Quality Vinyl Flooring

Carpet Kingdom in Portland, OR, offers a large selection of quality vinyl flooring. Read more below on the brands we offer and visit our showroom. Call us today at 503-256-6918.

We Carry

Armstrong Commercial

This year, 2011, Armstrong marks its 151st anniversary. The Armstrong experience stretches over more than half the life of the Republic; few American business enterprises have endured as long, or with such continuing success.

When it all began in a tiny two-man cork-cutting shop in 1860 in Pittsburgh, our national frontier barely reached beyond the western mountain ranges. Thomas Armstrong’s first deliveries of hand-carved corks were by wheelbarrow.

Today, five generations later, Armstrong is a worldwide family of 16,000 employees who manufacture and market hundreds of branded products and services worldwide. Its products include floor coverings and acoustical ceilings and grid systems. Through its subsidiaries, Triangle Pacific Corp., the world’s largest manufacturer of hardwood flooring and a major producer of hardwood cabinets; and DLW Aktiengesellschaft, the leading flooring manufacturer in Germany, Armstrong now produces high-quality wood flooring and wooden kitchen and bath cabinets, commercial carpet, and linoleum.

In the company’s early days, Thomas Armstrong, the son of ordinary Scotch-Irish immigrants from Londonderry, steered his struggling company through the Civil War, financial panics, disastrous factory fires and a cutthroat marketplace.

He succeeded because he relied upon a family credo of hard work and faith. He attracted and held dedicated employees who shared the same values. He took pride in the production and sale of quality products that bore his family name. And he was determined that his company always act with fairness and in the "balanced best interests (of) customers, stockholders, employees, suppliers, community neighbors, government and the general public."

Armstrong was among the first American entrepreneurs to discard the old business maxim of Caveat emptor-"Let the buyer beware"-and replace it by practicing the principle of "Let the buyer have faith."

He was a brand-name pioneer, too, stamping "Armstrong" on each cork as early as 1864. And soon he was tucking a written guarantee into the burlap sacks of cork shipped from a big new factory on a Pittsburgh riverbank.

As buyer confidence in the Armstrong brand of product and service grew, so did national sales. In the mid-1890s Armstrong emerged as the world’s largest cork company.

But at the turn of the century-the company already was 40 years old-cork was being popped out of its old markets, and Armstrong added to the formula for success the capacity to adapt to changing conditions while at the same time sticking to the business it knew best.

The company found new uses for cork, first with insulating corkboard and brick. Then, in 1906, it foresaw that the avenue to the future was laid with linoleum. A new factory rose from a cornfield on the edge of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and in 1909, a year after Thomas Armstrong died, Armstrong linoleum was first offered to the trade.

From that point, the company let one product use logically lead to another. Corkboard led to fiberboard, fiberboard led to ceiling board, cork tile and linoleum led to vinyl floors. Ceramic tile would be added later.

This natural progression of product development brought the company to its position of leadership in its industry. Armstrong learned, through the traumas of the 20th Century, to build on its traditional strengths, to diversify and innovate, while following a market-minded, customer-oriented path.

Through it all, the company’s leadership adhered to Thomas Armstrong’s central belief that his company’s greatest asset was the people associated with the business-its employees, its customers, its neighbors.

By devotion to the balanced best interest of all, Armstrong endured. Today it’s dynamically growing well into its second century of progress.

What is the difference between Inlaid Color™ floors (Designer Solarian®) and printed floors (Solarian and Fundamentals®)?

The Inlaid Color construction process precisely positions millions of tiny color granules through as many as 10 unique, hand-cut stencils. This exclusive Armstrong process builds the color and pattern into the floor, from the backing to the wear surface, creating handcrafted designs of extraordinary richness and depth of color. Printed floors have a pattern that is printed on, providing design realism and detail in colors that coordinate with today’s home decors.

Do Armstrong vinyl floors have to be waxed?

All Armstrong Fundamentals floors have a urethane no-wax surface. All Armstrong Solarian and Designer Solarian floors feature our patented CleanSweep® no-wax surface no vinyl floor is easier to clean. These surfaces not only free you from waxing, but are easy to clean and resist staining and scuffing.

Which cleaning products are safe to use on my Armstrong Vinyl floor?

We provide a no-rinse floor cleaner called Once ‘n Done®, available through flooring retailers and home stores in your area. At your supermarket, you’ll also find the Armstrong Cleaner, distributed by S.C. Johnson. Other no-rinse floor cleaners are also safe to use on your Armstrong vinyl floor. Do NOT use detergents, abrasive cleaners or "mop and shine" products. These products may leave a dull film on your floor. Over time, if the shine on your floor begins to dull, Armstrong Shinekeeper® Floor Polish can be used to renew your floor’s shine. Do NOT use paste wax or solvent-based polishes.

If I’m concerned about seams, must I choose a floor that comes 12′ wide?

No. Your seams should be treated with seam coater. This creates a virtually seamless floor and no place for dirt to hide. Furthermore, if your installer follows the Armstrong Guaranteed Installation System, we guarantee that your floor seams won’t open.

What is the difference between an Armafelt and an Interflex® backing?

Armafelt is a specially formulated felt backing. Interflex is a flexible vinyl backing. All floors with an Interflex backing are bonded with adhesive or staples around the perimeter of the room and with adhesive at the seams. Floors with the Armafelt backing are bonded either with adhesive spread under the entire floor or are bonded with adhesive or staples around the perimeter of the room and with adhesive at the seams. Chances are either type of floor will work in your home. Speak to your retailer for further installation information.

Does one type of backing perform better than another?

No. The floor’s backing is just one component of the floor’s overall construction. The floor’s overall construction determines its performance. The primary job of the two backings is to allow for two ways of installation. Both means of installation are guaranteed to last when the floor is installed according to the Armstrong Guaranteed Installation System.

Are floors on one backing cheaper to install than the other?

This depends on the condition of your subfloor and other considerations. Please talk to your retailer for further installation information related to your particular project.

What kind of rugs or mats can I use on my Armstrong vinyl floor?

We do not recommend the use of rubber- or latex-backed mats because the chemical (antioxidant) used to keep the backing from becoming brittle can permanently stain your floor. We suggest a non staining vinyl-backed mat or a woven rug that is colorfast. Most of these products are identified "colorfast" by the manufacturer.

If I damage my floor, can it be repaired? How?

Yes, most floors can be repaired by cutting the damaged area out of the floor and replacing it with good material. A professional installer would ensure that the pattern is aligned correctly and that the seams are tight, so that the repair is difficult to see.

What is ToughGuard™ flooring?

It’s Armstrong’s toughest vinyl floor ever. Armstrong ToughGuard floors have a patent-pending manufacturing process and incorporate product formulation changes that result in 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.

Does ToughGuard flooring require different installation methods?

No. ToughGuard flooring can be installed using the full spread method used for all other Armafelt-backed floors. And, Armstrong ToughGuard floors offer cleaner cutting and handling characteristics.

Does ToughGuard flooring require different cleaning and maintenance methods?

No. ToughGuard flooring should be cleaned and maintained like all other Armstrong vinyl floors.

I’m a DIY’er. Can I install Armstrong vinyl sheet flooring myself?

Yes. It’s very simple if you use the Armstrong Guaranteed Installation Kit , which guarantees Armstrong replace your floor and kit for FREE, if you make a mistake in cutting or fitting your floor.

Where can Armstrong vinyl sheet flooring be installed?



Armstrong vinyl sheet flooring can be installed on all grade levels.