Featured Articles

29 Articles

  • How It’s Made: Understanding PVC

    Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is one of the most widely prevalent thermoplastics in the world today. Used to make most of the materials our built environments are constructed with, a glance around you will prove that PVC is everywhere. 

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  • Transparency Improves Design: Learning By Design Magazine x Armstrong Flooring

    An industry shift toward product declarations enhances holistic decision making                           

    Preface: Learning By Design Magazine x Armstrong Flooring have partnered in the development of the following article and case study, published in the Fall 2021 Issue of LBD.  

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  • How to Create A Flooring Maintenance Plan for Your Facility That Delivers Operational …

    How to Create A Flooring Maintenance Plan for Your Facility That Delivers Operational Optimization and Economies of Scale

    All resilient floor coverings require maintenance – the question is how frequently, and with what products.

    This article will walk you through the key factors of consideration when it comes to crafting the ideal flooring maintenance plan for your facility. Ultimately, following a regular and well-planned maintenance program reduces wear, preserves the floor’s aesthetic appearance, increases the longevity of service life, and delivers both operational optimization and economies of scale.  

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  • Improving Infection Control with Flooring

    According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), on any given day in the United States, about one in 31 hospital patients contracts a healthcare-associated infection (HAI). In Canada, the statistic is one in 9 patients, according to the Provincial Infection Control Network of British Columbia (PICNet). HAIs are infections that patients get while receiving treatment for separate medical or surgical conditions that initially brought them in.

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  • Flooring Type Considerations: LVT & VCT

    Two of the most popular flooring products for commercial spaces are LVT and VCT. Affectionately referred to as LVT, Luxury Vinyl Tile or Luxury Vinyl Plank, it has proliferated in commercial spaces and is available in a variety of formats. VCT, or Vinyl Composition Tile, holds a longer legacy in the market and still commands much of the flooring real estate in commercial segments such as retail and education. Let’s explore some of the factors to consider when selecting between LVT and VCT for your next project.

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  • What is Wayfinding and Why is it Important?

    Directional and contextual clues are part of our everyday lives. Some are bold and obvious, while others offer more subtle guidance. Whether it’s large exit signs on the highway, or color-coded hallways, wayfinding is all around us.

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  • Key Disruptors in the Healthcare Industry

    In 2020, it’s been the year of disruption — most certainly for the healthcare industry. Disruption comes in many ways, including ever-changing trends amid generational preferences and ideas. The healthcare industry maintains its foundation as a healthy environment that supports patient healing, but how that looks in the future has never been more disrupted. Industry research is driving change not just in design, but in what a healthcare facility offers as a whole.

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  • Key Disruptors in the Education Industry

    In 2020, it’s been the year of disruption — and the education industry is one that’s been heavily affected. Disruption comes in many ways, including ever-changing trends amid generational preferences and ideas. New ways to teach and interact with students drive change in how spaces are designed, and how the next generation is educated.

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  • Designing for Senior Living

    Thoughtful design approaches that maximize the efficient and safe use of a senior living environment help to ensure better outcomes and an enhanced experience for patients, residents, and staff.

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  • What Role Do Flooring Products Play in Indoor Air Quality?

    We spend a lot of our time indoors — up to 90% of our day, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Learn why it's critical for architects and designers to understand how the materials they specify can affect indoor air quality.

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  • How Flooring Contributes to Managing Acoustics

    Noise happens. Whether in healthcare, education, or residential housing, acoustics play an important role in nearly every sector of the market. As a designer, it’s important to understand the different types of building noises and the options for mitigation. Want the short version? While it’s true ceilings and wall treatments are surfaces with the greatest opportunity for sound absorption, flooring can play a positive role in sound blocking. Here’s what you need to know.

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  • Current Trends in Healthcare

    The healthcare industry is a world of constant change. While its foundation as a healthy environment that supports patient healing does not waver, what that environment looks like has never been more disrupted. Industry research is driving change not just in design, but in what a healthcare facility offers as a whole.

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  • Current Trends in Higher Education

    The world of education is changing at an ever-increasing rate, with no signs of slowing down. Technology, generational influences, and industry research are constantly driving new trends that manifest in building and design decisions, as well as the approach to teaching the next generation of the workforce.

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  • Current Trends in K-12 Education

    The world of education is changing at an ever-increasing rate, with no signs of slowing down. Technology, generational influences, and industry research are constantly driving new trends that manifest in building and design decisions, as well as the approach to teaching the next generation of the workforce.

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  • Designing with Carbon in Mind

    Designing with Carbon in Mind

    Climate change stands as one of the most pressing issues of our time. Addressing it involves implementation strategies and efforts at all levels of society, from cities and building, all the way to the products used in construction. To address climate change issues, we must employ smart building practices. This starts with understanding the energy used not only in day-to-day operations, but also in building our cities and buildings.

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  • The Truth About Static Load Limit Testing

    The Truth About Static Load Limit Testing

    Static load testing measures how a floor recovers after supporting an unmoved weight for a period of time. Most resilient flooring specifications reference ASTM Test Method F970, which specifies how to determine the indentation recovery properties of resilient flooring products when handling static loads. Learn more about testing methods — and the increase of modified test methods — to fully understand which numbers you should be looking at when considering commercial flooring needs.

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  • Design Trend: Reclaimed Wood

    Design Trend: Reclaimed Wood

    Consumers are seeking a deeper, more meaningful experience when they enter places of business, from retail to restaurants and even healthcare settings. The experience should be easy, relaxing and enjoyable – and our flooring solutions can help create the right foundation. 

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  • Rigid Core Flooring for Commercial Spaces

    Rigid Core Flooring for Commercial Spaces

    Rigid Core flooring is an innovative hybrid product that combines some of the best features from multiple flooring categories. There are varieties of Rigid Core solutions ideal for spaces ranging from hotel rooms and cafeterias to apartment buildings and retail businesses. 

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  • Four Myths about Rubber Flooring in Commercial Spaces

    Four Myths about Rubber Flooring in Commercial Spaces

    We get lots of questions about the use of rubber flooring – especially as it relates to healthcare applications. It’s common to find that there are misconceptions and many presumed benefits that may not be as they seem. Here are four misconceptions about rubber flooring worth further scrutiny when considering your flooring investments.

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  • Technology in Healthcare

    Technology in Healthcare

    The rise in technology impacts healthcare design in countless ways. Learn about the balance between visible technology and evidence-based design for an approach that conveys credibility and warmth to patients and their families. 

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  • Installing Floors over Concrete Subfloors

    Installing Floors over Concrete Subfloors

    Flooring failures over concrete subfloors cost millions of dollars each year. Gain valuable insight into this common subfloor to mitigate pitfalls that cost time and money. 

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  • Squareness Test for Tile Products

    Squareness Test for Tile Products

    Learn about our Floor Tile Squareness Test and why it’s important to help ensure easy installation and minimize the risk of callbacks. 

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  • Four Myths about Concrete in Commercial Spaces

    Four Myths about Concrete in Commercial Spaces

    We’ve seen the interest in concrete surfaces – whether countertops, furniture or flooring – pick up in the last few years. What’s driving the trend and is the logic behind this design choice valid? Let’s take a closer at four myths and misconceptions about concrete flooring.

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  • The Hard Truth about Concrete

    The Hard Truth about Concrete

    Concrete as a choice for flooring in commercial buildings had its moment, but is moving out of favor. Learn about its appeal, the reasons why it might not be the best long-term choice, and the solutions we recommend to satisfy your client’s wish list. 

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  • Evidence-Based Design for Healthcare

    Evidence-Based Design for Healthcare

    The healthcare industry has come a long way from the days an institutional look and feel. Learn more about three interior design trends and how they impact the efficiency of healthcare facilities. 

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  • Retail Flooring: Comfort Satisfies

    Retail Flooring: Comfort Satisfies

    The following is the second in a series on strategies to help design clients, facility owners and other stakeholders see beyond the initial price tag and understand the long-term implications of flooring design decisions.

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