Introducing the New and Improved Mercier Generations+ Finish by Mercier Wood Flooring

Mercier Wood Flooring has a legacy of innovation and quality dating back 45 years. 45 years ago, Mercier was the first company to put a prefinished finish on hardwood floors. And their culture of innovation has not stopped since. 

Over the years, they have been at the leading edge of technologies, quality control measures, colours, and finishes, resulting in them producing some of the best hardwood flooring products in the market. They are never done improving their product offerings. This includes investing in new equipment, adding more quality control measures, reevaluating their stain colours and collections, and coming up with new innovations in the finishes they offer on all their product lines. 

For their 45th anniversary, Mercier Wood Floors unveils their newest innovation - an upgraded Mercier Generations and Generations Intact 2500 finishes. The Mercier Generations has been what has set Mercier apart from other Canadian manufacturers for years. The original Mercier Generations has been more resistant to wear and tear than the competition, and the introduction of Generations Intact 2500 saw the advent of a finish that is 2.5X stronger than the regular Mercier Generations finish. This is the perfect finish for those who want a Matte finish and have busy homes with kids and pets and generally higher traffic than average.

However, the Generations Intact 2500 is not the newest innovation from Mercier wood flooring. The newest introduction is the Mercier Generations+ finish that is now the standard option on all Mercier floors. So, unlike the Generations Intact 2500, which is an upgraded finish (for a nominal upcharge), the new innovations on the Mercier Generations+ are available to all clients, whether you choose to upgrade your finish or not. 

Let us take a closer look at what is new with the Mercier Generations+ and how you will benefit from these new innovations.

The new Mercier Generations+ is made up of high-performance densified biopolymers, which creates a durable protection that minimizes surface scratches, and the adherence of dirt, grime, and everyday marks such as foot and paw prints. Paired with regular cleaning, the new Mercier Generations+ will allow for your floors to stay cleaner for longer, while also increasing the ease of maintenance and cleaning. 

The Mercier Generations+ is 10X more resistant to surface scratches compared to the original Mercier Generations finish, while maintaining the clear and smooth finish that we have become accustomed to from Mercier Wood flooring. This means you get to keep the natural beauty of the wood floors, whether natural or stained. This clear finish does not change the natural or stained colour of the wood, allowing for the beauty of the floor to shine through, without any dulling effect on the stain or natural wood finish. 

Let us take a deeper look at what determines the durability of any flooring finish. There are two components to measuring the durability of a finish:

1- Protection: 

This aspect refers to the wear-trough resistance, which provides long term protection. This refers to the ability of the finish to the adhere to the surface of the wood and its ability to resist being pulled off and exposing raw wood. This ability is measure through a test called the Taber test, which is conducted through running sand paper on the surface of the finished wood and calculating the number of revolutions it takes to get to raw, unfinished wood. Mercier Generations has a Taber test result of 1000 revolutions. This level of durability exceeds the useful life of a wood floor. The Taber Test results for the Generations Intact 2500 is 2500 revolutions.

2- Original Appearance 

This aspect refers to the aspect of the finish that allows for the floors to keep the “new floor look” longer. This refers to the ability of the finish to resist dulling due to surface scratches and showing signs of wear and tear through everyday use. This aspect of durability cannot be measured by the Taber Test. Regardless of how it is measured, the resistance of the top layer of the finish will greatly impact the overall look of the flooring in the long term. 

The innovation on the Mercier Generations+ has improved this aspect of the finish. Therefore, even though this finish is stronger than its predecessor, the Taber test result on the Mercier Generations+ still measures at 1000 revolutions. While the protection aspect has not changed, the new intensely dense finish acts like a shield that makes it harder for scratches, residues, and dirt to adhere to the surface or penetrate through it. This new formulation is responsible for the 10X more resistance to surface scratches. 

This new formulation also reduces the adherence of dirt, residues, and smudges on the surface. Now while this new finish does not fully eliminate things like footprints, pawprints, marks and smudges and render them invisible, they do become a lot less apparent. With regular cleaning, this means your floors stay clean-looking longer and the cleaning process is made easier since the surface has less traction compared to the old Mercier Generations. Common stains such as mustard, wine, and even permanent sharpies are much easier to remove. 

Although this new surface is stronger than before, it has not lost its water-like transparency. The finish will neither change, nor dull the colour of the natural wood or stain that is applied to the wood. This new finish provides superior protection without compromising the look of your floors. As always the finish is available in 30 degrees sheen in Satin and 10 degrees sheen in Matte or Matte brushed options. Please keep in mind that not all the floors in the Mercier line will be available in the Satin or Matte Brushed versions. Please consult your Mercier experts at Aspen Wood Flooring to find out which collections and species can be offered in Satin or Matte Brushed finishes. 

This new formulation has not lost touch with its roots. The new formulation still contains antimicrobial properties, it is hypoallergenic, contains plant-based oil, and is free from VOC.s and other pollutants. It is certified as Greengaurd Gold and has no added forever chemicals (PFAS). Since the Mercier Generations+ is also the base for the Generations Intact 2500, it also makes this finish more resistant to surface scratches and stains, and easier to clean.

So whether you choose the Mercier Generations+ or Generations Intact 2500 on your Mercier floors, you are getting the benefits of the new Mercier Generations+. To explore all the possibilities with the new Mercier Generations+ and the full Mercier collection of species and colours visit the Aspen showroom and let us take you on a full tour.