A new consumer education campaign is taking aim at “imitators” in the wood flooring space such as laminates and luxury vinyl planks by seeking to reduce confusion and counter misleading marketing.
“It’s more than a campaign; it’s a movement. We want to restore hardwood as the gold standard,” says Derrick Daye, chief brand advocate for The Woodpicker Knows. "We borrowed the name from 'woodpecker,' because we really want to amplify that the natural world offers something much better than the toxic products that factories make.”
Derrick Daye, chief brand advocate for The Woodpicker Knows.
“Wood-look products didn’t win because they’re better; they won because they framed the decision around ‘cheaper, easier, waterproof’ — and hardwood never answered back,” Daye says, citing NWFA’s 2026 Industry Outlook Survey that indicates 66% of industry professionals now consider those products their biggest competitor. “People choose by comparison, and until now, no one has clearly shown where real wood outperforms the imitators.”
To that end, the website for The Woodpicker Knows, which launched in early January, provides side-by-side comparisons of genuine hardwood and synthetic flooring. It also offers answers to five commonly asked questions (including “How does hardwood flooring increase the resale value of a home?” and “How is hardwood flooring eco-friendly?”) and eventually will add wood flooring manufacturers, distributors and retailers as “preferred picks” that meet a predetermined set of criteria. Companies pay a fee to undergo research to determine that potential designation.
“I think everyone in the hardwood flooring industry has an obligation to set the record straight,” Daye says. “They have an obligation to help consumers think through this important decision. A more informed consumer is what’s going to win the day."
For more information or to get involved in the campaign, click here.
