While the commercial industry has been a traditionally strong market segment for flake manufacturer Torginol, it says the real opportunity for growth is in the residential market. Following the pandemic and given the current housing market, it’s no secret that many homeowners are opting to stay put and are less likely to move compared to just a few years ago. That’s leading to more homeowners coming up with new ways to expand their current home or renovate it.
“Consumers are really seeing this as a way to expand their home and living space,” says Jason LaBouve, president and CEO of Torginol. “Garages and basements are the only parts of the home that were left unfinished and people are starting to notice. Garages are no longer an industrial or dirty kind of space – it’s become part of the home now.”
One of flake flooring’s major advantages is that it has an unlimited ability to blend colors together to achieve a personal, custom look. “With our product you can make pretty much whatever you want, which is great for both commercial and residential markets,” says Grace Gagnon, marketing director for Torginol. While the company offers many neutral colors, she says a lot of people will go with a more unique color scheme. For example, some opt to incorporate colors that match their favorite sports teams.
Better, safer products
Independent market research found that approximately 400,000 garages or basements were coated with a resin flooring system with flakes over the last year alone.
LaBouve says a big driver in the growth of the residential market is due to advancement in coating technologies. Today, products have lower VOCs and are more environmentally safe compared to coatings of the past. Also, coatings are quick and relatively affordable, especially when considering the size of the average garage.
“A lot of companies can go in, apply coatings and even put in cabinets. Within a day or two you have transformed your entire garage. One of the biggest challenges for the consumer is cleaning out the garage, but now some companies are even bringing trailers out to help with that process,” says LaBouve.
So far, most new customers come by word of mouth, but LaBouve is hoping that the coatings industry can become more mainstream and become part of traditional flooring.
“We want people to get excited about this option,” LaBouve says. “I like to think that we’re improving the standard of living.”
