Stats 2026: Laminate’s share slides amid decline in imports

The ongoing love affair with laminate flooring continues, particularly among retailers and distributors seeking alternatives to lower-quality SPC and entry-level to mid-range hardwood. However, the passion seems to be cooling a little.

FCNews research shows U.S. laminate flooring sales at the first point of distribution in 2025 totaled $1.11 billion, down 3.2% over the prior year. With respect to volume, shipments fell 5.6% to 871 million square feet. That put laminate at 4.7% of total industry sales (and 5.2% of total volume) in 2025. The category hasn’t seen numbers that low since 2018, where sales at the first point of distribution reached $1.103 billion.

Going back even further to 2015, laminate flooring generated $1.137 billion in sales and 1.034 billion square feet. Compared to 2025, that represents a decrease of only 2.3% in sales but a drop-off of nearly 16% in terms of volume.

Laminate flooring’s lackluster performance in 2025 is also evident when compared to competing hard surface categories. Last year laminate accounted for roughly 7.5% of total hard surface dollars (down from 7.9% in 2024) and 9.23% in hard surface volume (down slightly from 9.5% of total hard surface volume in 2024).

However, just as we’ve witnessed in the hardwood flooring category, the rate of sales decline is slowing. In 2024, for instance, laminate flooring sales fell 7.5% over 2023. This after falling 9.8% from 2022.

The same cannot be said for volume, unfortunately. In 2024, square footage at the first point of sale declined 4.8% to approximately 923 million square feet. Last year, laminate square footage was off 5.6%. The higher percentage in volume decrease, analysts say, is a reflection of a significant drop-off in imports from Europe, a bastion for laminate flooring production. This coupled with an ongoing decline in laminate flooring shipments out of China.

Still, the momentum that the U.S. laminate flooring category has generated since its well-documented resurgence began anew several years ago cannot be overlooked. Industry observers cite a variety of factors driving that renewed interest: more visually appealing products offering improved realism, enhanced water resistance and stronger durability characteristics. As a result, laminate flooring has regained relevance among specialty retailers, distributors and consumers seeking performance-oriented hard surface products at competitive price points.

At the same time, the U.S. laminate flooring category faces mounting challenges. Tariff uncertainty, aggressive pricing strategies from big box retailers, inflationary pressures and relentless competition from other hard surface categories—particularly luxury vinyl plank (LVP) and SPC flooring—continue to shape the marketplace.

“Laminate flooring continues to represent a terrific value to the consumer; however, the LVT category seems to be evolving at a much quicker pace in terms of style and design,” said Jeff Striegel, president, Elias Wilf, a top 20 distributor. “The new innovations in edge profiles, surface textures and tile visuals within LVT are eclipsing laminate at a surprising rate. This is especially notable within the tile visuals.”

Over the past decade in particular, laminate flooring lost momentum as waterproof vinyl products surged in popularity. Consumers gravitated toward rigid core and SPC flooring because of their waterproof attributes and relative ease of installation. Retailers followed suit, allocating more showroom space to vinyl offerings.

“In recent years LVT has grown at an incredible rate vs. laminate as a result of select product features/benefits like water resistance,” Striegel added. “While laminate has closed the gap on the waterproof aspect and some of the performance attributes, LVT growth continues to outpace laminate as a result of the improvement in the authenticity in LVT visuals, plank/tile size options and installation options, including the ability to grout dry-back LVT.”

Channel activity

In 2025, the industry continued to see slight shifts in how laminate flooring is sold in the U.S. market. FCNews research shows the specialty retail segment grew its share of laminate flooring sales from 30% in 2024 to roughly 32% last year. It’s a clear sign, observers say, of how dealers embraced the category and are moving away from low-priced, entry-level SPC imports.

Home centers, historically laminate flooring’s domain, saw their market share fall slightly in 2025. FCNews research shows the laminate market share attributed to Home Depot and Lowe’s fell to 24% and 13%, respectively, down from 27% and 16%, respectively, from 2024. This is on par with financial reports released by the big boxes, showing single-digit declines in both their flooring department sales—with Home Depot total flooring sales off by 5.29% and Lowe’s down slightly by 0.58%.

Conversely, share of sales in the “other” category of laminate flooring—which includes IKEA, Floor & Decor, Lumber Liquidators, etc.—grew from 18% in 2024 to approximately 22% last year. Floor & Decor financials show the retailer grew its laminate and vinyl revenues 4.5% to $1.154 billion.

Anecdotal research also shows laminate flooring sales at some of the nation’s largest warehouse clubs maintained their pace, accounting for approximately 5% of laminate sales in 2025.

Industry observers attribute the lopsided activity to a much better mix of product at the specialty retailer level. At the very least, specialty retailers are increasingly promoting good/ better/best strategies to more effectively compete with big boxes without negating higher-margin opportunities.

This multi-tier approach, experts say, not only goes a long way in organizing a seemingly endless product assortment at retail, but it also helps guide customers through a clear decision-making journey, provides trade-up opportunities and gives specialty dealers ammunition to battle the boxes—all while still reinforcing the value proposition of laminate as a category.

Make no mistake, though: A successful good/better/best strategy is not solely about price—it’s about clearly aligning features and benefits with real-world use cases. For sales associates, it also creates a natural roadmap. Rather than jumping randomly between products, they can guide shoppers through a logical progression. That might mean starting with the most expensive offering and working down based on the consumer’s budget (the method many professional RSAs prefer). Another option entails taking the “stair-step” approach by referencing the opening price point (very effective if the consumer has already shopped the big box stores) and explaining why each successive tier costs more money.

This structure, experts say, gives customers a starting point. Instead of asking, “What should I buy?” they begin to think in terms of, “Which level fits my needs and budget?” When customers can clearly see the incremental benefits between tiers, they are more willing to stretch their budget. The conversation then shifts from, “What’s the cheapest option?” to “What do I get for a little more?”

That shift is critical, and it reframes the conversation from confusion to greater clarity. “The idea behind our strategy is to try to be as simple as we possibly can,” said David Moore, vice president, product management, Mohawk, which markets the RevWood, Pergo, Karastan and Quick-Step brands to targeted audiences. “The idea is that once the RSA qualifies the consumer and understands what they’re looking for from a performance perspective as well as from a budget perspective, then they know very quickly what section of the portfolio to walk that consumer through.”

The simpler the selection/ specification process for RSAs, the logic goes, the easier it is for them to sell and close the customer. At present, Mohawk offers RevWood in four tiers, but plans are under way to narrow that selection down to three: Essentials, Select and Plus. Within the Pergo lineup, there are three tiers: Originals, Preferred and Ultra. Ditto for Quick-Step—the brand that goes through distribution. This line comprises Select, Plus and Premier. Karastan, which has its own distinct sales force, resides at the top end of the spectrum.

More importantly, according to Moore, the entire offering is structured in such a way as to not have one brand cannibalize the others.

“The idea is that we design the lines to be complementary,” he explained. “We typically don’t cross over same spec for same spec.”

End-use consumption

Given the way consumers shop for laminate, it should come as no surprise that the residential replacement sector continued to account for the bulk of laminate flooring sales last year. FCNews research shows the segment grew its share slightly to 82.6% of sales.

Several factors continue to drive residential replacement’s dominance. First, laminate offers homeowners a cost-effective alternative to hardwood while delivering increasingly realistic wood visuals through advanced digital printing and embossed-in-register technologies. Second, modern click-lock installation systems make laminate particularly attractive for DIY projects and fast-turnaround renovations. Third, laminate’s scratch resistance appeals to households with children and pets, making it a practical replacement flooring option.

By comparison, the new residential construction market grew from roughly 12.7% of the market in 2024 to 15.4% last year, as builders shopped for lower-priced products.

Meanwhile, fewer laminate floors are being specified for high-traffic commercial applications as evidenced by the falloff in share from 1.3% of commercial sales in 2024 to less than half a percent in 2025. Commercial environments present different performance requirements. Offices, retail stores, healthcare facilities and educational buildings often prioritize long-term durability, moisture resistance, ease of maintenance and compliance with stringent specification standards. As a result, commercial specifiers frequently select LVT, sheet vinyl, rubber flooring, ceramic tile or carpet tile, products that generally offer superior moisture performance and proven life-cycle costs in high-traffic environments.

Note: FCNews’ laminate commercial estimates do not include Main Street applications— which are not typically specified by architects, designers or facility managers. Anecdotal research put the Main Street market at about 1.5% of total laminate flooring end use last year.

Declining imports

One of the more notable shifts with respect to U.S. laminate flooring sales in 2025 was a sizeable reduction in the amount of product shipped to American shores from Europe. Statistics provided by the European Producers of Laminate Flooring (EPLF) showed shipments to North America were off by 12.4% last year, with volume down 8.6% to the U.S. specifically. That’s a reduction of more than 176.6 million square feet.

It also represents a dramatic turnaround from 2024, when EPLF shipments to customers in North America increased nearly 9%. Looking at the U.S. in particular, EPLF shipments to America were up 7.3% in 2024. In fact, EPLF’s global shipments were up nearly across the board in 2024, with only several exceptions.

Still, European countries remain the largest exporters of laminate flooring to American shores. FCNews research shows Germany accounted for 40% of laminate imports last year. Meanwhile, research shows fewer and fewer laminate flooring imports from China. In 2024, laminate imports from China accounted for roughly 19%, down from 26% in 2023 and way down from roughly 70% in 2017. Last year, that share fell to approximately 15%. At the same time, industry observers have been tracking increased laminate flooring shipments from Southeast Asian countries, especially Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia.

One of the biggest factors impacting lower laminate import activity, experts say, has been U.S. trade policy. Since 2018, tariffs imposed on a broad range of Chinese-made products have increased the landed cost of imported laminate flooring. Additional anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations involving wood-based products have further complicated sourcing decisions for importers, industry observers note. As a result, many distributors and retailers have shifted toward domestic suppliers or manufacturers located in some of the aforementioned Southeast Asian countries and other lower-tariff regions.

At the same time, North American laminate manufacturing capacity has grown as a result of the pivot. Major producers have invested heavily in U.S.- based manufacturing facilities, allowing them to shorten lead times, reduce freight expenses and provide more reliable inventory availability. The COVID- 19-era supply chain disruptions exposed the risks associated with long-distance sourcing, encouraging retailers and distributors to favor domestic supply chains whenever possible.

European laminate suppliers face a different set of challenges. While European manufacturers continue to produce some of the industry’s most technologically advanced products, they often struggle to compete on price in the value-oriented segments that drive much of the U.S. residential replacement market. Higher labor costs, energy expenses and trans-Atlantic shipping costs have widened the price gap between European imports and domestically produced alternatives.

Currency fluctuations have also affected competitiveness. A stronger euro relative to the U.S. dollar can increase the cost of imported flooring, while volatile freight rates have made budgeting more difficult for importers. In addition, some U.S. distributors report that longer transit times and larger minimum-order requirements associated with European suppliers reduce their flexibility in managing inventory. As a result, the U.S. market is becoming increasingly reliant on domestic production.

Down but not out

Much like other hard surface categories, laminate continues to strive to hold on to its share of the pie. Since its inception, the category has maintained at least $1 billion in sales. More importantly, it continues to evolve to include more features and benefits consumers and end users desire. It’s that drive, experts note, that will continue to propel the category forward.

“While modern laminate has evolved significantly in water resistance, durability, realism and overall performance, many consumers and even some retail sales associates still hold outdated perceptions of the category,” said Tom Wright, president of the North American Laminate Flooring Association (NALFA) and vice president of product management & innovation, laminate & hardwood, North America, Mohawk. As such, he emphasized the need for U.S. laminate flooring to differentiate in an increasingly crowded and competitive hard surface flooring market.

Indeed, the competitive landscape is changing the way laminate suppliers go to market. The combination of the influx of poor-quality, ultra-thin, entry-level SPC imports, and the focus on domestically produced laminate in a post-COVID-19 era, drove many retailers and distributors back into the arms of many retailers and distributors in search of more reliable shipments. In response, laminate flooring manufacturers have invested heavily in technological advancements that significantly improved laminate’s performance profile. Today’s premium laminate products feature enhanced water-resistant technologies, embossed-in-register visuals, attached pads and longer, wider plank formats that better replicate natural hardwood aesthetics.

That’s welcome news for laminate suppliers that maintain a significant stateside manufacturing footprint. For instance, Mohawk—with operations in Thomasville and Garner, N.C.— continually leverages its capabilities on both the manufacturing and design fronts. Whether it’s WetProtect, the latest click system or advancements in digital printing (i.e., Signature Technology), the goal is to continue to build upon its signature RevWood laminated wood line as interest in the laminate category remains high.

“We’ve always been, from a feature and benefit perspective, positioned at the ‘better’ and ‘best’ part of the market,” Mohawk’s Moore said. In particular, he cited the various RevWood tiers that provide retailers with trade-up opportunities. And it’s all made in the U.S.A. “That’s really where RevWood has made a name for itself. And then we’ve continued to expand that with our Pergo Elements products.”

Equally important, laminate has benefited from growing concerns surrounding PVC-based flooring products. As consumers become more educated about sustainability and indoor air quality, many suppliers are positioning laminate as a PVC-free alternative that still delivers durability and affordability.

“The environmentally friendly aspects of laminate flooring make it an ideal choice for today’s eco-conscious consumer,” Moore added, citing the amount of recycled content that goes into the fiberboard cores of most laminate flooring solid today.

Another key factor supporting laminate’s resurgence is durability. While some consumers continue to associate laminate with older-generation products prone to moisture damage, many modern laminates offer superior scratch and dent resistance compared to certain vinyl products. Proponents cite laminate’s wear resistance as a major selling point, especially for active households with pets and children. And in more recent years, the category has made strides in the battle to boost the product’s resistance to water damage and moisture incursion.

Tariff troubles

While internal and external competition continues to impact the category’s performance, perhaps no issue is creating more angst throughout the laminate flooring supply chain than tariffs. The U.S. flooring industry has spent several years adjusting to evolving trade policies, but recent tariff developments involving imported wood products and laminate flooring have intensified concerns among manufacturers, distributors and retailers alike. Several imported laminate and engineered wood products that were previously exempt from tariffs are now subject to reciprocal duties that can reach as high as 20%, depending on country of origin.

For an industry operating on relatively thin margins, these additional costs are substantial. Many laminate flooring products sold in the U.S. rely on globally sourced raw materials, including decorative papers, melamine resins and fiberboard cores. Tariffs on these imports are increasing manufacturing costs while simultaneously disrupting supply chain planning. Executives throughout the flooring industry note that rapidly changing tariff policies make forecasting landed costs extremely difficult.

Outlook

Despite these challenges, the outlook for the U.S. laminate flooring market over the medium to long term appears measured. While challenges related to tariffs, inflation and competitive pressures will likely persist, laminate flooring is benefiting from renewed consumer interest and meaningful product innovation. Industry executives generally expect the category to post modest growth as economic conditions stabilize and remodeling activity gradually improves.

“We were very bullish on the laminate market for 2025, and we remain with this sentiment for 2026,” said Derek Welbourn, CEO of Inhaus. “Last year, we expected the laminate business to be up on volume and prices over the previous year, which was arguably not supported by industry data. However, we feel that the category, which comes in new forms, has been under-reported. We expect laminate to be up in volume and revenue.”

In particular, Welbourn said he sees continued growth opportunities in the residential remodel sector and, by extension, the specialty retail base. “We will continue to focus and support this sector with our best products. As the market starts to rebound, we are confident that consumers will gravitate toward great products complemented by great service, which means the independent retail dealers. We are excited about the future.”

Other manufacturing executives, including Alex Decarie, business development manager, Egger North America, is also predicting an increase for the category when 2026 is in the books. “U.S. laminate should post low-to-mid single-digit growth this year,” he said. “With tariffs and cost inflation pressuring imported SPC, laminate is positioned to outperform the broader hard surface average on both units and mix.”

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Retailers React: What area of your business is exceeding expectations?

Every two weeks, FCNews seeks out flooring retailers across the country to offer their advice on hot topics of the day. What area of your business is exceeding expectations?

Here are their responses:

“Our retail segment is performing particularly well right now. We recently held our 40th anniversary spring sale, which was a huge success. Consumers are currently very focused on finding value, and our decision to align heavy advertising with the spring market timing resonated well with that demand.”

—Raffi Sarmazian

Sarmazian Bros. Flooring

Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

“We are heavily committed to residential clients requiring better- to higher-end goods; that classification is very strong for us. Though flooring replacement is good, full bathroom projects are very strong.”

—Bob Duke

Floor Magic
Damariscotta, Maine

“We have been steady with retail. As well, Main Street commercial—which for us is hospitals and retirement centers—never really slows down much. We have picked up several bigger projects from some contractors working on commercial condo replacement. I believe this is mostly due from storm and hurricane damages from past years.”

—Mike Montgomery

Montgomery’s CarpetsPlus Colortile

Venice. Fla

“We are finding that Main Street remodeling is picking up in our area, especially church replacement projects. Our retail has slowed down, but our contractors and builders are staying busy—now that spring is here and the houses are starting again.”

—Typhannie Harker

Carpeting by Mike

Somerset, Wis.

“We are continuing to see a high growth rate of new upscale homes in our area. Residential replacement, in both countertops and flooring, continues to be steady as our consumers are still desiring to update their home and make their space unique to them.”

—Missy Bakken

CarpetsPlus of Rochester

Rochester, Minn.

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Johnson Hardwood to service Southeast U.S. market direct

Billy KO, Johnson Hardwood CEO

Johnson Hardwood has announced it has begun servicing its Southeast customers direct in the wake of the closure of R.A. Siegel’s operations. Effective immediately, Johnson Hardwood will supply customers in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee on a direct basis.

“We’re doing everything we can to provide a seamless transition,” Billy Ko, Johnson Hardwood CEO, told FCNews. “We will fully support the region via our network of warehouse locations to ensure reliable service and consistent supply. Customers will see improved communication, streamlined ordering processes, better inventory access and faster response times. Plans are also in the works to open an additional warehouse.”

R.A. Siegel began its partnership with Johnson Hardwood in the summer of 2023 after the manufacturer severed ties with E.J. Welch Company—the previous Southeast distributor for Johnson.

Johnson Hardwood provides a complete range of hard surface products, including SPC/rigid core, high-performance laminate and premium hardwood flooring. The company also offers private-label lines.

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Stats 2026: High end is saving grace for hardwood

History continues to repeat itself as the U.S. hardwood flooring segment increasingly cedes more market share to competing hard surfaces, particularly LVP, rigid core and laminate. FCNews research shows hardwood flooring sales at the first point of distribution totaled $1.774 billion last year, a 3.8% decrease from 2024. Meanwhile, volume shipments decreased 6.8% to 630 million square feet. That’s the lowest level since 2012, when wood sales fell to $1.640 billion and 685 million square feet.

To put those numbers in greater perspective, hardwood accounted for just 7.5% of total industry value in 2025 and a mere 3.7% of total industry volume when taking all flooring segments into account. In 2024, hardwood accounted for 8.2% of total industry sales and 4.3% of volume. And five years prior, hardwood represented 9.6% of total industry sales and 4.7% of volume.

Hardwood’s struggle to retain and/or regain market share is also evident when looking at how the category stacked up against competing hard surfaces in 2025. FCNews research shows hardwood accounted for just 12.1% of total hard surface value and just 6.67% of total hard surface volume last year. That’s down slightly from 12.6% in value and 7% in volume in 2024.

Going back even farther, to 2015, hardwood flooring sales at the first point of distribution totaled $2.059 billion with shipments reaching 815 million square feet. That represents a drop of 13.8% in sales and 22.6% plummet in volume over the course of 10 years.

Looking at the glass half full, though, the respective rates of the category’s sales and volume declines were not as steep year over year. In 2024, for instance, hardwood sales fell 9% to approximately $1.845 billion and 10.7% in volume to 676 million square feet. That’s just a little over a third of the percentage rate of the decline in sales compared to 2023. When looking at the category’s performance over the past few years, that percentage decrease continues to trend in the right direction. For example, in 2023 U.S. hardwood flooring sales at the first point of distribution fell 15%, and square footage shipped in 2023 was off more than 17% from 2022.

Regardless of how you stack it, hardwood’s ongoing loss of market share is irrefutable. “Categories such as water-resistant laminate and WPC have been gaining market share at a rapid pace,” said Louie Wang, senior vice president of sales, Johnson Hardwood. “These products resonate strongly with today’s consumers due to their durability, color consistency, on-trend visuals and ease of maintenance. As a result, they are increasingly competing with—and in many cases replacing—traditional hardwood options in a wide range of end-use applications.”

These competitive dynamics, industry experts say, are changing the way hardwood is being positioned in the marketplace. Specifically, it’s altering the mix of product tiers at retail. “Hardwood has lost ground in the ‘good/better’ middle of the market,” said Jamann Stepp, senior vice president, hard surfaces, Stanton Design. “When hardwood pricing jumps, consumers generally trade down. This is especially true in the remodel/multifamily category.”

The result, observers say, is hardwood being pushed into a narrower premium niche category—“where the average price point at retail is much higher than LVT/rigid core, and the average square footage per order is also substantially higher,” Stepp added.

Johnson Hardwood cited sales data showing what Wang called “a bifurcation” in performance: higher-end engineered products (featuring thicker wear layers, 5/8– to ¾-inch profiles and premium grades) continue to perform well, as do entry-level options such as 3/8-inch products. “However, mid-tier products have experienced a noticeable decline in volume, suggesting that constrained spending power is influencing purchasing decisions,” he explained.

But some say slower hardwood flooring sales activity at the opening price point might not necessarily be a bad thing for the hardwood category. As Wade Bondrowski, director of sales, U.S. at Mercier, explained: “The popularity of less expensive wood look-alikes has reduced demand for entry-level wood flooring, and that has benefitted companies like ours that focus on the upper-mid to high end of the market.”

The key to recouping lost market share, wood proponents say, lies not so much in playing the pricing game but rather emphasizing wood’s unique attributes. “The challenge is not just demand, but ensuring the long-term value of real wood remains clearly understood in a more price-sensitive environment,” said Jerome Goulet, vice president of marketing, Mirage.

Industry executives by and large agreed. Yvette Shroyer, director of marketing, Urbanfloor—another supplier that’s focused on the upper end of the market—also attested to the competitive margin pressures created by the increased consumption of today’s popular resilient flooring options.

“As lower-cost hard surface alternatives like SPC and laminate continue to improve in both performance and aesthetics, they are capturing share at the more price-sensitive end of the market,” she explained.

These changing dynamics are reflected in the shifts seen in terms of wood flooring consumption last year. FCNews research shows the residential replacement sector accounted for 69.4% of wood flooring sales in 2025, up slightly from 66.4% the year prior. Meanwhile, wood consumption in the new home construction sector continues to drop, dipping to 17%.

Commercial wood consumption barely budged, falling only slightly to roughly 10.6% of sales. This is based largely on the strength of specified products going into restaurant, hospitality and higher education projects like university libraries, with slightly less usage in corporate office applications.

In terms of product type, prefinished wood flooring held on to its dominant share in 2025. FCNews research showed the prefinished portion of the domestic wood flooring market accounted for roughly 82% of sales last year, with unfinished accounting for roughly 18%. In that same vein, engineered wood saw its share of the total wood flooring pie grow from about 75% in 2024 to 77% last year. And with respect to species, white oak (much of it European) and domestic red oak accounted for the lion’s share of species sold last year.

Regarding wood flooring sales by channel, specialty floor covering stores represented about 42% of overall wood sales, up only slightly from 2024’s 41%, while home centers’ share fell slightly from 32% in 2024 to about 28% last year. Both Home Depot and Lowe’s reported lower overall flooring sales in 2025, with anecdotal data showing more big-box customers gravitating toward products like waterproof resilient and entry-level laminate. But it’s the pro-contractor shoppers that tend to purchase the bulk of hardwood products at the big boxes, particularly unfinished wood flooring.

Large-format retailers like Floor & Decor, which says it does not compete with the nation’s major home center chains, actually reported an increase in its hardwood flooring sales. Statistics show Floor & Decor grew its hardwood flooring sales by 19.2%, although it continues to open new stores at a faster clip than the boxes, thereby skewing the overall numbers a bit.

Tariff impacts

It’s not just changing channel dynamics and increased pressure from competing hardwood flooring segments that are impacting the hardwood flooring segment. High on the list of concerns is the impact that tariffs are having on the U.S. hardwood flooring market. Increasingly, suppliers have to become more strategically (and fiscally) minded when sourcing product.

“Importers are now required to manage cash flow more conservatively, which directly impacts purchasing and inventory strategies,” Johnson Hardwood’s Wang said. “High-cost engineered wood products, in particular, must be forecast with greater precision. This has, in some cases, led to tighter inventory positions and potential shortages.”

Indeed, some companies are making progress in solving that puzzle. Take Mohawk, for example. Although the company sources its wood program, it was able to adjust quickly in a tariff-driven environment.

“We didn’t have to do a lot of moving product from point A to point B or a different country, and that’s been helpful for us,” said David Moore, vice president, product management, Mohawk. “But we have seen the impact of tariffs. We planned that through and we certainly absorbed as much of it as we could and tried to offset it as best we could, but we did have to pass some of that on to the retailer. It’s not something that anyone wants to do, but it’s just a situation of there not being enough margin in the supply chain to absorb incremental increases of 20%.”

Shaw, which also sources some of its wood flooring products, is taking a strategic view. “We are a firm believer that a balanced approach in sourcing and manufacturing hard surface is important,” said Benjamin Liebert, president, residential, Shaw. “We do source a number of products with select partners abroad, which gives us a ton of flexibility in what I call the ‘make vs. buy.’ You can make it or you can buy it, but ultimately our goal is to own the innovation, to have the IP and work with our partners and to do that.”

At the same time, Shaw is also making investments domestically. “We have a hardwood facility in the Northwest Georgia area that continues to play a huge role in our hardwood with investment and product launches,” Liebert added.

For some companies, including AHF Products, tariffs don’t present much of a challenge. But then again, few domestic hardwood flooring suppliers can tout the stateside manufacturing footprint that AHF has—even though the company does import some engineered products. “Domestic manufacturing delivers real advantages for our customers,” said Milton Goodwin, senior vice president. “It means shorter lead times, better service consistency and the ability to support projects without disruption.”

Competition for raw materials

Tariffs aren’t the only issue vexing suppliers. The battle for premium hardwood species—particularly white oak, red oak and hard maple—remains a significant factor for suppliers, as they influence overall lumber pricing. Demand from multiple industries has created a highly competitive marketplace for raw materials, placing upward pressure on log and lumber costs and challenging manufacturers across the hardwood supply chain.

White oak has experienced the most pronounced pricing pressure, executives say. Flooring manufacturers, cabinet producers, furniture companies, architectural millwork firms and barrel manufacturers have all competed aggressively for available supplies. The bourbon and whiskey industries, in particular, have become a major driver of white oak demand because U.S. law requires bourbon to be aged in new charred oak barrels.

Industry analysts note that cooperages continue to consume large quantities of stave-quality white oak, often paying premiums for logs suitable for barrel production. At the same time, flooring manufacturers have increased their utilization of white oak as consumer preferences have shifted away from traditional red oak toward lighter, contemporary wood visuals. These overlapping demand streams have kept white oak among the highest-valued domestic hardwood species.

Hard maple has also faced sustained pricing pressure due to demand from flooring, cabinetry, furniture, sporting goods and industrial applications. Its hardness, durability and clean appearance have made it a preferred species for both residential and commercial products. Similarly, red oak remains widely used throughout the furniture and flooring sectors, although pricing increases have generally been less dramatic than those seen in white oak.

Supply-side constraints have amplified these demand pressures. White oak trees require decades to mature, limiting the industry’s ability to rapidly increase supply when demand rises. Concerns about long-term white oak availability have become significant enough that lawmakers and forestry organizations have proposed initiatives aimed at improving regeneration and long-term forest sustainability. “The forest is only going to give you 30% white oak; the other 70% is red oak,” AHF Products’

Goodwin explained. “Those trees get used in primarily three different segments; the high grade goes into furniture and cabinets and case goods, and those markets aren’t using as much white oak anymore. So, less is being harvested because the mills can’t sell that premium wood at a high price like they used to. Flooring’s there in the middle tier, with railroad in the lower tier.”

That leaves the bourbon barrel and the whiskey barrel manufacturers, who are taking more than their share. “And they can pay more for it than we can sell it for, and so that’s driven us and others to look for alternate solutions,” Goodwin noted.

Suppliers, regardless of their home base of operation, attest to how the hardwood lumber market is being influenced by demand from unrelated product segments. “This diversified demand is putting additional pressure on the lumber supply, thereby impacting pricing not just for the hardwood flooring sector but across multiple industries that rely on these raw materials,” said David Lauzon Jr., president, Lauzon Hardwood Flooring. “The compounded effect of increased global demand across various sectors, and the slowed production capabilities may lead to significant price volatility and supply constraints in the near future.”

As a result, hardwood manufacturers are facing higher raw material costs, especially in recent years. Flooring producers, furniture manufacturers, cabinet makers and millwork companies have either absorbed these increases, implemented price hikes or adjusted product offerings to maintain profitability. In many cases, manufacturers have sought alternative species or lower-grade lumber to offset rising costs.

Although some hardwood markets have shown signs of stabilization, white oak continues to command a premium due to competition from other segments. Industry observers expect high-quality white oak lumber to remain relatively expensive compared to historical norms, reflecting the ongoing imbalance between strong demand and limited long-term supply.

In lock-step with housing

In spite of the numerous challenges facing the U.S. hardwood flooring market, executives remain largely optimistic—if cautiously. “Interest rates and slower housing activity continue to weigh on demand, particularly in new construction,” Mirage’s Goulet said. “At the same time, global conflicts and trade tensions are creating volatility in energy, transportation and raw material costs.”

Still, Goulet remains confident in the medium- to long-term outlook. “While the market is currently impacted by economic uncertainty, these are cyclical factors,” he explained. “As conditions stabilize and housing demand recovers, we expect the category to regain momentum.”

No doubt all eyes will be on the bellwether housing market. That’s the key segment that virtually all executives agree will have the greatest impact on business. “We recognize that external market forces will play a pivotal role in shaping business outcomes this year,” said Danielle Lancianese, director of hardwood & laminate, Shaw. “The performance of the housing market is the most significant factor impacting the industry.”

AHF Product’s Goodwin agreed. “If lower interest rates convince more builders to start building houses, that’s going to help our engineered wood business,” he said.

At the end of the day, industry observers say it all boils down to affordability. Statistics provided by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) shows shelter costs are running at a 3.6% annual rate and continue to outpace broader consumer prices. “With a nationwide shortage of roughly 1.2 million housing units, the best way to ease the housing affordability crisis is for policymakers to remove barriers that are hindering builders from building more homes and apartments,” said Robert Dietz, NAHB chief economist.

At the same time, builders are facing persistent labor shortages themselves, with the U.S. government reporting nearly 300,000 job openings in the construction industry. NAHB estimates that the residential construction sector will need to add roughly 740,000 workers a year just to keep pace with the industry’s growth, retirements and departures.

Then there are those perennial cost concerns. NAHB research shows residential building material prices continue to experience elevated growth despite continued weakness in the new residential construction market.

One silver lining, according to Dietz, is along the interest rate front, where the rate for 30-year fixed mortgages dropped 13 basis points earlier this year to 6.2% following the announcement of $200 billion in mortgage-backed securities buybacks by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. NAHB expects mortgage rates to remain slightly above 6% for the balance of the year. “A sustained sub-6% mortgage rate will likely wait until 2027,” Dietz projected.

One area of the housing sector that continues to thrive, according to NAHB, is the remodeling sector, with the home improvement spending share for residential construction rising from 33% in 2007 to 45% in the third quarter of 2025. Residential remodeling activity is expected to increase 3% by the close of 2026 and an additional 2% next year.

“The surge in home equity has allowed more homeowners to finance remodeling projects that meet their needs, which include growth for aging-in-place remodeling projects,” Dietz stated. “NAHB expects robust long-term remodeling growth and projects overall remodeling expenditures will be 19% higher in 2030 and 32% higher by 2035.”

That’s longer term. In the meantime, builders are expected to continue emphasizing affordability-oriented product designs, including: smaller floor plans, townhomes, attached housing, build-to-rent communities and entry-level housing products. In particular, the South is expected to remain the primary growth engine for single-family construction, while selected Midwest markets may also outperform due to favorable affordability conditions.

Conversely, the multifamily sector is expected to experience more moderate growth over the course of 2026. After several years of elevated apartment development, many markets are working through substantial new supply. As a result, economists anticipate slower multifamily starts compared with the levels recorded during the post-pandemic boom. Apartment occupancy rates are expected to remain relatively stable, particularly in major Sun Belt metropolitan areas.

One telltale sign of future construction activity is building permits. If filings are any indication, observers will be closely watching activity throughout the year. NAHB reported that total residential permits issued during 2025 totaled approximately 1.43 million units, a 3.6% decline from 2024. Statistics show single-family permits fell approximately 7.4%, suggesting builders remained cautious regarding future demand. Anecdotal data suggests builders expect challenging conditions to continue for the balance of 2026, especially if costs are not reigned in.

During testimony in a January 2026 hearing before the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (“Housing Affordability: Saving the American Dream”), NAHB principals offered their thoughts and expertise. The best way to ease the nation’s housing affordability crisis, NAHB members said, is for policymakers to eliminate excessive regulations that are preventing builders from increasing the housing supply.

Testifying at a congressional panel hearing focusing on housing affordability, Buddy Hughes (NAHB’s immediate-past chairman) said that in order to ease housing constraints for home buyers and renters, it is imperative to eliminate excessive regulations that hinder the construction of new homes and apartments.

“Regulations account for nearly 25% of the cost of a single-family home and more than 40% of the cost of a typical apartment development,” he told lawmakers during the hearings. “The time and costs associated with complying with a multitude of government regulations can be significant for small- and medium-sized builders and ultimately limit housing supply.”

Increased regulations, including overly stringent mandatory energy code requirements, are impeding the ability of builders to boost housing production. In particular, Hughes cited an April 2024 final determination by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that required new single-family and multifamily homes financed by these agencies to comply with the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) or ASHRAE 90.1-2019, respectively. The Trump Administration has delayed the effective date for both single-family and multifamily housing until further notice.

“NAHB urges Congress and the administration to prohibit HUD and USDA from enforcing a minimum energy standard that increases housing costs during a nationwide affordability crisis,” Hughes implored. “We also urge policymakers to respect state and local authority over code adoption and to reject mandates that most states have not determined are appropriate for their communities.”

For multifamily projects with federal assistance, a key challenge for builders and developers is the requirement to source domestically for construction. “While our members try to use products made within the U.S., it’s not always practical because of price or availability,” Hughes explained. “Multifamily housing needs an exemption from this requirement to help avoid construction delays and additional costs.”

Most analysts expect sales of new homes to remain one of the strongest segments of the housing market. By and large, builders are expected to continue to benefit from their ability to offer financing incentives and rate buydowns unavailable to most existing home sellers. Surveys show many economists anticipate new home sales could exceed 800,000 units on an annualized basis over the course of 2026 if mortgage rates decline as many hope.

Favorable conditions for new construction activity is only part of the solution. Industry observers agree that there needs to be much more improvement as it relates to existing home sales. With higher existing home sale activity—the logic goes—the greater the likelihood that new homeowners will replace the flooring that came with the house.

Again, it all hinges on lowering mortgage rates. A gradual reduction here, experts say, could encourage more homeowners to list properties, easing the so-called “lock-in effect” that constrained inventory throughout 2024 and 2025. Economists generally expect existing home sales to rise above 4 million units and potentially approach 4.5 million units if financing conditions improve.

While these levels would remain below historical averages, they would represent meaningful progress toward a more balanced market. Economists projected that further inventory gains and modest mortgage-rate relief could support improved market conditions in 2026.

“We expect higher inventory, modest improvements in affordability and more accommodating monetary policy from the Federal Reserve will help more Americans buy their next home,” said Lawrence Yun, chief economist with the National Association of Realtors. “We project an 8.9% increase in active listings in 2026, marking a third consecutive year of gains.”

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SELIT North America announces new ownership structure

Commerce, Ga.—SELIT North America, Inc., a leading U.S. manufacturer of high-quality foam underlayment products for floating floors, announced a change in its ownership structure. Co-founder, Marco Seitner will sell his ownership share to the Schlueter family, a partner of the business.

The company said it will continue to operate as usual, with the same focus on quality, reliability and customer service. Seitner will remain a member of the board of directors during the transition period.

“I look back with great pride and deep satisfaction on what we have built together over the past two decades,” Seitner said. “SELIT North America is in a stronger position today than it has ever been. I am confident that, with the Schlueter family as Rouven’s new partner, the company has a bright future ahead of it. It has been an honor to build this business, and I look forward to watching it continue to grow.”

Company history

SELIT North America’s roots go back to the entrepreneurial vision of the Seitner family and its longstanding experience in foam underlayment. Seitner launched the U.S. business from Europe in 2006 as a pioneer in the underlayment industry. In 2009, he and his brother, Rouven, co-founded SELIT North America, Inc., in Forest Park, Ga., and just one year later established the company’s first North American production facility in Plattsburgh, N.Y. This also began a close foam production partnership with the Schlueter family that would prove formative for both companies.

In 2019, the two brothers spearheaded the opening of a state-of-the-art XPS foam sheet manufacturing plant here, setting new industry benchmarks and cementing the company’s position as the market leader in North America. Over the course of nearly 20 years, they built SELIT North America into one of the most advanced and respected producers of synthetic foam underlayments in the United States.

Today, SELIT North America has a strong position in the U.S. flooring industry, supported by technical know-how, established customer relationships and a capable U.S. manufacturing footprint. A key part of this platform is the company’s long-standing relationship with Pak-Lite Inc., located here, a trusted partner that supports SELIT North America’s ability to serve customers across North America with quality, reliability and flexibility.

Nicolas Gevaert will continue to lead SELIT North America as chief executive officer, while Rouven Seitner will continue as a shareholder and member of the board of directors, ensuring continuity for customers, employees and business partners.

“The key message for our customers and partners is continuity,” Gevaert said. “SELIT North America has built a strong market position in the U.S., and this transaction provides a solid foundation for the company’s next phase of growth. We will continue to serve the market with the same focus on quality, reliability and innovation, while building on proven partnerships with Pak-Lite and the Schlueter family.”

Udo Schlueter, representing the Schlueter family, added: “We know the business well and have great respect for what the SELIT North America team has built. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Marco Seitner for his extraordinary contribution over the past two decades. His entrepreneurial spirit and commitment have been the driving force behind SELIT North America’s success. We look forward to working with CEO Nicolas Gevaert and the wider team to support the company’s continued growth in North America.”

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Stats 2026: Rigid core products continue to dominate sales

After two years of modest decline, the resilient flooring category saw an uptick in dollar sales in 2025. That was mostly due to price increases caused by tariffs and a higher-end product mix. Volume in 2025 declined modestly. The commercial segment bolstered the category as it proved stronger than the residential market, which continues to struggle with housing and inflationary pressures.

The category as a whole continued to garner the largest percentage of total dollar sales (36.5%) in the industry, and 59.5% of total hard surface sales (not including rubber) for the year. Rigid core continues to be the workhorse and growth driver of resilient flooring. What’s new is that WPC outpaced SPC growth in 2025. However, SPC remains the behemoth of the category, alone garnering more than $3.5 billion in 2025.

Overall, the category’s meteoric rise can be seen in its unprecedented growth throughout the last decade-plus. Ten years ago in 2015, the category saw the highest gain in dollar sales of any category at 13.9%. The next closest gain that year was 9.8%, which went to ceramic. That momentum continued for years, fueled by innovation, evolving consumer preferences and the rapid adoption of rigid core products. The category’s first dollar decline happened in 2023; however, the category’s market dominance continues.

In 2025, Floor Covering News research found the resilient flooring category as a whole generated $8.587 billion, which was up about 2.5% from the year prior’s $8.374—and even up slightly from $8.576 billion in 2023. In terms of volume, the resilient flooring category (not including rubber) accounted for 5.8 billion square feet, down about 1.2% from 5.877 in 2024.

The resilient category has experienced a whirlwind rise. Looking back 10 years, the segment garnered just $2.7 billion in sales. Five years prior to that in 2010, the category registered $1.7 billion, meaning in just half a decade it increased by $1 billion. The next five years would see an explosion of $3.9 billion and then another $2 billion over the last five years. That’s an unprecedented fourfold increase in dollars in the last 15 years.

The resilient category experienced its meteoric growth mostly between the years 2015-2023 where it saw double-digital increases each consecutive year—with growth peaking at 30.3% in 2021, before the first minor decline in 2024.

Resilient also held onto its lead as the No. 1 category in dollars for the third year running, eclipsing carpet by $1.8 billion (not including area rugs). The LVT segment of the resilient category alone (including residential and commercial rigid core and flex), also eclipsed carpet sales for the second year running with $64 million to spare, which is twice that of last year.

If we include area rugs and rubber into the mix, total resilient dollars ($8.83 billion) are just $3 million shy of reaching No. 1 (carpet + area rugs generated $8.86 billion in 2025).

Overall market dominance

The total resilient flooring category (including residential and commercial sheet, LVT, tile, VCT and linoleum) showcased its dominance in the market in several ways last year. For instance, it was the only category to register gains in dollars.

The category also produced growth in terms of overall market share. Looking at total flooring sales (carpet, area rugs, resilient, ceramic, laminate, wood and rubber), the vinyl portion of resilient garnered 36.5% of total dollars vs. 35% the year prior and 34% in 2023. In terms of volume, vinyl saw an increase to 35% vs. 34% in 2024 and 32.9% in 2023.

Looking back a decade to 2015, total resilient sales accounted for just 13.3% of total flooring sales ($2.724 billion), which was up from 12.4% the year prior, and about 17% of total volume (3.145 billion square feet), which was up from 15.1% the year prior.

To look back just another five years, those numbers become even more staggering. In 2010, resilient garnered just 10.6% of total dollar sales. That means in a decade and a half, resilient flooring’s share of total dollars and volume has more than tripled.

Resilient’s market share dominance in 2025 is even clearer when measured against the hard surface market. When compared to ceramic tile, hardwood and laminate, FCNews research found resilient accounted for 59.5% of total hard surface sales vs. 57.4% in 2024 and 56.7% in 2023. Looking at hard surface volume (not including rubber) in 2025, resilient sales reached 61.5% share. That’s compared to 60.4% in 2024 and 59% in 2023.

Looking back 10 years to 2015, total hard surfaces sales reached $8.533 billion. Resilient’s share of that was just 31.9%. In terms of hard surface volume in 2015, resilient captured 38.8% (7.184 billion square feet) of the total 18.526 billion square feet.

In terms of dollars, that’s an increase of more than 27 percentage points in just 10 years and nearly 23 percentage points in terms of volume.

Of that 59.5% hard surface dollar share, the LVT subcategory garnered $7.424 billion of the total $14.422 billion pie (not including rubber). That’s compared to $7.185 billion in 2024. That means LVT alone accounted for 51.5% of hard surface sales (not including rubber) compared to 50% in 2024.

For the second year running, this resilient subcategory alone (LVT) generated more dollar sales than any other flooring category, including carpet.

For the last decade LVT has been the driver of growth for resilient flooring and that hasn’t changed. Rigid core, in particular, is the workhorse of the LVT subcategory. FCNews research found rigid core (SPC/WPC) garnered $4.972B of the total $8.587B in resilient sales in 2025. That means rigid core alone accounted for nearly 58% of all resilient flooring sales in 2025. That’s slightly up from 2024.

Rigid core also garnered about 70% of all LVT sales last year. That is up about 2 percentage points in terms of market share vs. 2024.

In volume, rigid core garnered 49.6%, or 2.874 billion square feet, of all resilient square feet sold in 2025. That’s vs. 47.6% in 2024 and 46.6% the year prior. Rigid core accounted for nearly 64% of total LVT volume in 2025, which is down just 1 percentage point from the year prior.

By comparison, five years ago rigid core clocked in at just $2.62 billion and 1.63 billion square feet. Looking back 10 years, sheet vinyl held the major of the category’s share at just over 57%.

SPC continues to hold the lion’s share of total rigid core sales and volume. In 2025, SPC garnered 71.3% of rigid core sales across both the residential and commercial markets. That’s on par with 2024’s share.

In terms of overall flooring sales, SPC garnered $3.544 billion in 2025. That’s 15% of total flooring sales, which was on par with 2024. What’s more, SPC alone makes up 25% of hard surface sales (WPC garnered another 10%). Looking at that against total resilient sales, SPC’s share is 41.3% of the market, which is down slightly from 43% of total resilient sales in 2024. Taking the LVT subcategory as a whole into consideration, SPC garnered 47.7% of that market last year.

In terms of volume, SPC garnered 2.207 billion square feet in 2025, which was more than 13% of total flooring volume—nearly flat to 2024. SPC was 34% of total hard surface volume and 38% of total resilient volume last year.

Residential resilient breakdown

The residential market remained a challenging environment in 2025 as elevated mortgage rates, affordability concerns and sluggish existing home sales continued to suppress demand for both new construction and remodeling projects. Like nearly every flooring category, resilient felt the effects of a housing market that never fully regained its footing.

“The residential resilient category continued to face a slow market in 2025,” said Adam Ward, Mohawk’s vice president of strategic initiatives. “Headwinds included relatively high credit costs, soft existing home sales and overall consumer hesitation toward large purchases such as remodels. Broader macroeconomic uncertainty, driven by geopolitical tensions, tariffs and general market malaise, also weighed heavily on demand.”

Despite those headwinds, resilient maintained its position as the residential market’s dominant hard surface flooring category. That market leadership speaks to the category’s broad consumer appeal, which continues to be driven by waterproof performance, durability, design versatility and value. While residential activity slowed, resilient remained the flooring product of choice for many.

FCNews research shows the residential resilient market hit $6.181B in 2025, leaving $2.406 for commercial. That’s about a 1.3% increase from the year prior ($6.101B), but a whopping 24% increase in sales from just five years ago when residential resilient garnered $4.847B.

In terms of volume, residential resilient garnered 4.57 billion square feet—or 79%—of total resilient square feet sold. That’s about a 2.5% decrease from last year when residential volume reached 4.689 billion square feet.

FCNews research shows something interesting in regard to the residential/commercial breakdown. While total residential resilient sales were up in 2025, it is about one percentage point down in terms of market share, garnering less than 72% vs. 2024’s nearly 73%. That 72% is also down about 2 percentage points from 2023.

That reflects the growth the commercial resilient market experienced in 2025, with segments like hospitality, healthcare and even workplace picking back up after the post-pandemic lag.

The bulk of the resilient flooring market’s activity was driven by residential LVT (including glue down, loose lay, WPC and SPC), which generated $5.578B of the total $6.181B resilient market in 2025. That’s about 90% of the residential resilient market, which is half a percentage point gain from the year prior.

To put that into perspective, just five years ago residential LVT garnered just $4.857B. That’s more than a 27% increase in sales.

In terms of volume, residential LVT accounted for 3.626 billion square feet of the total 4.566-billion-square-foot residential LVT pie, which amounts to 79.4% share. That’s a 2% increase vs. 2024’s 3.438 billion square feet. That’s also a 5% gain in terms of market share from the year prior.

Of that total residential resilient market, rigid core continues to remain the workhorse and driver of growth. Rigid core accounted for 77% of total residential resilient sales—or $4.766B. That market ownership is even more impressive when looking at the overall LVT market, the segment in which rigid core resides. Last year, the subsegment (residential rigid core) made up a whopping 85.4% of residential LVT sales. That’s slightly up from 2024 and even the year prior.

With respect to volume, rigid core commands more than 60% (2.773B) of total residential resilient square feet (4.565B). That is just slightly higher when looking at the residential LVT subcategory at 61.6% of dollar sales.

“Rigid core remains one of the most dynamic segments in the industry,” said Matt Rosato, senior director of hard surface business development, Engineered Floors. “Consumers continue to gravitate toward it because it delivers a compelling value proposition—style, durability and ease of maintenance. At the dealer level, preferences vary widely by region, whether that’s plank width, thickness or specific performance attributes. The category is highly competitive, so both consumers and dealers are increasingly focused on meaningful differentiation.”

In terms of the rigid core subcategories, WPC outpaced growth vs. SPC in 2025. WPC garnered about $1.423B in sales in 2025, a 4.2% increase over the year prior. Meanwhile, SPC saw just a 2.9% increase in sales to $3.34B, which was due mainly to price increases over tariffs and a higher-end product mix.

In terms of market share, WPC garnered nearly 23% of total residential resilient sales in 2025. Looking at residential LVT that number becomes 25.5%.

In terms of volume, WPC clocked in at 662 million square feet in 2025—that’s 14.4% of total residential resilient volume last year. When looking at just residential LVT market, WPC captured 18.2% of the market in 2025.

“I think there were some bad players in market with SPC for a few years,” said Al Boulogne, senior vice president, residential product and marketing, Mannington Mills. “Products were value engineered and failed, burning some bridges with retail on the platform. As a result, we have seen a resurgence in sales for WPC. The highlight is renewed attention to the sub-category because of the aforementioned shift in market preference. Sound and comfort are the biggest draws to WPC vs. alternative product constructions. The components and make up of a good WPC product enhance those attributes vs. SPC.”

However, SPC still holds a vast share of total residential resilient dollars at 54%. Looking at residential LVT sold ($5.58B), SPC alone garnered nearly 60% of sales. Of total residential rigid core (WPC/SPC) sales ($4.76B), SPC accounted for 70% of sales in 2025.

With respect to volume, residential SPC clocked in at 2.11 billion square feet in 2025. That’s 46.2% of total residential resilient square feet. Compared to the residential LVT category as a whole, that goes up to 58.2%. Within rigid core itself, SPC garnered 76% of total square feet sold in 2025.

“Residential SPC had a challenging year in 2025, especially from a volume standpoint,” said Steve Ehrlich, vice president, business and operations, Novalis. “That said, SPC remained one of the steadier categories within flooring. While volume softened in some channels, other parts of the market held up better, particularly at the value and upper-end segments. At the value end, SPC continues to offer an affordable, high-performance product with durability, waterproof performance and strong visuals at an attainable price point. At the higher end, fashion, innovation and premium design helped support demand.”

Flexible LVT products (glue down and loose lay) continue to cede market share to the more popular rigid core subsegment, at least on the residential side. Of the total estimated $6.181 billion residential resilient market, flex came in at just under $800 million in 2025. That’s down from $862 million the year prior and $920 million in 2023. That $800 million represents about 12.9% of the total residential resilient market in 2025. That’s down from about 14% in 2024.

In terms of volume, flex LVT garnered about 850 million square feet in 2025, or 18.6% of total residential resilient volume in 2025. That’s down from 20% in 2024. In terms of residential LVT volume, flex garnered 23.4% in 2025, that’s compared to 26.8% in 2024 and 25% in 2023.

Glue-down products remain the most sought after in the residential flexible LVT category, garnering nearly $700 million of the $800 million in residential flex sales and 775 million square feet of the total 850 million square feet sold.

“The category continues to face a shift toward easier-install formats, though glue-down remains a core part of the market,” said Noah Fulton, CEO, Karndean Designflooring. “The biggest challenges were labor availability, installation complexity versus rigid core and ongoing price pressure at the lower end of the market. The bright spot is that at the premium end, glue down remains highly relevant, where design flexibility, customization and long-term performance matter most.”

Loose lay, while a smaller portion of the LVT market, continues to be viable.

“Loose lay was a relative bright spot in 2025, delivering flat to modest growth and outperforming more labor-intensive install formats,” Fulton added. “Demand continues to build, as retailers and consumers prioritize ease of installation and design versatility. While there’s a lot of new loose lay in the market, we introduced the Karndean LooseLay collection 15 years ago, in 2011. That long-term focus and specialized expertise make a significant difference in the quality of the product—style, reliable installation, durability and performance.”

Sheet vinyl also continued to be a viable part of the residential resilient market in 2025. According to FCNews research, the resilient subsegment saw $451.5 million in sales last year, up less than half a percentage point from the year prior. Overall, it claimed about 7.3% of the total residential resilient market.

In terms of volume, 2025 saw 756.2 million square feet of sheet sold, or about 16.5% of the market. That was down 2.6% in dollars vs. 2024 and about half a percentage point in terms of market share.

Domestic rigid core

As demand for SPC and WPC flooring exploded during and after the pandemic, suppliers accelerated investments in U.S.-based production to improve supply chain stability, shorten lead times and reduce reliance on overseas manufacturing. The disruptions experienced throughout the global supply chain in 2020 and 2021 highlighted the risks associated with heavily import-dependent product categories, prompting manufacturers to expand existing facilities and build new operations across the country.

Ongoing geopolitical tensions, shifting trade policies, tariffs, transportation disruptions and fluctuating ocean freight costs have continued to create challenges for suppliers importing products and raw materials. Those conditions have only reinforced the value of domestic manufacturing. Today, many suppliers view U.S.-based rigid core production not simply as a supply chain advantage, but as a long-term strategic necessity.

“Interest in domestically produced rigid core has grown noticeably, driven by both dealer and consumer demand as well as broader geopolitical considerations,” EF’s Rosato said. “‘Made in the USA’ carries real weight today.”

Novalis’s Ehrlich agreed, adding, “I would say domestics gained some ground in 2025. Tariffs, supply chain concerns and customers looking to diversify their sourcing strategies all created opportunities for North American manufacturers, including those in Mexico. We have seen continued investment in domestic production, and customers increasingly value shorter lead times, consistent supply and the ability to respond quickly to market changes.”

Commercial breakdown

Many predicted back in 2022 when residential resilient sales went through the roof that the bubble would eventually pop and commercial sales would catch up to its outpacing counterpart. That prediction was realized in 2025. In fact, the commercial market provided a measure of stability for resilient flooring in 2025, helping offset some of the softness experienced on the residential side of the business.

While commercial activity was not immune to broader economic uncertainty, several key segments continued to generate opportunities for resilient products. Healthcare, education and select workplace projects were active, according to suppliers.

Designers and specifiers continue to gravitate toward resilient flooring for its broad range of visuals, performance attributes and increasingly robust features. As budgets remained under scrutiny, resilient’s ability to deliver both design and value helped it maintain a strong position within commercial specifications.

Suppliers also noted that while project timelines often remained extended and decision-making cycles slower than in previous years, the category continued to gain share across many commercial applications.

“The commercial resilient market performed slightly better than residential, finishing modestly up for the year,” Mohawk’s Ward said. “Key growth areas included healthcare and hospitality, along with offices that have started recovering from COVID-19.”

FCNews research shows commercial resilient flooring generated $2.41B, a 6.4% gain in sales vs. 2024. Looking back to 2020, the commercial market generated $1.72B, which is a 40% increase in just five years.

Volume also experienced an uptick of 3.7% over 2024 to 1.23 billion square feet.

In terms of the commercial dollar sales, FCNews research shows commercial resilient flooring accounted for 28% of the overall resilient market’s $8.587 billion.

For the commercial resilient flooring market, LVT remains the star—though several segments saw upticks in sales. The subcategory (including glue down, loose lay and rigid core) kept its market share, up slightly, at 76.8% of the total commercial resilient market. That’s vs. 76% in 2024.

In terms of volume, commercial LVT garnered 71% of total commercial resilient square feet sold in 2025, or 874 million square feet. To put that into perspective, five years ago in 2020 LVT garnered just 61.2% of the commercial resilient market’s overall volume.

Within the resilient flooring LVT category, flex remains the favorite. FCNews research shows flexible LVT (including glue down and loose lay) brought in $1.64B, which was nearly 68% of the total commercial resilient market. In regard to volume, flex accounted for 775 million square feet in 2025, which was 63% of the total commercial resilient market. That’s up from 2020 when flex was 61.6% of sales and 53.6% of its volume.

“Flex LVT remained the predominant choice in the commercial market, particularly in 2.5mm or loose lay formats,” Mohawk’s Ward explained. “Its continued popularity made it a primary driver of growth and one of the category’s bright spots.”

Glue down is still the workhorse for the commercial LVT market. According to FCNews research, commercial glue down garnered $1.46B of the $1.64B commercial flex LVT sales and the $1.85B total LVT commercial sales.

In terms of volume, commercial glue down garnered 721 million square feet in 2025, which was up from 688 million square feet in 2024.

The rest of the commercial resilient market segments each garner less than 10% of total sales. Rigid core, for example, is a small player. FCNews research shows rigid core garnered just $206 million last year—registering at about 8.5% of overall commercial dollar sales, which is down from 9% the year prior. Of the overall commercial LVT market, rigid core represents about 11.2% share.

In terms of volume, rigid core garnered 101 million square feet in 2025, which was up just slightly from the year prior.

VCT continued its upward momentum in 2025 and continues to be a mainstay in the commercial market, albeit another minor player. In 2025, VCT garnered $210 million and 283 million square feet. That’s up from five years ago when VCT registered $191.4 million and 342 million square feet.

VCT garnered about 8.7% of overall commercial resilient sales in 2025, and 19.3% in square feet.

“We’re seeing an overall stable market for VCT,” said Michael Mathews, senior vice president of commercial strategy, Tarkett North America. “While that’s not the growth market we’d of course love to see, our VCT offering meets an important need for our customers, particularly in the education segment. We see VCT as a critical component of the overall portfolio we’ve developed.”

Linoleum sales were flat in 2025 over the year prior, garnering $95 million, which was just below 4% of the overall commercial market. Linoleum’s market share continues to decline—it had been hovering around 5% since 2020.

“Demand for linoleum is also stable and meets an important need in our portfolio as a durable sheet surface, especially for customers prioritizing non-PVC materials,” Tarkett North America’s Mathews said. “Education is our leading market segment for lino and it also has a footing in healthcare. So we see it as an important component of the overall Tarkett Solution SPECtrum.”

While the bulk of linoleum sales do come from the commercial side of the business, it has seen some growth in popularity on the residential side as well.

“We’re seeing a lot more Main Street commercial activity for linoleum,” said Tim Donohue, national sales director, residential, Forbo. “We’re seeing a lot of color scheme activity, and linoleum offers a very wide color palette. And when you look at the brights spots, Forbo’s Marmoleum is a middle-to-upper-end product; so people know when they put it in it’s going to last. We also have the ability to offer it in not just in sheet form (direct glue-down sheet) but also in glue-down tile and, more importantly, in a click version. That has been skyrocketing for the last eight to 10 years.”

Commercial sheet remained relatively flat in 2025, generating $233 million in sales and 83.4 million square feet. In terms of market share, commercial sheet garnered about 9.7% of overall commercial resilient sales and just over 6.7% of commercial resilient volume.

Commercial sheet is split into heterogeneous and homogeneous constructions. In 2025, heterogeneous comprised 66% of the total commercial sheet market in terms of dollars ($233 million) and 63.8% in terms of volume (52.75 million square feet). Homogeneous garnered $79 million in 2025. In terms of volume, the segment sold 30.7 million square feet.

Price points

Between 2021 and 2023, prices climbed sharply across nearly every segment as manufacturers contended with pandemic-related disruptions, escalating raw material costs and unprecedented increases in shipping and freight expenses. Those pressures pushed pricing to historic highs throughout much of the category. As supply chains gradually stabilized and transportation costs moderated, some constructions began to see pricing ease again in 2024-2025. While prices remain elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels, the market has started to normalize, reflecting a more balanced cost environment than the industry experienced during the height of the disruption.

The construction that has seen the highest price increase since the pandemic is commercial sheet. Pre-pandemic (2019), the cost of commercial sheet averaged $2.21. Just six years later that cost is now $2.79, up from $2.76 in 2024. That is more than a 26% increase.

Commercial glue down also continued its upward pricing trajectory, reaching $2.02/square foot in 2025.

SPC peaked in 2021 at $1.85/square foot. In 2025, that remained relatively flat from the year prior at $1.61.

VCT came down more than 9% in price vs. 2024, which reached $0.97. Last year, that was $0.88. Suppliers agree VCT is stabilizing after pandemic-era pricing and settling into the more user-friendly price point it’s known for.

The price of WPC continued its downward trajectory in 2025, reaching $2.15/square foot. It remains the second highest after commercial sheet across residential and commercial constructions.

Moving forward suppliers agree pricing may continue to fluctuate but should mostly remain on downward trajectories from their peak in 2021-2022.

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