Sustainability, durability and bolder designs are hallmarks of hardwood floors in 2024.

“There's been a definite movement in the last few years to get back to warmer colors and softer shapes,” said celebrity designer Jennifer Farrell. “We all went through a time and a lovely isolationist period during the pandemic where we felt alone and isolated and cold. But the upshot of that is that there was suddenly a craving for tactile connectivity in materials.”

While White Oak continues in popularity, but hardwood finishes are shifting warmer and more exotic. Anderson Tuftex, for example, launched Regatta, a rich teak wood that captures the feeling of boat building and showcases golden-brown hues.

“Anderson Tuftex’s 2024 introductions represent a departure from conventional aesthetics using new vibrant colors and a handcrafted feel to inject personality into every style,” explained Anderson Tuftex Director of Consumer Marketing Bailey Walton. “We design each A/T product with sustainability in mind. We are committed to crafting environments that promote well-being for both people and planet.”

“It’s parquet all day with the evolution of pattern hardwood floors,” noted Farrell. “We've been seeing this now for several years and if you thought that chevron and herringbone were going to go away, they aren't. They're actually becoming more and more popular every single day. They're filtering into all sectors of design. For a while they were definitely more commercial and contract design, and now we're seeing them as a commonplace high-end look in residential design everywhere.”

Variety in visuals are helping retail sales associates accommodate more projects, according to Renee Tester, marketing director at Kährs. The company unveiled the Beyond Retro collection late in 2023, which offers multiple styles—both plank and 3-strip visual—for each color.

Technological Advancements

Consumers want the beauty of wood with the durability that can withstand their family’s everyday lifestyle. In response, manufacturers continue to launch collections that incorporate more technologies that help withstand life on wood floors.

“While there are many alternatives to wood on the market, nothing looks more like wood than wood itself. That is why we created TecWood,” said David Moore, Mohawk’s senior product director. “We are updating messaging this year to focus on the product’s features and benefits while offering key differentiators that RSAs can highlight to set TecWood apart from other wood products and wood alternatives.” 

Contractors also want flooring that is easier to install. With 5G NXT, Välinge took its 5G Fold Down technology and made it easier to install, remove, and reinstall flooring. The innovative solution has a more sustainable insert which urther reduces the environmental impact of wood flooring.

“We developed 5G NXT to help flooring producers meet the new demands for more sustainable alternatives. It’s an impressive technology with many environmental benefits,” said Niklas Borgquist, key account manager at Välinge Innovation. 

The upgraded insert is made from biomass-balanced materials with a 75% lower carbon footprint, and the unique design enables tool-less dismantling simply by tapping the panels. This creates endless possibilities for flooring to be installed, removed, and reinstalled elsewhere. Always with reliable and long-lasting results.

“With our new technology panels can be dismantled piece-by-piece without the need to remove an entire row. This makes dismantling up to 40% faster and significantly reduces the risk of damaging the panels compared to traditional solutions,” added Caroline Landgård, business developer for floor locking at Välinge Innovation.

Specifying Hardwood Floors

As more commercial specifiers look for natural materials, it’s important for architects and designers to either have a competency in the installation of the hardwood flooring being specified or work with a competent installation professional.

One major issue is the expansion and contraction of the floor, said David Gross, executive director of INSTALL, an association of professionals from across the entire flooring industry:

“Years ago, I was the foreman on a large, oak hardwood installation project at an art school. The museum-like display area had a modern design that called for no baseboard molding. The hardwood floor was designed to finish in a built-in recess under the walls, for a clean and sleek finish. However, the expansion space required to accommodate the floor was not properly accounted for and the recess under the walls was only one inch. Due to the size of the room, the requirement was at least three inches of expansion space to allow for as much spacing as possible in the field installation. Ultimately, contrary to the original design, a molding was required to cover the expansion gap.”

The takeaway is that wood will expand and contract with humidity. The larger the space, the more the expansion needs to be accounted for. Additionally, transitions and termination points that are not easily hidden must also be properly addressed. There are products, methods, and techniques available to both designers and installers to overcome these more challenging situations and accomplish a wonderful installation.

“INSTALL is at the forefront of training and certifications in the flooring industry,” Gross said. “We train our members in a wide variety of wood flooring products and other types of flooring materials. Critical elements of a wood floor installation such as floor preparation, moisture testing, and jobsite conditions are foundational classes in the overall training curriculum.”

INSTALL provides training on glued-down, floating, and nail-down hardwood installations. There are also specialized hardwood sand-and-finish classes, using both walk-behind and ride-on machines. INSTALL’s training goes beyond theory and classroom learning and employs hands-on projects that are as technically challenging as possible. The curriculum covers everything from a herringbone pattern to a basketball court with logos and game lines.

The organization has more than 30 instructors that are authorized to provide instruction and certify installers directly, for and on behalf of the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA).

For added confidence in installations, those installed by INSTALL Warranty qualified instructors offer a third-party, free, extended warranty in the industry.