Surface coverings having a natural appearance and methods to make a surface covering having a natural appearance

Abstract

A method for making a surface covering is disclosed which includes providing a surface covering having a backing layer, a foamable layer, and a design layer, wherein the design layer includes a portion of a pattern printed with at least one retarder composition. A wear layer is then provided on the design layer and the wear layer is cured. The foamable layer is thereby expanded to form a foam layer, and the pattern printed with at least one retarder composition is chemically embossed. The cured product is subsequently cooled to ambient temperature and then the top surface of the wear layer is subjected to a sufficient temperature to soften the wear layer. After being softened the wear layer is mechanically embossed with a surface texture, the embossed surface texture is set in the wear layer, and a top coat may then be provided on the embossed set wear layer. A surface covering having the various features described above is also disclosed. Preferably, the surface covering and the method for making the surface covering have a natural wood, stone, marble, granite, or brick appearance wherein the design layer includes one or more joint or grout lines created with at least one retarder composition and the wear layer is mechanically embossed with the surface texture of a wood, stone, marble, granite, or brick surface.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.