Hard Surface Demand to Hit 11.9B Feet by 2011

Cleveland, OH, August 23, 2007--U.S. demand for hard surface flooring is projected to advance 3.9% annually to 11.9 billion square feet in 2011, valued at $13.5 billion, according to "Hard Surface Flooring," a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry research firm.

The study said that growth will decelerate, mostly due to a significant contraction in residential construction, especially single-family housing.

Hard surface flooring is expected to gain market share from carpets and rugs, an ongoing trend for the past decade. Demand, according to Freedonia, will be driven by growing consumer preference for high-end products such as wood, laminates and ceramic tile, as well as increasing interest in natural and environmentally responsible products such as natural stone, engineered wood, linoleum, cork and bamboo. 

Laminate flooring, according to the report, will provide the best opportunities, with demand growing at an annual rate of 10.8% to 2.6 billion square feet in 2011. Introduced to the U.S. in the early 1990s, laminate flooring quickly registered very strong growth. Demand will be supported by increased consumer awareness and familiarity with the product, as well as continuing product development by manufacturers to provide easier flooring installation, improved durability and realistic designs.

Freedonia said vinyl flooring is expected to remain the leading hard-surface floorcovering, with 33%of the market in 2011. Vinyl benefits from its low price, wide selection range and versatility. However, vinyl is losing ground to laminates, ceramic tile and wood flooring as consumers move to higher-end flooring.

The nonresidential building market, according to the study, will see strong growth in both new construction as well as improvement and repair expenditures, leading to substantial increases in floorcovering demand.

The office and commercial building segment, which accounts for most nonresidential flooring demand, is expected to see 3.7% annual growth to 3.4 billion square feet in 2011, while the institutional building sector, which includes educational, health care and religious facilities, will enjoy annual growth of nearly six percent.