December 18/25, 2017: Volume 32, Issue 14
By Reginald Tucker
As the various floor covering categories have evolved over the years, so, too, have the vast offerings of moldings changed to keep up with the demand. Suppliers of all types of transitions and related accessories are working to keep in lockstep with the rapid pace of hard surface products making their debut. The emergence of WPC and rigid core products, for instance, is spurring innovation at the accessories level.
Following is an overview of some the latest molding products.
Pedross
For retailers and distributors stocking a full range of hard surface products, Pedross offers a complete flooring accessory package across virtually every type of molding, stair tread or risers. This covers wood, cork, bamboo, laminate and LVT.
To ensure matching with OEM specs, Pedross offers digital printing capabilities, including the ability to create 3-D images. The company strives to fulfill customer needs on a large variety of accessories, including customized orders. What’ s more, there are no minimum quantities required and no order is too small or too large. The company stocks all domestic species in each profile and boasts a large variety of colors.
Pennwood
Pennwood manufactures high-quality hardwood floor transitions and stair products ranging from base moldings, reducers, thresholds, T-moldings and stair nosings. (A variety of LVT profiles are also available.)
To fulfill demand, Pennwood is equipped with kiln-drying operations, an automated rough mill, in-house tooling capabilities and a trained production staff utilizing the latest molding technology out of Germany.
The company’s manufacturing expertise is matched by its wide range of finish options. In fact, Pennwood’s color library entails more than 1,600 colors to ensure a close match. But they’re not just good looking; they’re also durable. Engineered for strength and durability, the products utilize UV coating technology, which entails curing the finish with an intense UV light. More importantly, the UV coating materials used protect without diminishing the natural grain, texture and color of the wood. In addition, Pennwood has the ability to manufacture moldings up to 12 inches in length for most domestic hardwoods and up to 6 inches in lengths for bamboo.
Seneca
Seneca offers a wide range of T-moldings, stair nosings and treads, reducers thresholds, flexible moldings and base products. Standout products include flexible moldings. Dubbed SignatureFlex, these molding products are designed for beautiful and intricate curved architecture. Manufactured at approximately one third of the cost of curved wood moldings, it is the ideal solution for residential and commercial applications, according to Seneca.
How it works: SignatureFlex moldings are manufactured from a flexible polyurethane material that provides superior strength and durability. According to the company, the moldings are water resistant and will not rot or swell when exposed to moisture. For a customized look, all profiles can be painted and many can be stained, showcasing the beauty of real wood. What’s more, they can also be cut, fitted and fastened in the same manner as real wood and are applied using adhesive, mastic or resin epoxy glue.
Versatrim
Versatrim takes an innovative approach to molding solutions as it seeks to coordinate with most of the top colors in the laminate flooring industry. Boasting coordinating moldings for scores of manufacturers, Versatrim provides flooring producers, retailers, distributors, installers and end users with high-quality moldings at reasonable prices.
In keeping with today’s trends and styles, Versatrim offers a variety of molding solutions to accommodate applications for vinyl, WPC, laminate, engineered wood and solid wood. The company’s list of profiles include three PVC moldings for LVT floors, Slim Trim, VersaEdge, Slim Cap, its standard laminate T-molding, reducer, end cap, stair nose, wall base, colonial base, quarter round, base shoe profiles.
Zamma
For more than 35 years, Zamma Corp. has been a leader in prefinished profile molding technology for the home improvement and commercial construction markets. Engineered for compatibility with virtually every flooring manufacturer, Zamma floor components feature easy-install hardware to ensure speedy and secure installation. Products include: Laminate moldings, which are produced using the highest grade laminate papers available. Saturated and treated with aluminum oxide layers, the products give the transition pieces equal or greater abrasion resistance than the floors they border. Moisture-resistant MDF and moisture resistant adhesives ensure that the moldings and transitions will have a long wear life.
Also available are wood moldings made from high-quality wood veneer laminated on both MDF and poplar substrates. Significantly less expensive than solid wood, these moldings also promote environmental responsibility. Zamma can also wrap MDF, poplar, aluminum, pvc and other substrates with laminate papers, wood veneers, cork, foil and other decorative products.