products can reproduce the visual characteristics of specific wood species and styles, ranging from white oak and European oak to walnut, hickory, ash and other popular hardwoods, even reclaimed lumber. Wider/longer plank formats further reinforce the appearance of a genuine hardwood installation. The same applies to ceramic tile, stone, slate, marble and travertine looks. Not only have laminate manufacturers achieved tremendous strides in mimicking these tile and stone visuals, but they have been able to achieve these popular looks via traditional plank formats—which is no easy feat. Suppliers have also been able to enhance visual realism by creating designs that reflect fewer pattern repeats. Rather than simply repeating a small number of photographic images, manufacturers can produce larger pattern libraries and more varied plank visuals.

For retailers, this is an important selling point because consumers often judge realism by looking at an installation as a whole rather than examining a single plank. Greater visual variation makes it more difficult to identify repeating patterns and gives the finished floor a more authentic appearance.

Capturing the look and feel

The latest innovations don’t stop at visual characteristics. Thanks to ongoing advancements in surface texturing, i.e., EIR, traditional laminate can more accurately reproduce the heft and feel of real wood planks. Manufacturers can now create textures that correspond closely with the printed design beneath them. This allows the physical texture of the surface to align with the visual grain pattern. A consumer may see a knot or prominent grain feature and actually feel a corresponding indentation or raised area.

Manufacturers are also getting much better at replicating other aspects of the genuine article—namely bevels in hardwood flooring planks. Four-sided bevels, for example, can emphasize the individual-plank appearance associated with hardwood. More sophisticated edge treatments can make laminate installations resemble premium wood products rather than a continuous printed surface.

Of course, none of this matters if the product doesn’t have the right gloss level. Innovations in surface technology enable manufacturers to manipulate sheen and/or finish to reproduce more naturally looking flooring products. For example, a matte or low-sheen surface can help replicate the appearance of an unfinished or naturally aged hardwood floor, while deeper texturing conveys a more aggressive wire-brushed or hand-scraped wood. Other finishes can reproduce the worn characteristics associated with reclaimed or distressed flooring.

Following is a sampling of some of the latest laminate flooring lines that leverage the aforementioned advancements and technological innovations to render more realistic visuals.

BHW: Waterfront

BHW Floors’ Waterfront laminate collection was crafted to be the centerpiece of a beautiful home with its eye-catching planks that span 87 inches in length by a broad 9 inches in width. Planks are accented by their four-sided, painted bevel edges.

Classen: PURA

Classen, one of Europe’s largest laminate flooring producers, demonstrates its expertise in the category with PURA, a high-end look without the high price tag. The product’s extra-long planks and highly refined synchronized surface structures are almost indistinguishable from real wood.

Engineered Floors: Empower

Engineered Floors extends its PureGrain brand to the Renew laminate collection. Currently available across two platforms— Empower and Restore—these core trade-up products feature the latest design trends with stylish wood visuals that are popular with today’s consumers.

Hallmark: Crescendo 

Hallmark Home’s Crescendo collection features TrueTouch Texture and 3D graining, delivering realistic oak visuals. The fade-free finish and waterproof locking system combine to reduce callbacks while its pet-friendly, scratch- and stain-resistant surface broadens appeal.

Inhaus: Landmark

Inhaus’ signature Landmark laminate collection offers trade-up opportunities for retailers. The product, which comes in planks measuring 50 inches long x nearly 8 inches wide, makes a bold statement in any setting. Popular styles include Norfolk, Scarborough, Snowdrop, Springfield and Ellesmere (pictured).

Johnson Hardwood: Bella Vista

Bella Vista is a high-performance laminate flooring that offers realistic EIR wood textures with AC5 commercial-grade durability. Designed for high-traffic spaces, it combines scratch resistance, easy maintenance and Välinge 5G Dry locking technology.

Mohawk: Sonora Rise

Sonora Rise, Mohawk’s latest addition to its popular RevWood Plus line, is designed to serve as a conversation piece in the home. Measuring 9 ⁷/₁₆ inches wide x 80.5 inches long, the new plank format is the widest RevWood board to date. The line reflects the aesthetic shift toward cleaner visuals and features the company’s signature GenuEdge pressed bevel technology for added realism.

Shaw Floors: Komondor

Komondor, a Pet Perfect laminate from Shaw Floors, features the timeless beauty of white oak, offering ultra-realistic wood textures in eight colors. Every knot and grain isn’t just seen—it’s felt, thanks to its embossed-in register (EIR) texture. Komondor brings elevated style and lasting pet performance to any space.

Provenza: Modessa

Provenza’s Modessa Laminate floors, modeled after some of its top-selling hardwood lines, features high-definition, 10-pattern design format for fewer plank repeats. Its EIR texture and an enhanced four-sided pressed bevel edge deliver the ultra-realistic luxury hardwood visual that today’s consumers demand.

Stanton: Nuvo Grand

Following the successful launch of its Nuvo Lux and Nuvo Max lines, Stanton Design ups the ante in realism with its new Nuvo Grand collection. The product is a hefty 14mm thick, including an integrated 2mm IXPE pad, and comes in two plank sizes: 5 x 48 and 8 x 60. For the finishing touch, Nuvo Grand sports a micro-painted bevel and EIR for added depth and realism.

Titan Surfaces: Legacy Grove 

Primarily known for its expertise in rigid core flooring—namely WPC and SPC—Titan Surfaces also offers an impressive array of laminate flooring products. Chief among them is Legacy Grove, a 12mm-thick laminate, which provides the heft and feel of a real hardwood floor but with the high-performance attributes of a laminate.

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Retailers React: What product/category has stood out for you in 2026?

Every two weeks, FCNews seeks out flooring retailers across the country to offer their advice on hot topics of the day. This week, we asked: What product/category has stood out for you in 2026?

Here are their responses:

“Engineered wood has seen an uptick. We feel this is likely due to higher budget consumers continuing with projects while the lower/mid-budget consumers are putting projects on hold.”

—Elise Lefebvre

ProSource Wholesale

Tempe, Ariz.

“Our RevWood Premier with Signature Texture technology is a fan favorite. We have it installed on our showroom floor with two colors that we stock year-round. We have been stocking them since they premiered, and people are in love with them. Not only the embossing but the definition of the coloring is replicating hardwood so well.”

—Typhannie Harker

Carpeting by Mike

Somerset, Wis.

“Anderson Tuftex has really stood out for us this year. Alluring and Indulgent have been leading the way in sales growth. It feels like customers are rediscovering an appreciation for high-quality carpet, investing in that soft, luxurious feel underfoot rather than defaulting to hard surfaces every time.”

—Bo Perkins

Broadway Carpets

Knoxville, Tenn.

“Carpet sales have increased recently, driven by the appealing patterns, styles, softness and sound absorption of higher-quality options—especially for bedrooms. Custom area rugs are also selling well alongside hard surface flooring.”

—Missy Montgomery

Montgomery’s CarpetsPlus Colortile

Venice, Fla.

“The waterproof laminate category has stood out for us. I think people are tired of getting all those micro scratches on luxury vinyl plank and word has gotten around. If customers do happen to ask for luxury vinyl plank, we also show them waterproof laminate, and since the price is almost the same, they like it better.”

—Don Lovato

CarpetSource USA

Albuquerque, N.M.

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