With the goal of bringing "affordable luxury" to vinyl flooring, Armstrong has rolled out Natural Fusion, a resilient floor which benefits from several improved Armstrong technologies. The new Natural Fusion flooring uses MasterWorks Technology with Variable Texture (VTx), a patent-pending process resulting in what the company says are realistic textures and gloss levels. In addition, the flooring incorporates Armstrong's proprietary CleanSweep surface treatment, which has been strengthened to offer increased stain and scratch resistance, Armstrong says.

According to Allen Cubell, vp of product management-resilient, Natural Fusion was designed with durability in mind. Featuring a 105 mil thickness, "it's a good, heavy, beefy and durable product," Cubell says.

"Natural Fusion is an effort to reinvent the higher end of vinyl," he notes. "We want consumers to move away from the perception that vinyl is a base-grade product, designed mainly for someone's starter home. Natural Fusion really shows off vinyl's capabilities."

Designs in the new line include: Sweet Bamboo, Bleecker Street, Galleon, Guinevere, Mediterranean Walnut, Cantera and Beijing Slate, comprising linen, stone, slate and wood looks. Armstrong support materials including a 24-page color brochure, DVD training and a retail salesperson incentive program titled the 2005 Great Floor Challenge that offers sales staff can earn more than $60 on each sale .

Armstrong has also included information on Natural Fusion at its website, www.armstrong.com.