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: recognize the small wins. When someone new gets it mostly right, encourage the effort. That support builds confidence and helps progress stick.
It’s been said that skipping subfloor preparation—or doing a shoddy job—is akin to building a house on a sinking foundation. No matter how beautiful or expensive the new floor is its structural integrity and lifespan are doomed from the start.
Failing to clean, level or secure the subfloor leads to a domino effect of costly problems. Conversely, proper prep work ensures the structural warranty remains intact and the floor performs as intended.
Manufacturers/suppliers of subfloor-prep materials have been addressing this issue with products that guarantee a professional installation.
Here are some of the latest products:
Küberit
A flawless subfloor prep job means nothing if your transition profile causes the floor to buckle. Floating floors demand room to breathe. Küberit’s Clip System Profiles are an installer’s problem solver featuring advanced friction-locked technology and two-part systems allowing up to a half-inch of expansion. They bridge gaps safely, snapping tightly onto subfloor-anchored tracks without visible screws. It’s the ultimate safeguard for subfloor prep, ensuring a stress-free, professional renovation.
Performance Accessories
Mohawk Performance Accessories enhances subfloor preparation with a fully integrated system built for speed, precision and confidence on every indoor and outdoor job. RealPrime maximizes adhesion and seals porous surfaces, MasterPatch provides smooth, fast-setting repairs without trowel marks and UltraSmooth delivers flat substrates up to 3 inches (4 inches with added aggregate) in a single pour. Together, these high-performance solutions empower installers to create the perfect, install-ready foundation for beautiful, long-lasting floors in less than 24 hours.
Custom Building Products
CustomTech TechLevel 150 self-leveling underlayment helps contractors achieve smooth, flat subfloors with less time and effort. Its low-prep formula streamlines installation by requiring only cleaning, priming and pouring, helping crews improve productivity and stay on schedule. Engineered with Controlled Cure Technology, TechLevel 150 delivers consistent performance, superior crack resistance and high compressive strength. The result is a durable, dependable substrate that supports successful installations of resilient flooring, carpet, wood, tile and other floor covering materials.
Sika/Schönox
The Sika Secure System is a combination of solutions warranted to perform optimally with one another. Sika MB is a two-component epoxy that mitigates moisture up to 100% RH/25 lbs. SikaLevel-02 EZ Primer is an acrylic primer for use on non-porous substrates that can be applied directly over top. Lastly, Schönox XM is a cement-based, self-leveling and smoothing compound with high strength properties. “This system package is one example of using the Sika Secure System to elevate your installed floor,” said Shane Jenkins, technical director, Sika Corp.
Taylor Adhesives
Most installers would agree that moisture is one of the biggest challenges they face on a jobsite. Taylor’s solution to that challenge is Sahara, an unlimited moisture vapor barrier, elastomeric membrane. Sahara is rated at 100% RH with no pH or moisture vapor emissions testing required. For added peace of mind, Sahara comes with a 10-year warranty, including a lifetime warranty if installed by a CFI certified installer.
TotalWorx
PrepWorx is TotalWorx Accessories’ dedicated floor preparation portfolio, designed to help retailers and installers control the most critical part of any flooring job: the subfloor. The collection includes a broad range of patching compounds, self levelers, primers, crack repair solutions and moisture management systems—all engineered to work together as a system and simplify decision making at the jobsite.
PrepWorx includes pro-grade products and solutions designed to streamline surface preparation before installation. From moisture solutions to leveling subfloors, PrepWorx helps ensure every job starts right.
Woodbury, N.Y.—Stanton Design announced the launch of its newly enhanced B2B portal website experience, designed to create a more intuitive, connected and visually engaging experience for retailers and trade partners.
The new B2B platform introduces a broad range of enhancements focused on simplifying the product discovery process, streamlining workflows and elevating the overall customer experience across Stanton’s expansive portfolio of soft and hard surface products.
One of the most impactful upgrades is Stanton’s enhanced search functionality, allowing users to search products using descriptive attributes and keywords such as “blue stripe,” “WPC,” “laminate,” color, construction types and product features. The improved search experience enables customers to quickly and efficiently navigate Stanton’s product portfolio with greater precision and ease.
The new portal also introduces an advanced multi-rug quoting capability, allowing customers to create a single quote containing multiple rug configurations from the same style, color and finish, significantly improving the quoting process for larger residential, designer and commercial projects.
“The new B2B portal was designed with the customer experience at the center of every enhancement,” said Christine Zampaglione, Stanton’s vice president of marketing. “From smarter search functionality and advanced rug quoting tools to enhanced visuals and educational content, every improvement was developed to help our retailers and trade partners work more efficiently while delivering a more inspiring and connected digital experience.”
Additional enhancements include:
Improved stock check visibility and streamlined sample ordering
Integration of Payer Express for faster, safe and more convenient payment processing
Enhanced product visuals and an upgraded user interface for a more modern experience
Advanced zoom functionality that allows users to closely examine fibers, textures and product details
Similar product recommendations powered by color, pattern, width and category affinities
Simplified category navigation for Stanton’s core product categories including carpet, rugs and hard surface
Expanded storytelling tools featuring user guides, educational content and B2B training videos to better support retailer onboarding and product education
For soft surface products, the platform now recommends complementary styles based on color and pattern similarities, while hard surface recommendations are intelligently driven by attributes such as color, plank width and visual style, helping retailers and designers discover coordinating solutions more efficiently.
In conjunction with the B2B launch, Stanton will also be unveiling an enhanced consumer website experience in the next few weeks that further connects consumers with Stanton’s retail partners. The updated consumer platform provides consumers interested in purchasing Stanton a far superior user experience with enhanced visuals and myriad inspiration.
“The primary goal of our enhanced consumer site is to inspire the consumer through beautiful imagery, educate them with our content and highlight designer and retailer projects,” Zampaglione said. “In turn, we capture the lead and connect them with our retail partners to have confidence in choosing Stanton for their home.”
The launch reflects Stanton’s continued investment in innovation, digital transformation and retailer support as the company expands its position as a complete design destination for luxury flooring and custom rug solutions.
“As Stanton continues to evolve into a more integrated design-driven brand, it was critical for our digital platforms to evolve alongside us,” Zampaglione said. “The enhanced consumer website and retailer portal create a stronger connection between inspiration, product discovery and retailer engagement, while also helping our retail partners capture and manage qualified leads more effectively.”
IFC’s Harbor Oak from its Canopy Comfort Premium collection.
I wonder if you’ve heard this story.
A product category emerges, gains traction and then explodes seemingly overnight. Manufacturers rush in, competitors follow and retailers fill their showrooms with the latest innovation. Then comes the inevitable challenge: maintaining quality (and differentiation) as the category becomes increasingly crowded.
Sound familiar? That cycle played out over the last decade-plus with SPC, finally culminating in a race to the bottom where independent flooring retailers across the country were forced to grapple with failures in the field. What was essentially billed as the bulletproof option became riddled with performance breakdowns due to shoddy imitations of SPC that flooded the market at an unprecedented rate.
These challenges have encouraged retailers to take a closer look at construction, specifications and long-term performance. As a result, many are becoming more selective about the products they carry and the manufacturers they partner with.
It’s also propelled WPC back into the forefront, a resilient rigid core construction with decades of reliable performance under its belt and nearly zero bad experiences to note.
A premium alternative (again)
The rigid core subcategory’s first love (WPC) is making headlines again as it helps to clean up some of the mess SPC left in its wake. While SPC remains an important part of the resilient category, WPC is increasingly finding favor among retailers looking to offer consumers an alternative to SPC without the fear of installation hiccups and eventual failures.
Plus, the appeal is as it has always been. WPC typically delivers a thicker overall construction, greater comfort underfoot and improved sound absorption compared to many traditional SPC products. For consumers, that translates into a floor that feels warmer, quieter and more substantial.
At the same time, WPC provides retailers with a natural trade-up opportunity. Rather than competing solely on price, dealers can focus the conversation on performance, comfort and overall value.
“When customers look for a step-up in luxury vinyl, WPC has consistently been our go-to recommendation,” said Bruce Odette, president, Carpet Exchange, Denver.
Other retailers agreed, also noting the construction’s installation prowess. “We love it,” said Terry Hach, Floors 2U, Rocky River, Ohio. “It’s a little more forgiving [than SPC] if the subfloor isn’t perfect, and we have never had a locking system failure with one.”
That does not mean WPC is inherently superior to SPC. Both constructions have earned their place in the market, and both continue to meet specific consumer needs. Rather, it reflects the recognition that rigid core flooring is not a one-size-fits-all category.
What’s more, while WPC’s comeback may show parallels to SPC’s rise, suppliers agree the same outcome is unlikely. WPC typically requires a greater investment from a manufacturing standpoint. The construction is more complex and production costs are generally higher. As a result, the category has not experienced the same flood of low-cost entrants that characterized portions of the SPC boom. That higher barrier to entry tends to favor more established manufacturers with stronger technical capabilities, more mature quality control processes and a long-term commitment to the category.
Could WPC eventually become crowded? Certainly. However, suppliers agree the economics surrounding WPC create a different dynamic than what the industry experienced during SPC’s rapid rise.
Retailers agree there are a variety of proven suppliers that they lean on. “We are crushing it [with WPC]!” said Kurt Drechsler, Matt The Carpet Guy, Selbyville, Del. “Karndean, Mannington, COREtec and IFC—just to name a few.”
Following are just a handful of retailers FCNews spoke with across the country who are turning to WPC.
“One of the first things people notice about WPC is how comfortable it feels to walk on compared to many thinner SPC floors. The added thickness gives the floor a little more substance underfoot, creating a feel that many homeowners prefer. Beyond comfort, the thicker construction also provides a greater sense of value and quality. While SPC certainly has its place, WPC remains a strong choice for homeowners seeking a more premium luxury vinyl floor.”
—Bruce Odette Carpet Exchange Denver
“[The market] seems to be going that way (WPC). I’m fine never selling SPC again. We haven’t necessarily seen growth in WPC, but we are showing more WPC now vs. SPC. We’d rather install a product with a thicker locking mechanism anyway.”
—Bobbi Jo Baltz Woodstock Flooring & Design Center Weston, Wis.
“Here in Illinois we sell predominantly WPC. For our customers, it’s more comfortable to walk on by far—and thicker, of course.”
—Brian Koltun America’s Flooring Store Arlington Heights, Ill.
“Both WPC and SPC perform well as long as they are made with sufficient thickness. Of course, they also need to come from reputable manufacturers or brands that do not cut corners on material quality or formulation. We’ve installed tons of 8mm WPC with no issues at all. No complaints whatsoever.”
—Winston Zheng Unique Wood Floors Minnesota
“It’s 60% of our residential business, which has flipped from SPC. No claims, no hassle, fantastic visuals.”
—Arthur Scheel Flooring Galaxy Brentwood, Mo.
“I’m putting WPC in my home. [We like] the way it sounds when you walk on it. If you drag or drop something on it, the sound isn’t as plastic as SPC.”
—Andrew Uhacz Floor City Vancouver, Wash.
“We sell more LVP than anything else—and LVP is what clients typically ask for when they come into the store. We also advertise it.”
—Ralph Vis Bert Vis Flooring Dunnville, Ontario, Canada
“No, the customer is not always right, but we give them a very long leash. The Internet has made everyone an expert, so we need to do a great job of setting customer expectation prior to the process.”
—Lupe Brookhart
Sterling Carpet & Flooring
Anaheim, Calif.
“We take the approach of ‘the customer isn’t right until we’ve had a chance to educate them.’ Many customers visit our showroom with unrealistic expectations of how products perform in the real world. Once we get to know the clients, we present them with a guided experience where they still feel in control and are more confident in choosing the best flooring option.”
—Matt Wien
Marshall Flooring
Mayfield Heights, Ohio
“We let our customers know that their experience with our company is our highest priority; therefore, our policy is: ‘Always do the right thing.’ It gives us a bit of leverage if a customer is being unreasonable.”
—Ron Hurley
Ted’s Floors & Beyond
Anniston, Ala.
“We do everything within reason to make a customer happy, stand behind our work and make things right when needed. At the same time, we believe in fairness, honesty and mutual respect. While most situations can be resolved through communication, we are comfortable walking away from opportunities that are not the right fit.”
—Alex Roberts
Roberts Carpet & Fine Floors
Houston
“The sentiment that ‘the customer is always right’ is appropriate as a cultural attitude toward customer appreciation and service, but is not always practical. As a customer-focused professional, it’s our job to, at times, tell customers they are wrong and avoid the financial consequences of their mistakes.”
Hurricane Ida struck Louisiana as a Category 4 storm nearly five years ago. The storm caused more than $20 million in damage to the school. The campus sits about 30 miles from the Gulf of Mexico.
“We lost all the flooring in every building on campus,” said Jeremy Gueldner, school president.
The renovations, which began in August 2022, would be wide-ranging: classrooms, hallways, student union, chapel and multipurpose gymnasium among them. In collaboration with designer Julia Bourque, the school chose luxury vinyl from Karndean Designflooring, which offered a full palette of styles, colors and specs to complement the varying project needs.
“We liked the look of the flooring and thought it could endure the wear and tear that comes with a high school setting,” Gueldner said.
Renovations were completed in fall 2025, about three years after they began. “I honestly love all of our spaces,” Gueldner said. “These renovations have been transformational for our campus.”
At the same time, however, there has been a continued (albeit niche) interest in exotic wood floors. These include imported tropical species from South America as well as some unique, unconventional wood materials gleaned from forests in Asia and even Africa. While overall demand for many of these species has diminished over the past 20-25 years, a market still exists for these products. And along with that profit opportunities for specialty retailers and distributors.
“We are seeing far less demand for South American exotics compared to 20 years ago—the period that marked the height of the category,” said Jason Elbert, vice president, North American sales and marketing, Indusparquet USA. “Twenty years ago, all our distributors were on container order limits, and retailers were installing six or seven out of 10 hardwood jobs with some form of an exotic species—most commonly Brazilian cherry (Jatoba). With that said, exotics are still a very viable product category with a strong following.”
While Elbert said that same mainstream popularity for exotics might never return to the level it once occupied, he’s not counting out the category by any means. “There seems to be a resurgence back to warmer tones and unique species with hardwood buyers, which positions South American exotics well for a rebound in the marketplace,” he explained.
South American wood species are well known for their durability, coloring and unique grain characteristics. Pictured is Brazilian teak (cumaru) from Ribadao Wood Boutique.
Indusparquet, which stands among the most prominent suppliers of exotic wood flooring, currently offers 10 different species, all indigenous to South America. “Historically, Brazilian cherry has been the best-selling species in the United States, and that is still our underlying sales trend,” Elbert said. “In fact, Brazilian cherry accounted for approximately 25% of our overall sales in the U.S. last year. Other very popular species options include: Tigerwood (Muiracatiara), Brazilian chestnut (Sucupira) and Amendoim.”
Other specialty suppliers of imported hardwood species also feel there’s still a viable market for exotics despite the dramatic shift in tastes among U.S. consumers. “The demand for exotic hardwood flooring remains relevant in the U.S. market, although it has evolved considerably over the last two decades,” said Pedro Tavares, president, Ribadao Wood Boutique. “Fifteen to 20 years ago, exotic species experienced widespread popularity as homeowners sought out dramatic colors, distinctive grain patterns and highly durable flooring options. Species such as Brazilian cherry, Tigerwood, Santos mahogany and cumaru (Brazilian teak) became synonymous with luxury and exclusivity. Today, the market is largely driven by design trends favoring European and white oak, particularly in wider planks, lighter tones and more natural finishes.”
This overall shift in demand, exotic suppliers argue, has not diminished the value of exotic species. Instead, exotics have become a more specialized and curated segment of the premium flooring market.
Rather than appeal to the mass market, exotic hardwoods now attract homeowners, designers and architects seeking uniqueness, authenticity, exceptional durability and a visual identity that cannot be replicated by traditional domestic species, Tavares explained. “In many respects, exotic flooring has transitioned from a trend-driven product category to a true luxury niche.”
Beyond their visual appeal, many imported tropical wood species possess attributes that make them extremely durable—a requirement for both high-traffic residential and commercial installations alike.
“South American woods are among the most dense species in the world,” Indusparquet’s Elbert said, citing chart-topping hardness numbers on the Janka scale. “These products are going to last a very long time and will require very little sanding and refinishing over their lifespan. In fact, many consumers purchase exotic wood floors on the basis of their unique colorations, so they are not likely to sand them and reapply a different stain.”
Then there’s the storytelling aspect behind many imported tropical wood species. They are often sourced from (pardon the pun) truly “exotic” locales around the world. “Many exotic species carry a strong sense of origin, heritage and rarity,” Ribadao’s Tavares said. “For luxury residential and hospitality projects, this narrative can be just as important as the physical characteristics of the floor itself.”
The Mizunara Wood collection from AHF Products’ LM Flooring brand is sourced from Japanese forests.
These unique traits extend beyond sources close to the equator. Take, for example, a fairly new collection from AHF Products’ LM Flooring brand that showcases Japanese white oak. Historically prized for aging some of the world’s finest whiskey, the species is reimagined in a line called Mizunara Woods. Sourced from the Hokkaido region at elevations of 3,000 to 5,000 feet, the wood develops a distinctive, tight grain pattern achieved through decades of slow growth in Japan’s nutrient-rich volcanic soil.
“It’s naturally light, consistent coloration requires only minimal tinting to achieve beautiful designer-inspired tones, allowing the intricate grain patterns to remain the star of the show,” said Kevin Whaley, vice president of sales and product, LM Flooring. “Blending rare natural beauty with durable engineered construction, Mizunara Woods delivers a refined, high-performance floor designed to elevate every room while standing up to the demands of everyday life.”
A more familiar exotic species sourced from Asia is Acacia. The product is known for its high density, stunning natural “swirling” grain pattern and, surprisingly, a natural resistance to moisture and wear. What’s more, the product’s inherently tight grain structure and natural oil content make it resistant to rotting, decay and insect damage. In terms of visuals, Acacia boasts a dynamic color palette that transitions from warm honey-gold tones to deep reddish browns. Several domestic suppliers offer the species in select products.
Regardless of the locale, importers of exotic wood species are confident there will always be a market for the category. “In a market increasingly dominated by similar white oak visuals, exotic species continue to offer designers and homeowners an opportunity to create truly distinctive spaces,” Tavares said.
Call to action: USTR seeks industry feedback on proposed tariffs on exotics
Consumers, retailers, distributors and end users who opt for exotic wood floors over traditional domestic species have always had that option at their disposal. But if a proposed 25% U.S. tariff on imported exotic species takes effect, it could dramatically elevate the cost of some South American wood species to the point where it could significantly curtail imports to the U.S.
Last year a punitive 50% tariff was applied to Brazilian hardwood flooring imports. After the Supreme Court ruled this was illegal, the tariff was reduced to 10%. Now, the U.S. government is proposing another 25% (or greater) tariff increase as part of an ongoing “Section 301” investigation by the United States Trade Representative (USTR). These tariffs would likely go into effect by August if enacted.
That’s why hardwood flooring importers say it’s vitally important that each segment of the supply chain provide feedback by June 30, 2026, to help prevent these tariffs and the corresponding downstream economic harm they would undoubtedly cause.
“In my opinion, the main argument for exotic hardwood to be exempt from future tariffs is due to these species being naturally unavailable here,” said Jason Elbert, vice president of sales and marketing, Indusparquet USA. “They cannot be commercially grown or produced here in the United States, so the tariffs are not supporting U.S. manufacturers as a byproduct. Furthermore, due to the sensitive nature of wood flooring, these products must be aged, acclimated and manufactured in the same environment where the wood was harvested to ensure reliable and consistent flooring quality.”
The U.S. often grants tariff exemptions for imported natural products that cannot be locally grown or produced domestically. To that end, USTR invites interested parties to submit comments on open public dockets to better evaluate trade issues that will negatively affect American businesses and consumers.
Indusparquet and its partners across the supply chain are encouraging the industry to provide support by submitting comments on the USTR comments portal at ustr.gov.
The “comment period” remains open until the end of June.
Note: When providing comments, please be sure to reference the following codes: 4409.22.0560 (solid) and 4412.31.5225 (engineered).
Küberit
Performance Accessories
Sika/Schönox
Taylor Adhesives
TotalWorx
Woodbury, N.Y.—Stanton Design announced the launch of its 
Every two weeks, 
“We let our customers know that their experience with our company is our highest priority; therefore, our policy is: ‘Always do the right thing.’ It gives us a bit of leverage if a customer is being unreasonable.”
“The sentiment that ‘the customer is always right’ is appropriate as a cultural attitude toward customer appreciation and service, but is not always practical. As a customer-focused professional, it’s our job to, at times, tell customers they are wrong and avoid the financial consequences of their mistakes.”
Houma, La.—
