Armstrong Residential Flooring will highlight the features and benefits of its entire vinyl product line during Surfaces 2001. The company adds that its ToughGuard product will be fully transitioned into the professionally installed retail environment by early summer. In addition, ToughGuard will be integrated into Armstrong's rotogravure collections, including Memories, Starstep and Rhythms. The existing ToughGuard warranty against rips, tears and gouges has been increased by five years.

To capitalize on current consumer preferences for natural looks in flooring, Armstrong will introduce a new collection called Natural Inspirations. In addition, Armstrong will showcase a new interpretation of its Inlaid Color, a process that captures handcrafted looks such as hand-painted china, tooled leather and hand-blocked wallpaper. The Jaspe Collection will extend Armstrong's Inlaid Color process by delivering distinctive natural designs, the company says.

Additionally, a new differential gloss collection will be launched as a subset of Armstrong's Classic no-wax vinyl tile collection. The new line, called Classic Natural Inspirations, features rustic looks and a vinyl wear layer. The line features high and low gloss levels on the same piece of tile and a deep textured embossing with a .08-inch gauge thickness. The collection comes with a five-year limited warranty.