Designing Unique Floors on A Budget

In the Mannington Commercial Design Center/Showroom, located in Atlanta, GA, we have multiple installations throughout the space to showcase our many different products. I have the pleasure of providing guests who visit the Design Center a tour of the space and products. 

I’m new to the flooring industry, so learning all of the different types of flooring installed in our showroom was a challenge. I had to ask a lot of questions to be able to give tours and answer visitors' questions. 

My favorite part of the Showroom tours is when we arrive at the grand corridor featuring a herringbone parquet Amtico Signature Layout installation. I love the uniqueness of the installation and the way it transforms the space into something special. When sharing with our guests the details about the different ways it can be cut and installed, I noticed that while people thought it was beautiful, they also assumed it would be 1) too cost-prohibitive and 2) a real installation challenge.

I decided to speak with Whitney LeGate, Vice President of Commercial LVT, at Mannington Commercial to address those two concerns I kept hearing about Amtico Signature Layouts.

She laughed and graciously helped me get a clearer understanding of why these two assumptions are, contrary to popular belief, not true at all. 

Whether or not you’ve had the chance to see an installation like this in person, you might have similar questions as those whom I speak with every day, including:

• How much more expensive is Amtico Signature Layouts vs. a standard LVT installation?
• Is a Signature Layout difficult to install?
• Are there additional custom installation options available?   

Mannington Commercial Design Center, Atlanta, GA. Featuring: Amtico Signature Layout: Parquet

Achieve an Original Look Within Your Budget 

Budget is a factor in any flooring project, and many customers want a high-end look but only have a modest budget. What I found out is they don’t have to compromise. 

Amtico Signature Collection is a premium luxury vinyl tile (LVT) product that offers a bespoke look without incurring the expense of getting a prodect waterjet cut or scribed in onsite. It’s a new way to achieve an original look at an affordable cost.

“It is a little bit more expensive than a standard product,” LeGate says, “but it's much cheaper than creating a custom floor. Not only is it pre-designed, which saves time and money, but it also comes cut to the job site so the customer doesn’t have to pay exorbitant installation costs for a look comparable to a truly customized floor.”

The size of the project doesn’t have to be an obstacle to creativity. There’s no minimum on Signature Laying Patterns. So, a customer can elevate a small area and create something new and different, and it appears customized without having to spend hours designing the floor. 

A popular concept to help cut costs is to create an accent area with a Signature Layout pattern, then surround it with standard product that might be more budget-friendly. This gives the project a unique look without incurring excessive cost to do the entire floor in a pattern or intricate design.

Amtico Signature, Wood - Nomad Oak, Abstract - Stucco Putty in Basket Weave Layout, Wood - Nomad Oak (Field & Border)

According to LeGate, “A lot of people use Amtico in special accent areas. It's a little bit more expensive over the normal square foot price, but when you're doing a 200-300 square-foot space, it brings a lot to the design without driving up your budget.” 

Related: Specifying LVT For Commercial Flooring

Custom Cutting Capabilities 

Mannington Commercial is unique to the industry in offering such a wide variety of custom cutting capabilities. There are pre-designed motifs available at a flat price, and the customers can pick the colors. As an alternative, says LeGate, “We have borders and corners that you can use with traditional luxury vinyl tile (LVT) to make a room look unique.”

“Signature is a fantastic way to do very, very custom, cool areas.”

Adding custom elements can bring a space to life with a completely unique look without incurring exceptional cost. “Every design is different, but our custom logos start as low as a few hundred dollars and increase depending on size and intricacy of the design. We work with our clients to find the most economical solution to get the design they want and minimize the cost,” she says. 

The total cost of a flooring project is cumulative of multiple factors. Production labor and time to cut a custom design is very different than cutting standard material. Labor, time, material – it adds up. 

Cutting the product in the United States in Mannington Commerical’s facility in Madison, GA, helps expedite the timeline of a project by making Amtico Signature more accessible and helps keep costs down. Taking a premium LVT product — then specially cutting it into unique sizes and shapes — creates a Signature layout floor that provides a premium quality look at an affordable price.

But what is style without substance? Amtico Signature offers 2.5 mm overall thickness, 40 mil wear layer, with micro-bevel or unbeveled options, making it as durable and functional as it is beautiful. The newest offerings include multiple options, such as: 

• Woods: 72 woods, five new visuals, 18 new colors and six plank sizes
• Abstracts: 59 abstracts, three new visuals, 19 new colors, seven tile sizes, three plank sizes
• Stones: 32 stones, one new visual, six new colors, seven tile sizes, three plank sizes

“Amtico's Signature is a great value, and specialty layouts don’t cost that much more installation-wise,” says LeGate. “We help as much as we can with installation guides. ”

With 163 products in the line and 26 different laying pattern choices, the options are endless, especially when you factor in the different color combinations.  

An Easier Onsite Installation

At Mannington Commercial we have put in place a thoughtful collection to meet the architectural and structural requirements of a commercial floor while satisfying the desire for a look that goes beyond traditional luxury vinyl tile. 

Amtico Signature offers:

• 26 laying patterns: 10 new laying patterns, most with multiple color and size options
• 12 choice patterns: installation inspirations – use running line size combinations
• Stripping, borders, motifs
• Customs
• QuickStix® available

Mannington Commercial offers a pattern layout workbook for each design to make it easier for onsite installation. “The pattern layouts show all  the pieces of the puzzle so installers have a clear picture of what to create. We also have specialized installation instructions and an online visualizer tool so there are no questions,”  LeGate says. That reduces the cost of the install.

For some of the smaller designs, we include  face tape over the designs which makes the installation easier and more understandable because the pattern is in place when the box is opened. That sounds simple, but it makes a huge difference in the final project cost and is included in the Signature packaging.  It’s all part of making inspired design accessible to a broader range of commercial flooring customers.

The Opportunities Are Endless With Amtico Signature 

So, if you’re like me and new to the world of flooring, now you know what you can do with this product and what to expect from the installation process. 

Amtico Signature Collection boasts 163 products and 26 laying patterns to choose from. If you’re going with a feature area or the whole floor, we’ve made the process with you in mind. If you want to choose from what we call, Choice Laying Patterns, which are installation ideas using , ready to use combinations made with our standard sized planks and tiles, or if you want something more custom looking you have the option of an Amtico Laying Patterns, which offer distinct, custom cut designs using non-standard sizes and/or combinations cuts. 

To learn more about the Amtico Signature Collection and the different Laying Pattern options you can be guided through the process on our webpage and even visualize your floor where you can download room scenes with product information. 

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