Mårten Hugosson

Consumer preferences for wooden and laminate flooring

Abstract This paper describes a study on consumer preferences for wooden and non-wooden flooring. The conjoint analysis approach was applied on two populations: customers in a do-it-yourself (DIY) outlet and university students; and for two flooring applications: living room and kitchen. The results showed that floor type was the most important factor for preference formation, followed by environmental certification and warranty. Price and a DVD with installation instructions were of minor importance to the customers. Wooden floorings were preferred to laminate alternatives. University students placed a higher emphasis on ecolabelling, whereas DIY customers focused mainly on the type of flooring. Floor type was a more important attribute for living room applications than for the kitchen, and price was a more important factor when kitchen flooring was considered in comparison with living room flooring.

Role of Policies and National Programmes on Innovations in Timber-frame Construction

The market share of timber frame construction has increased in many European countries after the revision of national building regulations, implementation of national development programs as well a ...