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NORTH AMERICAN LAMINATE FLOORING ASSOCIATION
The North American Laminate Flooring Association (NALFA), founded in 1997, is an association of laminate flooring manufacturers and laminate flooring manufacturer suppliers in the United States and Canada. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., NALFA is a non-profit powered by the industry’s top leaders and is the only trade association dedicated exclusively to the laminate flooring industry.i NALFA’s mission is to promote continuous and responsible growth in the laminate flooring industry as well as to help consumers in the shopping process.



CONTENTS


 * 1) History
 * 2) Value of the Seal
 * 3) Education and Training
 * 4) Membership
 * 5) Officers and Chairs
 * 6) What Is Laminate Flooring?
 * 7) Environmental Benefits
 * 8) References
 * 9) External links

HISTORY
In 1997, a group of U.S. and Canadian laminate manufacturers and importers united in an effort to promote continuous and responsible growth in the laminate flooring industry, to help consumers in the shopping process and to develop voluntary performance standards. Through this effort, they founded NALFA, now “The Voice of Laminate Flooring in North America™.”

In 2008, NALFA became an accredited ANSI standards developing organization and established testing and performance criteria that is now the benchmark by which all quality laminate flooring is measured.

Laminate flooring that passes 10 rigorous performance tests and meets approved standards are awarded the NALFA Certification Seal as a testament to its quality. The NALFA Certification Seal provides assurance for retailers and consumers that they are selling and buying quality flooring.

NALFA members are dedicated to the following principles:
 * ESTABLISH and MAINTAIN consistently high performance and quality standards for laminate flooring products.
 * EDUCATE and COMMUNICATE the meaning of NALFA standards and the value of the certification seal.
 * SHARE knowledge with retailers and installers through hosted certification classes.
 * RESEARCH and EVAULATE ongoing opportunities for improved standards and technologies.ii
 * RESEARCH and EVAULATE ongoing opportunities for improved standards and technologies.ii

VALUE OF THE NALFA SEAL
NALFA is dedicated to ensuring that consumers are educated about the value of purchasing laminate flooring with the NALFA Certification Seal. The NALFA Certification Seal signifies that the product has passed 10 rigorous performance tests, has been proven to meet these standards by an independent, third-party testing lab, has been manufactured in North America and provides consumers the satisfaction of knowing they are investing in a quality product.iii

Recognized as an American National Standards Institute (ANSI) national standard, the NALFA standard addresses the following criteria:


 * 1) Static Load – Measures the ability of laminate flooring to resist residual indentation resulting from a static load.
 * 2) Thickness Swell – Measures the ability of laminate flooring to resist increase in thickness after being exposed to water.
 * 3) Light Resistance – Measures the ability of laminate flooring to retain its color when exposed to a light source having a frequency range approximating sunlight through window glass. It is not intended to show the resistance to continuous exposure to outdoor weathering conditions.
 * 4) Cleanability and Stain Resistance – Measures both the ease of cleanability and stain resistance of laminate flooring to common household substances.
 * 5) Large Ball Resistance – Measures the ability of laminate flooring to resist fracture due to impact by a large diameter ball.
 * 6) Small Ball Resistance – Measures the ability of laminate flooring to resist fracture due to impact by a small diameter ball.
 * 7) Water Resistance – Measures the ability of the surface of laminate flooring to resist abrasive wear through the décor layer.
 * 8) Dimension Tolerance – Measures the dimensional variance between tiles of laminate flooring in a manufactured free standing (unrestricted) shape in respect to thickness, length, width, straightness and squareness.
 * 9) Castor Chair Resistance – Specifies a method for determining the change of appearance and stability of a laminate floor, including joints, under the movement of a castor chair.
 * 10) Surface Bond – Measures the force required to delaminate or split away the surface of laminate flooring plank or tile.

NALFA EDUCATION AND TRAINING
NALFA provides members with three education and training opportunities.iv

1. NALFA Inspector Certification (one day)

Curriculum covers:


 * NALFA History
 * Laminate 101
 * Installation Requirements
 * Inspection Tools & Standards
 * Product Defect Review
 * Inspection Reporting & Process
 * Certification Testing
 * Evaluation

Pre‐qualifying conditions include:

OR
 * Certification by other nationally recognized inspection organizations (FCITS, etc.) OR
 * A minimum of three years’ experience as an inspector
 * NALFA Certified Installer with a current certification

2. Installer Certification (one day)

Curriculum covers:


 * Moisture Testing/EPA/IAQ
 * Safety
 * Trammel Points
 * Installation
 * Complete Install
 * Plank Replacements
 * Demonstrate/Review of Individual Products
 * Molding
 * Stairs

Pre‐qualifying conditions include:


 * Minimum of two years’ experience installing laminate floors and experience with power tools.

3. Getting to Know Laminate Flooring (one day)

This class is offered to professionals in the flooring industry who want to be educated about laminate flooring. Curriculum will cover:


 * Manufacturing process
 * Installation requirements
 * Potential problems, causes and solutions

MEMBERSHIP
Laminate flooring manufacturers who hold NALFA membership are divided into two categories – regular and associate.

Regular Members:


 * 1) Columbia Flooring
 * 2) Fausfloor®
 * 3) Mannington Mills
 * 4) Unilin/Mohawk
 * 5) Pergo, LLC
 * 6) Quick‐Step
 * 7) Shaw Industries, Inc.
 * 8) TORLYS, Inc.

Associate Members:


 * 1) M.P. Global Products, LLC
 * 2) Pak-Lite (PLI)
 * 3) Pregis
 * 4) Sealed Air Corporation
 * 5) SELIT

OFFICERS
President: E.C. "Bill" Dearing, TORLYS, Inc.

Treasurer/CFO: Dan Natkin, Mannington Mills

Secretary: Jean Briere, Shaw Industries, Inc.

CHAIRS
Board Committee: E.C. "Bill" Dearing, TORLYS, Inc.

Technical Committee: Tino Couto, TORLYS, Inc.

Marketing Committee: Dan Natkin, Mannington Mills

Education Committee: Jane Winters, Unilin Flooring

Underlayment Committee: Bob Cummings, Pak-Lite

WHAT IS LAMINATE FLOORING?
Laminate flooring consists of a hybrid of materials fused together through a unique lamination process.v The materials include:


 * 1) Protective wear layer
 * 2) Decorative layer
 * 3) High-density fiberboard core
 * 4) Melamine resin layer
 * 5) Underlayment (varies between products)

Laminate flooring is exceptionally durable and resistant to most of the common damage (scratches, fading, etc.) that floors can suffer. It is also easy to maintain.

Because the high-resolution decorative layer can employ any image, laminate flooring comes in many designs and styles.

ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
Laminate flooring is an environmentally sound flooring option.vi It is:


 * Made from natural resources such as wood chip fiberboard
 * Recyclable
 * Free of air‐damaging chemicals
 * In compliance with formaldehyde emissions regulations for laminate flooring core board set forth by the California Air Resources Board (CARB or ARB) sections 93120-93120.12, title 17, of the California Code of Regulations.
 * Comprised of recycled content that may contribute points to the Leadership in Energy and Environment Design (LEED) standards for homes and businesses.
 * Eliminates VOCs and requires no special cleaners for cleaning and maintenance, which preserves air quality.
 * Made in North America