Clear Seas Research has published its 2018 Flooring Installation Products CLEAReport. The online survey, which comprises responses from subscribers of Floor Covering Installer, Floor Trends magazine, and members of Clear Seas’ myCLEARopinion panel, was conducted from April 20 to May 6. As part of the survey, respondents were asked to share their primary brands of installation products across hardwood, vinyl/resilient/LVT and carpet flooring categories. An overview of the 2018 Flooring Installation Products CLEAReport research findings, and a complete list of CLEARselect Award winners, will be featured in the September issue of FCI.

Hardwood

According to respondents, the top five criteria in selecting a hardwood flooring installation product are: product performance (92%), past/personal experience (86%), product availability (85%), competitive price (74%) and warranty (74%).

• The leading primary brands for adhesives are: Bostic, MAPEI, Titebond/Franklin and ARDEX/HENRY.
• The leading primary brands for moisture meters are: Wagner, General Tools, Tramex and Delmhorst.
• The leading primary brands in underlayments are: VersaSheild (now called Kovara), FloorMuffler, and Traxx.
• The leading primary brands for floor preparation products are: Ardex/Henry, Laticrete, MAPEI and Bostik
• The leading primary brands for nailers/staplers are: Bostitch, DeWalt, Powernail and Bosch.
• The leading primary brands for moldings/transitions, the top brands are: Artistic Finishes, Seneca Millwork and Versatrim.

Vinyl/resilient/LVT

According to respondents, the top five criteria in selecting a vinyl/resilient/LVT installation product are: product performance (92%), product availability (87%), past/personal experience (83%), competitive price (80%) and warranty (69%).

• The leading primary brands for adhesives are: MAPEI, Ardex/Henry, and Bostik.
• The leading primary brands for moisture meters are: Wagner, Tramex and Protimeter.
• The leading primary brands for underlayment are: VersaShield (now called Kovara), MP Global, FloorMuffler and Maxxon.
• The leading primary brands for cutters/shears are: Crain Tools, Bullet Tools and Roberts/QEP.
• The leading primary brands for moldings/transitions are: Artistic Finishes and MD-Pro.

Carpet

According to respondents, the top five criteria in selecting a carpet installation product are: product performance (87%), product availability (85%), past/personal experience (84%), competitive price (82%) and warranty (69%).

• The leading primary brands in adhesives are: MAPEI, Ardex/Henry, and Bostik.
• The leading primary brands in carpet cushions are: Leggett & Platt, Carpenter, Foam Products, and Healthier Choice.
• The leading primary brands in floor preparation products are: Ardex/Henry, MAPEI, Laticrete and Bostik.
• The leading primary brands in installation tools are: Crain Tools, Gundlach, Roberts/QEP Gundlach and Traxx/Koolglide.
• The leading primary brands in seam tape are: Orcon, Traxx, Roberts/QEP, and Capitol.

For more information or to order a copy of the report, visit clearseasresearch.com/product/2018-flooring-installation-products.

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Clear Seas Research is a full-service, B2B market research company focused on making the complex clear. Custom research solutions include brand positioning, new product development, customer experiences and marketing effective solutions. Clear Seas offers a broad portfolio of primary, syndicated research reports and powers the leading B2B panel for corporate researchers, myCLEARopinion panel, in the architecture, engineering, construction, food, beverage, manufacturing, packaging and security industries. Learn more at clearseasresearch.com.