While the economy in 2014 is more sluggish than it was a year ago—due to a variety of reasons—there remains hope for those in the industry. 

Thanks, in part, to the many home makeover and renovation television shows today, rustic and distressed wood floors have taken the interior design industry by storm in recent years. Due to their popularity, uniqueness and practicality, retailers are seeing a continued increase in the sales of these types of wood flooring styles.

Initially introduced to the market on laminate flooring in the late 1990s, glueless, or click mechanical locking systems crossed over to the hardwood category in the early 2000s. With the introduction of these glue-free locking systems, installing hardwood floors became as easy as 1, 2, 3.

The 2014 Floor Trends Flooring Industry Study, conducted recently by BNP Market Research and compiled from answers given by readers of Floor Trends, Floor Covering Installer, Stone World, Contemporary Stone & Tile Design and Tile Magazine, offers a look at a flooring market poised for continued growth.

Ted Gregerson found true love as a young man. Working for a Carpet One store in his hometown right out of high school he discovered flooring was in his blood. His love for people, integrity and helping customers create beautiful homes inspired him to his core.

This issue of Floor Trends puts the emphasis on quality, professional installation and its overall importance to satisfying the end user.

We have looked at the younger crop of customers out there shopping for floor coverings for the last couple of months and how they are in the process of driving a wholesale change in the way business will be conducted in this industry in the future.

As the associate editor of Floor Trendsand editor of its sister publication Floor Covering Installer, I see a great deal of confusion crop up when it comes to how much retailers should know about the installation side of the business.

Determining wood moisture content is not like measuring the length of a nail—it is not a truly static trait of any piece of lumber, or even of a finished wood product.

For the professional contractor, the term multipurpose typically describes a product used to install carpet or mineral-backed sheet vinyl with the direct glue-down method of installation. Multipurpose adhesives are most appropriate for residential or light-traffic commercial installations.