A

Above-grade - Pertaining to the location of a finished floor where the floor is not in contact with the ground and which provides at least 18 inches of well ventilated space.

Adhesive - a substance that bonds the floor to the subfloor.

Armafelt - A felt compostion backing that allows installation of vinyl sheet flooring of all grade levels. The floor is bonded to the subfloor either by spreading adhesive under the entire floor, or by using adhesive only around the perimeter and at the seams (Armafelt Options).

Armafelt Options - An Armstrong system allowing for perimeter-bond installation of all Armstrong felt-backed floors. Due to the floors' accommodating properties which allow for use over both wood and concrete subfloors and which hide minor subfloor imperfections, less adhesive is needed and installers save time on installation.

B

Below-grade - Pertaining to the location of a finished floor that is in direct contact with the ground or with less than 18 inches of well-ventilated space.

Bloom - The term given to the minor color adjustments linoleum flooring makes when exposed to light. It turns its true color. Because genuine linoleum is made from natural raw materials, oxidation of the linseed oil in your floor may result in a yellowish cast when not exposed to light (under the range, rug or refrigerator, etc.). This visual discoloration is only temporary. Once exposed to light, the yellowing disappears and your genuine linoleum floor will "bloom" again.

C

CleanSweep® - A patented wear surface that is engineered for easy cleaning and maintenance. No waxing, polishing or buffing is needed, just vacuuming or sweeping with an occasional wash. Resists household stains like mustard, shoe polish, lipstick and foot traffic stains like tracked in asphalt driveway sealer.

Combination base - a finishing molding piece used along the outer most edges of the floor where it meets the wall.

CPL (Continuous Pressure Laminate) - The laminate surface and backing consist of multiple layers fused under heat and pressure into a laminate structure. Then in a separate process, they're bonded with glue under heat and pressure to the core board. Benefits

D

Dimensional stability - The ability of a resilient flooring to retain its original dimensions during the service life of the product.

DL (Direct Laminate Process) - A single press operation is used to fuse the surface and backing layers to the core board.

E

Edge detail - The cutting treatment on the edge and/or end of each piece of flooring:  eased edge, micro-edge or square edge are the 3 alternatives.

Embossing - The "hills and valleys" texturing deliberately placed into the flooring surface during manufacture for functional and aesthetic reasons.

Embossing leveler - In preparation for installing a new vinyl floor over an existing vinyl floor, this compound fills in the the embossing pattern of your old floor so it won't telegraph through your new flooring.

End moulding - Laminate moulding piece that finishes the space where laminate flooring ends.

Engineered - Constructed from 3 or more plys of wood, increasing dimensional stabiltiy.

F

Fiberglass - An encapsulated glass rotovinyl (printed) flooring designed to be installed using Glass-Tac tape as the adhesive.

Finish - The surface coating on pre-finished flooring. Usually either urethane or wax finish.

Floating - Installation method in which individual boards are glued only at edges and end joints, without direct attachement to the sublfoor.

Floating floor - A floor that does not need to be nailed or glued to the subfloor and can be installed over most existing floors, including concrete, ceramic, vinyl, wood and even some indoor/outdoor carpet.

Floor protectors - Screw-on attachments for the bottom of chair and table legs to distribute the weight of furniture evenly to reduce indentations in resilient floors. Abrasions can be prevented with unique, replaceable felt pads on the floor protectors.

Foam underlayment - Three foot wide foam layer installed under laminate flooring for sound reduction and smoothing of subfloor irregularities.

G

Gloss level -  Different sheens or levels of Gloss- Satin , Semi Gloss or Gloss.

H

High density fiberboard - Board utilized in the core of Armstrong laminate designed to resist moisture, resist indentations, and provide dimensional stability.

High-density fiberboard (HDF) core - Board utilized in the core of Armstrong laminate flooring to provide the ultimate peace of mind against moisture resistance and indentations, as well as providing dimensional stability.

High performance wearlayer - Wear layer utilized on the surface of Armstrong laminate flooring. It is made from multiple layers of resin saturated paper fused together with a high fidelity printed design layer and hard mineral particles to resist wear, stains, and surface burns.

I

Inlaid Color™ Construction - Proprietary Armstrong vinyl flooring manufacturing process where millions of tiny color granules are applied in layer upon layer using hand-cut stencils. The color is built from the backing to the wear surface, which provides handcrafted beauty that's more than skin deep.

Installation level - Refers to grade levels of the installation site.

Interflex - Flexible vinyl backing that allows the floor to expand and contract with subfloor movement and also bridges minor subfloor irregularities. These floors are bonded with adheisves or staples areound the perimeter of the room and with adhesive at the seams.

J

K

L

Laminate backing - A thermo-fused backing that provides additional strength and protection and ensures the floor stays flat, even when exposed to bottom-up moisture, which is particularly common with installations over concrete.

Laminate flooring - Hard surface flooring utilizing a fiberboard core and Melamine wear layer, that is available in blocks, planks, and squares and can be installed as individual units.

Laminate flooring glue - Adhesive used to bond the tongue and groove edges of laminate flooring. Now in a "peelable" formulation for easy cleanup.

Laminate image layer - The look of your laminate floor, in choices as varied as the entire North American woodland.

Laminate surface - A clear wear layer for super protection, even against the harsh punishment of sunlight, stains and burns.

Linoleum - A floor surfacing material composed of oxidized linseed oil, mixed with cork or wood flour, mineral filler and pigments and bonded to a jute or suitable backing. It is available in either sheet or tile.

Locking installation system - Method of installing laminate flooring with a unique tongue-and-groove profile that allows for easy installation of boards by just locking edges into place and requiring no glue. Allows for installation up to 50% faster than standard installation.

M

Mildew protection - Characteristic of Armstrong vinyl floor backing that protects against color or pattern discoloration caused by mildew, mold or alkali.

N

O

On-grade - Pertaining to the location of a finished floor with no portion below ground, and with the floor and the ground in contact or separated by less than 18 inches of well-ventilated space.

P

Parquet - Inlaid woodwork in geometric forms, sometimes of contrasting woods, used in flooring. A common example is individual pickets of wood flooring,  adhered together in groups of 6 pickets - then four picketed squares are alternately adhered to form a tile pattern.

Patching compound - Compound used to fill or smooth subfloor irregularities in preparation for installing a new vinyl floor.

Place-and-Press adhesive - Pressure-sensitive adhesive found on the back of Armstrong's do-it-yourself tile allowing for fast and easy installation.

Plank - Boards widths that are 3" in width or greater.

Plywood - A structural material consisting of sheets of wood glued or cemented together and used as underlayment for vinyl flooring. Armstrong recommends the use of APA Underlayment Grade plywood with the installation of Armstrong resilient floors.

Printed construction - A printing process that provides accurate reproductions of a wide variety of patterns and designs in intricate detail. Also known as the "rotogravure" process.

Pull bar - Tool used to tighten up tongue and groove joints used during the installation of laminate flooring.

Q

Quarter-round moulding - Detail piece that finishes the space where wood or laminate flooring meets the wall.

R

Reducer strip - Moulding that finishes the space between wood or laminate flooring and other flooring surfaces, like vinyl or carpet.

Roller - Heavy tool used after installing vinyl sheet or vinyl tile to press the flooring into the adhesive and to help to remove any entrapped air.

S

Seam sealer - Liquid compound that fuses the seamed edges of vinyl flooring together.

Simulated appliance foot-drag test - The drag test measures a sheet vinyl floor's resistance to rips, tears and gouges.  In a controlled test, an appliance-type foot loaded with weight is pulled across a vinyl floor to simulate a consumer moving a heavy object without proper protection.

Solid -   Manufactured from a solid piece of wood.

Spacers - Small pieces of wood used in the initial step in the installation of laminate to maintain a 1/4" expansion zone.

Stair nosing - A finishing piece applied to the forward edge of stairs, step-downs and landings, creating a rounded quality finish.

Standard installation system - Method of installing laminate flooring by precisely placing continuous beads of laminate flooring glue on the top of the tongue and the bottom of the groove of adjoining laminate flooring planks.

Straight-edge - Any strong, straight piece of metal that can be used for cutting straight lines for installing vinyl sheet and tile.

Strip -  Board widths that are 3" in width or less.

Subfloor - The structural layer intended to provide the home's floor support, which may receive floor coverings directly, if the surface is appropriate, or indirectly via an underlayment, if its surface is not suitable.

T

T-Moulding - Moulding piece that finishes the space between two areas of wood or laminate flooring. For laminate, it also fills the gap at doorways.

Tapping block - Block of wood used directly against the edge of laminate boards during installation when tightening the joints with a hammer.

Threshold - a finishing piece applied to the wood floor transition area where the wood transitions to another flooring level or another flooring type.

Tongue and groove - The edge effect used on laminate boards to enable mechanical fastening of one board to the adjacent board(s).

ToughGuard™ flooring - Armstrong's toughest vinyl floor ever.  Armstrong ToughGuard floors are made with a unique, patent-pending manufacturing process that includes both a pressure-laminated inner core and product formulation changes for revolutionary durability without compromising the look of the floor or its easy maintenance.  ToughGuard floors are guaranteed not to rip, tear or gouge for the life of the warranty.  See full warranty for details.

Trowel - Tool used to place the correct amount of adhesive on the floor prior to installing vinyl sheet or (dry-back) vinyl tile.

U

Underlayment - Layer of material usually installed on or over a subfloor that provides a surface suitable to receive a new floor covering.

Urethane - A urethane surface that keeps its like new look far longer than vinyl no-wax surfaces, without waxing, buffing, or polishing. Resists household stains like mustard shoe polish, lipstick. Resists foot traffic stains like tracked in asphalt driveway sealer.

Utility knife - Tool containing a blade and used to cut vinyl sheet and vinyl tile during installation.

V

Vinyl sheet flooring - Resilient flooring, available in roll form, providing an installation with few seams.

Vinyl no-wax - A surface that protects the color and pattern of the floor, but needs floor polish to maintain a high gloss.

Vinyl tile - Resilient flooring, available in flat pieces, usually measuring, 12" x 12", which can be installed as individual units.

W

Wear layer - The portion of a floor covering that contains or protects the pattern effect.

Wood species - The primary species in from which the wood floor is made.