September 17/24, 2018: Volume 34, Issue 7
By Mara Bollettieri
A customer asks a flooring dealer to install new luxury vinyl flooring in her home. After the installation is complete, she notes that it’s just what she wanted. However, one thing stands out like a sore thumb—her vent system. The old metal, beat-up vent clashes with the brand new, sleek LVT flooring. It’s not the right look; it’s not the right statement she wants to make in this particular room.
Joe Kennedy, president of Perfect Vents, believes he has developed the ideal solution for her: A flush mount vent system for floating luxury vinyl floors.
Perfect Vents was exclusively developed for luxury vinyl floors. What’s more, each vent is made out of the actual flooring material itself. Thus, every detail of the vent is the exact match to the floor. “We match the colors themselves,” Kennedy explained. “So, if someone used COREtec’s Blackstone Oak [from USFloors], we would make the vent out of that same material.”
The company does not have a private label. Since it uses the exact floors themselves, whatever colors are available in the field are what the company uses. “We actually would get the COREtec Blackstone Oak, produce the vent out of it and then ship it out from there,” Kennedy explained. “If a buying group has an exclusive product or a private label, then we would need to get that material from them in order to produce it. We’re currently trying to work with buying groups, so we have access to their material.”
Perfect Vents has a lot of materials in stock, according to Kennedy, which allows the company to create and ship most colors of major manufacturers to any store nationwide within 48 hours. In addition to quick service, the vent systems also allow consumers to control the air flow. “A lot of flush mount vents are not functional, so this allows you to still open and close it,” Kennedy said.
To ensure the installer gets the same size every time a vent is produced, Perfect Vents comes with a template to help cut a hole into the floor. The template protects the floor so there is no chance of overcutting or air getting in when hole is cut. Once it is created and the installer removes the template, there is a metal plate that slides through the hole. The plate protrudes slightly underneath the flooring all the way around to add support. Then, the installer can drop the vent into place.
“Luxury vinyl is much less likely to chip [during installation of the vent],” Kennedy said. “So, when the installer is cutting the actual vent hole out, it makes it very user friendly. Because vinyl is soft, the installer does not have to worry about the corner chipping or getting too much of an impact on the edge.” The vents can even be put into the flooring after a floor has been installed.
Two thumbs up
Retailers and installers have received positive responses from their customers regarding the innovative flush mount vent system. Michelle Rowe, secretary of Georgia Quality Carpet Outlet, Holly, Mich., believes it’s a great addition to her offering. “The customers absolutely love them,” she said. “I have actually had customers switch their selection from laminate to vinyl.”
For Joseph Whitney, contractor and owner of Whitney Floors, the product’s success is turning out to be a lucrative opportunity. “It allows me to make some additional profit,” he said.
In addition to profit, Chaise Bonnivier, owner of Michigan Interior Restoration, in White Lake, praised its ease of installation. “It’s simple to install. The template makes it foolproof.”