Welcome to the 11^th Annual Installation Awards where we are celebrating the flooring installation industry’s highly skilled craftsmen and women in both residential and commercial settings. Each project entry details the challenges faced and the unique features that help set that installation apart. This year, we had several entries that were only one or two votes apart, and we had a lot of new faces!

We are eager to celebrate the wins, but more than anything, we want everyone to know that your projects are greatly appreciated. Putting yourself and your work out there for others to see and critique requires courage. So, thank you for entering the Awards, and I hope you will consider coming back next year. I challenge each of you to bring a friend and submit your amazing work together.

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Photo: Carpeting by Mike

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Photo: Carpeting by Mike

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Photo: Carpeting by Mike

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Photo: Carpeting by Mike

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Photo: Carpeting by Mike

Materials used: Karndean Van Gogh 7x48 in Honey Oak and Hessian Oak; Karndean Adhesive; DaVinci in Spirito Limestone; Art Select Canberra and Corris

Challenges: It was 3,000 square feet of flooring, a pattern in the dining room and a medallion in the foyer. Underlayment was installed as well throughout the house.

Unique Features: The medallion came in multiple pieces, which meant we had to put it together in the home. Additionally, the customer requested that the compass face due North. The pattern in the dining room didn't work in the real world, but the installers worked with the homeowner to have the project designed on site.

Photos: Carpeting by Mike

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Photo: JRZ Carpet & Flooring

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Photo: JRZ Carpet & Flooring

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Photo: JRZ Carpet & Flooring

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Photo: JRZ Carpet & Flooring

Materials Used: Nourison carpet and Shaw fiber pad supplied by retailer Carpet Heritage. Serge machine and serge yarn by NC Carpet and Binding for; Traxx for carpet tack strip and fasteners.

Challenges: The biggest challenge with this job was that it was a replacement of an existing stair runner. I had to make sure every piece covered the exact location as the client wanted to reuse existing brass stair rods. They also didn't want to see any damaged wood or faded wood from the sunlight.

Unique Features: Every single step on this staircase was unique in size and shape.

Photos: JRZ Carpet and Flooring

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Photo: Home Floor and Kitchens

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Photo: Home Floor and Kitchens

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Photo: Home Floor and Kitchens

Materials Used: Emser Tile Exhaule in Marron; Schluter All Set in midnight black; Laticrete grout

Challenges: Finding the perfect backsplash. I showed it to the customer, and she immediately fell in love with it. She showed her husband and said, “That’s the one!”

Unique Feature: Tiles are soldier stacked for visual interest.

Photos: Home Floor and Kitchens

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Photo: Leonardo Cordeiro

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Photo: Leonardo Cordeiro

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Photo: Leonardo Cordeiro

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Photo: Leonardo Cordeiro

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Photo: Leonardo Cordeiro

Materials Used: NDM Floors supplied by Catalina

Challenges: The flying handrails were a challenge. It was hard to get it started and get the measurements.

Photos: Leonardo Cordeiro.

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Photo: The Carpet and Drapery Shoppe

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Photo: The Carpet and Drapery Shoppe

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Photo: The Carpet and Drapery Shoppe

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Photo: The Carpet and Drapery Shoppe

Materials Used: Paramount Amaranto in size 24x48 sourced from Herrgan Distributors; Mapei installation materials; Ultraflex LFT; Schluter Kerapoxy profiles

Challenges: Making the custom design of the priest come to life throughout his 100+ year-old-church with large format porcelain tile. Also having to carefully install over a hearing-impaired sound system grid that was in the floor under the tile, working around and with multiple trades—all while meeting the hard deadline due to their reopening ceremony that was scheduled before the job began. It is also worth noting that with several 1,000 square feet of tile there were only a handful of tiles that did not need to be cut.

Unique Features: Custom designs were cut and inset and borders were used throughout.

Photos: The Carpet and Drapery Shoppe.

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Photo: Certified Finishes

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Photo: Certified Finishes

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Photo: Certified Finishes

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Photo: Certified Finishes

Materials Used: Duracryl Durabella biobased terrazzo from Duracryl Global Flooring

Challenges: One of the significant challenges we faced was transforming an original outdoor space into an indoor area suitable for terrazzo flooring. This required a meticulous buildup of 2 inches to ensure proper substrate preparation and alignment with the design specifications. The transition from an outdoor to indoor environment demanded precise engineering and execution to create a seamless, functional surface that met both structural and aesthetic needs.

Additionally, achieving the desired visual effect required overcoming the challenge of integrating a high concentration of all-sided mirror aggregates into the terrazzo. This was essential to meet the owner’s and designer’s criteria for a dynamic, reflective surface. The incorporation of these mirror aggregates was complex due to the need for uniform distribution and precise placement to achieve the desired vibrancy and visual impact.

Unique Features: The installation is distinguished by its use of Duracryl Durabella Biobased Terrazzo, known for its sustainability and aesthetic appeal. The terrazzo was carefully crafted with a unique combination of materials to meet specific design criteria. The vibrant South Miami Beach feel was achieved through the use of bright pink accents against a predominantly white terrazzo base. This bold color choice, coupled with striking black terrazzo strips, created a visually captivating contrast that enhances the overall ambiance of the space.

The use of high-quality mirror aggregates not only adds to the aesthetic appeal but also contributes to the terrazzo’s reflective qualities, enhancing the space’s luminosity and vibrancy. The careful selection and placement of these aggregates were crucial in delivering a floor that truly captures the lively essence of South Miami Beach.

Photos: Certified Finishes. 

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Photo: Certified Finishes

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Photo: Certified Finishes

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Photo: Certified Finishes

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Photo: Certified Finishes

Materials Used: L. Shaw Contract Grain + Pigment LVT and Vitality LVT; Tarkett 4" rubber base; Mapei; Mosa Ceramic Tile all supplied by Fishman Flooring.

Challenges: During the project, we encountered subfloor and expansion joint challenges on site. However, through collaboration with Shaw Contract, we identified Shaw Quickfill as the optimal solution. The Shaw technical team proved to be highly cooperative, offering ease of communication, and provided a written warranty for the product, ensuring the reliability of our chosen solution. The thoughtfully curated flooring products and solutions symbolize a dedication to excellence in healthcare design, where flooring serves as a linchpin in creating a space that is both practical and comforting for young patients and their families.

Unique Features: The kidney shapes designed in the floor sheet vinyl product were hand cut by our skilled craftsman, adding a unique and custom touch that highlights the artistry and precision of our team.

Photos: Certified Finishes

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Photo: The Enchanted FLOORist LLC

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Photo: The Enchanted FLOORist LLC

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Photo: The Enchanted FLOORist LLC

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Photo: The Enchanted FLOORist LLC

Materials Used: Milliken carpet & adhesive; Mapei Planipatch, Dependabl, Skimflow LP & Primer; Roberts 8015 seam sealer; Kool Glide double stick seam tape and thermo seam sealer all supplied by Foster Flooring.

Challenges: The lobby area had several types of substrate and was extremely bumpy. A self-leveler was required. The pour ended up leaving a “half pipe” curved floor with an inch lower middle portion and both edges to the sides an inch higher. The width of the lobby area was 30-foot wide, so it wasn't noticeable to walk on. The carpet had a 2 1/2-inch skew which made the top dyed pattern additionally difficult. One cross seam had a difference of 1 1/2 inches on one side of a double doorway to 4 1/2 inches six feet away. I needed to stretch the carpet and seam the edges with KG double stick seam tape.

Unique Features: There were a lot of surprises revealed by the demolition of the existing floor covering. Also, the radiators were to be removed and replaced by wall mounted heat pump units. We were notified of this after the carpet was installed!

Photos: The Enchanted FLOORist LLC