MECHANICAL AND CHEMICAL EMBOSSED SURFACE COVERING FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Surface coverings with mechanical and chemical embossing, and methods o f manufacture thereof, are disclosed. The surface coverings include a substrat e, a foam layer disposed on the substrate, wherein the foamed layer has a chemically embossed pattern imposed therein, a wear layer disposed on the foam layer, and a mechanically embossed, cross-linked top layer disposed on the wear layer. In one embodiment, a web is formed including a substrate, a curable wear layer, an expandable foa m layer between the substrate and the wear layer, and at least one inhibitor composition disposed as a pattern proximate the foam layer. The wear layer is coated wit h a cross- linkable top coat and then heated to a temperature at which the top coat is substantially cross-linked and cured, the wear layer is substantially cured, the foam layer substantially expands, and the pattern is chemically embossed to form a surface covering. Thereafter, the surface covering is tempered to a temperature abov e ambient temperature. The top coat is then heated and at least one surface texture is mechanically embossed and set thereon. The mechanical embossing can be performed in register with a printed or chemically embossed pattern of the surface covering. In one embodiment, the surface covering lacks the top coat and the wear layer is mechanically embossed.